The Founding Females® Heartbeat September 2025
Your September Heartbeat: What’s Hot, What’s New, and What’s Next
Hi Founding Females®!!
September has been a whirlwind of connection, inspiration, and growth. Between an amazing time at the Pathways Women’s Conference, celebrating one of our mastermind members, Andrea Verplaetse from Your Career Mentor, and prepping and announcing the BIGGEST event we’ve hosted this year, there is a lot to share in this month’s Heartbeat.
Let’s dive in!
Here’s the latest you need to know from Founding Females®, including:
Let’s dive in!
#1 Big Announcement: Women, Wealth & Wellness Event
We are thrilled to announce that Founding Females® is partnering with WTVP-PBS, Nicole Miller, CFP®, AFFP®, and Dr. Kristen Strom to bring you Women, Wealth & Wellness — A Morning of Growth and Connection!
When women come together to focus on both wealth and wellness, it strengthens our individual lives and the vitality of our entire community.
📅 Thursday, November 6th
⏰ 8:00 AM – 12:30 PM (Doors open at 7:30 AM for registration + coffee)
📍 WTVP Studios, Downtown Peoria
Here’s what you can expect:
Opening Session: Explore the 8 dimensions of well-being and how to create balance
Breakout Sessions: Choose the topics that matter most to you from building wealth to caring for your health
Panel Discussion: Hear how local women turned their ideas into thriving businesses
Networking: Meet like-minded women and leave with tools + confidence to take action
This event is FREE, but space is limited. RSVP now to save your spot!
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#2 Community in Action: Pathways Women’s Conference Recap
Last week we had the honor of attending the Pathways Women’s Conference in Peoria, IL — an incredible collaboration between Women in Leadership and NAWBO. Over 250 women came together for a day that felt more like a reunion with “our besties” than a professional to-do. The energy, inspiration, and connection were unmatched. We’re still riding the high from seeing so many powerhouse women in one room!
Our very own Dr. Kristen Strom and Kisha Woods were breakout speakers who brought plenty of aha moments and practical application to the table. We had 30 women (!!!) fill up three full Founding Females® tables at the keynote by Dr. Anna Marie.
We keep the Founding Females® Event Calendar up to date with conferences and events you don’t want to miss!
#3 October Founding Females® Meet Up Details
Our October Meet Ups are set and we’d love to see you there! These monthly gatherings are the perfect space to build relationships, share ideas, and find the encouragement you need to keep building your dream.
From new collabs to fresh biz ideas, when women show up and pour into each other, our Meet Ups are proving to be ground zero for game changing shifts and we are 👏 all 👏 about 👏 it!
Our Meet Ups are totally free and open to any female entrepreneur ready to connect, collaborate, and crowdsource solutions to real business challenges.
With six chapters across Illinois and Indiana, there’s likely one near you, and if not, let’s chat about starting one!
Champaign/Urbana, IL Founding Females® Meet Up
October 7th at 8:45a at The CU Flower House hosted by Heidi Esther, Joyologist and Andrea Hunt, owner of The CU Flower House (2006 S Neil St, Champaign, IL 61820). Champaign/Urbana Meet Ups are always the first Tuesday of the month.
Livingston County Founding Females® Meet Up
October 9th at 10a. We are so excited to announce the launch of our newest Founding Females® Meet Up Chapter in Flanagan, Illinois! We call it our “Livingston County Meet Up Chapter”!
This incredible female entrepreneur event will be hosted by Christine Brown at Christine Brown Photography (117 S Main Street, Suite 3, Flanagan, IL 61740) on the second Thursday of every month at 10a CT!
Peoria Area, IL Founding Females® Meet Up
October 14th at 10a at Cafe Santa Rosa (1327 E Kelly Ave, Peoria Heights, IL). Hosted by Hannah Knight of Always Flourishing Photography and Studio on Sampson and Francie Hinrichsen, founder of Founding Females®.
*Please note - No outside drinks allowed. Pop in a little early if you'd like to order a drink from the cafe. Peoria Meet Ups are always the second Tuesday of the month.
Danville, IL Founding Females® Meet Up
October 16th at 12p CT Hosted by Jessica Nemecz of Two Roads Wellness Clinic and Ashton Greer of Clarity Design Co. and Partner, Fred & Ma, LLC at First Place Coworking Space (137 North Vermilion Street, Danville, IL). Feel free to bring your lunch. Danville Meet Ups are always the third Thursday of the month.
Decatur, IL Founding Females® Meet Up
October 30th at 10a at Cass Concepts (100 E Main St, Decatur, IL) in Decatur, hosted by Lindsey Kirk of Lindsey the Ladysmith and Cassie Yoder, founder of Cass Concepts. Decatur Meet Ups are the last Thursday of the month.
Carmel, IN Founding Females® Meet Up
October 31st at 12pm ET at The Link Office Suites in Carmel in the "Straightaway Conference Room" (10255 Commerce Drive, Carmel, IN). Carmel Meet Ups are hosted by Amanda Galloway of Country Financial and Crystal Rightor, founder of Indy Brow Boss. Feel free to bring your lunch. Carmel Meet Ups are always hosted on the last Friday of the month.
Start a Founding Females® Meet Up Chapter
Founding Females® is growing! If you don’t live near an existing Meet Up chapter and you’d like to start one of your own, pop into our inbox! We’ll teach you how to create a supportive, inclusive squad of female entrepreneurs to link arms and level up with.
Plus, we’ll travel to help you launch your first Founding Females® Meet Up in your area!
#4 Member Spotlight: Andrea Verplaetse
This month, we’re shining the spotlight on Andrea Verplaetse, a Founding Females® mastermind member who is building something incredible in the space of career mentorship.
Her journey is such a powerful example of what happens when you commit to your vision, surround yourself with support, and take bold action.
Read Andrea’s story here: Mastermind Member Spotlight: Andrea Verplaetse
#5 What We’re Loving
Sun and Soul Retreats
Entrepreneurship can be exhilarating but also draining. That’s why we’re excited about Sun and Soul Retreats right now. These retreats are designed to help women step away from the grind, reset, and return with clarity and renewed energy. Perfect for any founder who needs a little R&R to fuel the next big breakthrough.
Plus, Sun and Soul was just founded by our very own Jessica Nemecz, serial entrepreneur, Danville Meet Up Chapter Host, and total boss woman!
Check them out here: Sun and Soul Retreats
Books I Can’t Put Down
You’ll notice a theme in our Founding Females® community…many of us are avid readers because books open up so much opportunity for self-growth.
Here’s what I’ve been diving into during my dedicated morning solitude each morning:
This month, I got my hands on an advanced copy of Write, Revise, Publish — The No Bloat AI for Writers Series by our very own mastermind member Maryse Laflamme.
This book is a must-read for writers and aspiring writers of both fiction and non-fiction. And if you’re a coach, consultant, or entrepreneur, this book will give you the tools and confidence to finally get that credibility-boosting book out of your head and into the world (I always say that I think everyone has a book and a business on their heart!)!
Maryse breaks down the writing process in a way that feels approachable, empowering, and totally doable, even if you’ve been sitting on your idea for years.
Keep an eye out for the official release. This is one you’ll want on your shelf.
Mantra That’s Been in My Head Lately
“Compassion is the antidote to perfectionism. ”
Perfectionism can sneak in when we least expect it — especially as entrepreneurs — whispering that we’re not doing enough, not moving fast enough, not getting it just right. The truth? Perfection isn’t the goal.
Compassion is the antidote. When we show ourselves and others compassion, we shift from criticism to curiosity. Instead of beating ourselves up for the imperfect email, the missed deadline, or the messy launch, we can ask: What can I learn from this? What’s the next small step forward?
Compassion creates space for growth. It allows us to keep going, keep showing up, and keep building without the weight of unrealistic expectations.
So this month, try swapping “perfect” for “compassionate.” Your business (and your peace of mind) will thank you.
What You’re Loving Right Now
The results from your optimized website! We keep hearing about how women are getting organic, paid clients from the SEO work we do for clients in our Marketing Division.
Like these recent projects:
When we optimized Hannah Knight's The Studio on Sampson earlier this month, she got a paid client from Google within a week after completed the project.
When we optimized the Insects Limited site, organic traffic became their #1 driver of paying customers within a year. The best part? They didn't originally set out to acquire so much business from the direct to consumer market so the added revenue helped them build out a new division.
We practice what we preach! "Women's business mastermind" is the top search query landing leads on our Founding Females® site and grows our email list by hundreds every year, many of who convert through email strategy into Mastermind members during Membership Week.
Ready to stop working so hard and let your site work for you? SEO and CRO strategy is the answer. Tap the button to start the conversation.
Marketing Scheduling
If you didn’t know, we have a marketing division under the Founding Females® brand. Since we launched Founding Females® in 2021, we’ve helped over 1000 women grow their businesses and take their next best step in entrepreneurship.
If you anticipate needing any of the following services this year, please let us know so we can hold space for you on our calendar:
Website refresh or website management (monthly and quarterly options available - Taking Squarespace clients only starting in 2025.)
Audits for SEO and CRO - SEO stands for search engine optimization and CRO stands for conversion rate optimization
Business and marketing strategy support, including brainstorming strategy sessions
Speaking engagements (topics: ‘The Fundamentals of Marketing,’ SEO, and business strategy)
Let’s chat about your business!
Have a personal business struggle or win you want someone to get excited about with? I’d love to talk through it with you! Comment below or click to email me.
Cheering for you!
Francie, Founder
Recent Blog Posts About Female Entrepreneurship
Past Founding Females® Heartbeat Newsletters
Founding Females® Heartbeat March 2025
Founding Females® Heartbeat April 2024
Founding Females® Heartbeat May 2024
P.S. Here are some of my top favorite female small business resources:
Dream, Build, Grow: A Female’s Step-by-Step Guide for How to Start a Business available on Amazon- a guided handbook including everything you need to know from business idea to launch to profiting and scaling your business.
Dream, Build, Grow Free Resource Suite - free business templates for your business plan, marketing plan, ideal client persona, financial statements, and more!
Founding Females Mastermind- an online female mastermind space for entrepreneurs to connect, support, and get inspired
Free Downloads for Female Entrepreneurs
Free PDF Download: 25 Ways to Market Your Business (Aside from Social Media)
Free PDF Download: 33 keys to Business Success
Free PDF Download: SEO Tips for Entrepreneurs
Related Articles for Female Entrepreneurs
Hi, I’m Francie!
Nice to meet you. I’m the founder of Founding Females®. Some call me a business sage because I love to empower female entrepreneurs to breathe life into the business dreams God called them to.
After feeling like a misfit in the corporate world, I discovered a life I loved waking up to through business ownership.
I’m the author of Dream, Build, Grow: A Female’s Step-by-Step Guide for How to Start a Business, a guided journal helping hundreds of women start and grow their businesses.
I’m also a passionate entrepreneurship hype girl, female leader, public speaker, and community enthusiast.
My MBA and 10 years in a corporate career and in business ownership positioned me as an entrepreneurship educator with forward-thinking strategies for starting and growing successful businesses.
As a community leader, I realized other women could thrive with the right guidance and support. I created the Founding Females® Mastermind Community that provides a safe space for women to build better businesses.
I believe that anyone with a dream on their heart can pull up a seat to change the world through entrepreneurship. Looking to grow your own business? Click for info about how to work with me.
About Founding Females®
The mission of Founding Females® is to help women build thriving businesses. We create safe spaces for women to share business challenges and receive peer support.
In addition, Founding Females® offers an online female business mastermind, a how-to guidebook for female entrepreneurs called Dream, Build, Grow: A Female’s Step-by-Step Guide for How to Start a Business, and in-person events, like an annual women’s business conference and local Founding Females® Meet Ups.
Founding Females® was founded by small business educator, Francie Hinrichsen. She believes anyone with a dream on their heart can pull up a seat to change the world through entrepreneurship. Click to learn more about working with Francie.
September has been a whirlwind of connection, inspiration, and growth. Between an amazing time at the Pathways Women’s Conference, celebrating one of our mastermind members, Andrea Verplaetse from Your Career Mentor, and prepping and announcing the BIGGEST event we’ve hosted this year, there is a lot to share in this month’s Heartbeat.
Here’s the latest you need to know from Founding Females®…