Feminist Founders: Building Profitable People-First Businesses

In this episode of Feminist Founders, Becky Mollenkamp and Faith Clarke reflect on The Weight We Carry — a focus group conversation about invisible labor and how it shows up in our personal and professional lives. They share insights and takeaways from the powerful session, where participants told stories, named the unseen work they carry, and began exploring ways to release it. What emerged was both deeply personal and profoundly collective — a recognition that the exhaustion so many of us feel isn’t personal failure, it’s systemic. Discussed in this conversation: • How storytelling reveals the collective wisdom we already hold • Why invisible labor is both embodied and systemic • What it means to refuse to participate in your own sacrifice • How trust, accountability, and community intersect in the work of release • Why simple “one-two-three” solutions don’t work — and what does • How shame, guilt, and perfectionism keep us in patterns of overwork • The power of community in reprogramming the conditioning that makes us overfunction • What medicine looks like when it’s rooted in collective care and belonging Becky and Faith also share details about their upcoming small-group program—Releasing the Weight—a community container designed to help you identify, name, and release the invisible labor weighing you down — just in time for the holidays. ✨ Join the group experience: feministfounders.co/group 📰 Subscribe on Substack: feministfounders.substack.com Business owners can contribute to the white paper 🎤 PROUD MEMBERS OF THE FEMINIST PODCASTERS COLLECTIVE

This week looks a little different. Becky’s out sick, so we’re sharing a powerful conversation from Assigned Reading where Becky and Faith dive into Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s essay and TED Talk We Should All Be Feminists. It’s a wide-ranging and deeply personal discussion about feminism across cultures, the intersections of race and gender, and how we carry both the weight of oppression and the responsibility of shaping culture ourselves. 👉 Don’t miss our upcoming free event, The Weight We Carry on invisible labor, happening October 9, 2025. Sign up here: https://evt.to/eoieheisw Discussed in this episode: • How Adichie’s centering of Nigerian culture resonates with Afro-Caribbean experiences • Why feminism often defaults to “white feminism” in the U.S.—and the harm in that invisibility • Chimamanda’s 2017 comments on trans women, her clarification, and what it says about growth and accountability • How women are held to perfectionist standards under white supremacy • The challenge (and necessity) of contextualizing feminism through race, culture, and personal story • Why “people shape culture” is both a call to action and a permission slip • Owning our own stories of privilege and oppression—and how whiteness itself can be a prison • Shame as one of the sharpest tools of oppression and how it maintains systems of power • The many ways activism can look: rest, storytelling, parenting, teaching, healing, and beyond 🎤 PROUD MEMBERS OF THE FEMINIST PODCASTERS COLLECTIVE

In this solo episode of Feminist Founders, Faith Clarke reflects on the invisible labor women carry, the stories that connect us, and the power of collective truth-telling. Drawing from Desmond Tutu’s teaching on Ubuntu—“a person is a person through other persons”—Faith invites listeners to consider how our common humanity can be honored through deep listening, shared storytelling, and co-creation of solutions. Faith shares her background in qualitative research, her belief that human stories are data, and how the Feminist Founders community is engaging in collective storytelling to explore invisible labor. This episode is both a personal reflection and an invitation: to join a larger conversation, contribute your story, and help co-create liberatory solutions for founders and communities. 💡 Discussed in this episode: 🎤 Proud members of the Feminist Podcasters Collective

What happens when you step away from everything you’ve built—not just for a week off, but for months of deep rest and reflection? In this episode of Feminist Founders summer series on women’s invisible labor, Becky talks with Mai-kee Tsang, who took a two-month sabbatical after seven years of running her business. What started as a response to grief became a radical reimagining of work, worth, and identity. Together, they explore: Mai-kee reminds us that walking away doesn’t erase the value of what you’ve built. It can be a form of liberation, a chance to listen to yourself again, and to reimagine what’s possible when you’re no longer defined by your work. Mai-kee Tsang is a writer, mentor, and former Sustainable Visibility® strategist. After seven years of entrepreneurship, she took a sabbatical to grieve, heal, and reconnect with her identity outside of work. Today, she continues to hold space for community through her email letters, Cup of Catch-ups, and experiments in simply being. Sign up for Mai-kee’s email list 🎤 PROUD MEMBERS OF THE FEMINIST PODCASTERS COLLECTIVE

Host Faith Clarke sits down with burnout recovery specialist and relationship coach Jay Asooli to dig into what we often call “invisible labor”—and why Jay insists it’s more accurate to say invisibilized labor. Together, they explore the emotional, cognitive, and care work that keeps households, workplaces, and communities running—work that’s hidden in plain sight, disproportionately carried by women, non-men, and marginalized people. Jay shares deeply personal reflections on being a family caregiver, the countless jobs rolled into that role, and how the systems around us deliberately minimize and erase this labor. She names the many categories of relational labor—repair initiation, resistance moderation, stress regulation, social hosting, educational labor—and how these patterns play out in both families and workplaces. This is not just about naming the problem. Faith and Jay talk about how protest, grief, and awareness are radical acts of resistance, and how community care and co-creation are essential for building new ways of living and working. If you’ve ever felt exhausted from carrying too much, unseen, or guilty for “not doing enough,” this conversation will remind you that you’re not alone—and that your labor deserves to be recognized, valued, and shared. Discussed in This Episode: invisibilized labor Connect with Jay Asooli: Website | Instagram 🎤 PROUD MEMBERS OF THE FEMINIST PODCASTERS COLLECTIVE

What happens when you’re raising young children and caring for aging parents—or even siblings with disabilities—at the same time? That’s the reality for millions of Gen Xers and millennials in the “sandwich generation.” In this episode of Feminist Founders, part of our summer series on invisible labor, Becky talks with Anna De La Cruz, a social impact consultant, writer, and caregiver based in Seattle. Anna is the voice behind GenXandwich on Substack, where she writes candidly about navigating multi-generational caregiving while raising three kids and caring for her brother with Down syndrome. Discussed in this episode: What it means to be “sandwiched”Why women—especially women of color—carry the bulk of unpaid and underpaid care workHow capitalism has failed caregiversThe emotional toll of invisible laborThe importance of collective careReimagining how we talk about death and agingAnna reminds us that making invisible labor visible isn’t just about validation—it’s about shifting culture and demanding policies that actually support people. 🎉 Read Anna’s writing at GenXandwich on Substack: https://substack.com/@genxandwich 🎤PROUD MEMBERS OF THE FEMINIST PODCASTERS COLLECTIVE

In this episode of Feminist Founders, Becky sits down with health and wellness coach Balu Belz to dig into the hidden weight mothers carry—at home, in business, and in society. Part of our summer series on women’s invisible labor, this conversation pulls back the curtain on the cultural conditionizng that leaves mothers unsupported, undervalued, and exhausted. Balu shares her journey from a challenging fertility process through early motherhood, and how those experiences shaped her mission to support moms in ways that honor their individual needs and identities. Together, Becky and Balu tackle everything from the myth of “it takes a village,” to the systemic failures of maternal healthcare, to why asking for help often feels like a radical act. This is a conversation about making the invisible visible—naming the unseen labor women perform every day, and insisting that mothers deserve support, care, and recognition. Whether you’re a parent or not, you’ll walk away with a deeper understanding of why this labor matters, how it’s tied to broader systems of inequity, and what it looks like to push back. Discussed in This Episode: Resources mentioned: Balu BelzLinkedInToi Smith: Loving Single Black MothersMotherful: Building Villages for Single Moms 🎤 PROUD MEMBERS OF THE FEMINIST PODCASTERS COLLECTIVE

In this solo episode, Faith Clarke breaks down the invisible labor so many of us carry—especially women with marginalized identities—and how it shapes our leadership, health, and humanity. From the exhausting calculations we make to stay safe, to the unspoken emotional labor of managing other people’s comfort, Faith exposes the quiet toll this labor takes on our bodies and businesses. She offers clear, actionable practices for naming, tracking, and shifting these patterns—both within ourselves and our organizations. This is an episode for anyone who’s ever felt like they had to soften the blow, hold the bag, or clean up the mess… and for those of us building feminist businesses that promise to do better. Discussed in this episode: Resources Mentioned: “Man vs. Bear” essayCanada’s “birth alert” policyJay Asooli 🎤 PROUD MEMBERS OF THE FEMINIST PODCAST COLLECTIVE

Grief isn’t just about death — it’s the emotional response to any kind of loss, from big life changes to daily disappointments. And for women, especially, grief often goes unseen and unspoken. In this episode of Feminist Founders, Becky talks with Nikki the Death Doula about the heavy (and invisible) labor women carry when it comes to grief. Together, they unpack how we’re conditioned to take on everyone else’s pain, hide our own, and minimize the everyday losses that still weigh on us. Nikki shares her experience as a death doula, what she’s learned about unrecognized grief, and the simple practices that can help us process it — including her mantra: name it to tame it. They also explore how cultural silence around miscarriage, caregiving, and “small” griefs leaves us isolated, and how community and validation can open the door to healing. Connect with Nikki Smith: https://www.nikkithedeathdoula.comGood Grief with Nikki the Death Doula: https://www.nikkithedeathdoula.com/podcast Discussed in this episode: 🎤 PROUD MEMBERS OF THE FEMINIST PODCASTERS COLLECTIVE: http://feministpodcastcollective.com/

In this solo episode of Feminist Founders’ summer series on women’s invisible labor, Becky shares a deeply personal practice she’s relied on for years: quarterly solo hotel retreats. Recorded across two days in real time, Becky opens up about why she prioritizes this ritual, the family grief and financial stress that made this one especially necessary, and how these retreats help her reset from the relentless invisible labor of parenting, partnership, and work. From perimenopause symptoms to parenting burnout, from the quiet joy of lowering a thermostat to 60 degrees to the relief of binge-watching shows alone in peace, this episode is an intimate reminder that self-care isn’t selfish — it’s survival. What You’ll Hear in This Episode: • Why Becky takes solo hotel retreats every quarter (and why two nights are non‑negotiable) • The invisible labor women carry in parenting, marriage, and caregiving • The guilt that arises when prioritizing your own needs — and how to work through it • How grief, perimenopause, and financial strain compound emotional labor • Small ways to carve out restorative space, even if a hotel isn’t possible • Why granting yourself permission to rest can be revolutionary Resources & Links • Join the Messy Liberation Coaches Circle • Heather Vickery's episode on retreats 🎤 PROUD MEMBERS OF THE FEMINIST PODCASTERS COLLECTIVE

What happens when a solo business owner hits the wall—and actually stops? In this candid conversation, Becky Mollenkamp talks with copywriter and branding expert Paige Worthy about her two-month sabbatical, why she took it, and what she learned about labor, self-worth, and the sneaky grip of capitalist productivity culture. Paige opens up about the emotional toll of juggling clients, living in a world on fire, and the myth that stepping away is a luxury or a failure. From the privilege that made her time off possible to the inner voices that almost stopped her, she shares a raw and honest look at what real rest looks like (hint: it's not always pretty or peaceful). Whether you’re a burned-out entrepreneur, a therapist who needs their own therapist, or someone dreaming of hitting pause but unsure how to give yourself permission, this episode is your invitation to imagine something different. Paige Worthy (she/her) is a writer, editor, and brand messaging strategist for progressive entrepreneurs. Known for her spicy takes, thoughtful wordcraft, and zero tolerance for misogynist bullshit, Paige shows up in business and life as a truth-teller and cat-loving rage queen. She’s currently on sabbatical—joyfully making pottery, resisting capitalist productivity, and embracing rest as rebellion. 🌐 paigeworthy.com Discussed in this episode: Resource mentioned: Nicole Havelka 🎤 PROUD MEMBERS OF THE FEMINIST PODCASTERS COLLECTIVE 🎤

Dr. Giavanni Washington joins Faith Clarke for a raw and powerful conversation about the invisible labor women perform—especially Black women, immigrant daughters, eldest daughters, and overachievers—and the cost of sacrificing ourselves in the name of love, family, and professionalism. Giavanni unpacks her personal reckoning with worthiness, the structures that normalize our overwork, and the generational pattern-breaking required to reclaim joy and liberation. Together, they explore how systems of white supremacy and patriarchy have conditioned us to be complicit in our own exhaustion—and what it takes to step out of those systems. From motherhood to work, partnership to family caregiving, this episode is a must-listen for anyone rethinking what it means to show up without self-abandonment. Discussed in this episode: Resources Mentioned: The Overachievers Oracle podcast with Giavanni WashingtonBlack Goddess Within: Giavanni’s spiritual liberation practice🎤 Proud members of the Feminist Podcast Collective

In this raw and resonant conversation, transformation coach Heather Vickery joins Becky to talk about burnout, invisible labor, and why choosing yourself is a radical act of resistance. They unpack the emotional and physical toll of carrying the weight of the world—especially for women and non-binary folks socialized to perform and produce. Heather shares how retreats (from solo hotel stays to facilitated group gatherings) can serve as powerful tools for reconnection, rest, and radical reclamation. She breaks down the science behind healing modalities like NLP and Human Design, and why well-resourced women are dangerous to the systems that aim to keep us small. If you've ever struggled to give yourself permission to rest, this episode will remind you why your liberation matters—and how rest isn’t just self-care, it’s strategy. Heather Vickery’s website: vickeryandco.com Costa Rica Retreat (Jan 21–26, 2026): https://vickeryandco.com/costa-rica 📝 Discussed in this Episode 💪 PROUD MEMBERS OF THE FEMINIST PODCAST COLLECTIVE: http://feministpodcastcollective.com/

In this powerful solo episode of Feminist Founders, Faith Clarke shares a deeply personal reflection on what it means to carry invisible labor as a woman, especially as a solo parent, a nonprofit consultant, and a woman of color navigating systemic inequity. From her lived experience of parenting through hypervigilance to her professional insights into underfunded organizations and the cost of over-functioning, Faith names what so often goes unnamed—and offers a call to reimagine leadership and community care. She examines the praise women receive for being the ones who “carry it all” and challenges us to question why we accept that role in the first place. She doesn’t just talk about asking for help—she explores what it would take to build systems of collective leadership and shared responsibility. This is an unfiltered, heart-led exploration of burnout, vigilance, scarcity, and liberation. If you’ve ever felt like Atlas with the world on your shoulders, this episode is your permission slip to set it down. Discussed in this episode: 💪 PROUD MEMBERS OF THE FEMINIST PODCAST COLLECTIVE: http://feministpodcastcollective.com/

In this candid conversation, burnout coach Nicole Havelka joins Becky Mollenkamp to explore the systemic roots of burnout, especially for women, mothers, and caregivers. They discuss why rest is more than sleep, how women’s invisible labor adds up, and why the “just get a new job” advice is bullshit in a culture designed to drain us dry. Nicole brings a trauma-informed, embodied approach to healing burnout—one that doesn’t start with productivity hacks but with reclaiming your nervous system, your spaciousness, and your humanity. This episode is part of our special Feminist Founders summer series focused on women’s labor. Nicole Havelka's Website | Newsletter 💬 Discussed in This Episode actuallynot📚 Resources Mentioned "Burnout" by Emily & Amelia Nagoski"Fair Play" by Eve Rodsky"Sacred Rest" by Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith"Essentialism" by Greg McKeown"Rest is Resistance" by Tricia HerseyThe Nap Ministry on Instagram🎧 This show is part of the Feminist Podcast Collective, a community of progressive creators reclaiming media through storytelling and solidarity.

In this candid conversation, Becky Mollenkamp and Faith Clarke kick off their summer series exploring women’s labor—visible, invisible, paid, unpaid, emotional, and generational. They dive into what’s been stirring beneath the surface: the overwhelm of trying to do it all, the cultural myths of "having it all," and the shame and guilt baked into simply needing rest. Faith opens up about her reflections on the Paris Paloma song and her own poetry as a way to name what’s often unspoken. Becky shares the seasonal stress of parenting, running a business, and feeling like she’s always supposed to keep pushing. Together, they name the collective weight women carry and offer an alternative path rooted in pleasure, community, and ease. This episode kicks off a looser, more spacious summer format—one that resists perfectionism and honors capacity. Expect solo musings, guest conversations, and whatever else feels good, all orbiting the theme of labor and liberation. Discussed in this episode: Paris Paloma’s song “Labour” 🎧 PROUD MEMBERS OF THE FEMINIST PODCAST COLLECTIVE 🎧

What does it really take to build a business rooted in your values—without burning out, selling out, or sacrificing your sanity? Becky Mollenkamp and Faith Clarke introduce a new 6-month group container designed for feminist entrepreneurs who are done with toxic business culture and ready to lead in a way that feels nourishing, not extractive. We unpack: reallygets itThis episode is full of real talk about building a values-aligned, human-first business in a world that’s obsessed with productivity, hustle, and hierarchy. If you’re wondering how to run your business differently—but aren’t sure where to begin—this episode will feel like a warm, radical permission slip. 📝 Apply for the group program here: https://feministfounders.co/group 📩 Got questions? Email us at feministfounder@gmail.com 🌈 Subscribe to the Feminist Founders newsletter: https://feministfounders.substack.com

In the final episode of this five-part series on the Feminist Founders framework, Becky Mollenkamp and Faith Clarke explore what happens after the strategy sessions are over. This conversation is about the often-overlooked work of integration—how to actually live your values in the everyday reality of your business. They share personal stories, client examples, and real-world tools to show how feminist business values like transparency, consent, curiosity, and co-regulation can show up in your systems, your leadership, and even your Zoom meetings. Listen in to learn: signSpoiler: The real magic isn't in the vision—it’s in the practice. And the practice will be messy. 🎧 Plus, get a sneak peek of the supportive container Becky and Faith are building to help founders like you do this work with structure and community.

In this episode of Feminist Founders, Becky Mollenkamp and Faith Clarke dive deep into what might be the most critical (and most avoided) part of feminist entrepreneurship: conflict and disruption. This conversation will help you reframe discomfort not as failure—but as proof that you’re doing something different. Becky and Faith explore why conflict is inevitable in values-aligned businesses, how to meet it with compassion, and why traditional conflict-avoidance strategies (hello, white lady niceness) just don’t cut it anymore. Together, they discuss: withoutDisruption deserves its own seat at the feminist business framework table—because this is where real change begins. 🎧 Next week’s episode wraps the series with how to implement all five parts of the Feminist Founders framework. Subscribe now so you don’t miss it! Listen to The Empowered & Embodied show on this or any podcast platform, or get more information and links on their website.

In this episode of Feminist Founders, Becky Mollenkamp and Faith Clarke break down what it really means to build systems in your business that align with your feminist, anti-capitalist, and anti-supremacist values. From automation overwhelm to resisting empire-thinking in tech tools, they unpack why most systems weren’t built for you—and how to challenge that by designing your own. They explore: actuallydecolonizeIf you’ve ever felt like your business systems were “a mess” or wondered why nothing out there fits what you’re trying to build—you’re not broken. You’re trying to do things differently. This episode is your permission slip to keep doing just that. 🎧 Listen in, and then subscribe for next week’s episode on navigating conflict in values-aligned businesses. Listen to The Empowered & Embodied show on this or any podcast platform, or get more information and links on their website.