Madame Founder

Madame Founder

Explore the inspiring stories and valuable insights from successful female entrepreneurs on our podcast series, hosted by CEO Christa Pitts, the powerhouse co-founder behind The Elf on the Shelf phenomenon. Join the conversation about women in business, leadership, and empowerment as they share their experiences and universal learnings. Tune in for practical advice and universal lessons for aspiring businesswomen!

Episodes

April 11, 2025 51 mins

 When a fax from her father handed her the reins to the family construction company, Joy Rohadfox had no engineering background—but she had grit, intelligence, and heart. In this episode, Joy shares her remarkable journey from a dirt-bike-riding little sister in Durham to CEO of a multimillion-dollar infrastructure firm. We talk about navigating politics in business, earning respect in a male-dominated field, and staying true to yo...

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What happens when you mix sisterhood, storytelling, and a sprinkle of entrepreneurial magic? On this episode of Madame Founder, I sit down with Susan Turnock and Heather Arak—the dynamic sister duo behind GGL Creative, the masterminds behind some of the most unforgettable corporate gifts and brand experiences on the planet!  Corporate gifting has been around for ages, but they revolutionized it!  If you get a gift, they designed......

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How do you build a #1 selling women’s health brand in a highly stigmatized space? Just ask Deeannah Seymour, founder of PhD Feminine Health. She built a multi-million dollar business empire that shows hearts to your “lady parts!” She is breaking taboos and opening doors to REAL conversations about women's health. Deeannah’s journey is based on science, data, and choosing faith over fear. 

🎧 Listen in to hear how she shattered ...

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Vanessa Rissetto knows that nutrition isn’t just about what’s on your plate—it’s about education!  As a registered dietitian and co-founder of Culina Health, she’s reshaping how we approach food, eating, and wellness.  In this episode, she shares how she discovered that for her, the “Freshman 15” became the “College 50”, and it changed her life.  She went on to found a hugely successful tele-health company rooted in the notion that...

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In the Season 2 premiere episode of Madame Founder, I sit down with Kasey D’Amato, who became the aesthetics guru to the stars, wanted more, launched her own medical grade skincare line, burned herself out, traveled through a dust storm (literally) to find herself again, then became a business coach, consultant, and now an author!  Her story is amazing, and I was fascinated by her easily digestible nuggets of wisdom.  Listen as she...

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In this finale to Madame Founder Season 1, Christa Pitts goes solo to share her journey of building The Elf on the Shelf brand and The Lumistella Company. From humble beginnings to becoming a household name, Christa opens up about the lessons learned along the way. Tune in for 10 key takeaways every entrepreneur needs to hear—from believing in your vision to embracing rejection. With reflections on her mentors and podcast guests, C...

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It’s inevitable --- if you own a business, you are going to face a crisis!  That’s just plain TRUTH!  It’s how you handle it that matters.  In this special episode of Madame Founder, I sit down with the incredible Amanda Lucey, entrepreneur, public speaker, best-selling author and CEO of The Partnership—a full-service marketing and branding agency based in Atlanta, Georgia. Amanda reveals her secret sauce for success: “Be hungry, k...

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From sharing a bed with her mom as a teenager to being featured in British Vogue, Margaux St. Ledger’s journey is nothing short of inspiring. In this episode of Madame Founder, Christa sits down with her close friend and creative powerhouse to explore how Margaux’s humble beginnings shaped her path to becoming a visionary in design, luxury weddings, and events.

With a career spanning iconic brands like Tiffany & Co. a...

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Melinda Hollandsworth, co-founder of Path United, an organization which empowers children growing up in mobile home communities to find their path to high school graduation, joins Christa for a heartfelt conversation about creating impact, building deep relationships, and the scrappy determination required to change lives. From starting with nothing but a $1,000 trailer riddled with bullet holes to building 8 thriving communities, ...

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How do you make fitness fabulous? Natalie Holloway, co-founder of the LA-based movement company Bala, joins Madame Founder to share her journey from mega-advertising agency “burnout,” to world traveler, to entrepreneurial powerhouse. After launching a Kickstarter campaign to fund the company and proving her concept “had legs” (pun intended) on Shark Tank, she now collaborates with style icons like Kate Spade and Ralph Lauren.  In t...

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Get ready for a sweet episode of Madame Founder! Katey Evans, co-founder of The Frozen Farmer, shares how she turned a local family produce stand into an ice cream empire. From navigating the frozen food aisle to balancing family life with 4 kids, Katey’s journey is full of inspiring lessons—and a few scoops of humor! Katey dishes on the ups and downs of running a family business, being surrounded by “the Sharks” on Shark Tank, nav...

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Taylor Capuano, the brilliant co-founder of CAKES body, overcame her fear of failure and her “nothing burger” marketing plan to build a multi-million-dollar brand! How?  By evolving a very old-school product.  With the launch of their game-changing “grippy not sticky” bra pads, she and her sister Casey, took social media by storm. From her “life begins when it’s cringe” motto to her heart-driven philanthropy, Taylor’s story will ha...

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Marti Wymer, the heart and soul behind Spoonful of Comfort, started a company where you can send delicious soups, tasty sweets, and comforting gifts to loved ones.  After tragically losing her father and learning of her mother’s cancer diagnosis, she wanted to send a meaningful gift to her mom that said, “I love you and I care.”  Flowers just didn’t seem personal enough.  From there, a midnight spark of creativity (chicken soup) be...

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Jesslyn Rollins, CEO of BIOLYTE, transformed the hydration landscape! From theater stage to managing her mother’s cancer treatment, listen to what inspired her medical-grade hydration solution.

 Here Jesslyn discusses how her father, “Dr. Dad”, an anesthesiologist and pain management specialist, worked for years to perfect a first-of-its-kind formula for medical-grade hydration... an IV in a bottle.  Listen as she shares her opennes...

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Ashley Baskerville, founder of AB Mentality is a passionate sports psychologist, mental performance coach and self-proclaimed research nerd. In this episode, she shares how growing up in a loving, yet fiercely competitive family shaped her outlook on life, learning resilience and the importance of support – especially when UNO was banned on holidays (sometimes certain family traditions are better left un-played)! With a mission to ...

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This is a  high-energy episode of Madame Founder! I am chatting with Dr. Jen Welter—the first female coach in NFL history. From humble beginnings to conquering the football field, Jen’s story is about breaking down barriers, building strong teams, and tackling life with confidence. Tune in as they discuss Jen’s groundbreaking program, Gridiron Girls, and how her bestselling books continue to inspire others. This episode is packed w...

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Feeling overwhelmed, lonely, or like your confidence is slipping away? You’re definitely not alone! Join us for a powerful episode with Joan Kuhl, where we dive into the vital importance of community, the challenges women face with burnout, and the essential role we all play in empowering the next generation of girls. We really get into the tough stuff women are facing today, including the staggering fact that we burn out at TWICE ...

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Have you ever wondered how a “dating service for brands” could turbocharge your business? Well, in this episode, I speak to Bridget Murphy, founder of Envision Promotions,  whose company pairs big-time clients and agencies together to create one-of-a-kind brand partnerships.  Join me as we discuss how she built her career at Disney by surrounding herself with smart people and how she eventually founded her own business, driving mas...

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Resilience, Reinvention, and Reposado—that’s the theme of this episode with Mara Smith, founder of Inspiro Tequila.  In my humble opinion, the best sipping tequila on the market! Mara went from a structured career as an attorney and corporate leader to the unpredictable life of a mother of three. But it was motherhood that taught her the skills to pivot and thrive in business. Listen in as Mara shares her journey of resilience, the...

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Erica Tuggle, the visionary behind Cookonnect, joined me to discuss solving her own problem --- as a busy, traveling, successful businesswoman and mom, how could she get a healthy meal on the table in time for dinner? Afterall, in the corporate world, she’d led huge initiatives focused on food innovation and business development for both General Mills and Coca-Cola.  Why couldn’t she be the person to fix “the what’s-for-dinner conu...

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