869: Data Over Drama: How Female Leaders Can Scale with Strategy, Not Emotion

Have you ever attended an event that completely changed the trajectory of your life? My guest today, Marina Middleton, certainly has.  In 2021, she walked into her first Create & Cultivate event as an attendee, looking to make connections and gain insights for her own business. Fast forward to today—she’s the CEO and Partner of the very brand that inspired her. Marina is a powerhouse when it comes to building communities, amplifying women’s voices, and helping them break barriers in business. Before stepping into her leadership at Create & Cultivate, she worked with Fortune 500 companies at Yahoo! and Tumblr, strategizing digital media campaigns. She has since coached and consulted hundreds of female founders, helping them grow their brands with confidence. In this episode, Marina shares the defining moments that shaped her career—from navigating the corporate world as a woman of color to stepping into the CEO role of a major media and events brand. We’re diving into how mentorship, networking, and representation can accelerate career growth, plus the lessons she’s learned balancing leadership and motherhood. If you’ve ever felt like an outsider in your industry or wondered how to cultivate the right connections to propel your career forward, this conversation is for you! Goal Digger Facebook Community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/goaldiggerpodcast/ Goal Digger Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/goaldiggerpodcast/ Goal Digger Show Notes: https://www.jennakutcherblog.com/women-in-leadership-tips-with-create-and-cultivate-ceo-marina-middleton  Thanks to our Goal Digger Sponsors: Run your first payroll with Gusto and get three months free at http://Gusto.com/goaldigger!  Make B2B marketing everything it can be and get a $100 credit on your next campaign. Go to https://www.linkedin.com/goal to claim your credit! Sign up for your $1/month Shopify trial period at http://shopify.com/goaldigger.  Find a co-host today at http://airbnb.com/host.  Head on over to http://shippo.com/goaldigger and claim your "spend $25, get $25" offer today! Get all the Goal Digger goodness you love COMPLETELY ad-free. Visit jennakutcher.com/adfree to subscribe today! Deposit or spend $5,000 in 90 days to earn up to $500 in rewards at ⁠mercury.com/goal⁠. Mercury is a financial technology company, not an FDIC-insured bank. Banking services provided by Choice Financial Group, Column, N.A., and Evolve Bank & Trust, Members FDIC. The IO Card is issued by Patriot Bank, Member FDIC, pursuant to a license from Mastercard. Working capital loans provided by Mercury Lending, LLC NMLS ID: 2606284.