At just 27 years old, Julie Smolyansky became the youngest female CEO of a publicly traded company when she took over Lifeway Foods after her father’s sudden passing. Two decades later, she has grown the company into a $185M global brand while bringing kefir and gut health into the American mainstream. In this episode of Badass Women in Business, Julie shares her journey from Soviet refugee to resilient leader, how wellness and mindfulness fuel her success, and why innovation and self-care are non-negotiables in business and life.

Jennifer Dulski went from high school teacher to leading teams at Yahoo, Google, Facebook, and Change.org, and now runs Rising Team, a platform helping managers build connection and trust. In this episode, she shares candid lessons on resilience, leadership, and starting movements that matter, offering practical frameworks like the Three Cs of clarify, coach, and connect for leaders navigating today’s changing workplace.

Anne Marie Dougherty grew the Bob Woodruff Foundation from $4.3 million to nearly $40 million by applying a business lens to nonprofit work. In this episode, she shares how data, strategy, and personal connection drive her approach to funding veteran support programs, forging long-term corporate partnerships, and preparing for the evolving mental health needs of military families.

Kate Wolff left big agency life to build something different. She went on to launch four companies rooted in creativity, equity, and bold leadership. In this episode, she shares the unfiltered truth about failure, fundraising, and what it really takes to build a business that lasts.

Christina Lenkowski, founder of Publicity by Christina, shares how she built a boutique podcast PR agency by doing things differently. From guaranteeing client results to treating visibility as a measurable business strategy, she breaks down the power of podcast guesting, what most people get wrong about publicity, and why relationships are the real return on investment.

Global brand strategist Yuki Bi joins the Badass Women in Business podcast to share how she built Helios Worldwide across four continents without shortcuts or compromises. From her early days in Canadian marketing to leading integrated strategy for global brands, Yuki unpacks the lessons that came from burnout, cultural missteps, and bold decisions. She shares how structure, clarity, and emotional honesty shaped her leadership; and why real growth often begins in the hardest moments.

Laura Rike’s story shows how strategic use of Pinterest helped her navigate life’s obstacles and build a thriving business. After a serious injury left her immobile, Pinterest became her business’s lifeline, continuing to generate passive income and even fund her wedding. In this blog, we dive into how Laura’s journey as a Pinterest strategist not only helped her overcome personal challenges but also enabled her clients to build six-figure businesses without sacrificing their work-life balance. Learn how you can leverage Pinterest for sustainable business growth and passive income.

Libby DeLucien didn’t build her business from a vision board. She built it while navigating a divorce, a custody battle, and starting over with nothing but her experience and work ethic. In this episode, Libby shares how she went from cleaning houses to running a national franchise and two software companies. We talk about her 1 Layer Deep systems approach, the family meetings that guide her business decisions, and how she redefined what it means to be a good mother and a strong leader. If you’ve ever felt stretched too thin, her story will change the way you think about growth.

After getting laid off and losing thousands on a real estate deal, Lisa Troyano-Ascolese turned her lowest moment into a tech startup, and built a thriving brokerage along the way. Her story is raw, real, and a must-listen for every aspiring entrepreneur.