Episode Details

Anika sits down with Julie Ellis to explore the inflection point every founder dreads—the moment you've built the business, achieved the goal, and suddenly realize you have no idea who you are without it. Discover why selling an eight-figure business can feel like grief disguised as success, how delegation is the real bottleneck between scaling and plateauing, and the counterintuitive truth that derails most women entrepreneurs: it's never about having a bigger vision. It's about believing you're worthy of one—and whether you have the systems and people around you to make it real.

In This Episode

• From dance to finance to founder: How an unexpected career path led Julie to solve a problem every parent knew existed
• The basement to eight figures: Building Mabel's Labels from a 300 sq ft basement in Hamilton, Ontario to an internationally recognized brand—with zero industry experience
• Grassroots growth and celebrity endorsements: How a tiny magazine feature led to Daily Candy recognition and a life-changing mention from Elizabeth Hasselbeck on The View
• The art of delegation and scaling: Why most founders plateau and what separates those who scale to eight figures from those stuck at product-market fit
• The post-exit identity crisis: Navigating grief, imposter syndrome, and gratitude after selling to Avery Products—and why the 90-day rest period changed everything
• Big Gorgeous Goals: Why "gorgeous" matters as much as "big"—and how to chase ambitious goals while actually enjoying the journey
• The confidence gap and funding inequity: Why only 2.9% of venture capital goes to women entrepreneurs, and what Julie is doing to change that
• Pocket Coach: The asynchronous coaching model that keeps entrepreneurial momentum alive between sessions
• Building community for women founders: The Big Gorgeous Goals podcast and investing in women-led businesses
• Leading through uncertainty: Why the biggest breakthroughs happen in times of change

Timestamps

• 00:00 Introduction: The woman who solved every parent's labeling problem
• 02:01 An unexpected founder: Dance degree, 15 years in finance, and the moment everything changed
• 04:00 The basement days: One year of research, zero industry experience, and a team of misfits
• 06:28 From tiny magazine feature to Elizabeth Hasselbeck's endorsement on The View
• 11:06 The biggest gap between founders who plateau and those who scale: Delegation and decision-making
• 12:49 The acquisition: Selling Mabel's Labels after nearly 13 years—and why it was the right time
• 17:29 The post-sale emotions: Grief, imposter syndrome, and the gratitude sandwich
• 19:07 The 90-day rest and the identity crisis: Why "I'm not qualified" became the biggest lie
• 22:22 The coaching pivot: Why certification gave her the "add" she was looking for
• 23:18 Writing during the pandemic: How a daily writing group turned a book idea into Big Gorgeous Goals
• 25:37 Why "gorgeous" matters: Dancing toward your goals instead of grinding toward them
• 28:01 Creating white space: Why unstructured time is where the best ideas live
• 31:33 The confidence gap and funding inequity: 2.9% of VC goes to women; only 2% of women-founded businesses reach $1M
• 33:45 Pocket Coach: Asynchronous coaching for keeping momentum alive between sessions
• 35:52 The Big Gorgeous Goals podcast: Storytelling for women entrepreneurs
• 39:02 Her ideal coaching clients: Low seven-figure founders scaling to $5-10M
• 40:01 What's next: New keynotes and workshops on leading bold teams through uncertainty
• 41:38 Her guiding quote: Rabindranath Tagore's "Reach high for stars lie hidden in you"

Key Insights & Takeaways