Women Who've Sold Their Business: Andrea Wagner | E170

In the past 20 years, there has been a wave of women-owned businesses, and women selling those businesses. However, no one is really talking about it. In this mini series, host Kris Plachy is bringing women business owners on to talk about their experiences of selling their businesses. In this episode of Leadership is Feminine, Kris talks with Andrea Wagner,PhD. Andrea shares her story and lessons she has learned throughout almost 15 years of starting and selling businesses. Andrea brings a lot of insight to this conversation on topics such as acquiring funding, identifying market indicators, and how crucial it is to surround yourself with co-founders that have skills which compliment your own. She also talks about her latest projects, Lux Lined and Herizon Funding. This conversation doesn’t just focus on business advice. Andrea also shares what it was like to experience the emotional journey of selling. Unlike the previous guests in this miniseries, Andrea did not stay on for any transitional period after the close of the sale, and she details what that felt like. The conversation then turns to the need for more badass women in sales, technical, and financial roles with Kris highlighting an important moment when Andrea leveraged the skills of women in her network without feeling like she had to DIY every aspect of a new business venture. As Andrea perfectly illustrates, "Just do it and move onto your next great thing." Brace yourself for an episode jam-packed with wisdom, wit, warmth, and women empowerment. Guest Bio Andrea N. Wagner is a dynamic entrepreneur and advocate for women in business, renowned for her significant contributions to the fields of manufacturing and STEM education. As the former C-Level executive and co-founder of Berkshire Sterile Manufacturing and Hyaluron Contract Manufacturing, Andrea has demonstrated exceptional leadership and innovation in the industry. A staunch supporter of women-owned businesses, Andrea is deeply committed to investing in their success. Andrea's dedication to women's equality in education, finance, and business connections is remarkable. She co-founded Herizon Funding, an organization dedicated to providing financial support to women business owners and closing the gender gap, tailored to meet the needs of women entrepreneurs aiming for rapid expansion and growth. In addition to her professional accomplishments, her efforts to promote equality and create opportunities for women in traditionally male-dominated fields are a testament to her belief in the power of education and empowerment. Andrea's legacy is one of innovation, advocacy, and unwavering support for women in business and STEM. Website: luxlined.com Website: HerizonFunding.com Key Takeaways From This Episode The Necessity of Having a Trifecta in a Business: A sales-focused person, a technically focused person, and a financially focused person The ultimate purpose of a business to deliver an outcome and create profitability Unique Mechanisms for Selling Businesses: The pre-sale of the business, clauses for reselling and valuing partial ownership over time, avoidance of 'earn out' agreements Emotional aspects of selling businesses and the mental preparation required The Rise of Women Entrepreneurs and Challenges Faced: The lack of women in C-level positions and the necessity to encourage more women into business Initiatives to Support Women-Owned Businesses: The importance of mentoring women entrepreneurs and assistance in growth Contact Information and Recommended Resources Join Kris to help impact 20 Million Women across the Globe! Become a Visionary.CEO/catalyst and spread the word! Kris explains all the details on the podcast this week. Essential, go to www.theVisionary.CEO/catalyst, Register, Grab the Visionary.CEO/Podcast link from your dashboard and SHARE IT with all the women you know in your friend, colleague and network circles. We'll be tracking links by Catalyst and awarding each Catalyst who shares her link to at least 20 women with a free digital course from Kris's Boutique.  Get Access to LEAD LESSONS The best leadership guidance and mentorship experience exclusive for women who lead. High performing teams require highly skilled, high performing leaders. It's time to develop exceptional leadership prowess. THE LEAD LESSONS for Women equip you with the tools and strategies to navigate the leadership landscape like a true visionary. Our unique blend of Digital Lessons and live Mentorship-calls delivers the real-world practices you need for confident and consistent leadership. thevisionary.ceo/nextstep Work with Kris and Her Team: TheVisionary.ceo CEO Boutique Email: hello@thevisionary.ceo Linkedin Instagram Facebook Pinterest

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For most women, when we are invited to study leadership the teachers, scholars, authorities and models are primarily… men. We are indoctrinated from the time we are born that men are the leaders and that natural male characteristics are the strengths you must also possess to be a good leader. Powerful. Strong. Authoritative. Direct. Assertive. Decisive. These and so many more are attributes that are typically associated with the male model of a leader. And so, for the better part of the last one hundred years as women have made their way into the fold, in a variety of leadership roles, we have learned and studied to walk the way of a men to achieve success. Women dismiss their own knowing because we’ve been so indoctrinated in male leadership models. We dismiss what we know for what others tell us to be and how to be seen. There is another way to lead. To be in alignment. To not feel like an imposter. It’s time for the reimagining of leadership. That’s not to disparage any of the progress that has come before us. Progress is progress. For those of us who stand in the footsteps of the women who came before us we are here because of their courage, bravery and resilience. I wonder instead if women equally looked to the characteristics they learned from their mothers for leadership. I wonder if we were taught to lean on different qualities to drive success. I wonder what might happen then? The traditional qualities of mothering are communication, nurturing, listening, strength, support, grace, and yes… love. What if to be the best leader you can be as a woman, you integrated the best of both? This is how women will stand with integrity in their role as leaders. As women, we can be assertive, direct, powerful, and authoritative but we need not only rely on those attributes for success. After 25 years of watching and studying leaders, I can tell you that for sure many traditional male attributes are effective in the short run, but they typically only serve a few. Whereas, when leadership is feminine. When the leader possesses the strengths of femininity and grace the results are for all. This podcast is my like my gentle request and invitation to my fellow female leaders that we reclaim the world leadership as one that is a feminine definition. That we continue to work with all of our allies to build organizations and systems that include more support, collaboration, grace and communication. And that we do so not because we are uncomfortable with the more traditional male-dominating models, but because we truly do know that leadership is a feminine strength and attribute. And the world needs more of us leading. Now more than ever.