# Total GirlBoss

> Total GirlBoss — the magazine of powerful women running businesses. Founder interviews, features, and the stories behind the women building what comes next.

Tagline: Inspiring Stories to Go Get It. Founded 2019.

## Sections
- [Founders](https://totalgirlboss.com/category/founders/)
- [Business](https://totalgirlboss.com/category/business/)
- [Money](https://totalgirlboss.com/category/money/)
- [Leadership](https://totalgirlboss.com/category/leadership/)
- [Culture](https://totalgirlboss.com/category/culture/)

## Latest articles
- [Founder Burnout: The Warning Signs — and What Actually Helps](https://totalgirlboss.com/founder-burnout-women-entrepreneurs/): 45% of women report feeling burned out at work, per a February 2026 CNBC/SurveyMonkey survey of 3,048 women — and burnout is one of the reasons women cite for leaving a job to start a business. The catch: a business has no HR department, no PTO policy, and no manager covering for you, so the same patterns that caused job burnout — no boundaries, doing everything yourself, tying your worth to output — recreate it inside the business unless you deliberately build against them. The fix isn't working less in a vacuum; it's building recovery, delegation, and a support system into the business itself, not treating them as rewards for later.
- [How to Network as an Introvert: A Playbook for Women Entrepreneurs](https://totalgirlboss.com/how-to-network-as-an-introvert-women-entrepreneurs/): Networking isn't optional small talk — most capital and opportunity still moves through warm introductions, and all-female founding teams received just 1.1% of VC dollars in 2025 per PitchBook. Introverts (roughly a third to half of any room, per Susan Cain's research) don't need to out-mingle anyone to fix that. Trade mixers for one-on-ones, prepare three specific questions before you walk in, join a small recurring group instead of a rotating crowd, and let the follow-up — where introverts have a real edge — do the relationship-building the room didn't.
- [Returnship Programs: A Real Guide to Restarting Your Career](https://totalgirlboss.com/returnship-programs-guide-women-career-break/): A returnship is a paid, structured program — usually 8 to 16 weeks — built specifically to re-hire professionals after a career break, with mentorship and a track record of converting into full-time offers. Goldman Sachs launched the first one in 2008; more than 100 companies including Amazon, JPMorgan Chase, Cisco, and EY now run them. Hire rates run 50–100% depending on the program, and returning hires are retained at 70%+. Apply through the company's own returnship page, not the general careers portal, and lead your resume with what you did during the break, not around it.
- [Imposter Syndrome in Business: How to Beat It](https://totalgirlboss.com/imposter-syndrome-women-in-business/): 75% of executive women report experiencing imposter syndrome, per KPMG's 2020 Women's Leadership Summit report — most say they believe it hits women harder than men. The fix isn't more confidence; it's evidence. Build a running record of your wins, separate the feeling of fraudulence from the fact of your track record, and treat competence as something you build, not something you're finally handed. Say the feeling out loud to someone one step ahead of you — it loses power the moment it's not a secret.
- [Grants for Women Over 40 Starting a Business in 2026 (What Actually Exists)](https://totalgirlboss.com/grants-for-women-over-40-starting-a-business-2026/): No major grant program is restricted to women over 40 or 50 specifically — but none of the well-known ones cap your age either. The Girlboss Foundation, which once ran an age-agnostic grant tied to the Girlboss brand, stopped awarding grants around 2019 and isn't a live option. What is live in 2026: the Amber Grant (no age or revenue floor), the Hey Helen Grant ($10K, deadline August 30, 2026), the Her Agenda Breakthrough Grant ($5K, deadline September 18, 2026, requires 1+ year in business), the Tory Burch Foundation Fellows ($75K+ revenue required — a realistic bar for a second-act founder), and free SCORE mentoring plus SBA microloans up to $50,000. Research on founder age backs this up: the average founder behind the fastest-growing U.S. startups is 45.
- [WBENC Certification, Explained: Cost, Eligibility, and Whether It's Worth It in 2026](https://totalgirlboss.com/wbenc-certification-women-owned-business-guide-2026/): WBENC (Women's Business Enterprise National Council) is the largest third-party certifier of women-owned businesses in the U.S., recognized by 500+ corporations — mostly Fortune 500 — for supplier diversity programs. To qualify, your business must be at least 51% women-owned with women as the principal decision-makers, documented in your governing agreements. The annual fee is tiered by revenue, from $350 (under $1M) to $1,250 ($50M+), and covers both application and yearly recertification. It's a different program from the SBA's WOSB certification, which is free but limited to federal contracting — WBENC can process both together. Certification is worth it if your customers or target customers are large corporations or government agencies with formal supplier diversity spend; it's not worth it if you sell mostly direct-to-consumer or to other small businesses.
- [Tax Write-Offs Every Self-Employed Woman Should Claim in 2026](https://totalgirlboss.com/tax-write-offs-self-employed-women-2026/): Self-employed women can deduct: 50% of self-employment taxes paid; home office expenses (simplified method: $5 per square foot, up to $1,500/year); 100% of self-employed health insurance premiums; retirement contributions to a SEP IRA or Solo 401(k); the business-use portion of phone and internet; all legitimate business expenses (software, tools, subscriptions, marketing); 50% of business meal costs; professional development (courses, coaching, conferences); and professional services (accounting, legal). Most self-employed women leave thousands on the table each year by not claiming the full set.
- [How to Price Your Services as a Woman Entrepreneur — and Stop Leaving Money on the Table](https://totalgirlboss.com/how-to-price-your-services-as-a-woman-entrepreneur/): Most women service business owners undercharge by 30–50% because they skip the math. The fix: (1) calculate your floor rate — annual income target + taxes + business expenses, divided by real billable hours (900–1,200/year, not 2,080). (2) Check market rates and position yourself in the top third. (3) Move toward value-based pricing by anchoring to outcomes, not time. Raise rates annually. Most clients who are a good fit will stay.
- [Retirement Accounts for Self-Employed Women: SEP IRA, Solo 401(k), and What to Open First](https://totalgirlboss.com/retirement-accounts-self-employed-women-2026/): Self-employed women have four main retirement account options in 2026: SEP IRA (up to $72,000, simplest to open), Solo 401(k) (up to $72,000, best for maximizing contributions at mid-range income), Roth IRA (after-tax, income-limited, good for tax diversification), and SIMPLE IRA (if you have employees). Most solo founders should start with either a SEP IRA or Solo 401(k) — the right one depends on how much of your income you want to shelter. Every dollar you contribute reduces your taxable income, which means the IRS is effectively subsidizing your retirement.
- [LLC vs. Sole Proprietorship: Which Business Structure Is Right for You?](https://totalgirlboss.com/llc-vs-sole-proprietorship-women-entrepreneurs/): A sole proprietorship is automatic and free — but you have zero liability protection and your personal assets are on the line if something goes wrong. An LLC separates you from your business legally, limits your personal exposure, and costs $50–$500 to form depending on your state. For most women running any client-facing business, freelance operation, or anything with contracts and liability, the LLC is worth it. Sole proprietorships work best for true testing-the-waters situations where the cost of setup exceeds realistic near-term risk.
- [How to Build Business Credit as a Woman Entrepreneur — From Zero to Fundable](https://totalgirlboss.com/how-to-build-business-credit-women-entrepreneurs/): Building business credit requires five things in order: a properly formed legal entity with its own EIN and business bank account, a D-U-N-S number from Dun & Bradstreet, vendor trade lines (net-30 accounts) that report to business credit bureaus, a business credit card paid in full monthly, and consistent on-time payment history. Most women can establish a basic business credit file within three to six months. A PAYDEX score of 80 or above is considered good by most lenders.
- [How to Pay Yourself as a Business Owner: The No-Confusion Guide for Women Entrepreneurs](https://totalgirlboss.com/how-to-pay-yourself-as-a-business-owner/): How you pay yourself depends on your business structure: sole props and single-member LLCs use an owner's draw (you owe SE tax on all net profit regardless), while S-corps require a reasonable W-2 salary plus optional distributions (only the salary portion faces payroll taxes). Open a separate business account, set aside 25–30% for taxes, and pay yourself on a schedule rather than on instinct.
- [The Best Grants for Women-Owned Businesses in 2026 — and How to Actually Win One](https://totalgirlboss.com/grants-for-women-owned-businesses-2026/): The highest-value grants for women-owned businesses in 2026 include the Amber Grant ($10K monthly, $50K year-end, rolling applications), the Tory Burch Foundation Fellows ($5K + mentorship), IFundWomen's Universal Application (free, rolling, corporate partners), HerRise Microgrant ($1K monthly, good for early-stage), and the Cartier Women's Initiative ($30K–$100K for impact businesses). Treat every application like a business pitch: quantify your results, be specific about your ask, and show exactly how the money moves the needle.
- [The Side Hustles Women Are Actually Scaling in 2026 — and How to Pick Yours](https://totalgirlboss.com/side-hustles-for-women-that-scale/): The highest-ROI side hustles for women in 2026 are service-based freelancing (fastest cash), digital products (best margins at scale), and UGC/content creation (compounding returns). Skip the noise: pick one that maps to a skill you already have, keep startup costs near zero, and expect 6–12 months of consistent effort before it feels real. The women who scale treat it like a business from day one.
- [Paige Wilhide Runs a Video Marketing Agency by Day and Performs Her Own One-Woman Show by Night](https://totalgirlboss.com/paige-wilhide-video-marketing-breakup-addict/): Paige Wilhide founded a video marketing agency in 2015 while also writing and performing her one-woman show, Breakup Addict, 26 times at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, and both feed into a coaching practice she runs on the side.
- [Charlotte Trecartin Turned Pandemic Boredom Into a 40,000-Customer Accessories Brand — While Still in College](https://totalgirlboss.com/charlotte-trecartin-charcharms-water-bottle-accessories/): Charlotte Trecartin sketched the idea for CharCharms — decorative water bottle charms — while a full-time college student during COVID lockdown, self-funded the patent and prototyping with earnings from a door-to-door sales job, and launched in September 2021 to build a brand with more than 60,000 TikTok followers.
- [Vanessa Castillo Built a Creative Agency, Then a Whole Mindset Movement Around It](https://totalgirlboss.com/vanessa-castillo-vcv-agency-rich-girl-mindset/): Vanessa Castillo turned freelance creative work into VCV Agency in 2015, then in 2018 grew a casual talk show into The Rich Girl Mindset, a separate movement with events, masterminds, a book club, and membership offerings built around mindset and abundance.
- [Holly Knoll Turned a Layoff Into a Tech Consulting Business, a Coaching Program, and a Podcast](https://totalgirlboss.com/holly-knoll-consultant-code-everyday-entrepreneur/): Holly Knoll turned a layoff after 16 years at top companies into The Consultant Code, a technology consulting business she has since expanded into a coaching program, The Everyday Entrepreneur Podcast, and a Minneapolis networking group called The Vine.
- [Erin Patten Left Corporate Leadership to Build Two Companies Out of Personal Crisis](https://totalgirlboss.com/erin-patten-metabusiness-world-ra-beauty/): Erin Patten, a dual Harvard graduate with more than 15 years in corporate leadership, built The MetaBusiness World to mentor female entrepreneurs after surviving a period of serious personal crisis, and in fall 2025 extended the work into product with the plant-based line Ra Beauty.
- [Dr. Hannah Rawiszer Helps Women Solopreneurs Stop Confusing Busy With Productive](https://totalgirlboss.com/hannah-rawiszer-helping-hannah-solopreneur-systems/): Dr. Hannah Rawiszer burned out running custom-scoped virtual assistant retainers for every client, so she rebuilt her business, Helping Hannah Professional Services, around The Client Journey Accelerator — a process-mapping system that helps women solopreneurs scale without burnout.
- [Lauren Hickman Turned a Decade in Supply Chain Into a Media and Consulting Company](https://totalgirlboss.com/lauren-hickman-speak-up-la-consulting/): After more than a decade in corporate Supply Chain management, Lauren Hickman founded Speak Up La Inc., a consulting and media company that helps entrepreneurs launch, brand, and get press-ready through interview prep, media production, and consulting.
- [How to Negotiate Your Salary as a Woman: Scripts and Tactics That Work](https://totalgirlboss.com/how-to-negotiate-your-salary-as-a-woman/): Women negotiate salary as often as men but face more rejection. Anchor high with a specific number, tie your ask to quantified results, and negotiate every lever — bonuses, equity, flexibility — not just base pay.
- [Alison Lumbatis Left Engineering to Build a Styling Business for 100,000 Women](https://totalgirlboss.com/alison-lumbatis-outfit-formulas-styling-business/): Alison Lumbatis left a telecom engineering career to found Outfit Formulas, a personal styling program built on the premise that style is a learnable system rather than an innate talent, and it has since helped more than 100,000 women across 20 countries rebuild their wardrobes.
- [Carolyn Rodz Built the Small-Business Tool She Wished Existed 15 Years Ago](https://totalgirlboss.com/carolyn-rodz-hello-alice-small-business-platform/): Carolyn Rodz, a former investment banker, co-founded Hello Alice in 2017 with Elizabeth Gore to give small-business owners a single free platform for funding, mentorship, and services, and it now serves more than 350,000 businesses and has raised a $21 million Series B.
- [Whitney Tingle Turned $700 and a Friendship Into a $150 Million Wellness Company](https://totalgirlboss.com/whitney-tingle-sakara-life-bootstrapped-wellness-company/): Whitney Tingle co-founded Sakara Life with her childhood best friend Danielle Duboise at age 25 with $700, bootstrapped it for four years, and built it into a plant-based wellness company now doing roughly $150 million a year in revenue.
- [Catherine Berman Built a Fintech Platform That Proves Impact and Returns Aren't a Trade-Off](https://totalgirlboss.com/catherine-berman-cnote-impact-investing-fintech/): Catherine Berman left a Managing Director role at Charles Schwab to co-found CNote in 2016, a fintech platform that routes everyday investor capital into community lenders, and it has since moved more than $300 million to roughly 2,000 partner CDFIs for clients including Apple, Mastercard, and Patagonia.
- [Jasmine Crowe-Houston Is Solving Hunger With Logistics, Not Charity](https://totalgirlboss.com/jasmine-crowe-houston-goodr-solving-hunger-with-logistics/): Jasmine Crowe-Houston turned a weekly pot of spaghetti served to people experiencing homelessness in Atlanta into Goodr, a food-waste logistics technology company that has raised $9.4 million and now operates in 15 states.
- [10 Influential Women Business Owners Who Have Made Their Mark](https://totalgirlboss.com/10-influential-women-business-owners-who-have-made-their-mark/): A rundown of 10 influential women business owners — from Oprah Winfrey and Sara Blakely to Whitney Wolfe Herd and Jessica Alba — and what their entrepreneurship, innovation, and leadership can teach the next generation of founders.
- [How Artist Roya Ghassemi Is Inspiring Young Women](https://totalgirlboss.com/how-artist-roya-ghassemi-is-inspiring-young-women/): In art, as in all industries, women currently make up an alarmingly small percentage of the total revenue share. This is true even though the total number of women artists likely outweighs the number of men in the space, and statistics show that more women are educated in art than men. Women have lo
- [Elena Asher – The True Embodiment of Hope, Determination, and Success for All](https://totalgirlboss.com/elena-asher-the-true-embodiment-of-hope-determination-and-success-for-all/): Elena Asher founded LashMakers in 2011, a lash extension company, after building her own success from an unstable upbringing in Russia and years of working retail, restaurant, and flower-shop jobs starting at age 13. She has since become one of the top lash instructors in the United States, offering private and group training for women.
- [Olga Maria, Founder of Branding Collective, Shares Her Journey from Biology to Branding](https://totalgirlboss.com/olga-maria-founder-of-branding-collective-shares-her-journey-from-biology-to-branding/): Branding is much more; it goes beyond connecting with a prospective buyer or an audience to boost sales. Branding transcends flashy ads and spam mails; it is a journey that tells a brand’s story and what makes it unique. Branding may be tricky most of the time, as it might prove to be a Hercules
- [Ella Madatyan Takes Armenian Food To The Next Level](https://totalgirlboss.com/ella-madatyan-takes-armenian-food-to-the-next-level/): Ella Madatyan is the 38-year-old CEO of Papillon Bakery, an Armenian bakery she's run since 2008 after taking it over from her father, turning what began as one failing location into five stores across the Los Angeles area. She plans to franchise two more locations and is considering a clothing line to help fund a non-profit for domestic violence victims.
- [Through Her Business Hustle, Nathalie Smith Is an Inspiration for Women](https://totalgirlboss.com/through-her-business-hustle-nathalie-smith-is-an-inspiration-for-women/): Giving women the right to be empowered gives them the power to engage equally in school, society, the economy, and politics. Women can participate in society because they have the freedom to choose their religious, linguistic, occupational, and other interests. They can continue their education at a
- [Viet Ha Do Shares Her Advice For Young Entrepreneurs](https://totalgirlboss.com/viet-ha-do-shares-her-advice-for-young-entrepreneurs/): Viet Ha Do is CEO and Chairman of Habringer Group, a Tennessee-based real estate investment and advisory company she co-founded with Paul Folkes in 2013 after starting her career at Merrill Lynch and working several Wall Street investment firms. Habringer focuses on underperforming multi-family and commercial real estate in the Mid-South, and Do advises young entrepreneurs to have a viable business plan, follow through on ideas, and build a trusted sounding board of advisors.
- [1 Body Med Spa Owner Turista Jackson Is a Baddie in Business](https://totalgirlboss.com/1-body-med-spa-owner-turista-jackson-is-a-baddie-in-business/): Turista Jackson is a renowned surgery guru, entrepreneur, and business owner. She is the founder of 1 Body Med Spa, a top-tier facility in the medspa field. With top experts and professionals, 1 Body Med Spa has become the destination to love and adore yourself. They offer various services, includin
- [Startup Co-Founder Gordana Sretenovic On The Importance of Female Founders In Tech Companies](https://totalgirlboss.com/startup-co-founder-gordana-sretenovic-on-the-importance-of-female-founders-in-tech-companies/): Former editor Gordana Sretenovic co-founded Workello, a SaaS hiring tool for content teams. She shares why female founders change how tech products are built — and how to demand respect in a bro-culture startup world.
- [International Women’s Day Spotlight: Victoria Jancke](https://totalgirlboss.com/victoria-jancke/): This International Women's Day spotlight profiles Victoria Jancke, a German actress, model, and presenter who moved from Berlin to Los Angeles. Jancke overcame an eating disorder brought on by the modeling industry, later spoke publicly about surviving rape at 17, and now serves as Charity Ambassador of The Weisser Ring Organization, working to help victims of crime such as rape and abuse.
- [Dr. Markey W. Pierré Presented A Superior Negotiating Skill For Women In Her Recently Released Book](https://totalgirlboss.com/dr-markey-w-pierre-presented-a-superior-negotiating-skill-for-women-in-her-recently-released-book/): Dr. Markey W. Pierré, DBA Vice Chancellor of External Affairs and Chief of Staff at LSU Health Sciences Center, wrote 'The Beautiful Deal, The Woman's Negotiating Guide' to teach career-driven women negotiating skills for situations like contract negotiation, asking for a raise, and securing investors, drawing on her own experience as a dealmaker for Fortune 500 companies, school management, and municipal bodies.
- [Digital Content Creator & Podcast Host Stephanie Joplin Digs Deep With Guest Marisa Peer On An Upcoming Episode Of The Luxury Dropout](https://totalgirlboss.com/digital-content-creator-podcast-host-stephanie-joplin-digs-deep-with-guest-marisa-peer-on-an-upcoming-episode-of-the-luxury-dropout/): Hailing from Houston, Texas, Stephanie Joplin is a woman of many talents and interests, covering a variety of topics like lifestyle, relationships, mental health, beauty, and fitness on her hit podcast, The Luxury Dropout. After building a career as a digital content creator since the fall of 2020,
- [Creator Of The Surrender Approach Juliette Kristine Shares Her Story](https://totalgirlboss.com/creator-of-the-surrender-approach-juliette-kristine-shares-her-story/): Manifestation coach Juliette Kristine built The Surrender Approach to help people attract love, money, and success through alignment — not by chasing harder after what they want.
- [Are partnerships the new PR?](https://totalgirlboss.com/are-partnerships-the-new-pr/): Marketing expert Tatiana Canessa explains why partnerships have become a form of public relations: unlike traditional PR, they're long-lasting, win-win relationships with companies, media outlets, or individuals built on aligned values that boost exposure, sales, and branding.
- [Samantha Messias Advocates For Mental Health Through Her Art](https://totalgirlboss.com/samantha-messias-advocates-for-mental-health-through-her-art/): Samantha Messias is an award-winning hyper-realistic artist. She creates breathtakingly detailed drawings by enhancing the tiniest of details, intensifying them, changing contrasts, shadows and lights and textures. Initially, however, she turned to art when she could not find the words to say what s
- [Zahra Lyla: How I Aim To Grow My Agency In The UAE](https://totalgirlboss.com/zahra-layla-how-i-aim-to-grow-my-agency-in-the-uae/): Zahra Lyla is the social media starlet; you NEED to add to your follow list. When it comes to all things fashion and lifestyle across the Gulf, Zahra has been a mainstay for many years, after finding success with her first blog over a decade ago. With over 110,000 Instagram followers, Zahra
- [Samantina Zenon – The Unconquerable Soul and The Limitless Human](https://totalgirlboss.com/samantina-zenon-the-unconquerable-soul-and-the-limitless-human/): Ms. Samantina Zenon has accomplished much in life today and successfully carved out a life full of independence and growth for herself. She is an actress, a public speaker, and an author who is constantly on the path of growth and improvement. As an influencer, she has touched many lives online, whe
- [Pivoting Through a Pandemic – Jordan Quinn](https://totalgirlboss.com/pivoting-through-a-pandemic-jordan-quinn/): As a small business that supports other small businesses, it’s safe to say Jordan Quinn, owner of socialQ, was impacted by the pandemic. Even as an entrepreneur in the digital space– a space that some would argue saw less effect than most– there’s no denying that countless Ontario lockdowns would ta
- [Jax Fanucci Is Living Proof That Life Works For You, Not Against You](https://totalgirlboss.com/jax-fanucci-is-living-proof-that-life-works-for-you-not-against-you/): Starting a YouTube channel or becoming a social media influencer is all the rage today. Everyone has considered starting a YouTube, and everyone looks up to an influencer of some sort. While many of these influencers create entertaining, lighthearted content, few challenge themselves and are vulnera
- [Dani Thompson is Crushing the Music Industry with DNT Entertainment](https://totalgirlboss.com/dani-thompson/): Dani Thompson founded DNT Entertainment in 2010 to guide emerging artists through education, mentorship, and strategic artist development, naming the company after her own initials. She grew it with no paid marketing or advertising — relying instead on collaborations, industry referrals, and word of mouth — and DNT Entertainment won the 2021 Best of Tustin Award in the Arts & Entertainment category.
- [Get To Know The Designer Behind The Brand – Cassea Swim](https://totalgirlboss.com/cassea-swim/): Cassandra Kuzneski founded Cassea Swim, a swimwear brand inspired by 1950s vintage silhouettes, built around full-coverage pieces meant to make women feel beautiful and confident. She promoted it early on with hand-delivered neighborhood newsletters and pop-up shops before scaling into Facebook and Instagram ads, and now aims to get the brand into stores like Nordstrom, Saks Fifth Avenue, and Bloomingdale's.
- [How to Slay Your Limiting Beliefs With Kendra Davies](https://totalgirlboss.com/how-to-slay-your-limiting-beliefs-with-kendra-davies/): Kendra Davies founded Stellar Life Coaching in 2013 after four years studying positive psychology, building it into a practice that helps clients identify and break the limiting beliefs holding them back in life and business. She also runs the Slay Sessions goal-setting workshop and the Phoenix Retreat, held in locations like Costa Rica and Bali, which combines transformation coaching with yoga and breathwork.
- [How Business Coach, Steph Gorton, is Helping Female Solopreneurs Scale to 10k+ Per Month](https://totalgirlboss.com/how-business-coach-steph-gorton-is-helping-female-solopreneurs-scale-to-10k-per-month/): Although women are making strides across society to advance in everything from higher education to holding executive positions on corporate boards, there is still plenty of room for improvement and encouraging women to dream big – really big. That’s probably why it’s been found that women will not a