Empowering Women Entrepreneurs: Strategic Debt Financing with Sheena Brady, Founder of Tease Wellness

Her CEO Journey™: The Business Finance Podcast for Mission-Driven Women Entrepreneurs

Key Takeaways
Finding Wellness in a Bustling World: How a high-stress career fueled Sheena's search for personal well-being, leading her to discover the power of tea.

• More Than Just a Tea Company: Tease Wellness offers functional tea blends designed to seamlessly integrate into everyday life.
• Overcoming Barriers as a Woman Entrepreneur: Sheena sheds light on the challenges women face in accessing capital.
• Debt Financing for Growth: Sheena shares her experience using debt financing, an often-overlooked strategy, to scale Tease.
• Strategic Debt Financing: Sheena shares the benefits of leveraging debt financing instead of giving up equity and highlights how timing and planning are key when securing business loans.
• Financial Knowledge for Entrepreneurs: Understanding financial health through cash flow and balance sheets is crucial for avoiding pitfalls, especially when planning for an exit.
• Empowering Women Entrepreneurs: Sheena founded the Founders Fund to help women entrepreneurs access funding, mentorship, and education, focusing on financial literacy and business growth.

Episode Highlights

• [03:50] Transition from Hospitality to Wellness: Sheena shares how unhealthy habits and burnout from her hospitality career led her to create Tease Wellness, a brand focused on wellness through tea.
• [08:50] From Layoff to Launchpad: Sheena's experience of being let go from her corporate job became the catalyst for building Tease.
• [12:45] Financial Challenges Faced by Women Entrepreneurs: Sheena reflects on systemic barriers, particularly around debt and credit history, and how this shaped her path to growing Tease.
• [19:20] Avoiding Equity Investment: Sheena discusses how she avoided equity investment for 11 years and strategically used debt financing to scale Tease, emphasizing the importance of knowing when to seek a loan.
• [23:10] Factoring Financing Costs into Direct Product Costs: Sheena explains how businesses should treat financing costs as part of their direct costs when pricing products.
• [25:50] The Role of Financial Literacy: Sheena and Christina discuss how cash flow management and understanding the balance sheet are key to preparing for a healthy exit and long-term business success.
• [28:50] Plan an intentional Exit Plan: The importance of financial literacy for women founders not only to maintain healthy finances but to build an exit strategy with a strong foundation.
• [33:20] The creation of Founders Fund: This organization supports women entrepreneurs through funding, mentorship, and education, with a focus on financial literacy, mental health, and business growth.

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We hope you enjoyed this episode! Tune in for more inspiring stories and practical insights from incredible women leading the way in business.