The Founder Haven Podcast: Recent Episodes
Sarah A. Miller, PhD
Welcome to the Founder Haven podcast, hosted by Sarah Miller, PhD. Our conversations explore the rarely discussed topics of the mental challenges and emotional journeys of extraordinary founders. We cover topics such as how overcoming fear and discovering core values have provided resilience to set and keep them on their trailblazing paths.
itsdrsarah.substack.com
I’m the luckiest. I get to talk to amazing women founders, like Victoria Li, who share their worries and wisdom. Listen as she speaks about being in a world that "wasn't built for her", frustrations on wasted mental energy on clothes, makeup, how we show up, and are judged.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit millersrazor.substack.com
Probably the #1 struggle for founders - the emotional rollercoaster. Looking for a quick, effective way to ground yourself, regain focus, and get back into action?
Put your phone away. Go to a place that is relatively distraction and interruption free. Get into a comfortable position.
Notice the thoughts swirling in your mind. Don’t fight with them, question why you’re having them, wishing for them to go away. Just let them be there.
Then, come back into your body. Push your feet into the floor. Press your palms together. Take a quick stretch.
Once again, notice your mind. Those pesky thoughts are still there, just doing their thing, trying to grab your attention. It’s ok to let them be there.
And again, come back into your body. Stretch your arms, do a few yoga moves, whatever, just move your body, and remember that you can have unhelpful thoughts AND you have a body that you have agency over.
Turn your attention to whatever matters most. Take action toward that.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit millersrazor.substack.com
Joanna's story of building HopSkipDrive is truly a hero's journey - this woman has genuinely been through the ups and downs of being a founder. It's not just one of growth and transformation, but also building a legacy for herself, for her employees, and HopSkipDrive users.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit millersrazor.substack.com
Such an interesting convo with Colette Nataf, CEO and Co-founder of Lightning AI! This is a woman who knows who she is, and who she isn't. Listen to her story of leaving her PhD program, realizing an academic career wasn't for her, moving across the country to Silicon Valley, and venturing into the unknown - all because she realized she needed to follow her strengths.
Colette exudes a confidence that many of us find elusive. Her secret sauce? She knows that moving forward isn't about having all the answers. She has faith in her ability to problem-solve. Our minds spin and spin trying to figure out all the potential pitfalls, all of the challenges, all the pros and cons, and... at the end of the day, venturing into the unknown requires a faith in our ability to meet challenges and navigate our way through them.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit millersrazor.substack.com
Listen to that voice, showing you the right way forward. Great reminder from Arian Nachat - it’s so easy to let that voice get muddled by naysayers and self-doubt. Check out the full episode to hear more from this badass founder finding peace with being outside the box, how the pandemic changed her, and navigating the ups and downs of founderhood.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit millersrazor.substack.com
Sometimes you get to meet fellow humans that are, well, just different in a really special way. Yana Welinder, co-founder and CEO of Kraftful, is one of these human beings that after speaking with her, you realize you’ve just met someone that uses their superpowers for good. On this week’s episode of The Founder Haven Podcast, Yana offers up some of the wisdom she’s gained over the years, from using empathy as her superpower to solve problems, navigating emotional ups and downs of being a founder, and how her values are front and center in all that she does.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit millersrazor.substack.com
Check out the latest episode of The Founder Haven Podcast, where we had an amazingly honest and heartfelt conversation with Victoria Li, cofounder and CTO of Heard, a startup offering accounting and financial services for therapists. She shares her journey of becoming a founder, and her experiences of being a POC and woman in tech. She gives voice to struggles that many have faced, and also offers up her own insights on how she manages the emotional roller coaster, and cuts through the noise by maintaining her immense dedication to helping customers. Thank you, Victoria, for being open about your experiences, wisdom, and challenges.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit millersrazor.substack.com
Every time I talk to founders, I come away having learned something, or gained a deeper understanding of the human experience. In this episode of The Founder Haven Podcast, Amelia Lin talks about how becoming a co-founder & CEO of Honeycomb - a platform helping families preserve precious memories - pushed her to develop a new kind of confidence. Prior to launching Honeycomb, Amelia discusses how she felt confident in past solo endeavors, even when fairly ambiguous. But she realized on contextual confidence is, and how leading a team, where others were relying on her, required her again discover how to be comfortable in her own skin.
What allowed her to navigate these new waters? Surrounding herself with an incredible team and keeping a perspective of gratitude. She discusses how she maintains a mindset of gratitude, of how grateful she is to have a team that encourages her, that’s deeply dedicated to finding meaningful solutions for customers, and having the opportunity to build a company driven by meaning. Check out the full episode on YouTube and Apple Podcasts.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit millersrazor.substack.com
Thank you to Dr. Tai for sharing her inspiring story of how she persists as an entrepreneur, even in the face of the unknown. Dr. Taisha Caldwell Harvey is the founder of The Black Girl Doctor, a highly successful therapy practice tailored for Black professional women. To hear more of her wisdom and insights, head over to YouTube for the full Founder Haven Podcast episode!
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit millersrazor.substack.com
In each episode, we hear from founders about their journey, their insights, struggles, and wisdom. Here are highlights from our first episode, featuring Lisa Marrone, co-founder of Revel, Head over to YouTube for the full interview!
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit millersrazor.substack.com
I'm always struck when people go in a direction that is absolutely NOT the path of least resistance. in this episode of The Founder Haven Podcast, Dr. Karen Wilson shares how she did just that, leaving a stable, secure academic position to venture into the unknown of being a founder of Child Nexus - a platform where families with children with special needs can connect with resources and a variety of professionals.
What allowed her to follow this challenging venture into the unknown? VALUES. She knew her 'why'. She wanted to dedicate her life to helping children in ways that would truly meet families where they were at. She identified a problem, and felt so strongly about her purpose in creating a solution, staying in her old life didn't seem like an option. When you're aligned with your values, the things most important to you, the path forward comes into focus.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit millersrazor.substack.com
Sometimes you get to meet fellow humans that are, well, just different in a really special way. Yana Welinder, co-founder and CEO of Kraftful, is one of these human beings that after speaking with her, you realize you’ve just met someone that uses their superpowers for good. On this week’s episode of The Founder Haven Podcast, Yana offers up some of the wisdom she’s gained over the years, from using empathy as her superpower to solve problems, navigating emotional ups and downs of being a founder, and how her values are front and center in all that she does.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit itsdrsarah.substack.com
Dr. Karen Wilson, a pediatric neuropsychologist, shares her journey into founderhood, including bravely leaving academia and going into the unknown. Karen shares how knowing her 'why' has allowed her
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit itsdrsarah.substack.com
Arian Nachat talks about how she has evolved over the pandemic, gained peace with her non-traditional path, finds joy in solving complex, systemic problems in healthcare, and how to navigate the rapid cycling of founder highs and lows.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit itsdrsarah.substack.com
Joanna McFarland talks about surviving rejection, the transformational power of learning to be vulnerable as a leader, and coming back stronger after pandemic layoffs.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit itsdrsarah.substack.com
Amelia Lin is Co-founder and CEO of Honeycomb, a startup building a platform for preserving family memories. In this episode, Amelia shares how her faith and confidence in her leadership has grown by surrounding herself with a stellar team and practicing gratitude.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit itsdrsarah.substack.com
Victoria Li is a co-founder and CTO of Heard, a startup offering accounting and financial services for therapists. In this episode, Victoria opens up about her journey to becoming a founder, a POC, and a woman in tech. She gives voice to struggles that many have faced, and also offers up her own insights on how she manages the emotional roller coaster of founderhood.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit itsdrsarah.substack.com
Dr. Taisha Caldwell-Harvey shares her wisdom on being a founder of The Black Girl Doctor, a boutique therapy practice tailored for Black professional women. In this episode, Dr. Tai shares how she’s dealt with fear of the unknown and how she came to see entrepreneur as an important part of her identity.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit itsdrsarah.substack.com
Lisa Marrone shares her insights from her journey to become a co-founder of Revel, a community for women over 40, including how being brave takes practice. Lisa has a BA from Yale, an MBA and JD at Harvard, and worked in venture capital before starting the YC-backed Revel.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit itsdrsarah.substack.com