In this episode of Visibility Strategies for Women Entrepreneurs, I’m joined by business strategist and mentor Emily McDonald, who has built and scaled three businesses to 6 and 7 figures. After hitting burnout and navigating a major identity shift during COVID, she now helps other women grow with clarity, strategy, and sustainability, without the overwhelm.
Emily brings a refreshing blend of mindset, strategy, and straight-talk. She shares her signature 5-part framework for hitting consistent revenue, why your visibility needs to match you, and how redefining success starts with giving yourself space to breathe.
03:00 - The $0 Business Start
Emily shares how she went from being laid off and getting paid in clothes to renting dresses out of her living room and launching her first company, The Stylist LA.
“I was like, wait a second, why am I not renting out dresses? They’re paying me in clothes.”
09:30 - Burnout, Identity & the COVID Wake-Up Call
Scaling fast led to massive burnout, and a full stop. Emily opens up about how losing her business during COVID became the turning point for everything that came next.
“One of the most important things I learned was: your identity is not your company. Your identity is not your numbers.”
17:00 - Visibility, Vulnerability & Showing Up Authentically
Emily reflects on navigating founder visibility and the mindset work it takes to stay grounded:
“I’m front and center... I’m transparent as can be. I’m sharing my journey. But I’ve done so much mindset work to separate myself from the daily grind.”
23:30 - Emily’s 5-Part Framework for $5K+ Months
She outlines the exact five things female founders need to master to grow past inconsistent income and build a sustainable, scalable business.
“It’s who you target, your offer and why you, your numbers, building an audience, and your mindset.”
32:00 - Redefining Success & Making Space to Hear Your Own Voice
From early morning silence to fewer calls and deeper presence, Emily shares how space became her most powerful growth strategy.
“The biggest thing for me in breaking those patterns is building in space... because it allows me to hear my own intuition and my own thoughts.”
✨ Quick Tips from Emily:
Separate your self-worth from your sales numbers.
Visibility should reflect your values, not just what’s trending.
If DMs don’t feel good, don’t build a business that relies on them.
You don’t need a big audience, just the right one.
Space is not a luxury, it’s a strategy
🎯 Key Takeaway
Sustainable growth starts with self-awareness.
As Emily says: “Half the battle of being a founder is mastering your mindset.” When your business aligns with your life, success becomes inevitable, and a whole lot more fulfilling.
Emily McDonald is a business strategist and mentor who helps female founders build aligned, profitable businesses with sustainable growth strategies. After scaling three of her own businesses, she now supports over 200 women through her group programs and signature frameworks.
✨ Join her free Skool community: Money Moves
📲 Connect with her on Instagram: @founder.emily
Final Thoughts
Growth doesn’t have to come with hustle, burnout, or doing things that don’t feel good. Catch the full conversation on Visibility Strategies for Women Entrepreneurs and start building a business that feels as good as it looks.
👉 Listen to the full episode of Visibility Strategies for Women Entrepreneurs wherever you get your podcasts, or watch the conversation on YouTube.
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