869: Data Over Drama: How Female Leaders Can Scale with Strategy, Not Emotion
Apr 14, 2025
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Marina Middleton, CEO of Create & Cultivate, shares her inspiring journey from attendee to leader, emphasizing the power of connection and mentorship for women in business. She discusses key strategies for making data-driven decisions, separating emotions from leadership, and navigating the complexities of entrepreneurship and motherhood. Marina reflects on the significance of community support in empowering female leaders and the importance of resilience in overcoming challenges. Tune in for valuable insights on scaling your business with confidence!
Marina Middleton's journey from attendee to CEO illustrates the transformative power of networking, mentorship, and representation in women's careers.
Effective leadership requires prioritizing clear communication and decisive action to maintain team momentum and foster organizational growth.
Balancing energy and self-care is vital for leaders, as personal energy significantly influences decision-making and overall business effectiveness.
Deep dives
The Power of Pinterest for Content Creators
Pinterest is presented as a unique visual search engine that allows content created by users to remain discoverable long after it’s published, thus offering an opportunity for prolonged engagement. The discussion emphasizes the importance of creating a smarter strategy rather than just producing more content, as Pinterest can help existing materials work more effectively and continuously generate traffic. A practical option for those interested in leveraging Pinterest for their business is the live five-day Pinterest Power Up Bootcamp, where participants can learn to optimize their profiles and identify audience searches. The bootcamp is positioned as an accessible way for creators and small business owners to gain strategies that can work for them even during downtime.
Building Community for Women Entrepreneurs
Marina Middleton highlights the significance of community and networking for career growth as she transitioned from an attendee to CEO at Create and Cultivate. Her story illustrates the power of mentorship and representation in empowering women, particularly in a business landscape that often lacks support for female founders. The podcast recounts her experience attending events that reshaped her perspective and emphasized the importance of connection in fostering success. By learning from others who have traveled similar paths, women can break barriers and cultivate the right relationships to support their entrepreneurial journeys.
Action Drives Clarity: Insights on Leadership
Marina shares a key insight that taking action is essential for achieving clarity as a leader. She reflects on her own initial fears and uncertainties as she stepped into a new role managing a larger team, emphasizing that over-communicating goals and expectations can foster team momentum and confidence. The conversation underscores that leaders must continually confront and address their indecisiveness to maintain business progress. By prioritizing clear communication and decisive action, Marina believes businesses can thrive even in challenging times.
Prioritizing Energy Over Time
Marina points out that energy is often more valuable than time when it comes to effective leadership, suggesting that the energy one brings to meetings significantly impacts their outcomes. She advises that understanding personal energy levels and acknowledging what drains or fuels it can lead to better decision-making and overall business health. Recognizing the importance of self-care and boundaries is paramount for sustaining high energy, particularly in demanding roles. This perspective challenges the common notion that time alone dictates productivity, spotlighting the balance needed between work and personal life.
The Shift Towards Accessible Mentorship and Resources
The podcast discusses the evolving needs of women in business, with a focus on the importance of access to mentorship, resources, and funding opportunities. Marina notes that women often require practical tools rather than just inspirational content to advance their careers, promoting the idea of diversifying revenue streams as a significant trend. She emphasizes that fostering micro communities can provide critical support and facilitate meaningful connections among women. This approach highlights the shift from general empowerment to actionable resources, enabling women to pursue their goals more effectively.
Have you ever attended an event that completely changed the trajectory of your life? My guest today, Marina Middleton, certainly has.
In 2021, she walked into her first Create & Cultivate event as an attendee, looking to make connections and gain insights for her own business. Fast forward to today—she’s the CEO and Partner of the very brand that inspired her.
Marina is a powerhouse when it comes to building communities, amplifying women’s voices, and helping them break barriers in business. Before stepping into her leadership at Create & Cultivate, she worked with Fortune 500 companies at Yahoo! and Tumblr, strategizing digital media campaigns. She has since coached and consulted hundreds of female founders, helping them grow their brands with confidence.
In this episode, Marina shares the defining moments that shaped her career—from navigating the corporate world as a woman of color to stepping into the CEO role of a major media and events brand. We’re diving into how mentorship, networking, and representation can accelerate career growth, plus the lessons she’s learned balancing leadership and motherhood.
If you’ve ever felt like an outsider in your industry or wondered how to cultivate the right connections to propel your career forward, this conversation is for you!
