You want to build the business. You also cannot afford to quit your job. For most women, that tension kills the idea before it starts. Toni Toomey refused to let it. She is a second-time founder who sold her first company in her twenties, a full-time AI professional, the primary breadwinner in her family, and the CEO of Hone - a premium postpartum apparel brand made from hormone-safe natural fibers. She bootstrapped her startup without a single dollar of venture capital because, as she puts it, the VC model funds just 2.5% of women founders, so she built her own path. In this episode, Toni shares how she identified a product gap that a male founder would likely miss, why she uses AI to compress days of operational work into hours without ever using it to write her content, and why community is replacing paid ads as the most effective growth strategy for early-stage founders. Toni also breaks down what to look for (and what to avoid) in the fabrics you wear every day and why the apparel industry's impact on women's health is a problem hiding in plain sight. Chapters:🎙️ 00:00 Meet Toni Toomey, founder of Hone and creator of Mom Built -a community for mom founders building for other moms.🌱 03:25 Building a company without quitting a full-time job🧰 04:43 What a first exit and the right mentors actually taught Toni🤖 12:45 Where AI helps a solo founder, and where human connection wins💸 18:59 Why so few women founders sell, and the case for small-check investing🧪 23:45 The problem nobody else would solve: plastic in what we wear🧵 33:18 How to read a fabric label and what to actually look for📍 42:14 Inside Mom Built and where to find ToniLinks:Website: wearhone.com and tonitoomey.com Social: @toni.toomey and @wear.honeReach out to Toni Toomey to learn more about Hone's hormone-safe postpartum apparel, to join Mom Built, or to connect about building a company around a problem you actually live.We're always seeking aligned sponsors.⭐️ If you're interested in supporting our podcast - one episode or a season, reach out to Adrienne at [email protected].⭐️Reach out to Adrienne: [email protected] Visit our website: www.sheleadsmedia.com to learn about upcoming events or to work with me directly and get the clarity you’re seeking.As a gesture of support for this podcast and sharing women's voices everywhere - I would greatly appreciate if you would take a moment and give our podcast a 5 Star rating and review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. By you taking this simple action, you are making a difference in sharing women's voices, thoughts and opinions. One last thing - if you haven’t done so already, please hit the plus sign + to follow the podcast so you never miss an episode. Thank you so much!!XOAdrienne (00:00) - 🎙️ Meet Toni Toomey, founder of Hone and creator of Mom Built (03:25) - 🌱 Building a company without quitting the full-time job (04:43) - 🧰 What a first exit and the right mentors actually taught her (12:45) - 🤖 Where AI helps a solo founder, and where human connection wins (18:59) - 💸 Why so few women founders sell, and the case for small-check investing (23:45) - 🧪 The problem nobody else would solve: plastic in what we wear (33:18) - 🧵 How to read a fabric label and what to actually look for (42:14) - 📍 Inside Mom Built and where to find Toni

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“What did the council decide on item 42?” — answered with the speaker and the moment.

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