Episode 232In this episode, Anne Mahlum, the founder of Solidcore walks us through her journey from launching Back on My Feet to scaling Solidcore from a single studio to 100+ locations, including the fundraising playbook that raised over $200M. She shares the toughest growth challenges, how she preserved culture during rapid expansion, the moment that reframed her view of success and failure, and why she chose to share millions from the sale with employees. Practical exit-planning advice, leadership lessons, and the founder’s next projects round out a candid conversation about building purpose-driven, scalable businesses.GuestThe beginning of Anne’s Mahlum entrepreneurial journey is nothing short of extraordinary. In 2007, she found herself running by a homeless shelter in Philadelphia. She engaged the shelter to start a running club, which she quickly transformed into a national non-profit called Back on My Feet. The organization, now with an $8M annual budget, uses running as a vehicle to help those experiencing homelessness become empowered to change their lives. Under Anne’s leadership as CEO, she grew the organization to 14 cities. Since its inception, Back on My Feet has helped thousands of individuals achieve employment and more self-sufficient living. But Anne didn’t stop there. She created success again when she founded pilates-inspired solidcore in 2013. As its founder and CEO, she grew it into one of the country’s most successful fitness companies in less than a decade by raising more than $200M through private equity to scale it to more than 115 locations across the U.S. The company currently has thousands of employees and hundreds of thousands of clients across 30 states, including former First Lady Michelle Obama Anne successfully exited [solidcore] in April 2013 and shared millions with her employees after sale.A true self-made success story, Anne’s entrepreneurial ventures have resulted in a personal net worth of over $100M. Anne has been honored many times for her leadership and entrepreneurial spirit. Most recently, she was featured by CNBC for her continued success over the years. She has also been recognized by the Washington Business Journal as a ‘ Women Who Mean Business’ winner, and was named both an ABC World News Person of the Week and a CNN Hero for her work at Back on My Feet. She has given three TEDx talks about finding your passion, letting go of your complacency, and helping others. She has also received notable media attention highlighting her talent, including articles in CNBC, The Washington Post, The Washington Business Journal and Runner’s World.HostOlyasha Novozhylova @notbasicblonde_NotBasicBlonde Podcast @nbbpodcast
All content for NotBasicBlonde Podcast is the property of Olya Novozhylova and is served directly from their servers
with no modification, redirects, or rehosting. The podcast is not affiliated with or endorsed by Podjoint in any way.
Episode 232In this episode, Anne Mahlum, the founder of Solidcore walks us through her journey from launching Back on My Feet to scaling Solidcore from a single studio to 100+ locations, including the fundraising playbook that raised over $200M. She shares the toughest growth challenges, how she preserved culture during rapid expansion, the moment that reframed her view of success and failure, and why she chose to share millions from the sale with employees. Practical exit-planning advice, leadership lessons, and the founder’s next projects round out a candid conversation about building purpose-driven, scalable businesses.GuestThe beginning of Anne’s Mahlum entrepreneurial journey is nothing short of extraordinary. In 2007, she found herself running by a homeless shelter in Philadelphia. She engaged the shelter to start a running club, which she quickly transformed into a national non-profit called Back on My Feet. The organization, now with an $8M annual budget, uses running as a vehicle to help those experiencing homelessness become empowered to change their lives. Under Anne’s leadership as CEO, she grew the organization to 14 cities. Since its inception, Back on My Feet has helped thousands of individuals achieve employment and more self-sufficient living. But Anne didn’t stop there. She created success again when she founded pilates-inspired solidcore in 2013. As its founder and CEO, she grew it into one of the country’s most successful fitness companies in less than a decade by raising more than $200M through private equity to scale it to more than 115 locations across the U.S. The company currently has thousands of employees and hundreds of thousands of clients across 30 states, including former First Lady Michelle Obama Anne successfully exited [solidcore] in April 2013 and shared millions with her employees after sale.A true self-made success story, Anne’s entrepreneurial ventures have resulted in a personal net worth of over $100M. Anne has been honored many times for her leadership and entrepreneurial spirit. Most recently, she was featured by CNBC for her continued success over the years. She has also been recognized by the Washington Business Journal as a ‘ Women Who Mean Business’ winner, and was named both an ABC World News Person of the Week and a CNN Hero for her work at Back on My Feet. She has given three TEDx talks about finding your passion, letting go of your complacency, and helping others. She has also received notable media attention highlighting her talent, including articles in CNBC, The Washington Post, The Washington Business Journal and Runner’s World.HostOlyasha Novozhylova @notbasicblonde_NotBasicBlonde Podcast @nbbpodcast
Entreprenista - Secrets To Running a Biz From Women Who've Done It - Meet Courtney Spritzer
NotBasicBlonde Podcast
26 minutes
2 months ago
Entreprenista - Secrets To Running a Biz From Women Who've Done It - Meet Courtney Spritzer
Episode 227In this episode, Courtney Spritzer the co-founder of Entreprenista recounts her journey and the market gap she addressed by creating a practical ecosystem for women entrepreneurs—combining mentorship, skill-building, and community. She discusses early challenges (funding, visibility, cultural barriers) and how partnerships, iterative product development, and member feedback helped overcome them. The conversation covers how Entreprenista builds community through local chapters, cohorts, and masterclasses, its data-driven tools and virtual incubators, a standout member success story, and actionable advice for hesitant founders. Finally, she outlines growth plans and how emerging technologies like AI and analytics are being used to expand and strengthen support for women-led businesses.GuestCourtney Spritzer is an Entrepreneur and Co-Founder of the famous Entreprenista https://www.instagram.com/entreprenistasEntreprenista, our mission is to empower women founders by sharing their stories, offering invaluable business insights, and fostering a vibrant community of support. We believe that success is built through meaningful connections and collaborations, and we’ve created a space where women can learn, grow, and thrive together. Through our engaging podcast, hands-on resources, or curated solutions, we’re here to help women navigate the entrepreneurial journey with confidence and clarity. Entreprenista is the go-to resource for women leaders looking to build and scale their businesses, backed by a community that will be there to support you every step of the way.HostOlyasha Novozhylova @notbasicblonde_ https://www.instagram.com/notbasicblonde_NotBasicblonde Podcast @nbbpodcast
NotBasicBlonde Podcast
Episode 232In this episode, Anne Mahlum, the founder of Solidcore walks us through her journey from launching Back on My Feet to scaling Solidcore from a single studio to 100+ locations, including the fundraising playbook that raised over $200M. She shares the toughest growth challenges, how she preserved culture during rapid expansion, the moment that reframed her view of success and failure, and why she chose to share millions from the sale with employees. Practical exit-planning advice, leadership lessons, and the founder’s next projects round out a candid conversation about building purpose-driven, scalable businesses.GuestThe beginning of Anne’s Mahlum entrepreneurial journey is nothing short of extraordinary. In 2007, she found herself running by a homeless shelter in Philadelphia. She engaged the shelter to start a running club, which she quickly transformed into a national non-profit called Back on My Feet. The organization, now with an $8M annual budget, uses running as a vehicle to help those experiencing homelessness become empowered to change their lives. Under Anne’s leadership as CEO, she grew the organization to 14 cities. Since its inception, Back on My Feet has helped thousands of individuals achieve employment and more self-sufficient living. But Anne didn’t stop there. She created success again when she founded pilates-inspired solidcore in 2013. As its founder and CEO, she grew it into one of the country’s most successful fitness companies in less than a decade by raising more than $200M through private equity to scale it to more than 115 locations across the U.S. The company currently has thousands of employees and hundreds of thousands of clients across 30 states, including former First Lady Michelle Obama Anne successfully exited [solidcore] in April 2013 and shared millions with her employees after sale.A true self-made success story, Anne’s entrepreneurial ventures have resulted in a personal net worth of over $100M. Anne has been honored many times for her leadership and entrepreneurial spirit. Most recently, she was featured by CNBC for her continued success over the years. She has also been recognized by the Washington Business Journal as a ‘ Women Who Mean Business’ winner, and was named both an ABC World News Person of the Week and a CNN Hero for her work at Back on My Feet. She has given three TEDx talks about finding your passion, letting go of your complacency, and helping others. She has also received notable media attention highlighting her talent, including articles in CNBC, The Washington Post, The Washington Business Journal and Runner’s World.HostOlyasha Novozhylova @notbasicblonde_NotBasicBlonde Podcast @nbbpodcast
