Kayla Adamson’s story is one every female small business owner needs to hear. From a childhood shaped by her mother’s addiction, along with homelessness and foster care, to serving as a Deputy Sheriff and becoming a successful realtor, Kayla has intentionally built a life and business rooted in resilience, empathy, and purpose. Today, she is a licensed broker and the founder of The Lime List Group, leading a team, and is now one of the top 0.5% agents in her area, surpassing $100 million in sales. Refusing to let her past define her, she has transformed her experiences into impact—hosting the “No Empty Purses” event to empower women financially, stepping into public speaking after a 2015 mission trip, and authoring two books, including the Amazon #1 bestselling Stay Bossy Agents for Women in Real Estate. This episode is a powerful reminder that no matter where you start, you have the ability to lead, give back, and create success on your own terms.

Episode Highlights

0:00 From Foster Care to Success — Kayla Adamson’s Story

1:05 Meet Kayla: Realtor, Speaker & Founder of No Empty Purses

4:07 Growing Up: Homelessness, Foster Care & Resilience

9:37 Why She Became a Police Officer

12:08 The Pivot: Law Enforcement → Real Estate

30:00 Finding Her Voice: Speaking, Leadership & Boundaries

38:40 Redefining Success: Family, Time & Real Impact

51:05 From Foster Care to Amazon Bestseller

Get Connected

Kayla Adamson

Broker Associate & Team Lead of The Lime List Group

Co-Founder of Stay Bossy Agents

https://kaylaadamson.com/

Glam: @darcymmcollective | https://linktr.ee/darcymm

Podcast Brand + Production: @hokudesigngroup | https://www.hoku.design

Podcast location: @harbourhouseoceanfront | https://www.harbourhouseevents.com/

Intro location: @makeupbydarcymm Studio | https://linktr.ee/darcymm

Video + Photography: @imagineakira | https://www.hoku.design

Episode Sponsors

Valley Bank https://valley.com/business

Harbour House Oceanfront Venue https://www.harbourhouseevents.com/

weVENTURE Women’s Business Center empowers entrepreneurs in Florida’s Space Coast and Treasure Coast through education, mentorship, consulting, and a strong network of support to help businesses launch, grow, and thrive.

Co-Hosts + Production Credits

Darcy Manning | THE DARCYMM COLLECTIVE Luxury beauty agency serving Central Florida (bridal, business portraits, private lessons). https://linktr.ee/darcymm

KyAlea Monma | HOKU Design Group Award-winning brand and media design agency recognized by USA Today and DesignRush for excellence in brand storytelling. https://www.hoku.design

Part Two begins with a founder’s reality check: Meghan Wolfgram has just bought out her business partner, sold out of inventory, and doesn’t have enough cash to fund her next production run. For the first time, she must raise capital. Then comes an unexpected Shark Tank opportunity — and Lori Greiner’s Golden Ticket. But the real test begins after the spotlight fades, when Meghan realizes the product featured on national television isn’t built to scale. Instead of chasing momentum, she rebuilds from the ground up. Fourteen years in, that discipline has led to her first sustained EBITDA-positive stretch and a product line developed with a commitment to building locally. This episode explores how preparation, resilience, and values-driven decisions turn setbacks into defining moments — and why sustainable success is shaped long before the spotlight.

Episode Highlights

00:00 – Intro + fundraising philosophy: validate before you raise

02:05 – Why banks said no and pre-orders became key

05:05 – Integrity during Kickstarter delays + offering refunds

11:51 – Out of stock for a year, then record growth and $1M+ sales

13:33 – Shark Tank outreach + fast-track to filming

21:17 – Lori’s Golden Ticket deal

26:26 – Post–Shark Tank reality: product not scalable

28:49 – Rebuilding from scratch to protect margins and values

29:49 – Launch of new flagship products at lower price points

30:43 – First EBITDA-positive stretch + building locally

Get Connected

Meghan Wolfgram

Founder and CEO of Swift Paws, Inc.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/swiftpaws_official/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SwiftPaws/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@swiftpaws

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@SwiftPaws

Shark Tank Episode 13: https://youtu.be/7yYqEvJnSNc?si=YLyCgZclw1xLJauQ

Episode Sponsors

Valley Bank https://valley.com/business

Harbour House Oceanfront Venue https://www.harbourhouseevents.com/

weVENTURE Women’s Business Center empowers entrepreneurs in Florida’s Space Coast and Treasure Coast through education, mentorship, consulting, and a strong network of support to help businesses launch, grow, and thrive.

Co-Hosts + Production Credits

Darcy Manning | THE DARCYMM COLLECTIVE Luxury beauty agency serving Central Florida (bridal, business portraits, private lessons).

https://linktr.ee/darcymm IG: @makeupbydarcymm | @darcymmcollective

KyAlea Monma | HOKU Design Group Award-winning brand and media design agency recognized by USA Today and DesignRush for excellence in brand storytelling. https://www.hoku.design LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kyalea/ IG: @hokudesigngroup

Before Shark Tank, before investors, before scaling — Meghan Wolfgram was just a recent graduate building a homemade lure coursing machine in her dad’s garage so her dog could run. What started as a simple act of inclusion turned into community events, growing demand, and the early foundation of Swift Paws. In this episode, Meghan shares how years of grassroots validation, customer feedback, and steady iteration led to real product market fit — and a Kickstarter that scaled production from 100 units in seven years to 1,000 almost overnight. She also reflects on stepping into leadership after her business partner exited and what it takes to move from side project to CEO. Tune in to Part Two to hear what happens next — when she sells out, runs out of cash, and faces the opportunity that changes everything.

Episode Highlights

00:00 – Show intro + mission

01:02 – Meet Meghan and Swift Paws

01:58 – Origins: pets, economics, and an accidental start

08:02 – Lure coursing discovery and building the first machine

16:10 – Swift Paws forms and grows through events + testing

19:11 – Traveling pet expos reveals massive backyard demand

24:38 – 2016 pivot toward a consumer version

27:15 – Fast CAT opens the sport to all breeds, momentum builds

30:34 – Kickstarter launch, big win, bigger reality check

33:08 – Partner exit, weVENTURE support, and CEO growth

40:09 – Buyout complete, sold out fast, next step is raising money

Get Connected

Meghan Wolfgram

Founder and CEO of Swift Paws, Inc.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/swiftpaws_official/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SwiftPaws/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@swiftpaws

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@SwiftPaws

Shark Tank Episode 13: https://youtu.be/7yYqEvJnSNc?si=YLyCgZclw1xLJauQ

weVENTURE Women’s Business Center empowers entrepreneurs in Florida’s Space Coast and Treasure Coast through education, mentorship, consulting, and a strong network of support to help businesses launch, grow, and thrive.

Episode Sponsors

Valley Bank https://valley.com/business

Harbour House Oceanfront Venue https://www.harbourhouseevents.com/

Co-Hosts + Production Credits

Darcy Manning | THE DARCYMM COLLECTIVE Luxury beauty agency serving Central Florida (bridal, business portraits, private lessons).

https://linktr.ee/darcymm IG: @makeupbydarcymm | @darcymmcollective

KyAlea Monma | HOKU Design Group Award-winning brand and media design agency recognized by USA Today and DesignRush for excellence in brand storytelling. https://www.hoku.design LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kyalea/ IG: @hokudesigngroup

Stacey Clark, RN, co-founder of Virtuous Senior Living and Nested Story Assisted Living, shares her 30-year journey in senior living, starting at age 15 as a volunteer playing piano for residents. From nursing director to executive director, to a national leadership role, Stacey saw firsthand what it takes to create real quality care, and where the system falls short. In this episode, she reveals why she walked away from corporate to lead a new standard: hire for heart, build trust through staff relationships, and create the kind of care every resident deserves.

Episode Highlights

00:00 Intro

01:03 Meet Stacey Clark: Senior Living is in Her Blood

01:46 The Happy Hour Spark: From Talk to Action

03:17 Virtuous Senior Living: Doing the Right Thing on Purpose

05:58 The People First Standard: What Corporate Got Wrong

08:31 Hiring for Heart: The Culture Filter That Changes Everything

15:17 Nested Story: Building a Boutique Home Where Care Feels Personal

16:36 The Property Twist + The Yes: How the Dream Got Funded

21:15 Brand, Story, and Meaning: Creating a Place That Feels Like Family

36:34 Leadership + Partnership: How Stacey and Jamie Make It Work

40:15 The Hard Parts: Staffing, Loss, and Carrying the Weight

42:31 Lessons Learned: Systems, Growth, and What She’d Do Differently

46:29 weVENTURE + Support: Don’t Build Alone

49:57 Final Advice: Don’t Wait, Stay Humble, Make Memories

Get Connected

Stacey Clark, RN Co-founder of Virtuous Senior Living and Nested Story Boutique Assisted Living Websites: virtuoussl.com nested-story.com Instagram: @virtuousseniorliving @nestedstory

Episode Sponsors

Valley Bank Local business banking partner helping you start, grow, and scale with confidence. https://valley.com/business

Harbour House Oceanfront Venue Florida’s premier private oceanfront destination for weddings and special events. https://www.harbourhouseevents.com/

About weVENTURE WBC

weVENTURE Women’s Business Center supports entrepreneurs and small business owners through education, mentorship, consulting, and a powerful network of resources. Their mission is to strengthen the local economy by helping businesses launch, grow, and thrive in Florida's Space Coast and Treasure Coast communities.

Co-Hosts + Production Credits

Darcy Manning | THE DARCYMM COLLECTIVE Luxury beauty agency serving Central Florida (bridal, business portraits, private lessons).

https://linktr.ee/darcymm IG: @makeupbydarcymm | @darcymmcollective

KyAlea Monma | HOKU Design Group Award-winning brand and media design agency recognized by USA Today and DesignRush for excellence in brand storytelling. https://www.hoku.design LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kyalea/ IG: @hokudesigngroup

Brand + Production: @hokudesigngroup | https://www.hoku.design

Location: Harbour House Oceanfront Venue

Twelve years ago, Sarah Smith left a secure aerospace career while pregnant to become a stay-at-home mom and start a small side hustle. That side hustle became Southern Caramel, now an internationally awarded gourmet caramel brand selling on Amazon. In this episode, Sarah shares the journey of building her dream alongside her father as her business partner, and navigating the bittersweet tension of reaching her biggest wins after losing him to cancer.

00:00 Intro

01:03 Meet Sarah Smith + The Sweet Story Behind Southern Caramel

02:07 The Leap: Leaving Aerospace to Build a Business From Home (2013)

04:33 Why Caramel Won (And Why It Was the Smart Niche Move)

07:06 From Home Kitchen to “Real Business” Mode (Inspections + Wholesale)

08:45 The Family Power Move: Dad Joins and the Vision Gets Bigger (2018)

12:51 Grief + Growth: Losing Her Dad and Finding the Next Chapter

17:42 Bite-Size Joy: The Brand Values That Built Customer Love (And 10% Give-Back)

22:23 The Shelf-Life Disaster That Nearly Ended It All

25:46 The Breakthrough Recipe Pivot: No Corn Syrup, All Craft

27:41 From Setback to Standout: 6-Month Shelf Life + Award-Winning Caramel

30:18 Big League Moment: Amazon Launch + Bigger Space + Bigger Team

33:18 The Support System: How WeVenture Helped Her Scale Smarter

47:30 Final Words: “If I Can Do It, So Can You.”

48:08 Outro

Sarah SmithSouthern Caramel

https://southerncaramel.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southern.caramel/

Episode Sponsors

Valley Bank Local business banking partner helping you start, grow, and scale with confidence. https://valley.com/business

Harbour House Oceanfront Venue Florida’s premier private oceanfront destination for weddings and special events. https://www.harbourhouseevents.com/

About weVENTURE WBC

weVENTURE Women’s Business Center supports entrepreneurs and small business owners through education, mentorship, consulting, and a powerful network of resources. Their mission is to strengthen the local economy by helping businesses launch, grow, and thrive in Florida's Space Coast and Treasure Coast communities.

Co-Hosts + Production Credits

Darcy Manning | THE DARCYMM COLLECTIVE Luxury beauty agency serving Central Florida (bridal, business portraits, private lessons).

https://linktr.ee/darcymm IG: @makeupbydarcymm | @darcymmcollective

KyAlea Monma | HOKU Design Group Award-winning brand and media design agency recognized by USA Today and DesignRush for excellence in brand storytelling. https://www.hoku.design LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kyalea/ IG: @hokudesigngroup

Brand + Production: @hokudesigngroup | https://www.hoku.design

Location: Harbour House Oceanfront Venue

“No one has to do this alone—and it shouldn’t cost anything just to ask a question.”

In this episode of HerStory, co-hosts Darcy Manning and KyAlea Monma sit down with Dr. Kathryn Rudloff, Executive Director of weVENTURE Women’s Business Center, to unpack what real support looks like for women entrepreneurs. From idea to launch to scaling and exit, Kathryn shares how weVENTURE’s federally funded programs provide little to no-cost coaching, training, mentorship, and strategy for founders at every stage.

This conversation is your reminder that asking for help is a power move, and clarity should never come with a price tag.

00:00 Intro

01:02 Meet Dr. Kathryn Rudloff + What weVENTURE Does

03:08 COVID Relief: “Boots on the Ground” Support 04:02 From

300 Clients to 1,000 in One Year

05:23 1988 Changed Everything for Women Entrepreneurs

08:45 The “She-cession” + The Data Behind Solo Entrepreneurship

11:02 Seasons of Life: Work, Family, and Business

19:03 Client Win: Southern Caramel (Kitchen to Amazon)

21:56 “It’s Not a Business Until It Can Run Without You”

23:47 Programs Breakdown: Ignite 360, CEO Peer Group + More

35:10 Why Google and AI Aren’t Enough (You Still Need Humans)

37:20 Why “Free” Coaching Works: Accountability + Honest Feedback

Dr. Kathryn Rudloff

https://www.linkedin.com/in/kathryn-rudloff/

https://weventure.fit.edu | IG: @weventurewbc

Become a Sponsor! Contact Kathryn at krudloff@fit.edu

Episode Sponsors

Valley Bank Local business banking partner helping you start, grow, and scale with confidence. https://valley.com/business

Harbour House Oceanfront Venue Florida’s premier private oceanfront destination for weddings and special events. https://www.harbourhouseevents.com/

About weVENTURE WBC

weVENTURE Women’s Business Center supports entrepreneurs and small business owners through education, mentorship, consulting, and a powerful network of resources. Their mission is to strengthen the local economy by helping businesses launch, grow, and thrive in Florida's Space Coast and Treasure Coast communities.

Co-Hosts + Production Credits

Darcy Manning | THE DARCYMM COLLECTIVE Luxury beauty agency serving Central Florida (bridal, business portraits, private lessons).

https://linktr.ee/darcymm IG: @makeupbydarcymm | @darcymmcollective

KyAlea Monma | HOKU Design Group Award-winning brand and media design agency recognized by USA Today and DesignRush for excellence in brand storytelling. https://www.hoku.design LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kyalea/ IG: @hokudesigngroup

Brand + Production: @hokudesigngroup | https://www.hoku.design

Location: Harbour House Oceanfront Venue

HerStory is the podcast where we share the real, behind-the-scenes journeys of founders who are shaping Florida's Space Coast and Treasure Coast communities.

Hosted by founders Darcy Manning and KyAlea Monma, each episode feels like a coffee shop conversation, honest, empowering, and deeply relatable. We sit down with founders and small business leaders to talk about where they started, what they’ve overcome, and what it really takes to build something meaningful.

This is about the stories you don’t always see on social media—the risks, turning points, lessons learned, and quiet moments that change everything.

Produced in partnership with weVENTURE Women’s Business Center, HerStory is here to elevate small businesses, strengthen community, and spotlight the powerful local resources that help turn vision into reality.

Whether you’re a business owner, a dreamer in the early stages, or someone who loves supporting local small businesses, this show is for you.

Season One launches on January 31, 2026 with new episodes releasing every two weeks. Be sure to Subscribe.