From the origin story of their businesses to the ways they allowed themselves to grow as entrepreneurs, our Female Founders series gives a view into the lives of successful women from a variety of industries. Join us for today’s feature, Lisa Bradshaw, offering a behind the scenes look at some of what she has done to succeed so far, advice for those starting off, and plans for the future.
What’s your business and how did you get started?
I’m the founder of The DON’T WAIT Project, a nonprofit I founded in 2011 with the release of my second book, “Big Shoes: A Young Widowed Mother’s Memoir”. The Project encourages people to pursue their dreams and gained national recognition throughout my 3 tours sponsored by Toyota, traveling 23 states while interviewing people about their DON’T WAIT stories for my TV show, Life With Lisa.
I am also a story and pitch coach. My journey began with alphabet pillows I designed at my dining room table 22 years ago while building a stay-at-home business. With no marketing budget, I got creative and landed my “E” pillow on the set of FRIENDS. That single placement launched my brand, leading to increased sales and national media attention, including InStyle and Parents magazines, Oprah.com, Oprah Radio, and The Rachael Ray Show.
When I became a widowed single mom at 32, my business wasn’t just a creative outlet anymore—it became our lifeline, proving that purpose-driven businesses built around storytelling can sustain both financial and personal success.
What is one thing you’re really proud of that you’ve created or accomplished?
I’m most proud of raising more than $20,000 to launch The DON’T WAIT Project nonprofit in 2011, entirely through local sponsorships and community support. What started as a way to heal after loss became a storytelling vehicle for the healing of others. But beyond the business accomplishments, I’m proud that I proved you can build a successful brand while prioritizing time with your child. My son grew up seeing that work doesn’t have to consume your life—it can enhance it when purpose leads the way.
What is the boldest thing you’ve ever done in business?
I pitched a local Toyota dealership to sponsor my storytelling tour across America with nothing but an idea and a one-page proposal. I had no audience, no proven track record in tour planning, just a compelling story about collecting DON’T WAIT stories from everyday people. That first local dealership said yes and the 7-state tour was a success, which led to Toyota’s national Grassroots Community program matching funds for two additional tours across 16 more states. Sometimes the boldest moves come from having nothing to lose and everything to gain by serving communities through the power of storytelling.
What’s one thing you’re currently excited about for the future of your business?
I’m excited about helping female entrepreneurs understand that their stories are their superpower. There are so many brilliant women doing incredible work who don’t realize they have media-worthy stories worth sharing. I’m developing new ways to help them identify their most powerful narratives and get them in front of the right audiences—whether that’s speaking gigs, podcast features, or brand partnerships. The spotlight is waiting for these women; they just need to know how to step into it.
What’s your best business advice you would you give to other women?
Stop waiting for permission to share your story. The same challenges that make you question your worth are often what make your story most compelling to others. I learned this as a cancer survivor who became a widowed single mom—our struggles don’t disqualify us from success, they’re often the very thing that qualifies us to help others. Find your “why,” share it authentically, and remember that nothing has to be perfect, you just have to start. Your story has the power to connect, inspire, and yes, even sell—but only if you’re brave enough to tell it.
What’s your favorite thing about being a business owner?
The freedom to design my life around what matters most. When my husband died just a year after launching the business, everything changed. I went from being the wife who could afford to fail because he paid the mortgage, to the widowed single mom responsible for everything. I still wanted to be a stay-at-home mom, so I had to figure out a way to feed my kid, feed my soul, and be home by 3 o’clock every day when he got off the school bus. I relied on Social Security death benefits and a part-time radio and marketing career that I knew had to become something more by the time our benefits ended.
My son is now 26. He’s happy, kind, educated, and building his own purpose-driven life⏤we made it. And I wouldn’t trade the life we’ve built for a more predictable financial path after losing my husband. I always knew the money would come with hard work, but time came first.
