Leading With Heart: Sarah Williams of Launch Your Box and Framed! On The Power of Authentic Women’s Leadership

An Interview With Pirie Jones Grossman

Seeking and maintaining work/life balance is part of leading authentically as a woman. For me, this takes two forms. First, I feel free to be exactly who I am in both my work and my home life. The person I am every day at work is no different than the person I am when I’m at home spending time with my children. That freedom to be authentically me as a leader is freeing and allows me to lead more effectively.

In today’s dynamic world, the concept of leadership is continuously evolving. While traditional leadership models have often been male-dominated, there is a growing recognition of the unique strengths and perspectives that women bring to these roles. This series aims to explore how women can become more effective leaders by authentically embracing their femininity and innate strengths, rather than conforming to traditional male leadership styles. In this series, we are talking to successful women leaders, coaches, authors, and experts who can provide insights and personal stories on how embracing their inherent feminine qualities has enhanced their leadership abilities. As part of this series, we had the pleasure of interviewing Sarah Williams.

Welcome to the world of Sarah Williams, widely recognized as The Subscription Box Queen, where entrepreneurship meets innovation and success is cultivated one box at a time. Sarah is a dynamic force in the subscription box industry, guiding aspiring entrepreneurs and seasoned business owners alike through the intricacies of launching and growing thriving subscription box businesses. Sarah’s expertise shines through her commitment to teaching, coaching, and actively managing her own successful subscription box business on a daily basis. Unlike many in her industry, she is not just a teacher — she is a practitioner, facing and overcoming the challenges that her students encounter. Join her community at LaunchYourBox.com to unlock the secrets of sustainable, profitable ventures.

Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series. Before we dive into our discussion about authentic, feminine leadership, our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you share with us the backstory about what brought you to your specific career path?

I’ve always loved marketing. I studied marketing in college and my early career was spent in management roles in various large retail organizations. Starting in college and continuing after I graduated, I worked for Hastings Entertainment, managing a busy store and a large team. I then spent time as a manager at Linens ‘N Things, opening new store locations. I worked on all aspects of opening new locations, including training new team members. After my time with Linens ‘N Things, I went to work for Starbucks as a manager.

I believe everything prepares us for our future. My time in retail management for large companies managing multiple locations and large teams prepared me to own a company like mine.

I had never planned to work for myself. That came about as I watched these large companies lay people off and go bankrupt. Hastings Entertainment slowly closed stories as the entertainment industry moved more and more toward streaming, making their business model obsolete. Linens ‘N Things went out of business rapidly, causing me to lose my job. I was working for Starbucks in 2008 when the economy took a serious downturn, and they closed 500 stores. I realized I wanted and needed control over my own future and stability for my family. That desire started me down the path toward entrepreneurship.

Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you started your career?

During the summer of 2019, I was busy managing my retail location and my ever-growing subscription box business. The success of my subscription box business caught the attention of a lot of people, some of whom wanted to start their own subscription boxes. Those people started reaching out to me, asking questions and seeking guidance. I decided to take on a couple of those people as 1:1 coaching clients and guided them through launching their own subscription boxes.

I soon realized how much it lit me up to see these clients succeed, how proud of them I was, and how fulfilled I felt by their success. It was that experience that propelled me to become a business coach.

What do you think makes your company stand out? Can you share a story?

My company stands out in today’s digital space through our dedication to creating genuine, personal connections. Rather than trying to automate everything, I focus on meeting people where they are. Whether someone is stepping into the world of entrepreneurship for the first time or is a seasoned business owner looking to scale, I provide the same level of heart-centered service.

Approaching business with a focus on personal connection means serving over selling. My business is based on relationships rather than being transactional. I want to have real conversations, be transparent in sharing my own business journey, and help people make progress and realize their own business goals and dreams.

You are a successful business leader. Which three character traits do you think were most instrumental to your success? Can you please share a story or example for each?

As an introvert, I am someone who values genuine, personal connections. I value community over competition. My subscription box was born out of a desire to make my most loyal customers feel valued and appreciated. The driving philosophy behind my retail business is to help busy women who spend so much time caring for others feel confident and cared for. I wanted to give them permission to treat themselves. My coaching business evolved from a desire to help other people start and launch their own successful subscription box businesses so they could experience the business and life-changing benefits of recurring revenue.

I’m a calculated risk-taker. I’m not afraid to try something new or step outside what feels safe or comfortable, but I don’t take big risks in my business. I take a great deal of pride in having built my business without investors and without going into debt. I focused on getting and staying profitable from the beginning and I teach my students to do the same. My businesses have grown exponentially, yet always through careful planning and calculated risk.

Vulnerability is one of my greatest strengths. Early in my entrepreneurial journey, and sometimes even now, I struggled with self-doubt and feeling like I wasn’t “enough.” These are feelings everyone has from time to time, especially when trying to do something that feels risky, like starting a business. I openly share my own doubts, struggles, and obstacles with my audience. Doing so makes me more relatable and allows them to see me and my business journey as something they can aspire to rather than something unattainable.

Leadership often entails making difficult decisions or hard choices between two apparently good paths. Can you share a story with us about a hard decision or choice you had to make as a leader? I’m curious to understand how these challenges have shaped your leadership.

One of the most difficult decisions I’ve made was when I closed my retail store after COVID. It was a physical representation of the growth of my business. I started in a tiny 600 square foot shop and had grown into a lovely, spacious store that served me and my customers well.

Closing the retail store allowed me to go all in online. As a leader, I realized no one can do everything, or at least do everything effectively. The more my hands were in different pots, the more my time and my focus was split. I knew I needed to streamline and make my online business, including my subscription box, the focus.

I faced another difficult choice when I started my business coaching business. I could have offered my services to a wide variety of business owners and coached them on many aspects of entrepreneurship including both brick-and-mortar and online retail sales. By niching down and focusing on coaching subscription box owners, I was able to go all in and really make a difference with my students. Rather than limiting the potential of my coaching business, intentionally focusing on a niche allowed it to grow faster than I ever imagined it could.

Ok, thank you for that. Let’s now jump to the primary focus of our interview. Can you share a personal experience where embracing your unique leadership style, which might not align with traditional expectations, led to a significant positive impact in your organization or team?

My leadership style is collaborative. As I’ve grown as a leader, I’ve come to understand how important valuing other people’s input is to the success of my business and to my success as a leader. I’ve intentionally compiled a team filled with smart people whose combined skills support the business. I’m a savvy enough leader to know I cannot do it all. Instead, I hire the right people and work closely with them to continue to move the business forward.

In your journey as a leader, how have you balanced demonstrating resilience, often seen as a masculine trait, with showing vulnerability, which is equally powerful, but typically feminine? Can you give an example where this balance created a meaningful difference?

I demonstrate this balance through my decision-making style. I lead more with my head than with my heart, looking closely at facts when making decisions or solving problems. However, I do make sure to pull my heart into my decision making.

The best example of striking this balance occurred during 2020. Like all business owners at that time, I faced a huge amount of “What is going to happen to my business?” How could I sell during such an emotionally charged time in our world? Between the uncertainties and tragedies of COVID and the impact of Black Lives Matter, how could I show up and sell products that were wants, not needs?

I needed to show up not only for my own business, but for other business owners. As a business coach, I needed my students to see they could and should keep pushing forward. I needed to show them it was possible to make decisions and figure things out, despite all the challenges we faced. They were struggling to source products. So was I. They saw me working hard to solve the same problems they faced and were inspired to keep fighting.

I made a conscious decision to be vulnerable with my students in those moments while still showing them we had to make decisions in order to get through those times. I was compassionate yet powerful. The way I kept pushing forward served as an example for them to follow and inspired them to keep pushing forward, too.

As a woman in leadership, how have you navigated and challenged gender stereotypes, especially in situations where traditional male-dominated approaches are the norm? What strategies have you employed to remain authentic to your style?

I can be successful in the male-dominated subscription box industry by being exactly who I am. As a leader, I bring both my traditionally feminine and traditionally masculine strengths. I value and prioritize relationships and connections and never shy away from talking about feelings. I’m also very decisive, taking initiative and calculated risks to move my business forward. This balance has helped me establish myself as a leader in the industry.

I am able to be successful by showing up for my customers and my students. My audience tends to skew toward women who appreciate my approach. They see that I am a successful, multi-million dollar business owner but I’m also feminine and authentic, transparent and vulnerable. I give them permission to be the same and show them it is possible to be successful by showing up exactly as you are.

How do you utilize emotional intelligence and active listening to create an inclusive environment in your team or organization? Could you share a specific instance where these qualities particularly enhanced team dynamics or performance?”

I talked earlier about surrounding myself with smart people in my business. Many of those people work with me remotely. Each year, we all gather for our Annual Planning Meeting. This gives us a chance not only to bond and strengthen our working relationships, but for everyone to be heard. It is important to me that all members of my team feel they have a voice in making the decisions that will guide us for the next year.

What role has mentorship played in developing your authentic leadership style, and how do you communicate authentically to inspire and empower both your mentors and mentees?

I learned early on in my career how important it was to find a mentor with whom I aligned regarding both our values and how he showed up in his business and served his audience. I knew I needed to find a mentor whose leadership style matched the kind of leader I wanted to be. I’ve been fortunate to be mentored by someone who meets all those requirements and who has helped me develop as a business owner and as a leader. Participating in Mastermind Groups led by my mentor has allowed me to surround myself with likeminded people who are working toward the same goals in their businesses.

Over time, I have become a mentor to my students. I am that person who empowers them and inspires them the same way my mentor empowers and inspires me. I have a sign on the wall of my bedroom that reads, “Surround yourself with people that see greatness in you.” This is one of the greatest benefits of mentorship. We don’t always see greatness in ourselves at the beginning of our journeys. When you spend time with someone who sees that in you, you’re able to hold onto that and in turn give it to other people.

Based on your experience and research, can you please share “5 Ways Leading Authentically As A Woman Will Affect Your Leadership”?

1 . Leading authentically as a woman allows you to build deeper, longer-lasting relationships and connections that benefit you both as a leader and a person.

2 . When you authentically focus on customers and clients, you can truly understand what they are thinking and feeling, building genuine trust. Today’s consumers buy from people and brands they trust, so taking the time to build this trust translates into greater customer satisfaction and loyalty.

3 . When you lead authentically as a woman, you build stronger teams based on trust and vulnerability. You create safer, more nurturing environments that encourage greater sharing of ideas. Building trust and credibility within your team encourages collaboration and communication among them, leading to synergy of ideas and greater productivity.

4 . Creativity looks different when you lead authentically as a woman. It allows leaders to tap into creativity in a way that speaks more deeply to people. This creativity is focused on relationships and expressing feelings and less on the end game or what the creative result means to the bottom line. Interestingly, this type of person-centered creativity often results in even greater business gains.

5 . Seeking and maintaining work/life balance is part of leading authentically as a woman. For me, this takes two forms. First, I feel free to be exactly who I am in both my work and my home life. The person I am every day at work is no different than the person I am when I’m at home spending time with my children. That freedom to be authentically me as a leader is freeing and allows me to lead more effectively.

Seeking work/life balance also means being able to prioritize my family over my work when necessary. I recently rescheduled a training session inside my student group because of a change to my daughter’s basketball schedule. It was important to me that she be able to look up in the stands during the game and see me cheering her on. I asked my students for their understanding as I made that change. They not only understood, but they also applauded my decision and felt empowered to make similar decisions in their own businesses.

Are there potential pitfalls or challenges associated with being an empathetic leader? How can these be addressed?

As an empathetic leader, I “feel all the feels.” This can be draining. As an empathetic leader, when a member of my team is struggling with something, my instinct is to try to solve their problem. I end up feeling their feelings. This is a pitfall of an empathetic leadership style, and the reason leaders need to prioritize taking time to recharge. Another potential pitfall is the blurring of lines between what needs to be done for the business and what needs to be done for the person. It is important to put policies and procedures in place so that some things are black and white. Too many gray areas lead to decision fatigue.

You are a person of great influence. If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. :-)

I would start a movement of empowering women to show up and be the faces of their businesses exactly as they are. I want to help people show up instead of hiding behind a computer screen, or a logo, or a brand. It is so empowering to be able to show up authentically as who you are and to be the face of your business without fear.

How can our readers further follow you online?

I can be found on Facebook at How to Start a Subscription Box with Sarah Williams and on Instagram @howtostartasubbox. I can also be found via the Launch Your Box with Sarah Williams Podcast and my website launchyourbox.com.

Thank you for the time you spent sharing these fantastic insights. We wish you only continued success in your great work!

About The Interviewer: Pirie is a TedX speaker, author and a Life Empowerment Coach. She is a co-host of Own your Throne podcast, inspiring women in the 2nd chapter of their lives. With over 20 years in front of the camera, Pirie Grossman understands the power of storytelling. After success in commercials and acting. She spent 10 years reporting for E! Entertainment Television, Entertainment Tonight, also hosted ABC’s “Every Woman”. Her work off-camera capitalizes on her strength, producing, bringing people together for unique experiences. She produced a Children’s Day of Compassion during the Dalai Lama’s visit here in 2005. 10,000 children attended, sharing ideas about compassion with His Holiness. From 2006–2009, Pirie Co-chaired the Special Olympics World Winter Games, in Idaho, welcoming 3,000 athletes from over 150 countries. She founded Destiny Productions to create Wellness Festivals and is an Advisory Board member of the Sun Valley Wellness Board.In February 2017, Pirie produced, “Love is Louder”, a Brain Health Summit, bringing in Kevin Hines, noted suicide survivor to Sun Valley who spoke to school kids about suicide. Sun Valley is in the top 5% highest suicide rate per capita in the Northwest, prompting a community initiative with St. Luke’s and other stake holders, to begin healing. She lives in Sun Valley with her two children, serves on the Board of Community School. She has her Master’s degree in Spiritual Psychology from the University of Santa Monica and is an Executive Life Empowerment Coach, where she helps people meet their dreams and goals! The difference between a dream and a goal is that a goal is a dream with a date on it!