The women who scale well are rarely doing “more” but they're certainly building better.

In this episode of She Wears the Pants, Ashley Deland is joined by Steph Biegel, strategic advisor, co-founder of Vault Co, and self-described business partner for hire. Together, they unpack what it really takes for a high-growth woman to build a company with greater clarity, stronger positioning, and sustainable momentum.

If you’re a woman who is building with ambition and craving cleaner strategy, deeper alignment, and more honest conversations around growth, this conversation will help you lead with greater confidence, simplify your path forward, and scale from a place of authenticity rather than pressure.

In this episode, you’ll learn how to:

• Build with fewer, stronger growth levers so your strategy becomes clearer and more effective
• 
  
• Create authentic brand trust by leaning into real connection instead of over-curated marketing
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• Ask for support more directly so you can accelerate growth without carrying everything alone
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• Strengthen your business by strengthening the woman leading it
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• Approach visibility, feedback, and audience-building in a way that feels human, strategic, and sustainable

By the end, you’ll walk away with a more grounded understanding of what meaningful growth actually looks like and the kind of leadership it requires to hold it well.

Meet Steph

Steph Biegel is a strategic advisor, growth consultant, and co-founder of Vault Co. Through her work, she helps female-founded wellness and lifestyle brands sharpen their positioning, build revenue-driven marketing strategies, and navigate pivotal stages of growth with more clarity and confidence.

Website: Vault Co launching soon

Instagram: @sbiegs

Business Instagram: @withvaultco

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She Wears the Pants is where high-growth women come to build companies that match their calling. If this episode resonated, follow, rate, and review so more women can find these conversations.

Ashley Deland:

Welcome back to She Wears the Pants — the place where high-growth women come to build companies that match their calling.

I’m your host, Ashley Deland.

Today’s guest is someone who works behind the scenes of growing brands, helping founders move from vision to execution with more clarity, confidence, and strategic precision.

I’m joined by Steph Biegel, co-founder of Vault Co, a strategic advisory and consulting practice that partners with founders and brands in motion. She calls herself a business partner for hire, which I absolutely love, and she works with female-founded wellness and lifestyle companies to sharpen their brand DNA, build revenue-driven marketing strategies, and navigate pivotal stages of growth.

Before launching Vault, Steph spent more than a decade scaling advertising and talent-driven businesses to more than $200 million across global markets, including serving as co-founder and Chief Strategy Officer at Key, a talent brand software platform.

Steph, welcome to She Wears the Pants.

Steph Biegel:

Thank you so much for having me. I’m so happy to be here.

Ashley:

We were just chatting before this about how we’re both business consultants, and I’m telling you now — I may need to steal your line, business partner for hire, because I absolutely love it.

Steph:

I love that you love it. Sometimes I say it to friends and they’re like, “That sounds like you work in the sex industry.”

Ashley:

I’m like, wow, thank you so much.

Steph:

Exactly. You never know.

Ashley:

I had you on the Female Founder Interview Series back during COVID, and I remember I definitely pursued that friendship a little aggressively. I was like, “Hi. Hi. Let’s be friends.”

For those who don’t know you yet, tell us a little bit about how you got into entrepreneurship.

Steph:

Oh boy. I’ll try to keep this succinct, although that is not always my strength.

I’ve always had a fire in me. I’ve always loved building. I love growth in every form. I actually started out in the talent world in LA. If anyone watched Entourage, I watched it and thought, I will never do that — and then of course, that’s exactly what I did. I worked at a talent agency, I worked in celebrity endorsements, and then eventually needed to come back to reality because LA is a wild place when you’re young, out every night, and making no money.

From there, I fell headfirst into the digital ad tech space, which was an incredible industry to be in at the time. I stayed in it for almost ten years, built a strong career, and made a great living. But the funny thing was, I would take the money I made and spend it on every wellness, beauty, and healing modality I could find.

There was always this disconnect between what I did for work and what I genuinely cared about. I wanted to find the intersection of passion and work. I would sit in the back of my office building business plans for wellness concepts with one of my girlfriends, convinced there had to be a way to build something that filled my cup and still made sense financially.

I was too scared to take the leap for a long time because I had security, consistency, and a paycheck. And every business idea felt like risk, risk, risk.

So we tried to find a crawl-walk-run approach. For us, the crawl was launching a podcast. We created one called Well Behaved, and it filled my cup. It brought me closer to the world I wanted to be in without forcing me to jump off a cliff overnight.

That podcast brought in incredible founders in wellness and lifestyle, and they kept asking if we consulted. Of course, we said yes — even before we fully knew what that would look like. But because of my background, we figured it out. It became a side hustle. I was literally trading yoga for helping people build content strategies.

Then, instead of taking the leap fully at that point, I built another company in the tech and talent space called Key. That chapter taught me so much. I had an amazing co-founder and best friend, and I got to experience what it meant to truly build something.

But deep down, I always knew I wanted to do work that aligned with what I was passionate about as a consumer and as a woman. So about three and a half years ago, I finally took the leap and started my consultancy.

Now I get to show up every day and work with founders who inspire me, with brands I genuinely believe in, and with businesses that in many ways are the kinds of companies I once dreamed of building myself. I’m still figuring things out as I go, but it’s beautiful work.

Ashley:

Did you ever find that intersection between building and wellness? Have you found that balance yet?

Steph:

Balance? Absolutely not.

Ashley:

Fair. I don’t even believe in balance, so I probably shouldn’t have asked it that way.

Steph:

Exactly. Balance, no. But I have found the intersection of passion and work. And that’s a gift.

I get to work in spaces I genuinely care about — wellness, beauty, lifestyle — and I understand those consumers because I am that consumer. I try the modalities. I do the facials. I buy the products. I care deeply about the experience.

So no, I can’t do it all, and there are definitely sacrifices. But I do wake up every day feeling wildly grateful that I get to build in a space I actually love.

Ashley:

One of the things I’ve always loved about you is how authentic you are. You feel like exactly who you are. Was there ever a moment where you consciously dropped the performance and started showing up more truthfully, or have you always been this way?

Steph:

I think I’ve always tried to be authentic, or at least as authentic as possible. That part feels important to me.

What I do experience constantly, though, is imposter syndrome. Every day. I can show up as myself and still wonder, Should I be in this room? Am I delivering enough value? Am I helping enough?

I came from sales, and I love winning. I love goals. I love seeing tangible movement. So even though the work I do now is deeply strategic and tied to growth, there are still days where I’m like, They’re paying me — am I creating enough result here?

I know that I am. But confidence is something I think about a lot, especially when I’m working with bigger brands or founders building something really beautiful. I just try to be honest about that.

Ashley:

I actually want to pause there because I haven’t admitted this much either. I was saying to Steph before we hit record that I haven’t had many business consultants on the show, so this feels like a real treat for me.

And I think one of the reasons is because there are moments where I wonder whether I’m the only one who feels this way. I’m scaling clients to major numbers. I can guide seven-figure growth all day long. And then sometimes I’m looking at my own business thinking, Why can’t I just implement this perfectly for myself?

I think sometimes the genius is downloaded into you to be of service, and then you still have to do your own inner work around being the woman who can hold it.

Steph:

Completely. And I think that tension is very real for a lot of founders.

Ashley:

Let’s talk about what founders often think will fix growth, but usually doesn’t. I know AI is a huge conversation right now.

Steph:

It is. And I think AI is powerful as an oversight tool, as a support tool, as something that can absolutely complement growth. But it isn’t the answer in and of itself.

Another area I think founders over-rely on is influencer and ambassador marketing without asking whether it’s actually aligned. A publicist friend of mine said something recently that really stuck with me. She was talking about how so many brands are still sending product to influencers who never post, or paying creators who don’t have any authentic connection to the brand.

And the question she asked was: Why are we overlooking the customers who already love you?

Why are we not turning real consumers into authentic ambassadors? Maybe they’re micro-influencers. Maybe they have 5,000 followers. Maybe they just genuinely love your product. That kind of advocacy can be far more powerful than chasing the same recycled list of influencers every other brand is using.

That conversation around organic ambassadors, affiliates, UGC, and community-led trust is really exciting to me because it feels more sustainable and more real.

Ashley:

Completely. And I think part of why that’s resonating so much right now is because there’s so much fake everywhere. We’re all consuming content and constantly asking, Is this even real anymore?

Steph:

Exactly. Consumers are smart. They can feel it.

I buy from social. I consume all of it. I download the lists, I watch the videos, I’m very much in it. But when something feels real, I pay attention. And when it doesn’t, I scroll right past it.

Ashley:

That’s such an important reminder. The more real you are, the more people trust you. And the second piece is community — bringing people together in a genuine way and actually asking for their perspective.

I think the pendulum swung so far in one direction with automation, AI, polished content, and over-curation that now it’s finding its way back toward the middle. And I think the way it comes back is through more transparency, more authenticity, and more human connection.

What else feels like it’s working well right now?

Steph:

Honestly, I’m seeing more founders finally embrace the idea of fewer, bigger, better.

There’s so much pressure, especially in the early stages, to try everything. Paid ads, Substack, TikTok Shop, every platform, every lever. And yes, those can all absolutely be part of a broader growth strategy. But a lot of founders are trying five things at once and then wondering why they can’t tell what’s working.

I always compare it to skincare. I’ll buy five new products, use them all at the same time, and then be like, My skin looks better… but which product did that? That’s what marketing often looks like.

So I really try to help founders slow down, choose one or two channels, build properly for those platforms, and actually give themselves the chance to measure what’s landing before they add more.

Ashley:

Yes. I always say “post and pray.”

We forget how available feedback actually is. People can ask their audience directly. Put up a story. Ask what people want. Ask what problem they need solved. Ask what’s resonating.

Sometimes we get so wrapped up in visibility, performance, and revenue that we forget to just have a conversation.

Steph:

Exactly. So many brands are still operating in a one-way conversation. And the strongest brands are in relationship with their audience.

Ashley:

That actually leads me somewhere else I wanted to go. Earlier in my own business, I had built a brand that looked polished and elevated, but it also felt untouchable. I thought that was what people wanted. I thought the more exclusive I looked, the more valuable I would seem.

And then I would go speak at events and people wouldn’t approach me. That feedback really woke me up. Because I’m actually warm. I’m actually approachable. I just wasn’t communicating that.

And that shift really came through asking for feedback.

Which brings me to something women often struggle with — asking for help. Let’s talk about that.

Steph:

This is genuinely one of my favorite conversations.

I don’t know where women learned that they’re supposed to build quietly and independently, but I see it all the time. Men will sit in a room and openly say, This is what I make. This is what I need. Can you introduce me to someone? Do you know a lawyer? Can you help me grow this?

And women so often stay silent.

I don’t believe in that. I ask for help all the time. I also give a lot. I care deeply about reciprocity and real connection. I don’t want transactional networking. I want honest relationships where people can say, This is what I need. Are you willing to help?

Why do men so often move faster? Because they’re direct. They ask. They don’t make it weird. They don’t carry the same emotional weight around needing support.

And I just wish more women felt permission to do that.

Ashley:

That’s so true. They’re direct. There’s no fluff around the ask.

Steph:

Exactly. And I also think men more naturally believe there’s enough room for everyone.

Women can sometimes fall into this quiet scarcity mindset where they want to protect an idea, hide the process, keep things close. And I understand where that comes from, but there really is room.

Look at the two of us. We could sit in a room with twenty business consultants and every one of us could still thrive because we each bring a different lens, methodology, and way of serving.

Ashley:

A hundred percent.

Where do you think female founders specifically struggle when it comes to scaling?

Steph:

I think one of the biggest barriers is raising capital. I still think many women are less comfortable asking for money, learning the investment landscape, and stepping fully into those conversations.

There are incredible female-focused funds and resources now, which is amazing, but I still think it can feel intimidating. And then layered on top of that is the broader issue we’ve been talking about — not always leveraging support, relationships, and tools in the same way men do.

That said, I am seeing a shift. There are so many powerful female founders now who are stepping into their leadership more unapologetically, and that’s exciting.

Ashley:

I always say I was born in the right generation. I feel like now more than ever, women are realizing how much power they actually hold.

And one of the things I’ve seen over and over again is that businesses rarely outgrow the woman leading them. I had to become a different woman to hold bigger success. My business could only rise to the level of my capacity.

And I think so many people still separate business-building from self-building, when in reality entrepreneurship is both.

Steph:

Completely. And I think I’m still in that shift every day.

Personal brand and business are deeply intertwined now, whether a founder wants to be front-facing or not. Consumers want to humanize the brand. They want to know who they’re buying from, who they’re trusting, who they’re learning from.

So for me, that evolution is still daily. There are days where I feel incredibly aligned in business and then question how present I was in another area of life. It’s all interconnected.

Ashley:

A hundred percent.

Okay, let’s close with our signature She Wears the Pants question.

Looking back on your journey of wearing the pants, what message do you want to leave for future generations of women in business?

Steph:

Step into your power, and do it as yourself.

If someone doesn’t resonate with your authentic self, they probably were never meant to work with you anyway. And there are enough opportunities, enough clients, and enough aligned people in the world that you do not have to shape-shift to be chosen.

If you feel called to build something, build it. Take the risk. Follow the pull. Just don’t lose yourself in the process.

And I really do believe that the more I show up as myself, the more I attract the people I’m actually meant to partner with.

Ashley:

I love that.

For the women listening who want to connect with you or work with you, where can they find you?

Steph:

This is actually very timely because I’ve built a beautiful business that I’m very proud of — with almost no real branding until now.

Which is hilarious, because helping other people build brands is exactly what I do.

But I’ve finally invested in creating my own brand ecosystem. So right now you can find me on Instagram at @sbiegs — that’s S-B-I-E-G-S. And within the next month, my business page will be live at @withvaultco.

Ashley will link everything, and I would genuinely love to hear from people. Connecting is one of my favorite things, and I love meeting thoughtful women doing meaningful work.

Ashley:

Thank you so much for your wisdom, your insight, and your authenticity today, Steph.

Steph:

Thank you for creating space for conversations like this. I loved being here.

Ashley:

Me too.

Thank you for tuning in to She Wears the Pants — the place where high-growth women come to build companies that match their calling.

If this episode moved you, challenged you, or gave language to something you’ve been carrying, send it to a woman you want to see rise.

And if you’re ready for deeper strategy, identity expansion, and high-level support, you can find me on Instagram at @ashleydeland.

Until next time — keep rising into the woman your calling requires.