For decades, women athletes were told the same story: women's sports don't sell. They don't attract audiences. They don't generate revenue. Then the money showed up. Today, women's sports are one of the fastest-growing markets in entertainment, generating billions in revenue and attracting record-breaking investment.

In this episode, Ashley explores what happens when an entire market is underestimated for decades and then suddenly proves everyone wrong. From Billie Jean King's fight for equal prize money to soaring WNBA valuations, exploding NWSL franchise fees, and the rise of athlete-driven media brands, Ashley examines why women's sports may be one of the clearest examples of what happens when women finally receive the investment, visibility, and opportunity they've always deserved. More importantly, she asks what this teaches us about the broader female economy and the cost of underestimating women.

In this episode, you'll hear:

• How Billie Jean King helped change the future of women's sports and equal pay

• Why women's sports revenue has grown from millions to billions in just a few years

• The surprising rise in WNBA and NWSL team valuations

• How NIL opportunities are changing what's possible for female athletes

• What women's sports can teach us about investing in women's potential

Sources:

• For a complete list of sources, please visit thefemaleeconomy.co

Female Founder Spotlight:

Sue Bird, Alex Morgan, Chloe Kim, Simone Manuel, and Jessica Robertson - https://www.togethxr.com

TOGETHXR is the media and merchandise company behind the viral movement "Everyone Watches Women's Sports." Through storytelling, media, and community, TOGETHXR is helping reshape how women's sports are covered, consumed, and valued.

Connect with Ashley:

• Newsletter: thefemaleeconomy.co

• Instagram: @ashleybraswellxo

• After Organic: afterorganic.com

• Ads By Lumi: adsbylumi.com

Artificial intelligence is transforming the workforce, but the people most likely to feel the impact aren't who most headlines are talking about. Women make up less than half of the workforce, yet they hold 83% of the jobs researchers consider most vulnerable to AI disruption. The question isn't whether AI is changing work. The question is who gets hit first.

In this episode, Ashley explores the historical patterns that put women at the center of previous waves of automation and why AI may be following a familiar path. From switchboard operators and administrative roles to today's knowledge workers and entrepreneurs, she examines who is most at risk, why women often face greater penalties for using AI at work, and how women can position themselves to benefit from this technological shift instead of being left behind by it.

In this episode, you'll hear:

• Why women make up 83% of workers in the occupations most vulnerable to AI disruption

• The surprising historical connection between automation and women's work

• What researchers mean when they describe jobs as "AI vulnerable"

• Why women are often judged differently than men for using AI tools

• How entrepreneurs and professionals can use AI to create leverage instead of fear

Sources:

• For a complete list of sources, please visit thefemaleeconomy.co

Female Founder Spotlight:

Garima Shah - https://billergenie.com

Biller Genie helps small businesses automate invoicing, accounts receivable, and collections through AI-powered technology that improves cash flow and reduces administrative burden.

Connect with Ashley:

• Newsletter: thefemaleeconomy.co

• Instagram: @ashleybraswellxo

• After Organic: afterorganic.com

• Ads By Lumi: adsbylumi.com

For decades, some of the most important conversations about money, business, and power happened in rooms where women simply weren't invited. From the boardrooms of Fortune 500 companies to the fairways of Augusta National Golf Club, access to information, relationships, and opportunities often came down to who was allowed in the room. In this episode, Ashley explores the hidden cost of exclusion and how it continues to shape women's financial confidence today.

Ashley unpacks the surprising research behind the financial literacy gap, the confidence gap, and why women consistently underestimate what they know about money. She examines what happens when women are left out of financial conversations, why women often answer "I don't know" even when they're right, and the encouraging data showing that women may actually be better investors than they think. This episode is a powerful reminder that confidence and competence are not the same thing.

In this episode, you'll hear:

• The surprising story behind Augusta National admitting its first female members

• How exclusion from financial conversations shaped generations of women

• What research reveals about the financial literacy and confidence gap

• Why women are more likely to say "I don't know" even when they know the answer

• The evidence showing women often outperform men as long-term investors

Sources:

• For a complete list of sources, please visit thefemaleeconomy.co

Female Founder Spotlight:

Ruchi Pinniger - https://watchherprosper.com

Watch Her Prosper helps women business owners gain financial clarity through bookkeeping, financial guidance, and practical support that empowers women to understand and grow their businesses with confidence.

Connect with Ashley:

• Newsletter: thefemaleeconomy.co

• Instagram: @ashleybraswellxo

• After Organic: afterorganic.com

• Ads By Lumi: adsbylumi.com

It is 1988, and you're walking into the bank again. You have the business plan. You have the numbers. You have the experience. But you still can't get a business loan without a man's signature. In this episode, Ashley explores one of the most overlooked moments in women's economic history and how access to capital continues to shape who gets to build, scale, and succeed.

From the Women's Business Ownership Act of 1988 to today's venture capital landscape, Ashley traces the long fight for financial access and asks why women remain dramatically underfunded despite consistently delivering stronger returns on investment. More importantly, she explores why the future may not depend on waiting for institutions to change, but on how women choose to direct the economic power they already control.

In this episode, you'll hear:

• Why women couldn't get business loans without a male co-signer until 1988

• The surprising story that helped change the law

• How access to capital affects business growth and opportunity

• Why women-led companies continue to receive a fraction of venture funding

• How women can use their existing economic power to create change

Sources:

• For a complete list of sources, please visit thefemaleeconomy.co

Female Founder Spotlight:

Bridgitte Mallinson - https://www.gutpersonal.com

GutPersonal helps you feel better by supporting better digestion, energy, and overall wellness
Uncover what your body actually needs

Connect with Ashley:

• Newsletter: thefemaleeconomy.co

• Instagram: @ashleybraswellxo

• After Organic: afterorganic.com

• Ads By Lumi: adsbylumi.com

Nearly 90% of women-owned businesses generate less than $100,000 per year. The easy explanation is that women face more barriers to growth. And while those barriers are very real, this episode asks a more challenging question: how much of staying small is a genuine choice, and how much is the result of a system that never expected women to build empires in the first place?

Ashley examines the data behind women's entrepreneurship, side hustles, and business growth, challenging some of the most common assumptions about female ambition. From funding gaps and caregiving responsibilities to lifestyle businesses and growth goals, this episode explores what happens when women are given the opportunity, support, and permission to think bigger.

In this episode, you'll hear:

• Why most women-owned businesses stay under six figures

• What the data really says about women and side hustles

• The difference between choosing a lifestyle business and settling for limitations

• How funding, childcare, and opportunity affect growth

• Whether women truly want the empire and what happens if they do

Sources:

• For a list of complete sources, please visit thefemaleeconomy.co

Female Founder Spotlight:

Chelle Neff - https://urbanbetty.com

Urban Betty Salon and Spa in Austin, Texas
Haircare and skincare services everyone will love!

Connect with Ashley:

• Newsletter: thefemaleeconomy.co

• Instagram: @ashleybraswellxo

• After Organic: afterorganic.com

• Ads By Lumi: adsbylumi.com

In 1974, a woman could have a job, a salary, and a perfect payment history and still be denied a credit card in her own name. That's not ancient history. That's within the lifetime of millions of women living today.

In this debut episode of The Female Economy, host Ashley Braswell (founder of LUMI and After Organic) explores the financial history most of us were never taught and why understanding it changes how we think about money, power, business, and opportunity.

Women now drive more than 80% of consumer spending, yet women-founded companies receive just a fraction of available investment capital. So how did we get here? And what happens when women start intentionally directing the economic power they already have?

Ashley introduces the mission behind The Female Economy: tell the truth about women and money, amplify women's voices, and put more money into women's hands.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

• Why women couldn't get a credit card in their own name until 1974

• The surprising economic power women hold today

• The massive gap between women's spending power and investment funding

• How historical financial barriers still shape modern opportunities

• The mission behind The Female Economy and why it matters now

Sources:

• For a full list of sources, please visit thefemaleeconomy.co

Female Founder Spotlight:

Emma Heming Willis and Helen Christoni - https://maketimewellness.com/

Daily brain and energy support, built for women
Clinically backed formulas guided by Dr. Nicole Beurkens

Connect with Ashley:

• Newsletter: thefemaleeconomy.co

• Instagram: @ashleybraswellxo

• After Organic: afterorganic.com

• Ads By Lumi: adsbylumi.com