From a Side Hustle to a Full Time Gig Through the Power of Women in Sports, the Olympics and Community, with Jamie Mittelman, Founder of Flame Bearers
Dear FoundHer...Real Founder Stories for Women Small Business Owners
Lindsay Pinchuk
4.9 • 1.1K Ratings
🗓️ 30 July 2024
⏱️ 49 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
“I wanted to be a part of providing role models who look and sound like women from all over the world,” shares Jamie Mittelman, founder of Flame Bearers, a media company dedicated to amplifying the stories of women Olympians and Paralympians. In this episode, she joins Lindsay Pinchuk to discuss her journey from passionate Olympic fan to full-time entrepreneur.
Jamie highlights the significant gender disparity in sports media, where only 15% of coverage focuses on women, and even less on women from diverse backgrounds or those with disabilities. This inspired her to create Flame Bearers, which shares these athletes’ stories through podcasts, videos, and live events. The athletes become ambassadors for Flame Bearers, helping to grow the platform organically.
The episode covers the challenges and triumphs of building a business from scratch, including the importance of a supportive network and the pivotal moment when Jamie realized Flame Bearers could be more than a passion project. She talks about the role of grants and sponsorships in funding her venture and the shift toward a sponsorship model for sustainability.
Jamie’s story demonstrates the power of community and storytelling in driving social change. Tune in to this episode of Dear FoundHer… to hear more about Jamie Mittelman’s innovative media approach through Flame Bearers, her commitment to elevating female athletes, and her mission to spotlight the stories of women Olympians and Paralympians.
Quotes
- “Women athletes have not historically had a community. They have been pitted against each other. Historically, women in general have viewed each other as competition and not as a whole rising together. I wanted to do it differently.” (22:31 | Jamie Mittelman)
- “Some of the best ideas I’ve had have not been mine; they’ve come from our community. I think I’ve been open enough to hear them and been responsive to them. Where a lot of founders go wrong is they ignore the comments of their community.” (36:28 | Jamie Mittelman)
- “I want people to think of Flame Bearers anytime they think of the best female athletes in the world. I want it to be the community, the hub of the best athletes in the world, where they feel like their stories are told in their own words.” (38:08 | Jamie Mittelman)
Connect with Jamie Mittelman:
http://www.instagram.com/jamiemittelman
http://www.instagram.com/flamebearers
Get on the Dear FoundHer... email list for more: https://lindsaypinchuk.myflodesk.com/foundherfridays
Grab some time with Lindsay to build and grow your business. Set up a 1:1 Accelerator Call today: https://calendly.com/lindsaypinchuk/1-1-marketing-strategy-session-with-lindsay-pinchuk
Don't forget to follow Lindsay on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lindsaypinchuk
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Hi guys, it's me, Lindsay Pinchuk, founder and host of Dear Founder. And in a few minutes, you're going to hear me talk to today's guest, Jamie Middleman, about building a business upon the foundation of community, the same way that I built my first company, Bump Club and Beyond, and the same way that I'm building Dear Founder. Which brings me to some news. Dear Found Her is way more than just a podcast. |
| 0:22.8 | It's also a community. |
| 0:24.8 | For nearly three years, we've been building this community not only through our podcast |
| 0:28.6 | and social media, but also through the live events that we host, both in person and |
| 0:32.9 | online. |
| 0:34.0 | And this fall, we'll be adding more workshops, seminars, and even more live events as well, all with the goal of helping women 40 plus build businesses through simple marketing strategies. |
| 0:45.0 | There's no gatekeeping around here. |
| 0:46.9 | As you know, I insist that we're better together. |
| 0:49.9 | If you want to stay in the know about everything coming your way, please make sure to sign up for the Dear Founder newsletter, |
| 0:55.5 | which is also getting a facelift this fall. |
| 0:58.1 | You've shared a ton of feedback with me, |
| 1:00.4 | and so I've taken the time this summer to put all of my resources into play |
| 1:04.4 | to better the community for you. |
| 1:07.3 | You can click the link in our show notes |
| 1:09.2 | and make sure that you stay in touch as there is so |
| 1:11.8 | much more coming your way and very soon. And now, on to today's episode. |
| 1:18.2 | Fun fact about me. I'm obsessed with the Olympics. I used to have a coworker at Hearst who sat |
| 1:24.1 | next to me and we would dress up and celebrate the Olympics every time the |
| 1:27.6 | games were taking place. |
| 1:29.0 | But it's not just the Olympic Games. |
| 1:31.3 | It's the Olympic values and what the games actually signify. |
| 1:35.2 | The three core values of the Olympics are excellence, friendship, and respect. |
... |
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