Dara Astmann, Founder of Dara Astmann Coaching
Name: Dara Astmann
Founder: Dara Astmann Coaching
What do you do?
I help high-achieving moms who feel stuck find clarity, confidence and direction so they can design and live a fulfilling next chapter.
What's your story?
After 20 years in media, I became a mom and over time realized my definition of success had changed. I’m here to normalize life and career chapters and help women reconnect with what lights them up today so they can live their next one intentionally.
What does BEING a FoundHer mean to you?
Being a foundHER means taking a leap before you feel ready, putting yourself out there, and building what’s missing because you know the need is real.
How do you support other female founders and women in business?
I co-created I.n.c. events (Inspiration Networking and Community) where I partner with a local real estate agent and create different local events. I also run EntrepreneuHER, a small-group, CEO-minded roundtable where women business owners get real support, strategy, and community as they grow.
What are three podcasts you listen to that have helped you with your business?
Amy Porterfield, Dear FoundHER, bossbabe
What is ONE BOOK that you would recommend every female business owner read?
Essentialism by Greg McKeown
Who is a female entrepreneur you look up to and why?
I really admire Sara Blakely because she normalized starting before you’re ready. She built something massive by staying curious, resilient, and deeply aligned with her values and she never tried to fit the traditional mold of what a founder is supposed to look like.
What are the first five things that you did when you were starting your business?
I got curious and took small steps instead of committing to a big leap (started my business while still working in corporate).
I tried things out before deciding what it “was.”
I invested in support and met with a coach.
I talked to people and had real conversations to test ideas and get feedback.
I gave myself permission to "build the plane while flying it" and reminded myself done is better than perfect.
Who is someone who has helped change or shape your business for the better and what did they do to help you?
Scott Robson got me off of my feet. He took the ideas in my head and helped me by designing my website and write the copy in a way that felt authentic to me. Seeing my vision come together in an organized way was the first step that made a huge difference.
Lindsay Pinchuk- you've been amazing in helping me reach the next level of my business. Asking myself the questions of what is working and whats not and focusing on simple marketing and concise ideas.
At what point did you make your company a full time gig? How did you know the time was right?
I was about 3 years into coaching before I made it full time. I was working in corporate part time so I was lucky enough to be able to build my business on the other 2 days, make sure it was viable, get out the kinks and enjoy doing it without the pressure of making money.
I reached a point where I knew I needed more time and energy to put behind it in order to take it to the next level. BUT since everything takes longer than you might think, this gave me an amazing runway. The timing was perfect because right when I was feeling the pull to spend more time working on this, we were asked to spend more days in the office and this felt like I would be going in the opposite direction of what I was looking for so it was a natural break.
What lesson or skill did you take with you from a prior job to help you succeed in your role today?
I worked in ad sales at Paramount for 14 years. For 10 of those years I was in a job share role (splitting the job with someone else so I could be home with my kids part time and working part time). The biggest lesson I learned in that is you don’t get what you don’t ask for. You also get to define what success means to you. Many saw this as me taking a step back but for me, it was my ultimate version of success when I was offered this unique opportunity.
Let’s talk social media—who handles it for your company and what is the secret to making it successful? What is the biggest challenge?
I do it all. My company is me and I don't feel right outsourcing for a lot of it. I also really enjoy it. I love working in Canva, learning about the trends and trying to put out content that would resonate with my ideal clients. For me the biggest challenge is putting out the real inside look. It's easier for me to post the professional pics and buttoned up instagram posts but I have been trying to be more real, share more inside info without focusing on being finalized.
How did you land your first client?
Word of mouth. When you are starting out (and always) that "know, like, trust" factor is everything. I sent an email to everyone I knew and let them know what I was doing. If you don't tell people, they don’t know!
What is something you do differently from the industry standard?
Most of my industry focuses on landing a job.
I ask my clients to put aside their resumes and stop scrolling job boards and instead focus on the process of clarity. We zoom out and ask:
Who are you now? What do you want? What does success look like in this season?
And I specifically work with moms, because career decisions don’t happen in a vacuum when you’re carrying everything else. Most moms haven’t checked in with themselves in years and my work helps them reconnect with what actually makes sense for them next.
What would you do differently if you were starting your business today?
I'd stop overthinking and take small steps to put myself out there even before I was fully ready. I would also invest in support earlier, worry less about perfect messaging and realize that everything I do will be constantly evolving and never officially "done."
What are three strategies you use to market your business, grow brand awareness and generate bottom line growth?
Partnerships- sharing on insta, podcasts,
Events- getting out in person to meet different people and connect
Instagram/LinkedIn/Facebook groups- sharing my story and showing up about what I'm doing.
What was an obstacle you overcame to get your business where it is today?
When I first started my group programs I thought they had to happen in the evening for people who were working. I made assumptions without checking in with myself or my community. The reality was after a full day, everyone was exhausted. Kids were climbing into the calls, bedtime was happening in the background, I was throwing dinner at my kids and disappearing and it felt like the opposite of supportive.
It wasn’t working for them and it wasn’t working for me.
The obstacle was giving myself permission to pivot my own model. I thought I had to stick it out because that was what I launched. Once I changed the structure to better match real life (lunch hour meetings), everything clicked: clients got better results and I built a business that actually felt aligned.
What are three actionable tips you would give with other women who want to start a business or are just getting started?
Mindset is everything.
You don't have to do this alone.
Small steps lead to big results.
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