Our Story
Sister Circle
Our mission is to guide female small business owners to build businesses that are sustainable, scalable, and profitable so that they can not just run their business, but lead it with intention. With the perfect balance of sisterhood, strategy, and soul, our members aren’t just dreamers, they’re doers--they show up, implement, and have fun along the way so that their business doesn’t just look successful but actually feels good!
Our Members Value…
Our Story
Born in the 90’s, we are the product of two entrepreneurial parents who forced us to go outside and find ways to entertain ourselves. Growing up with two parents that owned their own businesses, we naturally started our own business ventures at a young age. As we got older, we realized how lucky we were to have parents that encouraged us to pursue our passions, and to have each other to support and cheer on each others business ventures. The more we share our passion for entrepreneurship, the more we understood that not everyone is blessed to have a strong support system, especially a sister, that believes in them and cheers for them wholeheartedly.
Even though we’ve had each other, we know what it’s like to feel alone as entrepreneurs, and we’ve connected with so many small business owners over the years, especially women, that have also felt that way. That’s why we created Small Business Sister Circle® to fill the missing gap for female entrepreneurs to find others to find sisterhood, soul, and strategy along their small business journey!
Welcome to Sister Circle, we’re glad you found us!
Meet Stephanie
As a Midwest native with more than a decade of hands-on experience, I founded my first business, a fitness & yoga studio, at just 20 years old, scaling it into a successful six-figure business. Throughout my entrepreneurial journey, I’ve encountered significant obstacles, yet these challenges inspired me to pivot and create Small Business Sister Circle®—a community focused on sisterhood, soul, and strategy where women have fun building profitable, sustainable, and scalable businesses.
Through my podcast, speaking, and book, Seasons of a Soul-preneur, I love to share authentic conversations and practical wisdom, empowering women to align their business with their deeper purpose. I am proud to be from small town Wisconsin and awarded the 2024 7 Rivers Rising Star Under 40 & 2025 Small Business Champion of La Crosse. I care deeply about cultivating powerful community experiences that leave you feeling motivated and inspired to design a life you truly love.
Meet Cathryn
Hi, I’m Cathryn! The “C” of Sister Circle and older sis!
I’ve been self employed since I was 19 and love connecting with like minded women entrepreneurs who can help each grow and excel themselves and their business.
I come from a background of growing a team of 300+ women in the direct sales industry for 5 years. I then took the communication and customer service skills I learned in direct sales and transitioned them into running a full time real estate career of the last 6 years.
I now have the honor of servicing sellers and buyers in the La Crosse area focusing on residential & country homes. I focus on every single transaction be an amazing client experience and always keeping things fun!
I love joining forces with my sister and other female entrepreneurs! When we come together we can cultivate great energy and support to inspire each other to take action. And action is where real change happens!
Sister Circle Certified Speakers
When you join our Membership you get to learn from not just our founders that hold 20+ combined years of experience, but our Sister Circle Certified Speakers that bring unique backgrounds in business, leadership, and overcoming challenges in entrepreneurship! These coaches have gone through detailed training to become a Sister Circle Certified Speaker to educate and coach in a way that is engaging, thoughtful, and applicable to all industries and levels. You’ll enjoy a variety of business topics each month learning from our Sister Circle Certified Speakers!
Asia Jacobs
Asia is a dedicated professional with dual passions for organizational effectiveness and beauty entrepreneurship. With a proven track record of driving high performance and creating welcoming experiences, she excels at aligning strategies and formulating products with care. Whether streamlining processes at Dairyland Power Cooperative or perfecting beauty formulations for Small Town Beauty, Asia’s attention to detail and customer-centric approach yield exceptional outcomes. At heart, she’s a small-town entrepreneur committed to building strong community connections and welcoming everyone to be part of her journey
Chris Sander
Chris Sander is a Dave Ramsey Certified Financial Coach and small business owner who transformed her personal journey out of debt into a mission-driven practice that empowers women to take control of their finances. With deep experience in budgeting, debt reduction, and money mindset coaching—plus a background in government contracting—she understands the challenges and potential of small business ownership. She serves women and couples seeking financial clarity and is honored to expand that impact as the upcoming Sister Circle Chapter Leader for Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Through coaching and community, she helps women move from financial stress to confidence, and from isolation to connection. Chris believes every woman deserves to feel powerful in her finances and her business—and she’s here to make sure they never have to do it alone.
Becca Mattie
Cat Roten
Cat Roten is an intuitive leader, community builder, and founder of Success Beyond Strategy. Known for her grounded presence and wholehearted approach, she supports visionaries in building aligned lives and businesses rooted in clarity, trust, and sustainable momentum. Whether through events, mentorship, or strategic consulting, Cat helps others soften into their power and lead from within.
Cailee Rae
Cailee Rae is a Relationship and Spiritual Wellness Coach, healer, and speaker who helps women awaken their inner healer and come home to themselves. Her work lives where the sacred meets the everyday—where healing becomes something you create from within. For more than a decade, she’s worked in wellness through massage therapy, energy work, yoga, and ritual—helping people reconnect to their own wisdom and rebuild their relationship with rest, peace and wisdom. Now, Cailee guides women who’ve spent years hustling for worth into seasons of softness and self-trust. Her work blends grounded spirituality with practical healing, creating space to feel, release, and realign. She is a witness to a kind of quiet miracle—women who stop performing and start living, who realize peace and purpose don’t have to be earned. When she’s not holding space for others, you’ll probably find her barefoot, sipping tea while journaling, or walking her pup—simple moments that remind her that healing doesn’t have to be complicated to be real.
Carmen Nuland
Carmen Nuland is a seasoned business strategist and technical OBM with over 30 years of technical experience, passionate about helping female business owners build streamlined systems and workflows that allow them to focus on their zone of genius. Since 2019, she has empowered clients to achieve 6-figure course launches, automate their businesses, and grow their teams, while also creating dashboards that give entrepreneurs a clear snapshot of their business’s performance. Carmen lives in Galesville, Wisconsin with her husband, daughter, a cuddly Basset hound named Basil, and her brood of chickens.
Michelle Egbert
Michelle Egbert has worked with business owners to create their Framework for Success by helping them establish a solid purpose, setting their priorities, and creating processes that save them time and money. With two decades of experience in business consulting, Michelle has held pivotal roles that have driven organizational growth and efficiency, earning recognition as a thought leader in strategic planning. She is passionate about empowering entrepreneurs and small business owners by providing them with the tools and guidance needed to transform their visions into sustainable success stories. Seeing her clients achieve their dreams and experiencing the profound ripple effect of their success on their communities is what makes her work incredibly rewarding. When she is not crafting strategies, you can find her hiking with her family, exploring new camping adventures, or savoring a good book, always in pursuit of life’s next adventure.
Holly Lambrecht
Driven by a passion for building strong, supportive communities, Holly is a connector who believes in the power of collaboration to uplift women. With her background as a founding sister circle member and former business owner, she offers invaluable knowledge and experience to those around her. Rooted in Holmen, WI, Holly enjoys a fulfilling life with her wife and daughter, where they cherish outdoor adventures and prioritize quality time together.
Sarah Murphy
As a passionate digital marketing strategist, Sarah blends her love for storytelling with innovative techniques to create compelling campaigns that resonate on a personal level. Having 7 plus years in a variety of service industries, she’s gained key skills that have established herself as a trusted advisor in digital marketing and small business social media strategies. She empowers small businesses to amplify their voices, guiding them to craft authentic narratives that engage their audiences and drive meaningful connections. Her work provides small business owners with the tools to bridge the gap between the passion they have for their products and services and their online presence. Outside of work, she cherishes strolls with her husband and her puppy Scrappy, loves adding to her plant collection, nurturing her garden, and connecting over inspiring coffee chats that spark creativity.
Maryann Baldwin
Maryann is a life-long learner, committed to giving back to those who share her thirst to learn. Following a 36-year career in media, marketing and consumer research, she discovered the rewards of small business ownership, first through the acquisition of a rural community fitness center, and later through the revitalization of an historic Main Street storefront and the creation of a coworking and commercial kitchen business. This new enterprise creates a venue where she can provide one-on-one coaching, group events and regional gatherings to help foster economic growth and community in her area. Small business ownership is both a job and a hobby for Maryann, but in her free time she loves to walk, explore the Driftless region, travel, play violin, read, play canasta, and hang out with her husband and English Springer Spaniels Ziggy and Elsa.
Michelle Malone
Michelle Malone is an encouraging entrepreneur that seeks to help you tap into your creativity, feel empowered in your abilities and experience authentic connection. Through her businesses, I&E Dance Studio, Art House La Crosse and Collective Marketing, she teaches adults to get out of their comfort zones and get creative. In her free time she enjoys traveling, being outside and spending time with her energetic 6 year old son!
Megan Bear
With over 15 years of experience in corporate sales and marketing—and now as the owner of a successful small business insurance agency—Megan Bear brings a unique blend of strategy, heart, and hands-on experience to her work. She’s passionate about helping individuals, families, and especially women entrepreneurs protect what they’ve worked hard to build. Her mission is to make insurance approachable, empowering, and a tool that supports growth rather than slowing it down. Outside the office, she loves traveling with her family, exploring new places, and finding inspiration in the everyday adventures that make life meaningful.
Get Your Questions Answered…
What Membership is right for me? (Online vs. Growth)
Are you ready to GROW yourself and your business? The Growth Membership includes monthly, 90-minute Coffee + Connection meetings that are thoughtfully created for intentional time away from your business to learn and connect, sponsored by our local Brand Partners with free coffee and held by our local Chapter leaders. At these meetings, members engage in stimulating small group discussions and forge meaningful connections with like-minded entrepreneurs. Additionally, this membership also includes our monthly online Business Masterclass and Sister Support Calls, where you not only receive invaluable support but also gain access to replays for your convenience. Enhance your business acumen with our expanding Library of Business Resources, updated monthly to keep you ahead. Enjoy discounted rates on our enriching workshops and events tailored to your professional development needs as well as Free exclusive Member Only Events like our Sister Circle Member Retreat & Gala each year. Stay connected and inspired through our Sister Circle app, a dedicated space for sharing insights and seeking advice.
Are you a little too far to join a local Chapter? If so, the Online Membership is for you as it includes two monthly 60 min. Zoom calls. The monthly Business Masterclass + Sister Support Call on Zoom are always recorded. This membership also includes access to the library of business resources that are updated monthly along with our private Sister Circle app so you can connect with other growth-minded female small business owners at anytime!
Do I need to be a “young” entrepreneur to join?
Absolutely NOT! We have all ages and stages of small business owners within our group from those just starting college to those who have started their business after retirement–all are welcome!
How established does my business have to be to join?
Your business can be in its idea stage or beyond! This membership is well rounded for the brand new business owner and veteran business owners alike to gain new ideas, insights, and connections every single month.
What does a typical Coffee + Connection meeting look like? What’s provided? Typical Agenda?
Our monthly Coffee + Connection meetings consist of being in a room with growth minded, collaborative entrepreneurs, drinking coffee, and mingling while learning + implementing our monthly business topic with tangible takeaways to help you and your business develop. We also include some sort of workshop time and/or breakout small group sessions that are intentionally curated so that you can ask your fellow business owners anything you might need help or advice on and make connections! Bring a pen, a notepad, or laptop and wear whatever you feel confident in! Coffee is provided by our local Brand Partner. The typical agenda consists of members arriving at around 9:45 am. Time is given to find a seat, grab a coffee, and chat with other members. At 10 am we begin with our educational business topic + workshop followed by small breakout groups and activities. This meeting goes until 11:30 am with further connecting encouraged after the meeting!
What is a Business Masterclass Call?
Start the month strong with our 60 min. Monthly Business Masterclass on Zoom to dig deep into the business topic of the month! This call is led by Sister Circle Certified Coaches and guest expert speakers that provide innovative strategies and tools around the topic along with tangible takeaways to take action on immediately! Think of this call as showing up to get your business degree in an hour packed Masterclass!
* Replays are available if you can’t make them live.
What is a Sister Support Call?
End the month strong with our 60 min. Sister Support Call on Zoom to Q&A about the business topic of the month! This call is led by Sister Circle Certified Coaches to offer you ideas, encouragement, and group coaching around your goals. Bring your questions, share your struggles and success in your business and get ready to connect with your fellow Sisters in breakout rooms!
*Replays are available if you can’t make them live.