10 Months In: What We've Built, What We've Learned, and What's Next

It's hard to believe it's only been 10 months. In January 2025, Sean, Jacquelynn, and I sat around a table with a shared vision of empowering women to shine their light.

March 2025, Let Her Shine was born. We officially filed our 501(c)(3) paperwork.

Let Her Shine became real. Three co-founders. One shared mission: Empowering women to own their value, step into their power, thrive in life, and expand their generational footprint.

Today, January 23, 2026, I'm sitting in our office at University of North America, looking at our professional studio, preparing to record another Own Your Voice podcast episode.

And I'm in awe of what's happened in less than a year. But let me back up. Because this story doesn't start with success. It starts with struggle.

Three Co-Founders Who Knew There Had to Be Another Way

Sean, Jacquelynn, and I came from completely different backgrounds.  Sean built a career bridging U.S. and Asian markets watching talented professionals on both sides struggle to communicate across cultural divides. He saw brilliant women held back not by capability, but by confidence navigating unfamiliar contexts. He witnessed firsthand how cultural expectations silenced capable voices and knew that sustainable change required structural support, not just individual effort.

Jacquelynn spent two decades in corporate leadership and transformational coaching and watching women dim their light to fit in, apologize for their presence, and wait for permission that never came. She knew the inner work required for lasting change.

I spent 20 years in corporate america and the beauty industry translating across industries, cultures, and contexts and noticed the same pattern everywhere: The people who moved ideas forward weren't always the smartest in the room. They were the ones who could communicate clearly, hold presence, and trust their voice.

We each saw the same truth from different angles: capable, talented, brilliant women were staying silent. Not because they lacked ability but because they truly never learned how to trust their voice.

We'd all seen the transformation that was possible when women had:

• The right frameworks

• Safe spaces to practice

• Community support

• Permission to take up space

But we'd also seen how hard it was. How long it took. How lonely the journey felt. And we kept thinking: What if it didn't have to be this hard? What if women didn't have to figure this out alone? What if we could create the comprehensive support system – the education, the community, the practice spaces, the validation that we all wished existed?

So we did.

What We've Learned (The Hard Truths)

Let me be honest about what this journey has taught us:

LESSON 1: Don't Rush

We could have launched programs in Month 3. Thrown something together quickly just to say we were "doing something." We chose differently. We took time to build right. To create infrastructure that would last. To develop curriculum that actually works.

People asked: "When are you launching?" We answered: "When we're ready."

Best decision we made.

Because now, when we launch, we're launching with:

• Professional infrastructure

• Tested frameworks

• Strategic partnerships

• Quality that honors the women we serve

Slow and steady really does win the race.

LESSON 2: Partnership Over Going It Alone

Our University of North America partnership changed everything. Before: We were three people with a vision and no space. After: We have credibility, infrastructure, resources, and institutional support. Sean's business experience taught us that the right partnerships don't dilute your mission, they amplify it.

And the partnerships worth having are the ones where both organizations rise together.

LESSON 3: Your Story IS Your Superpower

As founders, we ARE the work. We've lived aspects of the transformation we teach.

Sean navigated building businesses across cultural divides learning to bridge different communication styles and expectations. Jacquelynn transformed from corporate leader to transformational coach and speaker. I went from staying small to stepping onto stages, discovering that owning your voice and authenticity is irreplaceable.

Women don't want to learn from people who read about confidence in books.  They want to learn from people who built it in real life. Our stories aren't marketing material. They're proof that this work works.

LESSON 4: Infrastructure Matters More Than You Think

Having professional space. Quality equipment. Proper systems.

We could have "just record on Zoom" to keep cost low but we chose to build right from the start. Not to look impressive, but because of where we're going.

Let Her Shine is a movement designed to reach women across cultures, languages, and borders. And movements that scale require infrastructure that supports that vision. When a woman shares her deepest struggles—the fear she's never named, the failure that shaped her, the breakthrough that changed everything—that moment is sacred. The least we can do is honor her courage with excellence.

Professional audio so her voice carries across continents. Quality production so her story translates across cultures. Strong systems so her impact ripples beyond borders.

Every partnership we structure for global collaboration, every system we build to be sustainable, every dollar we invest in quality over quick wins—it all says the same thing: Your story matters. Your voice deserves clarity, whether you're in Virginia or Vietnam. You are worth the investment, no matter where you are in the world.

Empowering women isn't a local initiative. It's a global imperative. And global movements require infrastructure built to last.

LESSON 5: The Doubt Never Fully Goes Away (And That's Okay)

Even now, there are moments of:

• "Are we doing this right?"

• "Will anyone care?"

• "What if we fail?"

The difference is: we move forward anyway. We've learned that courage isn't the absence of doubt—it's action in the presence of doubt. Every woman we serve will feel this too. So we're modeling it: Feel the fear. Do it anyway. Trust the process.  

LESSON 6: Diverse Leadership Strengthens the Mission

Having a male co-founder in women's empowerment work isn't just acceptable—it's strategic.

Sean brings:

• Structural thinking about systemic change

• Business credibility that opens partnership doors

• Male ally perspective on workplace dynamics

• Understanding that women's empowerment benefits everyone

  
  

Women's empowerment isn't just a women's issue. It's a human issue. An economic issue. A societal issue. Having diverse leadership signals: This work requires everyone.

LESSON 7: Momentum Builds Slowly, Then All At Once

Months 1-6 felt like building in the dark. Were we making progress? It was hard to tell.

Months 7-10? Everything started clicking. Partnerships forming. Studio completing. Podcast launching. Community growing.

It's the compound effect: Small consistent actions accumulate until suddenly you look up and realize: we've built something substantial.

Trust the process. Even when you can't see the progress.

LESSON 8: Community is Everything

We thought we were building programs. We were actually building community. Because here's the truth: Women don't transform in isolation. They transform in connection.

When one woman shares her story and another says "me too".

When one woman tries something scary and another cheers her on.

When one woman falls and the community lifts her back up.

That's when magic happens.

Programs provide frameworks. Community provides transformation.

What's Been Hard (The Real Talk)

I'm not going to pretend this has been easy. The learning curve has been STEEP. We had our fair share of challenges and struggles starting a nonprofit. We've learned:

• 501(c)(3) compliance while doing it

• Nonprofit governance while establishing it

• Program development while testing it

• Partnership negotiations while building them

  
  

Every step was new territory. The balance has been TRICKY as we all have other commitments. Building Let Her Shine on top of full professional lives? It was intense.

There have been:

• Early mornings and late nights

• Weekends spent on Let Her Shine instead of rest

• Family time sacrificed for the mission

• Personal income invested before seeing returns

  
  

The patience required has been ENORMOUS. We want to serve women NOW. But we know we need to build sustainably for the LONG TERM.

That tension between urgency and sustainability is constant. The vulnerability has been REAL. Putting ourselves out there. Sharing our stories. Asking for support. Knowing that we might fail publicly. That's terrifying.

But you know what?

Every hard moment has been worth it. Because we're not just building a nonprofit. We're building a legacy.

What's Next (The Exciting Part)

Okay, so we've built the foundation. Now what?

SPRING 2026:

Own Your Voice Podcast Episodes Launch

• Bi-weekly releases starting March

• Real women, real stories

  
  

First Public Workshop Series

• "Befriending Fear" intensive

• "Voice & Presence" skill-building

• "Communication & Authenticity" training

• "Leadership Development" workshops

Monthly Community Gatherings

• In-person at University of North America

• Virtual options for global community

• Story circles and connection

SUMMER - FALL 2026:

Expanded Programming

• Additional workshop topics based on community needs

• Regional events in multiple locations

• Mentorship program launch

  
  

Partnership Announcements

• Collaborations with corporations on programs

• Educational institutions for student development

• Women's organizations for joint initiatives

  
  

Community Growth

• 500+ women in community

• 20+ stories shared on Own Your Voice

• 250+ workshop participants

  
  

2027 AND BEYOND:

Annual Conference

• Multi-day gathering for learning and connection

• National speakers and workshop leaders

• Celebration of women's voices

Regional Expansion

• Local chapters and community leaders

• Scaled impact reaching thousands

International Partnerships

• Leveraging Sean's cross-border expertise

• Alignment with UN Sustainable Development Goals

• Global women's empowerment collaboration

An Invitation

If you're reading this, you're here for a reason. Maybe you've been following our journey since March. Maybe you just discovered us today. Maybe you're not even sure why you clicked on this post.

Here's what I want you to know: You're not too late. You're not behind. You're exactly where you need to be. And we'd love for you to join us. Not as a passive observer watching from the sidelines. As a participant building this movement with us. Because Let Her Shine isn't just ours—the three co-founders. It's ours—all of us together.

Every woman who shares her story. Every woman who attends a workshop. Every woman who joins the community. Every woman who decides: "Not one more day staying small."

You're building this with us. Your story matters. Your voice deserves to be heard. Your presence makes this movement stronger.

What I Know For Sure

After 10 months of building Let Her Shine, here's what I know with absolute certainty: Women are ready. Ready to stop dimming their light. Ready to trust their voice. Ready to step into their power. They just need:

• The right frameworks

• Safe spaces to practice

• Community support

• Permission (from themselves)

And that's exactly what we're creating.

This work matters. Not because we say so, but because the data proves it and women's lives demonstrate it. When women build confidence, families strengthen. When women use their voice, workplaces improve. When women step into leadership, communities thrive.

This ripple effect is real.

We're just getting started. 10 months in, and we've built the foundation. Now we're ready to BUILD on that foundation to reach hundreds, then thousands, then tens of thousands of women. Because every woman who rises lifts everyone around her.

Thank You

To everyone who's believed in us these first 10 months: Our early supporters who said "yes" before we'd proven anything. University of North America for providing the infrastructure we needed. The women who've already said they'll share their stories. Our families who've supported the late nights and big dreams.

YOU— for reading this, for caring, for considering joining us. We see you. We appreciate you. And we're doing this for you—and with you.

Here's to the next 10 months. And to every woman who's about to discover her voice matters more than she ever imagined.

Let's shine together.

Thania Trieu 

President & Co-Founder Let Her Shine

Get Involved:  Learn more about our programs, listen to the Own Your Voice podcast, or join our community at www.lethershine.org