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I first heard of Sarah Zero through another female business owner that I was interviewing for a project. She was raving to me about how amazing the Wellstruck community had been for her and her business, and recommended that I check it out. I immediately found Sarah's Wellstruck website and signed up for my first roundtable event that afternoon. I was pregnant with my second child at the time and was very nervous about what a maternity leave would look like as a small business owner, and I figured that posing the question to the wider community of women that Sarah had cultivated might make me feel a bit better.
Not only did I leave the roundtable feeling more confident about how to make a maternity leave work, but I also connected with several other women owned businesses whose support has become invaluable to me ever since. And that really goes both ways; Sarah helped create a network of smart, kick-ass women who are not just focused on their own success, but also really invested in cheering others on as well.
Sarah Zero: Wellstruck
1. What is the name of your company and what do you do?
I’m the founder of Wellstruck, where I bring together empathy-driven entrepreneurs to become each others’ trusted support system so we can thrive with clarity, confidence, and joy. We have three primary offerings:
Wellstruck Mastermind — a six-month program for business owners who want to surround themselves with a curated group of trusted confidants (and me, Sarah!) as they embark on the next chapter of their business. Ideal for those who are craving an extra dose of clarity, accountability, and support. Wellstruck Membership — an ongoing community for business owners who want a safe space to ask vulnerable business questions, feel seen and heard, and get thoughtful replies without judgment. Wellstruckers say it “feels like home” because they can truly be themselves.
Events — occasionally we offer roundtables and special events that are open
to non-members. Subscribe here to learn about them.
Most Wellstruckers live in the mid-Atlantic region, which makes it easy for us to meet up in-person for field trips, tea dates, and coworking sessions!
Also, I recently launched The Wellstruck Podcast about the messy middle!
2. How long have you been in business?
I’ve been working for myself full-time since 2013 (almost 10 years omg!), though I’ve shifted the model a few times since then. My background is in brand strategy and design, so I started off as a branding company.
I quickly found that building a business from my home office was lonely. That turned into depression, and I worried I wasn’t cut out for entrepreneurship. I got the help I needed, and started searching for a community so I wasn’t alone all the time.
I tried traditional networking events, but they felt too transactional. I tried a coworking space, but it was a heavily masculine space. When I couldn’t find what I was looking for, I decided to host a small roundtable for entrepreneurs at my house — around my dining room table.
I was super intentional about the format for that roundtable. I wanted it to be the opposite of the things I had tried that weren’t for me.
It was a hit! I began hosting them monthly. Then I expanded from Delaware into Baltimore and Philadelphia. Fast forward a few years to 2020, and I relaunched Wellstruck as a membership community.
To make a long story long, this iteration of Wellstruck has been around for about two years — but the seed started 10 years ago.
3. How did you decide to launch your own business?
I felt undervalued and I lacked a sense of purpose.
4. What challenges did you face in the process of launching your business?
Burnout from previous job
Difficulty seeing myself in the roles I wanted
Loneliness, lack of community
5. Did you feel as though there were resources available to you, specifically as a woman business owner?
My experiences when I was first starting out were pretty disappointing.
For example, small business government agencies and non-profits have matched me with:
the coworking guy who DM’d me late at night to ask about my partner (😜)
the finance mentor who was convicted of multiple ponzi schemes (literally)
the mentor who stood me up multiple times
These stories are all part of the journey that led me to build Wellstruck into what it is today. The vetted resources shared within the community are truly invaluable.
6. Do you have a mentor?
I have so much to say about this! The challenge of finding mentors is another reason I started Wellstruck. I don’t formally have any mentors, but I truly do think of Wellstruckers as my own mentors because I learn from them every day.
7. Books you recommend?
Priya Parker — The Art of Gathering
Brene Brown — Dare to Lead
Nedra Tawaab — Set Boundaries, Find Peace
8. What do you love most about running your own business?
I am truly so lucky to get to know the people who join Wellstruck on a deeper level. They really are the best — kind, smart, funny, real, courageous, empathetic, ambitious, deeply good people.
9. What is your least favorite aspect of running your own business?
Bookkeeping — I outsource it! And I also hate that feeling when you know you’re overthinking something, but I do a lot less of that now that I’m finally delegating (!!!) and I have the Wellstruck community to bounce ideas off of!
10. What is your best piece of advice for other women who are thinking about launching a business?
Find your people (and ask them this question!).
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