Women's Entrepreneur MeetUp

On Saturday, August 23, 2025, a circle of women entrepreneurs gathered for a powerful conversation on the realities of entrepreneurship—the grit, the setbacks, and the strategies that keep businesses and their founders thriving. Lead by inspiring voices Dawn Hunt, co-founder of Treehouse Coworking and The Boardroom with Ashley Johnson, founder of Mohala Eyewear. What followed was an honest and inspiring dialogue about building companies, balancing personal life, and cultivating resilience.

From Corporate to Startup: Building with Vision and Community

One of the most striking themes was the pivot from corporate life to entrepreneurship. Treehouse Co-Founder Dawn Hunt shared her journey of leaving behind her role as a marketing director to build a startup with her husband and co-founder Keno. In Austin, Texas, she discovered the power of co-working communities, where collaboration and resource-sharing became the foundation of growth. Returning to Hawai‘i, she carried that vision home, planting the seeds for Treehouse Coworking—a community-first space that balances structure with creativity.

Her lesson? “You don’t have to do it all yourself. Share the vision, bring in help, and build with people who believe in what you’re creating.”

Creating What Doesn’t Exist: Innovation and Inclusivity

For others, the entrepreneurial spark came from seeing gaps in the market. Ashley Mariko Johnson, founder of Mohala Eyewear, shared how she challenged the eyewear industry by designing inclusive glasses with four different nose bridge sizes—finally providing a comfortable fit for diverse faces. This innovation propelled her into 40 retailers nationwide and helped Mohala outsell luxury brands like Tom Ford at Nordstrom’s Anniversary Sale.

Her advice: “Find what’s missing, then build the solution with boldness and inclusivity.”

The Balancing Act: Work, Life, and Self-Care

Burnout was a recurring theme at our entrepreneur chat. Founders revealed how easy it is to run on empty while juggling startups, families, and community obligations. We talked about our favorite strategies:

• Therapy and habit tracking: tracking sleep, exercise, and quality time with loved ones.

• The “No” train: saying no to commitments that don’t energize you.

• Time blocking & focus tools: using journals, calendars, or platforms like Asana to protect productivity.

• Wellness routines: scheduling exercise, sauna sessions, or meditation as non-negotiables.

Efficiency Hacks that Work

We asked our women leaders how they work smarter, not harder. This is how they keep focused, forward-moving, and less prone to procrastination.

• The One Thing Principle: ask yourself, “What’s the one thing I can do today that makes everything else easier or irrelevant?”

• Morning mastery: structuring mornings for deep work before distractions take over.

• Digital discipline: setting timers on social media to stay productive.

• The Five-Second Rule (Mel Robbins): count down 5-4-3-2-1 and take action before self-doubt creeps in.

Navigating Setbacks and Building Mental Strength

Every entrepreneur faces setbacks—COVID closures, financial struggles, or overwhelming self-doubt. The group emphasized that resilience comes from:

• Reframing challenges: treating every setback as a lesson learned.

• Writing down wins & quotes: creating a mental toolkit of encouragement.

• Networking: calling on trusted peers, mentors, or friends who’ve “been there.”

• Letting go of comparison: resisting the trap of measuring yourself against social media highlight reels.

“No feeling is finite. Everything is figureoutable. Just get through today, and tomorrow will look different.”

Financial Foundations & Outsourcing

Another major takeaway was the importance of financial literacy and outsourcing. We reflected on early mistakes with taxes and bookkeeping, learning the hard way that “what you don’t know can cost you.” Their advice:

• Hire bookkeepers or accountants early.

• Understand your GE and federal taxes to avoid painful surprises.

• Know the value of your time—outsource tasks that drain your energy but don’t drive revenue.

“Ask yourself—what is two hours worth to you? If outsourcing frees up time to grow revenue, it’s an investment, not an expense.”

Key Lessons & Goals Ahead

In closing, our leading ladies shared lessons they wish they’d known earlier:

• Mindset over perfection: “Let them think what they want—you focus on what matters.”

• Financial strategy is survival: stay on top of taxes, cash flow, and systems from day one.

• Community is everything: networking opens doors to opportunities, resources, and resilience.

Final Thoughts

The meetup was a reminder that entrepreneurship is as much about mental strength as business strategy. These women showed that success comes not from avoiding mistakes, but from learning, adapting, and building strong communities along the way.

“Resilience is your bounce-back ability. The road is yours—stay disciplined, stay connected, and keep moving forward.”

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Join the Women’s Entrepreneur online community to keep connected, stay updated about future events, and find your female founder support. 

At Treehouse, we do much more than cowork, we cultivate community.