This Mother Means Business: Strategy, Advice, and Support for Mom Entrepreneurs · Laura Sinclair

From Finance to Footwear: How Lindsay Housman Built a Science-Backed Shoe Brand for Women

·36 min·2 clips

Lindsay says women’s shoes were historically designed for men’s feet, which “blew my mind.”

Laura Sinclair starts by saying Hedda's has become her new favorite running shoe, and the reason is personal because she is getting back into running after a broken leg. Lindsay walks through the idea behind the brand in a way that feels grounded rather than lofty. The shoe is meant to give support, bounce, and a better feel underfoot. She says the company has done especially well in Vancouver and San Francisco by leaning into community activations and events. The goal, as she puts it, is to bring value beyond the running shoe. That matters because the product is not being used in just one narrow way. Elite athletes run in the shoes as part of their training rotation. Women also wear them as walking shoes because they like the support, the bounce, and the technology. Lindsay says that versatility was part of the point. The conversation keeps coming back to who is actually buying the shoes and how the brand stays connected to them. That means watching both social and event touchpoints, plus the digital side of the business. Laura keeps the tone grounded by asking how the business developed around real family logistics. Lindsay explains that she moved from finance into technology before the girls were born. She says she has never really fit the traditional nine-to-five mold. Her work had already become flexible. She had been working four days a week since her kids were born. That flexibility created some room to take on an extra project. She was also transparent with Native Shoes, where she was on contract leading their IT team. They supported what she was building. She knew there would eventually be a time when she needed to cut back further. The episode ends up feeling less like a polished founder pitch and more like a candid look at how capacity, support, and product insight shape a business.

As heard by us

A grounded founder story about Hedda's, with support, bounce, and customer feedback at the center.

Lindsay Hausman's path from finance into technology gives this episode its backbone, while Hedda's comes across as a brand shaped by real use: support, bounce, and how the shoes feel on actual feet.

Read the full review in PlayNext →

Why you'd press play

How a finance-to-tech founder built a shoe brand runners, walkers, and elite athletes actually use.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

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