We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Cara Stull. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Cara below.

Cara, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. How did you come up with the idea for your business?

EmpowerHer Ventures has been a vision of mine since college. I have always wanted to help women build their own businesses and provide the support they need to succeed. While I wasn’t sure exactly what form it would take at the time, I knew I wanted it to be a collective—a network of experts I could refer clients to for specialized guidance.

As an eCommerce store owner, I naturally found myself helping others launch their own stores. That experience sparked the idea of turning EmpowerHer Ventures into a platform dedicated to teaching women how to start and grow their own eCommerce businesses. The name reflects my mission: to empower women to build their own ventures, whether in eCommerce, real estate investing, business acquisitions, coaching, or beyond. I firmly believe that you can have it all—you just need to make it work or pivot when necessary.

A key part of EmpowerHer Ventures is spotlighting other women in business. I started featuring their stories on my blog, which has become one of my favorite aspects of this journey. Interviewing women and sharing their unique paths not only inspires others but also allows me to build meaningful relationships and collaborate with incredible entrepreneurs.
My vision for EmpowerHer Ventures is to evolve into a comprehensive resource hub, covering eCommerce, money management, and other essential educational components to support women in business.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I am a financial services consultant with nearly 20 years of experience in the industry. I earned my degree in Finance and Real Estate from Florida State University and later obtained my MBA from Phoenix University. From a young age, I knew I wanted to own my own business. Growing up, I listened to my parents’ motivational speaker tapes on family road trips and watched them as they had their business. Those early experiences instilled in me the belief that I would one day be my own boss.

My passion for real estate and love of numbers naturally aligned with my education. During college, I gained firsthand experience in banking, working as a teller and customer service representative. After graduating, I transitioned to the back office, working in compliance—a role that quickly evolved into a consulting career. This path led me to manage, mentor, and advise several Fortune 500 financial institutions on their compliance programs. The travel opportunities that came with consulting also ignited my love for exploring new places – of which I recently completed visiting all 50 states and over 20+ countries.

I have also successfully launched multiple businesses, including rental properties, a family-run real estate investment venture in the Florida Panhandle, and eCommerce stores. My experience in ecommerce spans physical product creation, dropshipping, and print-on-demand, giving me a deep understanding of various phases of the industry. Over the years, I’ve become a go-to resource for friends and family looking to start their own businesses.

Sharing my knowledge and helping others reach new heights in their ventures brings me great satisfaction. Training has also been a significant part of my consulting work, earning me the nickname “The Professor.” This passion for teaching and mentorship ultimately inspired me to create EmpowerHer Ventures—a resource center designed to support and empower fellow female entrepreneurs on their journey to success.

How’d you think through whether to sell directly on your own site or through a platform like Amazon, Etsy, Cratejoy, etc.

Currently, one of the courses I teach focuses on creating an eCommerce store, specializing in print-on-demand and dropshipping. Over the years, I’ve built stores on various platforms, including Wix, Weebly, GoDaddy, and Shopify. However, my preferred platform—both for my own store, GetGifts.co, and for teaching—is Shopify. It’s user-friendly and, in my opinion, one of the best options for hosting an eCommerce store. Shopify offers all the necessary tools and resources to successfully create, manage, and grow an online business. Once beginners grasp the store setup process, making updates—such as switching pages or adding products—becomes straightforward.

One of Shopify’s greatest strengths is its built-in analytics and reporting tools, which help store owners track and optimize performance. Key insights include conversion rates, sales trends over time, returns, sales by channel, and customer locations. Shopify is continually improving its platform by introducing new features that benefit both seasoned and newer business owners. For instance, in recent years, they added a built-in email marketing tool—an affordable option that allows beginners to cut costs without immediately investing in an expensive third-party email service.

Shopify also simplifies supplier integration and store management through its extensive app marketplace. However, while these apps can enhance functionality, they can also increase costs—especially if multiple apps are added early on. Shopify provides free themes that work well for most beginners, though they may have limitations that businesses outgrow as they scale. Additionally, certain advanced customizations, such as personalizing products, require either coding knowledge or a third-party app, which can add to expenses.

Have you ever had to pivot?

Early in my career, I transitioned from a stable 9-to-5 role with a steady income into consulting, a time filled with both uncertainty and excitement. The potential for increased earnings was alluring, but it also required me to leave everything behind in Florida and adapt to a new state, a new environment, and new people. While I was eager for the transition, I also felt apprehensive, as consulting meant working on a project-to-project basis with no certainty about the duration of assignments or guaranteed hours.

The consulting path I chose involved working with agencies that had an entrepreneurial approach, making me fully accountable for my own hours and ensuring continued opportunities through strong performance. Consulting required me to navigate unpredictable timelines, adapt quickly to project shifts, and embrace the reality that no engagement was ever truly guaranteed. Learning to negotiate contracts, rates, and responsibilities became a critical part of my success, allowing me to secure better opportunities and build long-term client relationships.

Despite the challenges, my mindset flourished in this role, and I have been fortunate to build a lengthy and successful career in consulting. This experience provided me with accelerated professional development, including mentoring and training, drafting standard operating procedures, delivering and receiving feedback, and managing both onsite and remote teams. I have had the opportunity to train entry-level professionals as well as consult with Chief Compliance Officers and executive teams.

This journey has deepened my appreciation for the entrepreneurial mindset and given me the confidence to launch my own businesses. It has also allowed me to empathize with colleagues looking to step out on their own, understanding both their trepidation and excitement. Embracing change—whether starting a new business or making a career pivot—can be both exhilarating and intimidating, but with the right attitude and mindset, success and growth are possible.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.empowerher.ventures/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/empowerherventures/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/empowerherventures/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/102082847/

Image Credits

Images were taken by me or for my event.