Episode 038
Andrea Heuston
What would you do if your employer laid you off and then asked you to come back two days later? For Andrea Heuston, the answer was starting her own company so no one could ever control her destiny again. In this episode, Andrea joins Alice Tang to discuss her 29-year journey as the founder of Artitudes Design. She shares a candid look at the early mistakes she made with the IRS and how she scaled to $1 million in revenue in just 18 months once she fixed her infrastructure. Learn why Andrea believes you must be “risk tolerant” to hit seven figures and how she uses profit to create joy for others.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
"I believe in my own worth, but I also believe that every other woman out there is worthy they are enough as well."
[00:00:00]
Welcome to Women’s Million Dollar Conversations with Alice Tang, where we share stories from successful business women who have saved, earned, or sold over a million dollars and discuss how they built their success and insights to help you achieve your goals. Now let’s join the conversation.
Alice Tang: I am Alice Tang, host of Women’s Million Dollar Conversations. Today I’m sitting down with one of my good friends from about three years ago. I had the honor of being on her podcast, Lead Like a Woman.
Alice Tang: We’re sitting in front of Andrea Heuston. If you don’t know her, trust me—you’ve seen her work. Andrea, welcome.
[00:00:45]
Alice Tang: Could you tell us a little bit about you, what you were doing in the past, and what led you to do what you do today?
Andrea Heuston: Sure. I’ve owned a company for 29 years this year. Before that, I worked at an engineering firm where I became the Creative Services Director. I was laid off—after being told to lay off my whole team first. Two days later they asked me to come back, and instead I went to the state capitol, got a business license (pre-internet days), and told them they’d have to pay me through my company, Artitudes.
[00:02:00]
Alice Tang: That’s powerful—deciding no one controls your destiny but you.
Andrea Heuston: Exactly.
[00:02:20]
Alice Tang: What is the value of money for you—or what’s your first memory of money?
Andrea Heuston: Money was taboo growing up. We didn’t talk about it until my father was laid off in the 1980s. That’s when I saw what financial stress could do to a family. Earlier than that, my brother and I did chores starting at age four for a quarter a week. That shiny quarter mattered—it represented exchange and possibility.
[00:03:55]
Alice Tang: What would you say your value of money is today?
Andrea Heuston: Money itself doesn’t do much to me emotionally, but it’s a catalyst. It creates joy, security, and time—and time is the most valuable thing to me now. My word for 2024 is profit because profit allows me to give back more.
[00:05:05]
Alice Tang: From getting your business license to reaching your first million in revenue, how long did it take?
Andrea Heuston: It took about 10 years to clean up what I didn’t know—especially around IRS and contractor rules. After incorporating, it took about a year and a half to hit a million. We tracked it, celebrated it, and had a full-on office party.
[00:07:30]
Alice Tang: What was the biggest bias you faced on the way to your first million?
Andrea Heuston: I grew up in a conservative environment where women were expected to be wives and mothers—nothing more. Professionally, I entered a world of men in three-piece suits. I also faced bias because I’m tenacious and outspoken, which wasn’t how women were “supposed” to behave. It took years to realize other people’s opinions weren’t my business.
[00:10:25]
Alice Tang: For women watching who see themselves in your story, what advice would you give them?
Andrea Heuston: Build your tribe. You need a CPA, a bookkeeper, a lawyer, a business coach—and one trusted friend you can cry with. And you must become risk tolerant. You cannot reach a million without taking risks.
[00:12:05]
Alice Tang: Can you give a short example of how you take a risk?
Andrea Heuston: I jump and grow wings on the way down. I’ve started multiple companies—some worked, some didn’t. You’re never fully ready. You jump, learn, and fail forward.
[00:14:20]
Alice Tang: When you’re making high-stakes decisions, how do you decide?
Andrea Heuston: I trust my gut first—then I look at data. I meditate, take long walks, and listen to my intuition, but I also lean on experts for legal and financial validation.
[00:16:05]
Alice Tang: When life or business is at its lowest and you can’t see forward, what keeps you going?
Andrea Heuston: The people. I care deeply about the people who rely on this business. And honestly—I don’t want a job. I want to own my destiny.
[00:18:25]
Alice Tang: What are you grateful for today, Andrea?
Andrea Heuston: I’m grateful my body moves. I was in a coma for 17 days and lost part of my lungs. Nothing stops forward progress for me now.
[00:19:38]
Alice Tang: Thank you for joining Women’s Million Dollar Conversations.
Andrea Heuston is an entrepreneur, speaker coach, six-time best-selling author, and the founder of the Lead Like a Woman movement. She helps women claim their stage and use their voices with power and purpose. In 2019, a LinkedIn post she wrote about modern women became one of the Top 10 most-read pieces on the internet, cementing her role as a bold voice in leadership and modern feminism.
She is also the Founder and CEO of Artitudes, a high-level creative communications firm that helps executives deliver branded talks that move people to action. Andrea has coached top entrepreneurs and leaders at Fortune 500 companies, with clients including Amazon, Starbucks, Intel, and the Seattle Seahawks. Through her work, podcast, and movement, Andrea is redefining leadership, amplifying women’s voices, and proving that the stage belongs to those brave enough to own it.