Her Success Story

This week, Ivy Slater, host of Her Success Story, chats with her guest, Peter Dolch. The two talk about Peter's journey from founding and running a boutique software development firm in New York, his creation of the MIT Female Founders Pitch Competition to support women entrepreneurs, and the importance of diversity and strong advisory networks in building successful startups, all with clear insight into his company's evolution and the impactful work he continues in the startup ecosystem.

In this episode, we discuss:
How Peter Dolch transitioned from consulting for large Fortune 500 companies to helping launch over 50 startups, discovering his passion for working with entrepreneurs and early-stage ventures.


What gender diversity means for founding teams, with Peter highlighting evidence that mixed-gender teams tend to outperform all-male or all-female teams.


When solo female founders in tech face challenges, including the expectation to add a male technical co-founder, an expectation that persists despite advances in no-code and low-code platforms.


Why Peter Dolch chose to focus on supporting female founders, motivated by witnessing disparities in how women entrepreneurs were treated by investors compared to their male counterparts.


How virtual work is transforming team dynamics and talent acquisition, making it easier for startups to build teams across geographies, but that in-person collaboration still provides unique value.
Peter Dolch is a technology entrepreneur and venture investor based in New York. His career started at MIT, where he studied Management Science, and has wound through two decades of building — first at Thaumaturgix (Tgix), the technology consulting firm Peter co-founded in the mid-90s, and later as co-founder and CTO of companies like Biospectal (non-invasive blood pressure monitoring) and Psyber (AI-driven cyber risk assessment). Until recently Peter ran AEON Foundry, a venture studio and fund focused on early-stage technology companies, where he wore the hats of investor, advisor, and occasional builder depending on what a portfolio company needed most. He is currently working on his second fund.
Outside of the firm, Peter serves as Chairman of the MIT Sloan Club of New York and runs the MIT Women's Venture Challenge — an annual competition that brings together women-founded startups, investors, and the MIT community. Getting more capital and visibility to underrepresented founders is something Peter feels strongly about, and the WVC has become a meaningful vehicle for that. On the personal side, he lives in New York with his wife and two kids (one in college).
Peter is a curious generalist —he gets genuinely excited by the intersection of technology and human behavior, which probably explains why he keeps ending up as CxO in healthcare and risk-related startups. Peter is also a tinkerer by nature:and currently has an AI chief-of-staff system he has been building and iterating on, which has become something of a passion project in its own right.

Website: https://aeonfoundry.com/
Social Media Links: https://www.linkedin.com/in/peterdolch/

This week Ivy Slater, host of Her Success Story, chats with her guest,Terry Tateossian. The two talk about embracing personal transformation, becoming the "CEO" of your own health, and building THOR: The House of Rose, a wellness brand that empowers women over 40 with retreats, coaching, and community.

In this episode, we discuss:
How Terry Tateossian transitioned from a career in digital marketing and artificial intelligence to founding THOR: The House of Rose, a wellness brand for women over 40.
What inspired her to make a massive life and career change after facing serious health challenges, including perimenopause and burnout while running a successful agency and raising two kids.
When Terry realized the importance of seeking outside help, such as a coach, to overcome personal blind spots and self-sabotaging behaviors.
Why being the "CEO of your own health" is essential, and how Terry applied business and engineering mindsets to her personal wellness journey.
How THOR: The House of Rose got its name, drawing on concepts of universal frequency, symbolism of the rose, and mythological references to strength, love, and balance
 
Terry Tateossian, Serial Entrepreneur & Startup Investor with over 20 years of experience in the tech & media industries.
Startup Founder in Media & Technology.
Born during Communist regime in Eastern Europe.
Defected with her parents at the age of 11.
Lived in a refugee camp in Austria from the ages of 11-13.
Arrived in the United States at the age of 13.
Graduated college with a BA in Computer Science.
Pursued Artificial Intelligence & Blockchain Technology post-grad at MIT.
Over 20 years experience in public speaking.
Currently, Terry has completely transitioned into the health & wellness industry. Her passion for fitness and newfound love of helping mid-life women regain their health and vitality has compelled her to start a new career path in health coaching as the founder of THOR. THOR is an exclusively curated experiential brand focusing on fitness, wellness and whole body health. We blend in-person retreats, a wellness community for women over 40, ongoing 1:1 fitness and nutrition coaching & support and world-class wellness & longevity products to empower women to take back their health. Privately nestled on over 50 acres of virgin forestland in the Smoky Mountains and Cherokee National Forest, THOR's experiences focus on daily yoga, hiking, meditation, breathwork, mindset, health spa treatments, massage therapy, forest bathing, red light therapy, Reiki, glamorous photoshoots, and it is specifically designed to help individuals regain their youth, radiance, regenerate their bodies and improve longevity & healthspan. Terry has also launched a new podcast series highlighting individuals who have achieved radical transformations of their own. You can listen to the first episodes on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. Her life's calling is to awaken the power that lives in all of us by showcasing what is possible and truly allowing individuals to experience how good it can get for THEM.

Website: https://www.thehouseofrose.com/womens-wellness-retreats/
 
Social Media Links: https://www.linkedin.com/in/terry-tateossian/

This week, Ivy Slater, host of Her Success Story, chats with her guest, Lindsay Busfield. The two talk about Lindsay's entrepreneurial roots, her journey from auditing chicken barns to becoming a partner at Optimize My Firm, a boutique legal SEO agency, and the power of finding your niche in a crowded market.

In this episode, we discuss:
How Lindsey Busfield leveraged her strengths in project management and operations to scale Optimize My Firm from a small operation to a recognized national brand.

What motivated Lindsey to write her book, "How Personal Injury Lawyers Get Leads: What Works, What Doesn't, and Why," and how the book was a distillation of interviews, podcasts, and industry observations.

When Lindsay Busfield's podcast, Personal Injury Marketing Minute, began (about four years ago), and how it has evolved in cadence and production.

Why Lindsey doesn't believe SEO is "dead" with the rise of AI, explaining how good SEO practices feed AI models and why continuing quality content creation remains essential.

Who the ideal clients are for Optimize My Firm, and what characteristics make for the best client relationships from both business and ethical perspectives.

What makes Optimize My Firm stand out in a crowded legal marketing industry, such as their boutique approach, values-driven client selection, geographic exclusivity, and no-contract model.

 
Lindsey Busfield, Vice President of Optimize My Firm, a niche SEO agency catering exclusively to law firms around the US. 
Coming from a highly entrepreneurial family with many successful – and some wildly unsuccessful businesses, Lindsey was born into a life of business development.
 After starting her career over about a dozen times, from English teacher to egg farming to legal marketing, Lindsey not only figured out how different businesses operate, but she figured out how she operated as a person and a professional.
Today, as a partner at a specialized SEO agency that elevates some of the nation's most powerful legal websites, Lindsey draws upon her diverse background to empower clients and find fulfillment in both her professional and personal journey. 
Lindsey has turned her legal marketing experience over the past decade into a highly acclaimed marketing guide for law firms: How Personal Injury Lawyers Get Leads: What Works, What Doesn't, and Why.
While a dozen or so SEO agencies can tout the same accomplishments, Busfield has become an industry disrupter by revolutionizing the client-law firm relationship. Rather than locking clients into long-term contracts and overpromising results and timelines, Busfield's company has done away with contracts…which attorneys surprisingly love.
Busfield also hosts her own podcast, the Personal Injury Marketing Minute, which Attorney At Law Magazine named one of the Best Legal Podcasts of 2025. 
Lindsey has been featured in:
Benzinga – The Woman Behind Some Of The Most Powerful Law Firm Website Marketing In The Nation

USA Today – How her SEO firm is disrupting traditional agency-client relationships

IBI Times – Dispelling the Misconceptions of SEO


Website: https://optimizemyfirm.com/
Social Media Links: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindsey-busfield/

In this episode, Ivy Slater chats with us about the importance of strategic planning as the fourth quarter approaches, the value of reflecting on business and personal achievements, and how to set a vision for growth through 2027.

In this episode, we discuss:
How to set a clear vision for 2027 by reflecting on last year's accomplishments and planning accordingly.

What reflection process to follow at the end of September and the start of October, including reviewing what has worked well and identifying accomplishments in both business and personal growth.

When to carve out time in the fourth quarter for strategic planning, and why it's important to use practical tools like the soon-to-be-released strategic planning toolkit.

Understanding exactly which tactics led to success (e.g., marketing initiatives, conferences, speaking engagements) is crucial when forming plans for upcoming years.

How to draw key takeaways from the reflection process and commit to actionable steps to achieve future goals.

Ivy Slater is a professionally certified business coach, speaker, best-selling author and podcast host. After owning and operating a 7-figure printing business, having been in the industry for 20 years, she started Slater Success which focuses on developing great leaders and facilitating business growth and expansion. Ivy holds masterminds and retreats with her private client base and corporate training on communication and strategic planning. She speaks nationwide on the topics of leadership, sustainable growth, relationships and sales.
Best Selling Author of From the Barre to the Boardroom
Website: https://slatersuccess.com/

This week, Ivy Slater, host of Her Success Story, chats with her guest, Anna Murray. The two talk about the evolution of women in technology, navigating inflection points in a rapidly changing industry, and the groundbreaking work Anna Murray is doing in digital transformation and quantum cybersecurity.
In this episode, we discuss:
How Anna Murray accidentally started her career in technology after a background in journalism, and how early technological shifts in journalism led her into tech entrepreneurship.

What quantum computing is, how it differs from traditional computing, and why it matters for both security and business opportunities in the near future.

When quantum computing is expected to impact cybersecurity, including Google's 2029 benchmark for "Q-Day," when current cryptography may be broken.

Why it's important for business leaders and entrepreneurs to educate themselves about coming changes in technology, rather than relying solely on experts.

Who should be your partners and advisors: why approachability and the ability to explain complex tech concepts matter when choosing collaborators.

What it means to be an entrepreneur in tech, including the importance of taking calculated risks and knowing when to push forward or pull back, and how experience shapes those instincts.

Anna Murray is a tech entrepreneur and founder of emedia LLC, a provider of software development, high-level technology consulting, and project and program management. She is also a co-founder of SIX3RO, a frontier tech startup in post-quantum, decentralized information exchange. Anna has consulted with brands worldwide on their digital strategies, served as interim CIO for Time Out NY, head of interactive at Harvard Business Publishing, and led the digital transformation at the American Association of Advertising Agencies. Anna is well known for her ability to bridge business and tech and is the author of several books, including Quantum Computing 101, A Concise Guide to the Future of Computing, Security, and the Coming Q-Day, as well as The Complete Software Project Manager (John Wiley & Sons).
Website:https://emediaweb.com/
Social Media Links: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anna-murray-a04255/