What would it look like to build a multi-million dollar business while raising six kids, advocating full-time for a child with autism, and navigating everything that nobody put in the business plan?
That's exactly what Julie Cole did, and she didn't do it by following the standard playbook.
Julie is the co-founder of Mabel's Labels, a brand she started almost 23 years ago with her sister and two college friends when her eldest son was diagnosed with autism at three years old. She left a career in law, started making labels in a basement at 2am, and built something real, not because the timing was perfect, but because she figured out what her actual capacity was and built around that.
In this conversation, Julie and Nikita get into the conversation most business advice skips entirely: what actually has to shift when you're a mom, a caregiver, and an entrepreneur all at the same time, and why the skills you're already using at home are more valuable than you think.
In This Episode, You'll Learn:
• Why capacity is the first conversation, not the last: before strategy, before offers, before anything else, you need to know what you can actually carry and Julie's story shows exactly what happens when you get honest about that first
• How the skills you're already using as a caregiver translate directly into business: advocacy, research, negotiation, flexibility under pressure — these aren't soft skills, they're the exact skills that build something sustainable
• Why entrepreneurship gets romanticized and what the real version looks like: Julie is direct about what those early years actually looked like, and it's not TED talks and wine nights
• How building a values-led company culture protects both your business and your life: From results-only work environments to neurodivergent hiring, Julie built a company that worked for real humans living real lives
• What the "care gap" actually means for women entrepreneurs: Whether or not you have kids, the invisible load is real, and building a business that pretends otherwise is building on a weak foundation
• Why visibility creates credibility, which creates loyalty: Showing up — even when life is heavy, even when the pace feels impossible — is not about hustle, it's about trust
⭐ Enjoyed this conversation? Leave a review and share it with another mom who's building something — she needs to hear this one.
Leave us a Review (https://www.craftedtothrive.com/rate/) and share this episode with a friend.
Share Your QA's or Thoughts (https://builttobreathe.substack.com/s/business-with-chronic-illness-the)
Products We Love + Special Guest Gifts → (https://bio.site/businesswithchronicillness) Want to support the show and treat yourself? We’ve created a quick-access list of products I personally use and love, exclusive savings from podcast guests, and other gems that can help you live well and do business with chronic illness. Explore our faves + savings here (https://bio.site/businesswithchronicillness) !
Join our Community Channel Here. (https://app.heartbeat.chat/rootedandprofitable/invitation?code=F78D5B)
