Heather Hester Turned One Conversation Into a Movement

In 2018, Heather Hester was a writer and a mom who saw something missing. Parents of LGBTQ kids needed a place to feel less alone, and she could not find one, so she built it. What started as a kind of public service announcement for parents grew, slowly and organically, into something she eventually recognized as a business.

Heather Hester is the founder and creator of everything under the More Human More Kind umbrella, which now includes an award-winning podcast that ranks in the top 1.5 percent globally, a book, a coaching practice and private community for parents, and a speaking business for organizations. A member of the Entreprenista League, she built all of it by seeing a need and filling it. The mission outgrew the original idea.

"Take a deep breath and do the thing you're most afraid of doing, listen to your intuition, and believe in YOU," Heather says.

Here is how a resource for worried parents became a company with reach.

A need she could not ignore

Heather did not always know she wanted to be an entrepreneur. Before More Human More Kind, she was a writer and a mother, and the work she now does grew out of a question parents kept asking and could not answer. When she looked for support and found a gap, she stepped into it.

She has described the early days as a throw-spaghetti-at-the-wall season, where she was learning what worked by trying everything. It was only about three years ago that she got serious about marketing and brought on a consultant. By then, the audience was already there. The mission had found its people.

The work, in three parts

The More Human More Kind umbrella holds several connected pieces, not just one. The podcast is the most visible part. Her book, Parenting with Pride, brings that same guidance to print. And her coaching practice and private community give parents the direct support and connection that the content points them toward.

She also runs a speaking business, bringing this work directly to organizations. Some of what she offers is geared specifically toward parents and allies of LGBTQ kids. The rest speaks more broadly to anyone trying to stay human and kind in a complicated world.

A podcast that keeps winning

The recognition has been steady. Heather's podcast just received the Women in Podcasting award for best LGBTQ+ podcast for the third year in a row. The publication of her book and the awards for the show are the accomplishments she names first when asked what she is most proud of.

Protecting the hours that matter

Heather is clear about how she keeps the work sustainable, and the answer is a set of non-negotiables she does not bend on. She walks her dog for 30 to 40 minutes every day in every kind of weather except extreme heat. She adds yoga or strength training two to three days a week. She breaks every day from 4 to 7 p.m. to be with her family. She guards her sleep, and she prioritizes joy.

She describes herself as a mamaprenista, someone who protects and prioritizes family time. The structure is not an afterthought to the business. It is what lets the business keep going.

What she wishes she had known

Asked what she wishes she had understood earlier in her Entreprenista journey, Heather's answer is simple. She wishes she had gotten to know everything the community had to offer right away. The advice she gives other founders comes from the same place as the leap she took in 2018: trust yourself, and do the thing that scares you.

What is next is more of what is already working, scaled up. Heather is focused on massive growth and visibility, carrying the same message to more parents, more allies, and more organizations.

You can follow Heather on LinkedIn and find her podcast, her book, and her coaching and speaking work at heatherhester.net.

If Heather's approach to building a supportive resource for parents resonates, the Entreprenista League is a community of women founders who value connection, shared experience, and practical business insight as they grow. Learn more about the Entreprenista League right here.