Veronica McGibney: Empowering Success at LeadHer Magazine

Please share a brief introduction about yourself and your business

I’m Veronica McGibney, Founder of Hoodies & Wine, a boutique GTM branding studio that helps early-stage founders, solopreneurs, and startups build bold, clear, and confident brands before they scale. As a wife, mom of 3 + 2 dogs, enjoyer of wine & hoodies, and an entrepreneur spirit I bring a unique mix of creativity, empathy, and business savvy to guide founders through the messy early stages of building something real.

In 2025, I launched LeadHer Magazine - a quarterly publication spotlighting vision-driven women who are building boldly. Founders, startups, and solopreneurs who are tired of the highlight reel - and are ready to share the real story. LeadHer is more than a magazine; it’s a platform for the raw and unedited stories behind entrepreneurship, amplifying the voices of female founders so they can be seen, supported, and celebrated.

At the heart of everything I do is one mission: to give women the clarity, confidence, and visibility they need to rise as leaders and make their mark.

Who are your customers?

At the core, they are vision-driven women building boldly. They are founders, entrepreneurs, and solopreneurs with stories to tell - stories that go beyond the polished highlight reels and one-size-fits-all narratives we’re used to seeing. United by a desire to be truly seen for who they are and what they are creating, these women embrace both the highs and the lows of their journey. They are builders, leaders, and dreamers who want their voice, vision, and values reflected in a way that not only fuels their own growth but also inspires others to rise alongside them.

What was your background prior to starting your own business?

Entrepreneurship has been at the core of who I am for over 20 years. I’ve dabbled in everything from Mary Kay and Wine Shop to owning my own clothing store and even running a State Farm agency. My formal background is in fashion merchandising, which led me into retail management and eventually to an international buying role in Okinawa, Japan. During that season, I was also a military wife, raising a baby, going to school full time, while working, and moving eight times in eight years, and constantly reinventing myself through every new beginning. Later, after my divorce, I built a seven-year career in sales - from insurance to startups - while carrying the lessons of resilience, adaptability, and connection into every role. All of these experiences became stepping stones that shaped not only my entrepreneurial mindset but also my drive to create something deeply aligned with who I am.

What made you take the leap to start your own business?

The leap came after years of success on paper but struggle in spirit. I had built careers, but behind the scenes I was burning out, crying daily, and feeling the weight of chasing paths that didn’t fit. When I turned 40, I realized I couldn’t keep waiting for “someday.” I had a vision for what I wanted my life to look like by 45, and the only way to get there was to start building it now. That self-reflection uncovered what had always been there - my love for branding, storytelling, and design. I had been doing it for fun, helping friends, creating mock projects, even devouring branding books just for joy. So I founded Hoodies & Wine, and later, in a moment of clarity at a business retreat, on the last day and the last question, I realized the bigger calling: LeadHer Magazine. It felt like the idea had been sitting beside me all along, like when your best friend really wants to be your boyfriend, just waiting for me to notice. For me, starting my own business wasn’t about risk; it was about finally choosing alignment, joy, and impact.

Did you always know you wanted to be an entrepreneur?

Mostly yes! My mom has owned her own business for over 30 years, so entrepreneurship was always part of my world. For the past 20 years, I dabbled in ideas of my own - always searching for what my “thing” was. At one point I dreamed of opening a clothing store that mixed my love for jeans with a mission to save pitbulls. Another time, I almost started an Amazon store selling Warmable Pals. I was constantly experimenting, trying, and exploring, which is why I say entrepreneurship has always been in my DNA. Even when I didn’t have the clarity, I had the drive. Today, with Hoodies & Wine and LeadHer Magazine, I can see how all those years of trial and curiosity were preparing me to finally step into alignment with my true calling.

What is the biggest challenge you have encountered along the way so far and what have you learned from it?

The biggest challenge has been consistency. Entrepreneurship is a long game, and when funds are low or the pressure is high, it can feel tempting to take the “safe” route of going back to a 9–5. But the deeper challenge for me isn’t just business-related - it’s the constant juggling act of building a company while raising two kids under six.

Between snacks, school runs, sitters, potty breaks, house maintenance, and running a business from home, every task feels heavier because it comes with competing priorities. The smallest disruption can throw off the biggest plans. What I’ve learned, though, is that consistency doesn’t mean perfection - it means picking back up again after the interruptions, the setbacks, or the days that didn’t go as planned.

This season has taught me resilience in a new way: that progress is still progress, even when it happens in messy, imperfect bursts.

What accomplishment are the most proud of to date in your business?

Honestly, the thing I’m most proud of is that I started - and that I’m still here a year later. Hoodies and Wine is officially one year old, and when I look back, I’m proud that I didn’t give up when it got hard or when the easier option would have been to step back into a 9–5.

On top of that, I recently launched LeadHer Magazine, and watching it gain traction so quickly has been incredible. To me, that’s proof of what happens when you commit to your vision, even through the uncertainty.

There’s a quote by Chris Bradford that really resonates with me in this season: “Giving up sometimes seems like the easiest thing in the world to do, but to hold it together when everyone would expect you to fall apart - now that is true strength.” That perfectly sums up how I feel about what I’ve built so far, and what’s still to come.

Do you have any recent wins from the last year that you'd like to celebrate with our community?

This past year has been full of wins, big and small, and I’m so grateful for the growth that’s happened. For Hoodies and Wine, I’ve had the opportunity to work with 10 incredible clients on their branding journeys. Each one has pushed me to grow as a strategist and reminded me why I love this work.

But the biggest win has been the launch of LeadHer Magazine. In just a few weeks, the response and support have been beyond anything I could have imagined. We’ve already built a waitlist, received feature applications, secured a sponsor, and sparked conversations that prove women are ready for more raw, real storytelling in business.

Beyond the numbers, though, the greatest win has been the connections. I’ve met and built relationships with women I never would have crossed paths with had I not started these businesses. Those connections - the collaborations, support, and friendships - feel like the heart of everything I’ve been working toward.

What's next for your business? What can we expect to see over the next few years?

For Hoodies and Wine, my vision is to partner with a VC or PE firm so I can work more closely with early-stage founders and support them at the ground floor of their journeys. That would allow me to scale my impact while keeping the work deeply personal and meaningful.  For LeadHer Magazine, my expectation is that it will become my primary focus - because the energy, support, and demand for it already feels bigger than I imagined. Over the next 2–3 years, I see LeadHer evolving into more than just a magazine. My goals are: Successfully launch 4 quarterly issues, grow the subscriber base into the thousands, and host the first launch party + community events.  Next year: Expand into new features like The LeadHer List (spotlighting top founders to watch), introduce an annual print anthology, and grow sponsorship partnerships that help sustain the publication.  Then: Build LeadHer into a recognized platform for female founder storytelling - not just in print, but through events, speaking engagements, and maybe even a podcast or digital media arm.  At its core, LeadHer is more than a publication - it’s a voice for women building boldly.

What is your top productivity tip?

Getting a "partner in crime" be that a coach, a friend that is also building or a mentor that you can touch base with at least weekly. Never go this journey alone. I'm not sure I would be where I am without my accountability person. But also, writing out what needs to be done! Each week I meet with my person and we talk about what got done, what didn't, and what needs to get done this week. After our call I always make a list of everything we talked about - and then I create a Monday-Friday journal and I assign each task to a day and a time! This gets everything out of my head and on paper - and since they have set days and times I don't have to wonder or worry about when I will get to something. Is it full proof... no! But, at the end of each day and the end of each week I make the adjustments necessary and make a new plan.  

On the flip side, how do you avoid burnout?

I don't know if burnout is "avoidable" - but I think it is maintainable or manageable. Like many who have probably said it before me - I listen to my body. When I realize I don't have anything left I stop, I call my "partner in crime", I cry, I go outside, or whatever it looks like that day. I don't have charts or track things, I don't wake up at 5am, I don't drink a specific amount of water, or workout regularly. I plan my days the best I can. I believe that my weekly schedule helps me make sure I don't overly plan, but things happen, schedules shift, deadlines are still deadlines, and some days you just have to work longer or harder than others.  

What is your approach to work-life balance / integration?

I think giving myself grace. I can't really do anything 100% - is all I have to give to my work that day is 30%, 40% to my kids, and divide the rest between myself, husband, and life... if all I had to give that day was 30% and I gave it - then I gave 100% of what I had to give. My business growth might not be as fast. My mothering might not be as good as someone else. And, these percentages change each day based on the needs of my kids, my business, and life. But, I know I am doing the best I can each day with what I have to give... then to me that is work-life balance. 

What is one thing you wish you had known when you started your Entreprenista journey?

I don't think its a "wish I knew" - its a "wish I could"! I wish I could be more involved! There are so many amazing women in Entreprenista that I will probably never meet. I wish I could engage more, help more, and connect more! Maybe one day when my kids are fully in school and I'm not still building the foundation of my businesses... I will be able to be a bigger part in the community. 

What's the one app on your phone you absolutely cannot live without and why?

Just one! Gosh... Gmail. My calendar. Notes. And Canva! Haha! 

What is your favorite business tool or solution and why?

I think SquareSpace and Canva. Squarespace hosts my website, email campaigns, forms for people, and invoicing. But, Canva is my everything. My branding and my magazine. 

What advice do you have for aspiring Entreprenistas?

The most over used advice. Just start. Start messy. Start before you are ready. And even if you just create 3 tasks to complete each week in the beginning you will be that much further than you would have been had you never started. 

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