There’s a moment in every entrepreneur’s life when the spreadsheet stops mattering.

A moment when the funding pitch fades, the product launch is over, and all you’re left with is this question:

“Who am I doing this for? And why should they care?”

That moment is where every great story starts.

And it is exactly where this episode of the Rock Solid Round Rock podcast begins.

What Happens When You Bring 100 Powerful Women Into a Room and Actually Listen?

K. LaFleur-Anders did not set out to host a TEDx. She did not start with a plan to build a media company or lead a women’s alliance.

She started with something simpler and much harder.

She asked, “How can we create real impact, not just talk about it?”

That is how the Impact Alliance began. A few women gathered in a high school gym with no agenda, only a shared desire to do better.

They could have launched the event back in January, but they paused.

Why? Because, in her words, “We weren’t ready to give them our best.”

So they waited. They built. They improved. And in April, something remarkable happened.

A packed house. Women left with actionable tools instead of hashtags.

One woman approached K., tears in her eyes, and said, “I’m so proud of you.”

That is when you know your story is working.

TEDx Round Rock Women: A License to Lead

K. applied three times to bring TEDx to Round Rock.

The first time she was rejected for lacking diversity.

The second time she was close, but still not there.

Most people would have stopped trying.

But here is the entrepreneurial truth that never makes it onto a motivational poster.

Sometimes the world tells you “no” so you will come back stronger with a better “yes.”

This year, TEDx finally gave her the green light. Now Round Rock has a new platform where women’s voices will be heard, not just applauded.

The Real Story: Business is a Mirror

K. described her leap from Dell’s corporate halls into the messy, unpredictable world of entrepreneurship.

She thought it would feel like freedom.

Instead, it felt like standing face to face with the truth.

She saw her fears about money.

She saw her old habits of doing everything herself.

She faced the gap between who she was and who she wanted to become.

Entrepreneurship, like storytelling, reveals what we would rather ignore.

And that is exactly why it transforms us.

The Elephant in the Room: It’s Never Just Business

When I wrote I Think I Swallowed an Elephant, I wasn’t just talking about losing 100 pounds.

I was talking about what it feels like to face something bigger than yourself and realize the only way forward is one step at a time.

That is what K. is doing for Round Rock.

She is addressing venture capital gaps for women. She is confronting literacy challenges in our schools. She is breaking down the invisible hurdles that stop people from sharing their story before it begins.

And she is doing it by asking better questions.

What happens after the applause dies down?

What do we build that lasts beyond the event?

Who are we really doing this for?

What’s the Lesson for You?

Maybe you are building a business. Maybe it is a nonprofit, a podcast, or a side hustle.

Whatever it is, stop waiting until it feels perfect.

Step first. Then build the brick underneath your foot.

That is how K. launched CoffeeMilk Media.

That is how TEDx Round Rock Women became a reality.

That is how every resilient entrepreneur in our community moves forward.

One Bite at a Time

We recorded this episode at Round Rock Studio where we have built a space for creators like you to tell your story well.

No fluff. No jargon. Just impact.

If you are staring at your own elephant-sized dream, don’t try to swallow it all at once.

Take the first bite.

Then take another.

Because the story you tell tomorrow is shaped by the steps you take today.

Ready to Tell Your Story?

Follow K. LaFleur-Anders on LinkedIn. Explore CoffeeMilk Media and keep your eyes open for TEDx Round Rock Women.

Or better yet, come record your story with me at Round Rock Studio.

We are ready when you are.