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Here, the longtime Chief Member reveals how this foundational structural engineering principle has shaped her approach to "},{"_key":"09a22af2af083","_type":"span","marks":["ea132ddb0273","em"],"text":"business-building"},{"_key":"09a22af2af084","_type":"span","marks":["em"],"text":". Hint: Being a solo founder doesn’t mean going it alone."}],"markDefs":[{"_key":"47a116486020","_type":"link","href":"https://www.linkedin.com/in/lorimazor/"},{"_key":"ea132ddb0273","_type":"link","href":"https://chief.com/category/business-trends-tactics"}],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"ec714dafbdc3","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"1d76198353c30","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"I was trained as an architect. Most people hear that and picture a profession: drawings, buildings, hard hats. For me it became something closer to a grammar: a way of seeing how things hold together, and what happens when they don't."}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"087edc846e1b","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"503d6ce733e30","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"There's a first law you learn early. Load can't rest on a single point. It has to distribute or the structure fails. You can design the most beautiful building in the world, but if every force runs down to one column, you don't have a building. You have a countdown."}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"974d09d8a794","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"3d599cdd43a50","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"I've thought about that law a lot over the last 25 years, because I've rebuilt my own structure five times. I've changed careers more often than a New Yorker changes apartments. Sometimes the shift was leaving someone else's payroll for my own. These days it's subtler: learning to tell my \"self\" apart from my \"business.\" As the CEO of a "},{"_key":"3d599cdd43a51","_type":"span","marks":["9b82dfde0661"],"text":"single-member LLC"},{"_key":"3d599cdd43a52","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":", I am the founder and the employee, the thought leader and the workhorse, and some days just plain confused."}],"markDefs":[{"_key":"9b82dfde0661","_type":"link","href":"https://chief.com/articles/best-solopreneur-tools-2026"}],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"7235e662dda3","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"f7c08ad770d60","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"I started at Ennead, one of the big New York architecture firms. When friends would visit from out of town, I’d take them on a tour of all the bathrooms I had designed. My biggest client was NYU, and eventually NYU hired me away. 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I joined because I needed a floor under me. But a strange thing happens when you stand in a room full of women operating at your level: You stop bracing, and you start building again."}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"168fe5363c40","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"5795afd51e5c0","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"At Chief, I wrote a book, "},{"_key":"5795afd51e5c1","_type":"span","marks":["em"],"text":"Temperature: Creativity in the Age of AI"},{"_key":"5795afd51e5c2","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":". A month after ChatGPT arrived in 2023, I pointed SYNTHETIVITY at it with a single goal: teaching people to embrace "},{"_key":"5795afd51e5c3","_type":"span","marks":["58a7c990940d"],"text":"the technology"},{"_key":"5795afd51e5c4","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" not for its own sake but so they could return to doing human things at work. I invited my fellow members to learn with me. Three hundred of them signed up for free classes in the winter of 2023. That became 18 months of executive AI bootcamps, half of them filled by Chief Members. The other half came through LinkedIn, championed by Chief Members who shared my work without being asked."}],"markDefs":[{"_key":"58a7c990940d","_type":"link","href":"https://chief.com/category/ai-the-future-of-work"}],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"209f3ac89c2b","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"9f2095343b570","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Then the structure did something I couldn't have engineered. Those same members started landing C-Suite roles, and they invited me in to train their teams. My business moved from B-to-C to B-to-B almost on its own, carried by relationships I'd built years before I needed them."}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"6437223efc69","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"24916892f7680","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Then I got a contract with NYC Metropolitan Transit Authority to build a full training program and agentic platform, the kind of project that asks you to scale 10x overnight whether or not you're sure you want to. I wasn't sure. My "},{"_key":"24916892f7681","_type":"span","marks":["6ab14c75ad67"],"text":"Core Group"},{"_key":"24916892f7682","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" held me through it. Fellow founders walked the same road and compared notes. When I needed a bookkeeper, a resource, or a sane second opinion, I put out a call and members answered. 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I led with generosity, and the relationships became load-bearing later, on their own time."}],"level":1,"listItem":"bullet","markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"7a64273ce26b","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"dfaffc7885ae0","_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"Be someone worth inviting "},{"_key":"dfaffc7885ae1","_type":"span","marks":["strong","em"],"text":"in"},{"_key":"dfaffc7885ae2","_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":", not just someone who shows up to take"},{"_key":"dfaffc7885ae3","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"."}],"level":1,"listItem":"bullet","markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"d14276aa4adb","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"c84bbc6829e80","_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"Treat your community as infrastructure, not a rolodex"},{"_key":"c84bbc6829e81","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":": something you design with intention, reinforce, and return to, especially on the days you have nothing left to give it."}],"level":1,"listItem":"bullet","markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"d6b0e91dbf9a","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"27e21d6ad7460","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Because here's the truth nobody tells you about going solo: solo doesn't mean alone. 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Harris was a lead plaintiff in "},{"_key":"e56c367108321","_type":"span","marks":["4c759aff69db"],"text":"the landmark U.S. Soccer equal pay lawsuit"},{"_key":"e56c367108322","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":", which led to a historic settlement and a commitment to equal compensation for players on the men’s and women’s teams. And she’s continued that advocacy since retiring from soccer in 2022."}],"markDefs":[{"_key":"4c759aff69db","_type":"link","href":"https://www.espn.com/soccer/story/_/id/37625711/uswnt-us-soccer-federation-settle-equal-pay-lawsuit-24-million"}],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"3057f69f7852","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"adf51ad525060","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Since then, Harris has built a career grounded in authentic storytelling. She’s stepped into brand and business leadership as Global Creative Director of Gotham FC. On her podcast, "},{"_key":"adf51ad525061","_type":"span","marks":["0b947331e5c9","em"],"text":"Wide Open"},{"_key":"adf51ad525062","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":", she and guests from across the worlds of sports, entertainment, and culture open up about their struggles and triumphs. And she’s now the focus of a new documentary, "},{"_key":"adf51ad525063","_type":"span","marks":["812fba4729a0","em"],"text":"Gamechangers: The Ashlyn Harris Story"},{"_key":"adf51ad525064","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":", which launched June 8 on Roku."}],"markDefs":[{"_key":"0b947331e5c9","_type":"link","href":"https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1119-wide-open-with-ashlyn-har-242629240/"},{"_key":"812fba4729a0","_type":"link","href":"https://newsroom.roku.com/news/2026/04/roku-originals-launches-gamechangers-anthology-series-with-/ji5ornly-1776191800"}],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"bcaebedccfc7","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"e741ce620d920","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"We asked Harris, Chief's Pride Month speaker about how she’s navigated this transition, what it takes to lead as your full self, and what becomes possible when you do. 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The real work began when I stopped performing and started becoming."}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"8bc400d21d6b","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"62096b2280520","_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"Since then, you've built a portfolio career, moving into brand strategy, media, board service, and venture investing. Is there a throughline or guiding principle that’s informed how you’ve built that portfolio?"},{"_key":"62096b2280521","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"I've never chased titles, I’ve always chased purpose. Every opportunity has to align with my values, challenge me to grow, or help move culture forward. The older I get, the more I realize that every \"yes\" is also a hundred \"nos,\" so I protect my peace, time, and energy fiercely."}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"250bd069abc2","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"d993378194ea0","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":""}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"92fb147334a0","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"a0d87a0afdd00","_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"On your podcast, "},{"_key":"a0d87a0afdd01","_type":"span","marks":["strong","em"],"text":"Wide Open"},{"_key":"a0d87a0afdd02","_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":", you and your guests talk a lot about the power of vulnerability. Now, as the focus of the new documentary "},{"_key":"a0d87a0afdd03","_type":"span","marks":["strong","em"],"text":"Gamechangers"},{"_key":"a0d87a0afdd04","_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":", you’ve opened up your life to the world on a whole new level. How has that experience shifted your perspective on that power?"}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"26753439e6da","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"55022397a4f00","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":""}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"e8cf00a1858a","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"ef0a43a75c550","_type":"span","marks":["em"],"text":"Gamechangers"},{"_key":"ef0a43a75c551","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" taught me that vulnerability isn't just healing for the person telling the story. It's permission for the people hearing it. I spent years thinking strength meant holding it all together. What I've learned is that strength is actually being willing to let people see you as you are. The more honest I've been about my failures, fears, and growth, the more meaningful the connection has become. People don't relate to perfection. They relate to truth."}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"7e03f4258045","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"60f0199153570","_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"Is there a piece of advice you could offer other women leaders as they navigate their own relationship with vulnerability?"}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"d73d8af9c314","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"1fdd986042370","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Don't wait until you've figured everything out to tell your story. Some of the most powerful stories are told while you're still becoming and living it. We live in a culture that rewards polish, but people are craving authenticity. Lead with the truth, not the highlight reel. I had to learn this the hard way. You never know who needs to hear your story to feel less alone or more brave in their own life. The things you're most afraid to say are often the things someone else needs most to hear."}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"d66d4ba8f306","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"90f055236b4e0","_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"You became a lead plaintiff in the USWNT’s equal play lawsuit while you were still a player. What's your advice for leaders who want to drive equity in their organizations but face resistance around them?"}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"2fed586f07f4","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"ac31b383d5690","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"If you're trying to create meaningful change, resistance is part of the job. Don't mistake discomfort for a sign you're on the wrong path. Some of the most important battles I've fought came with criticism, uncertainty, and risk. 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"},{"_key":"0079e4448c341","_type":"span","marks":["58d2495b9754","em"],"text":"RSVP in the Chief app"},{"_key":"0079e4448c342","_type":"span","marks":["em"],"text":"."}],"markDefs":[{"_key":"58d2495b9754","_type":"link","href":"https://members.chief.com/events/61438540-db96-4502-ab9c-b955829a1071/details"}],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"440dd19dfa88","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"b9210316c6820","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Few athletes reach the pinnacle of their sport and then start over just as fearlessly off the field."}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"a37a20dcbe75","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"15224aee7c520","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Ashlyn Harris did."}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"fd684e17ef93","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"3d6d307e36430","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"The two-time FIFA Women's World Cup Champion and Olympic gold medalist is one of the most celebrated goalkeepers in the history of the U.S. Women’s National Team."}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"877338fc7ec7","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"e56c367108320","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"As an openly queer woman playing during a period when visibility in professional sports carried real risk, she used her platform to become a vocal advocate for LGBTQIA+ rights, gender equity, and mental health. 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On her podcast, "},{"_key":"adf51ad525061","_type":"span","marks":["0b947331e5c9","em"],"text":"Wide Open"},{"_key":"adf51ad525062","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":", she and guests from across the worlds of sports, entertainment, and culture open up about their struggles and triumphs. And she’s now the focus of a new documentary, "},{"_key":"adf51ad525063","_type":"span","marks":["812fba4729a0","em"],"text":"Gamechangers: The Ashlyn Harris Story"},{"_key":"adf51ad525064","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":", which launched June 8 on Roku."}],"markDefs":[{"_key":"0b947331e5c9","_type":"link","href":"https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1119-wide-open-with-ashlyn-har-242629240/"},{"_key":"812fba4729a0","_type":"link","href":"https://newsroom.roku.com/news/2026/04/roku-originals-launches-gamechangers-anthology-series-with-/ji5ornly-1776191800"}],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"bcaebedccfc7","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"e741ce620d920","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"We asked Harris, Chief's Pride Month speaker about how she’s navigated this transition, what it takes to lead as your full self, and what becomes possible when you do. Here’s her advice."}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"fac67a2db496","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"d28bae0eb8380","_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"You retired from U.S. Soccer at the peak of your athletic career. How did you separate Ashlyn the athlete from Ashlyn the person during that transition?"}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"25632b2472bd","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"f6e0001b53fd0","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"For most of my life, I was known as a soccer player. Retirement forced me to ask a bigger question: Who am I when the game is gone? What I discovered is that soccer was something I did, not who I was. The real work began when I stopped performing and started becoming."}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"8bc400d21d6b","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"62096b2280520","_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"Since then, you've built a portfolio career, moving into brand strategy, media, board service, and venture investing. Is there a throughline or guiding principle that’s informed how you’ve built that portfolio?"},{"_key":"62096b2280521","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"I've never chased titles, I’ve always chased purpose. Every opportunity has to align with my values, challenge me to grow, or help move culture forward. The older I get, the more I realize that every \"yes\" is also a hundred \"nos,\" so I protect my peace, time, and energy fiercely."}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"250bd069abc2","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"d993378194ea0","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":""}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"92fb147334a0","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"a0d87a0afdd00","_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"On your podcast, "},{"_key":"a0d87a0afdd01","_type":"span","marks":["strong","em"],"text":"Wide Open"},{"_key":"a0d87a0afdd02","_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":", you and your guests talk a lot about the power of vulnerability. Now, as the focus of the new documentary "},{"_key":"a0d87a0afdd03","_type":"span","marks":["strong","em"],"text":"Gamechangers"},{"_key":"a0d87a0afdd04","_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":", you’ve opened up your life to the world on a whole new level. How has that experience shifted your perspective on that power?"}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"26753439e6da","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"55022397a4f00","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":""}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"e8cf00a1858a","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"ef0a43a75c550","_type":"span","marks":["em"],"text":"Gamechangers"},{"_key":"ef0a43a75c551","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" taught me that vulnerability isn't just healing for the person telling the story. It's permission for the people hearing it. I spent years thinking strength meant holding it all together. What I've learned is that strength is actually being willing to let people see you as you are. The more honest I've been about my failures, fears, and growth, the more meaningful the connection has become. People don't relate to perfection. They relate to truth."}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"7e03f4258045","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"60f0199153570","_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"Is there a piece of advice you could offer other women leaders as they navigate their own relationship with vulnerability?"}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"d73d8af9c314","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"1fdd986042370","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Don't wait until you've figured everything out to tell your story. Some of the most powerful stories are told while you're still becoming and living it. We live in a culture that rewards polish, but people are craving authenticity. Lead with the truth, not the highlight reel. I had to learn this the hard way. You never know who needs to hear your story to feel less alone or more brave in their own life. The things you're most afraid to say are often the things someone else needs most to hear."}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"d66d4ba8f306","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"90f055236b4e0","_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"You became a lead plaintiff in the USWNT’s equal play lawsuit while you were still a player. What's your advice for leaders who want to drive equity in their organizations but face resistance around them?"}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"2fed586f07f4","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"ac31b383d5690","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"If you're trying to create meaningful change, resistance is part of the job. Don't mistake discomfort for a sign you're on the wrong path. Some of the most important battles I've fought came with criticism, uncertainty, and risk. Stay anchored in your values and remember that progress rarely happens without someone being willing to go first."}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"4115875b064c","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"7adef7387e200","_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"At Chief, we like to quote the saying, “If you want to go fast, go alone. But if you want to go far, go together.” What role has community played in your career journey?"}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"238442a52ec8","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"bcca6261e7a60","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Community has been everything. Every meaningful chapter of my life was shaped by people who challenged me, supported me, and believed in me when I couldn't see it for myself. We love celebrating individual success, but the truth is no one gets anywhere alone. The older I get, the more I realize that relationships — not achievements — are the real legacy."}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"}]},"href":"https://chief.com/articles/solo-founder-community","relatedArticles":[]}},
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