Founder & Owner | Advisor, Entrepreneur, Women’s Empowerment Coach

Meet Bre!

 

Who is Brianna "Bre" Russell, you ask? Well, she's a whirlwind of inspiration wrapped in a business jacket with a penchant for empowering women and girls to conquer the world. As the founder of Girls Leading Goals and Femthrive, Bre is on a mission to turn dreams into reality, one ambitious goal at a time.

Bre bootstraps and builds companies from scratch and coaches women entrepreneurs to scale their businesses without burning out.

Bre is a certified Business Advisor with Cultivate Advisors. Contact Bre to setup a free advising session and health and value assessment. Connect with Bre on Linkedin and learn more about her.

From Goal Getter to Goal-Leader

Bre’s journey began in the not-so-bustling small town of Fairfield, CA, where she discovered her superpower: turning ideas into impactful initiatives. 

Her friends and family often joke that she could probably start a successful business in her sleep. And honestly, they might be right.

As the mastermind behind Girls Leading Goals, Bre helps young girls realize that they can be leaders, entrepreneurs, and changemakers. Think of her as the fairy godmother of leadership, but instead of a wand, she wields an impressive resume and a knack for motivating others.

The Birth of 

Never one to rest on her laurels, Bre launched FemThrive in 2018, for women entrepreneurs. FemThrive is a Women Entrepreneurs Collective where women gain wisdom, a network, tactics and, of course, celebrate each other's successes with a glass of wine or two. FemThrive offers 1:1 Business Advising with Bre, Hands-On down in the dirt Fractional Operations Leadership, Annual Retreats/Events/Workshops, DIFY Implementation services, and a community Membership. All for Women, By Women! 

Let’s face it- Entrepreneurship is hard, lonely, and a 24/7 gig. It is also our ticket to FREEDOM. Freedom in time, money, and creativity. There is no glass ceiling for business owners paving their own way to success.

And for those of you who like credentials here are her accomplishments…

Her first business was running a house painting gig at age 20. After learning that painting houses was not her passion but entrepreneurship was her calling, she went to Vanuatu in the South Pacific for two years as a Peace Corps Small Business Advisor. There she and another volunteer started a community income generating project for the women in their village called A Basket for Change and also started the first Women’s Regional Soccer team (listen to her incredible Peace Corps experience here on this podcast episode).

Upon returning and finishing her Master’s in International Studies at University of San Francisco, she started Girls Leading Girls, the nonprofit arm of Girls Leading Goals. From there, she earned continued education certifications from Stanford Graduate School of Business and Cornell University in Social Entrepreneurship and Financing.

In 2020, she was inspired by other women entrepreneurs sharing their business challenges and seeking her out for advice that she started FemThrive as a coaching firm. She holds an Executive Coaching Certification from World Coach Institute and is a Certified Business Advisor from Cultivate Advisors.

In 2024, Bre sold her for profit business, Girls Leading Goals, and started a new chapter of going all in on empowering women through FemThrive.

Inspired by her passion for soccer and entrepreneurship she continues to pay it forward as a private equity investor in the Oakland Roots & Soul professional soccer teams.


Fun Facts About Bre

  • Master Multitasker: Bre can juggle a conference call, a strategy session, and a latte all at the same time. Seriously, it's like watching a magician at work.

  • Fire Whisperer: She’s known to have an orange thumb and can build even the most vibrant fire on an island of humidity– a skill that somehow translates perfectly into empowering new entrepreneurs.

  • Laugh Enthusiast: Bre’s love for a good silent, stomach-aching laugh is legendary. If you ever see her crying from laughter at a FemThrive event, you can bet she is in pure bliss.

  • Adventure Seeker: When she’s not busy breaking glass ceilings, you can find her scaling mountains, exploring new cities, or trying out the latest fitness craze – all with her signature enthusiasm and a huge smile.

Meet the DIFY Implementer Team


  • Admin Assistant

    Kimberly Lewis is a self-described professional problem solver. After studying Criminal Justice at the University of North Texas, she began a career in Tech. Kim has held roles as a Product Owner and Business Analyst aiding high functioning development teams on projects ranging from EHR Systems to Workforce Productivity Solutions. When not using her skills to provide creative solutions for Femthrive™ or fulfilling the role of designated tech support for her family, you can find her whipping up a new dish from Chef John's Food Wishes blog.

  • Admin & Marketing Assistant

    Lauren has a passion for bringing ideas to life. After graduating from and teaching at San Diego State University with both a Bachelor's and Master's in Sociology, Lauren began her career in event coordination and production. Lauren's professional experience is robust; she has helped to produce and execute professional and academic conferences, weddings, and non-profit events.

    While not supporting managing FemThrive's website or coordinating retreats, you can find Lauren at a yoga class, on a hike, or enjoying delicious meals with her friends and family.