Episode #22: She Almost Walked Away From the Business She Built with Megan Dupuis
September 8, 2026
Click to watch on YouTube.
You Don’t Have to Choose Between Your Business and Your Family
Episode Summary
What happens when the thing you started as a small passion project begins growing into something much bigger than you planned?
Megan Dupuy, founder of Expander Society, originally wanted to create the kind of local business community she had been searching for herself. Her first coffee meetup drew 50 women, and what began as a hyperlocal gathering has since grown into a women’s business community expanding beyond the Austin area and across state lines.
But growth brings a different set of questions. How do you scale without holding onto every task? How do you protect what made your business special in the first place? And how do you continue building something meaningful without feeling like your family, your business, or some version of yourself always has to lose?
In this episode of The Building Well Podcast, Megan talks candidly about learning to delegate, loosening her grip on control, navigating people pleasing as a community founder, and redefining what success looks like as a mother of two. She also shares the moment a trademark issue forced her to rename the community she had already spent significant time building and why she briefly wondered whether it was a sign to walk away altogether.
This conversation is a reminder that entrepreneurship does not always fit neatly into the categories of thriving professionally or being fully present personally. Sometimes you are building in the middle, adjusting to the season you are in, and learning what your business needs from you now instead of expecting yourself to operate the way you always have.
3 Key Takeaways
Growth Eventually Requires You to Release Control
Megan openly describes herself as someone who would rather do something herself because she can do it faster and exactly the way she wants. As Expander Society grew, that approach became increasingly difficult to sustain. Finding a community operations manager she trusted showed her that delegation is not simply about removing work from your plate, but finding the right people who can take ownership of important parts of the business and sometimes do them even better.
Success Can Include the Middle
Megan challenges the idea that women have to choose between being highly successful business owners and being present mothers. With two children, a busy sports schedule, and a growing company, she is intentionally working within the season her family is currently in rather than expecting every season to produce the same level of professional growth. For her, success increasingly means building a profitable and sustainable business while still having the ability to be present for her family.
Sometimes the Setback Becomes a Better Direction
After building recognition around her original community name, Megan discovered during the trademark process that someone else was already using it. She was told to stop using the name, choose another within days, and begin again, an experience that made her question whether the setback was a sign that she should stop building the business altogether. Instead, the women around her helped her move forward, and the eventual Expander name became an even stronger reflection of the community and its focus on personal and professional growth.
Guest Bio
Megan Dupuy is the founder of Expander Society, a women’s business community that began in the Lake Travis area outside Austin, Texas, and is expanding into additional cities and states. The community brings together women across entrepreneurship, corporate careers, and other professional pursuits through in-person and virtual events designed to foster genuine connection, support, and relationship building.
Megan originally created the community after struggling to find the kind of local professional connection she wanted as a realtor. What she expected to be a small coffee gathering drew 50 women, eventually developing into a growing chapter-based community supported by local chapter leads. Today, Megan remains actively involved in growing the organization while navigating the operational realities of scaling, motherhood, and maintaining the personal connection at the center of the community.
Resources Mentioned In This Episode
ExpandHers Community Details: Use code “BUILD20” for 20% off an annual membership
Entreprenista League of Female Founders
Some links above may contain affiliate links, meaning I get a small commission from purchases to support this show.
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