Single Mom to CEO: Building a Business That Doesn’t Sacrifice Family Time

Founders Future

In this episode of Founders Future, with host Jae Encarnacion, we sit down with AC Steel, CEO of AC Steel Consulting and a fierce advocate for women founders breaking free from the 9-to-5 grind. A single mom who turned her frustration with corporate constraints into a thriving consultancy, AC reveals how she’s revolutionizing business coaching by "renting out her C-suite brain"—working shoulder-to-shoulder with clients in the trenches rather than offering detached advice. She shares her unique approach to AI integration (including a groundbreaking AI sales training tool that lets reps practice on hyper-realistic prospect bots) and why overcoming the "Terminator syndrome" around AI is key to upskilling teams without replacing human connection.

AC pulls back the curtain on her mission to rebuild trust in the consulting industry, where gatekeeping and empty promises run rampant. She discusses her partnership with Fuel to Fire to create a first-of-its-kind program for small businesses, her "show the farm" philosophy for transparent client relationships, and why women founders especially need support systems in the lonely entrepreneurial journey. For listeners, her hard-won wisdom on resilience ("just keep swimming"), the power of strategic pivots, and her rallying cry—"there are enough crowns to go around"—offers both practical strategy and heartfelt motivation.