WorkParty
Meet your new Work Wives. WorkParty, the beloved business podcast with over 3 million downloads to date and guests like Sara Blakely, Tyra Banks, Jen Atkin and more is back and brand new. Jaclyn Johnson joined by CEO of Create & Cultivate, Marina Middleton are letting you listen in as they navigate the world of entrepreneurship, motherhood, divorce, female friendships and how they make it all work – mostly. A little work, a little party, pour yourself a glass of champagne and pull up, cause we are about to get down to business.
WorkParty
The Second Chapter Is Always Better with Tone It Up Founder and CEO, Karena Dawn
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She built one of the first women's fitness communities on the internet in 2009 — before influencers were a thing, before wellness was a category, and before anyone told her it was possible. Karena Dawn co-founded Tone It Up, pioneered positivity in a fitness world built on punishment, sold a stake to private equity, and then spent years watching someone else run the thing she built from scratch. In December 2025 she did what most founders only dream about — she bought it back. This is the story of what it really takes to build a community, what PE doesn't tell you, and why the second chapter is always better.
In this episode, we cover:
• What taking outside investment actually costs you and how to know when it's the right move
• Why community businesses are fundamentally different and what happens when founders step away
• The real reason founders buy back their companies — and what the process actually looks like
• What to do when your vision gets lost in someone else's hands
• How to know when it's time to bet on yourself again
• Why longevity in business has nothing to do with following the rules
• What fitness, mental health, and entrepreneurship have in common — and why you need all three
Tune in to hear why the most powerful founder move isn't always the exit — sometimes it's the return.
To learn more about Karena Dawn:
https://www.instagram.com/karenadawn
https://my.toneitup.com/
Join Us for 2026 World’s Largest Festival for Women in Business here: https://www.createcultivate.com/festival
To follow along with Create & Cultivate:
https://www.instagram.com/createcultivate
www.createcultivate.com
To connect with Jaclyn Johnson: https://www.instagram.com/jaclynrjohnson
To connect with Marina Middleton: https://www.instagram.com/marinaamiddleton
