She Almost Walked Away From the Business. Then Became CEO | Emma Tupper

Guest: Emma Tupper, an EO Chicago Member since 2025, CEO of Moxie Media Host: Linh Podetti, an EO Sydney member since 2022, owner of Outsourcing Angel. Emma Tupper went from entry-level employee to CEO and majority shareholder of Moxie Media — but the path to ownership nearly fell apart. In this episode of the EO Business Podcast, Emma and Linh Podetti talk about business succession, difficult ownership negotiations, founder legacy, sweat equity, imposter syndrome and what it really takes to step into leadership without becoming a copy of the founder. ABOUT EMMA Emma Tupper is the CEO of Moxie Media, a woman-founded political communications firm specialising in direct mail for progressive campaigns. Over fifteen years, she rose from an entry-level role to business owner and CEO, bringing a calm, thoughtful leadership style to a fast-paced industry while raising two young children. A member of Entrepreneurs' Organization, Emma is passionate about building a business that creates impact while making space for family, creativity and a life she genuinely enjoys. CONNECT WITH EMMA LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emmatupper/ Moxie Media: https://moxiemedia.biz/ Chapters: 00:00 From Employee to CEO 01:06 Becoming a Reluctant Entrepreneur 04:42 Business Lessons From Politics 06:44 The Reality of a Political Business 10:46 From Employee to Partner 15:46 Buying Into the Business 16:21 When the Deal Fell Apart 19:57 Repairing the Partnership 21:36 Choosing the Right Successor 24:59 Leading Differently From the Founder 26:32 Taking Over as CEO 28:05 Emma's EO Journey 30:02 Business, Motherhood and Flexibility 33:50 The Future of Moxie Media 35:01 Ambition, Family and Legacy 37:27 Connect With Emma #BusinessSuccession #Leadership #Entrepreneurship -------------------- ABOUT EO Entrepreneur's Organization (EO) is a global business network of 18,000 + influential business owners in over 220 chapters across 76 countries. We offer world-class events that encompass engaging entrepreneur and business stories, skills-specific workshops, and exciting social gatherings. Our mission is to drive both business and personal growth through peer-to-peer learning, providing support for the holistic entrepreneur experience covering business, family, community, and personal aspects. As a not-for-profit organization, all our funds directly contribute to member benefits. If you're a business owner with revenues ranging from US$250k to US$1m, you can join our Accelerator Program. If your revenues exceed US$1m, you can join the main EO Program in your nearest local chapter. To join or find out more about your nearest chapter, visit https://www.eonetwork.org/why-join/apply-for-membership-form. For further information, please contact: Podcast Host Linh Podetti: linh@outsourcingangel.com.au General Inquiries: support@eonetwork.org.au EO Sydney: www.eosydney.com.au EO Global: https://hub.eonetwork.org/ EO Youtube https://www.youtube.com/@EntrepreneursOrganization -------------------- ABOUT THE HOST Linh Podetti is the CEO and Founder of Outsourcing Angel, a Sydney-based company that helps to create jobs for people in the Philippines while creating freedom for business owners around the world. Outsourcing Angel provides Systemise & Scale Up Services as well as Recruitment of Virtual Assistants to help business owners grow a business that doesn't rely on them. Linh has been an active member of EO Sydney since June 2022, and she actively seeks out opportunities to promote and uplift fellow entrepreneurs. Business Website: www.outsourcingangel.com Personal Website: https://www.linhpodetti.com YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@360degreesuccesslife Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/linhpodetti/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/linh.podetti/