FROM Hollywood sets TO STARTUP meetings,

Sara Foster has officially mastered the art of the multi-hyphenate career.

Since her last C&C 100 feature, she’s helped grow Favorite Daughter into a profitable fashion brand, expanded her world as a producer and investor, and continued building a media empire alongside her sister, Erin Foster.

But what makes Sara’s approach stand out is how honest she is about the messy middle — the pivots, the risks, and learning to trust your instincts even when everyone else has an opinion. Whether she’s talking about motherhood, business, or turning down opportunities that don’t align, she brings the kind of grounded confidence that makes success feel attainable. One thing is clear: Sara isn’t chasing someone else’s blueprint, she's building her own. Read about Sara Foster's journey in her C&C 100 interview below.

You’ve accomplished so much since the last time you were featured on the C&C 100 list. What’s been the biggest pivot you’ve made in your business since then?

Wow, that question just made me reflect on all that has changed. When we were featured last time I believe we were mainly focused on the TV show that we created, “Barely Famous” as well as being heads of creative at a tech company. We are now founders of a profitable fashion brand, podcast hosts, investors and have a production company. Anyone who feels like you are supposed to have it all figured out by 30, let this be a reminder you definitely don’t.

What is the one thing you'd tell founders about how to attract VC investment, both from a business and a personal perspective?

From a business standpoint, I would say you need to know your numbers but know your customer even better. Your customer will tell you everything you need to know if you actually listen – what's working, what's broken, where the opportunity is. The founders who get that are the ones on track to build something that lasts.

On a personal level, I would say I want founders to have conviction, not delusion. I want them to be super clear on their roadmap. I want founders to see reality clearly and still believe they will win. My instincts have served me well when choosing between investing or not. The best founders make me feel smart about investing and nervous to miss out.

You’ve worn so many hats as an actress, producer, podcast host, founder, and investor. What’s the biggest risk you’ve taken in this latest chapter of your career that paid off most?

When I say our instincts have served us well, the best example is our joint venture with Centric Brands for Favorite Daughter. Everyone told us to own 100 percent of our company. Many brilliant people who we look up to told us to raise money and take more ownership. We listened to our gut and partnered 50/50 with people who are a lot smarter than us and who understand supply chain, ecommerce and distribution better than anyone. It was the right move.

What was the biggest mindset shift required to go from where you started to where you are now?

The biggest shift has been learning to bet on myself. When you're first starting out, there’s so much noise. Everyone has an opinion about what you should be doing, how you should be doing it, and what makes sense and what doesn't. In the beginning, it's really hard to tune out. It took time to get to a place where I trusted my instincts. I’ve gotten things wrong, and I know I will again, but coming back to my voice and vision every single time has worked the best for me.

“The best founders make me feel smart about investing and nervous to miss out.”

What is something you will not sacrifice in the name of success? Have you ever had to turn down opportunities to stay aligned with your values?

My energy. It's the one thing I've really fought to protect, and I think I've stayed pretty true to that.

And yes, I've had to turn things down. The truth is, we can't do everything, even when we want to. There have been brand deals, partnerships, investment opportunities that looked incredible on paper but just weren't the right fit for where we were at the time. We also never walk away from something lightly. We would look at it from every angle and think about what it means for the bigger picture. There have been times where we passed on something and later regretted it, but at the end of the day, trusting ourselves has gotten us this far.

Your journey of being a mother while also growing a massive brand has inspired so many. What advice would you give to women who want to follow a similar path?

Don't wait for the right time, it doesn't exist. If I had waited for the perfect moment, I'd still be waiting. Do your due diligence, figure out what balance actually looks like for you — because it looks different for everyone — and then build your support system. They say it takes a village for a reason. The people around me, personally and professionally, are the reason I'm able to do what I do. I wouldn't be here without them, and I always remember that.

What does success look like to you right now versus when you first started?

My definition of success has really evolved over the years. When we first started it was about visibility. I wanted our brands to be everywhere. Although awareness matters, I've learned the real win is that they're still growing while staying true to who we are and what we set out to build. That's hard to do. So many things scale and somewhere along the way, lose sight of the initial vision. We are really intentional about keeping what our customers, our listeners, and our viewers want top of mind, and just as importantly, what we want for them. That intersection is where I think our success lives right now.

What’s something you would do more of if you had the time?

If I had the time, I’d be reading more. It's one thing I really miss when life gets crazy. There's something about sitting with a book when there’s nothing else you need to be doing or nowhere else you need to be that creates this completely different kind of headspace. I'm trying to carve out more space for it, but it's definitely been hard.