In this episode of This Mother Means Business , Laura sits down with Canadian business lawyer and strategist Andrea Henry to unpack the legal foundations that help women-owned businesses grow with confidence. From turning your know-how into intellectual property , to contracts that protect collaborations , to thinking about exit value (even if you never plan to sell) —Andrea shares practical, generous advice you can act on today. If you’ve ever wondered “Do I really have IP?” or “What contracts do I actually need?”, this one’s for you. In this episode you will hear: 00:00 – Meet Andrea Henry 01:30 – Why Andrea works with women founders 02:50 – Women, wealth & impact 05:09 – How Andrea got started 06:55 – Law beyond “herefores” 09:49 – What counts as intellectual property (IP)? 10:05 – Case study: From “client helper” to licenseable asset 12:22 – Another example: Virtual firm playbook 12:46 – Certification & corporate 13:54 – Think “exitable” even if you never sell 14:57 – Protecting your IP without paranoia 16:45 – Why contracts can outperform registrations 17:18 – Share the “why,” guard the “how” 18:18 – Biggest legal blind spots 20:13 – “To be clear is to be kind.” 22:15 – Which contracts do you actually need? 23:35 – Motherhood & legacy-driven business 25:27 – Exit planning (voluntary and involuntary) 26:13 – Advisors matter 31:44 – You deserve advisors who explain 34:24 – Empowered, not obedient Andrea's Links: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/andreahenry.lawyer/ Website: https://www.andreahenry.ca/ Join This Mother Means Business : www.thismothermeansbusiness.com Laura's Links: • Website • Laura's Instagram • LJSocial Instagram • LinkedIn • Facebook • Pinterest • TikTok
