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How a Mission-Driven Entrepreneur Built a Business, Raised a Family, and Found Her Village
Have you ever felt like you’re building something meaningful with no village in sight? Like you’re holding down a business, raising your kids, and managing a household, all while feeling like you’re supposed to do it completely on your own? In this episode, I sit down with Maddie Hamann, co-founder of PACHA and a mission-driven entrepreneur who has intentionally built her own village, both literally and figuratively, while growing a regenerative food company and raising her daughter.
Key Takeaways
- Discover what it looks like to live in intentional community while running a growing business
- Learn why community support isn’t optional for working mothers, it’s infrastructure
- Understand how Maddie made a slow, intentional pivot from a PhD in Earth Science to entrepreneurship
- Hear why leaning on others isn’t a sign of weakness, it’s what makes ambitious goals sustainable
- Get encouragement for navigating your own season of growth, whether in business or motherhood
From Earth Science to a Mission-Driven Business
Before co-founding PACHA, Maddie earned a PhD in Earth Science. She spent years studying the planet at an academic level, driven by a desire to be part of the solution to climate change. But somewhere along the way, she realized that knowledge alone wasn’t creating the change she wanted to see.
That realization eventually led her to PACHA, a company built around regenerative agriculture and food that’s genuinely good for both people and the planet. Maddie didn’t leap into entrepreneurship overnight. She built a runway, slowly transitioning out of her academic career while testing and growing the business alongside her husband and co-founder. It’s proof that a meaningful pivot doesn’t have to look like jumping without a plan. It can look like steady, intentional steps toward something new.
Why a Village Matters More Than We Admit
One of the most powerful parts of this conversation is how openly Maddie talks about community. She and her family live alongside roughly fifteen other adults and children, sharing meals, childcare, and daily life in a way that most of us only dream about.
For Maddie, this isn’t just a lifestyle choice, it’s a strategy. Raising a daughter while building a mission-driven business requires more hands, more support, and more flexibility than any one family can provide alone. Her village allows her to show up fully in both roles, as a founder and as a mother, without burning out trying to do it all solo.
This is a powerful reminder for any of us trying to build something meaningful while also showing up for our families. We weren’t designed to do hard things in isolation. Whether your village looks like Maddie’s literal community or simply a few trusted people you can call on, having support changes what’s possible.
Mindset as a Tool for Growth
Beyond community, Maddie also shares how she manages the mental side of building a business during demanding seasons. Rather than resenting a packed calendar or mourning the self-care routine she’d prefer to have, she’s learned to consciously reframe how she thinks about her time. That shift in mindset, choosing how she wants to feel about a season rather than resisting it, has become just as important to her as any productivity tool.
It’s a great reminder that balance isn’t about a perfectly even week. It’s a feeling you can choose to cultivate, even when life looks busy on paper.
About the Guest
Maddie Hamann is the co-founder and Director of Marketing at PACHA, a regenerative food company on a mission to reinvent bread for people and the planet. After earning a PhD in Earth Science, Maddie left academia to tackle climate change through the food system, starting with a loaf of sprouted buckwheat bread that changed her life. Today, PACHA’s allergen-free, gut-friendly breads and tortillas are sold nationwide in Whole Foods, Sprouts, and Albertsons. Maddie lives in Southern California with her husband and co-founder, where they raise their daughter and grow a business rooted in impact, integrity, and true nourishment.
Episode Links + Resources
- Learn more about PACHA and shop their products: livepacha.com
- Follow PACHA on Instagram: @livepacha
- Apply for a free time management coaching session: freetimecall.com
Related Episodes
- Ep. 22 – How to Build a Core Values Driven Life and Business ft. Sarah Joy Hays
- Ep. 221 – The Slow Living Secret: How Slowing Down Can Help You Live Your Most Authentic Life ft. Stephanie O’Dea
- Ep. 94 – It Takes a Village: How to Build a Powerful Personal Support System ft. Ashley Joy
Frequently Asked Questions
What is PACHA?
PACHA is a regenerative food company co-founded by Maddie Hamann that makes allergen-free, gut-friendly breads and tortillas. The company is built around regenerative agriculture, a farming approach focused on rebuilding healthy soil, supporting biodiversity, and reducing the need for pesticides and chemicals.
Where can I buy PACHA products?
PACHA’s breads and tortillas are sold nationwide at Whole Foods, Sprouts, and Albertsons. You can also learn more at livepacha.com or follow @livepacha on Instagram.
How did Maddie Hamann go from a PhD in Earth Science to founding a food company?
Maddie spent years studying the planet at an academic level before realizing that research alone wasn’t creating the change she wanted to see. After meeting her husband and co-founder, she gradually transitioned out of academia and into entrepreneurship, building a slow, intentional runway rather than making an abrupt career change.
What is regenerative agriculture?
Regenerative agriculture is a farming approach focused on building healthy soil, which improves water retention, increases biodiversity, and helps remove carbon from the atmosphere. It stands in contrast to conventional mono-crop farming, which often relies more heavily on pesticides and lacks ecological resilience.
How does Maddie Hamann balance running a business with motherhood?
Maddie credits intentional community for making it possible to balance entrepreneurship and motherhood. She and her family live alongside roughly fifteen other adults and children, sharing meals, childcare, and daily support, which she describes as essential infrastructure rather than a lifestyle preference.
Why does Maddie Hamann say mindset management is important for entrepreneurs?
Maddie practices consciously choosing how she wants to feel about a busy season, rather than resenting it. Instead of mourning the self-care routine she’d prefer to have, she reframes demanding periods as meaningful family or work time, which she says reduces resentment and increases her overall sense of balance.
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