Chic CEO

What Chic CEO does

Chic CEO is a content-led education platform for women who want to start a business. Founded in 2009 by Stephanie Burns in San Diego and operated under the legal entity The Wyld Agency, LLC (Arkansas), the company has reached a stated 100,000+ female entrepreneurs through a library of free how-to guides, a blog, a free business plan template, a Forbes contributor column, conference speaking, a podcast, an SMS tip list, and in-person networking events originally hosted in San Diego, Los Angeles, Portland, and New York. The core technology is a standard small-business stack: WordPress for content, ClickFunnels for course checkout and delivery, and Clever Hub for email marketing and event registration. There is no native mobile app, no public API, and no custom AI/ML component.

The business model is a freemium, product-led funnel. Free content — anchored by the business plan template as a lead magnet — builds an email and SMS list that converts into a single paid product, the 3 Day Chic Start course, priced at $47 one-time and delivered via ClickFunnels. The course teaches step-by-step LLC registration, EIN application, and operating-agreement creation, with optional add-ons (e.g., a $30 Web Pack) and 30-day refund window. Secondary revenue comes from Amazon Associates affiliate links, sponsored content/advertising on the site, and ticketed networking events ($20–25 per attendee, targeting 50 attendees per event). The company is bootstrapped with no disclosed outside funding, operates with 1–10 people, and is run primarily by the founder with partner Jody Greene (Verde Marcomm) supporting content, events, and operations.

Name

Chic CEO

Legal name

The Wyld Agency, LLC

Website

https://chic-ceo.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Chic CEO is a bootstrapped content and education platform that helps women start a business through free guides, a business plan template, and a paid 3 Day Chic Start course, monetized via product-led content marketing, affiliates, ads, and ticketed networking events.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

San Diego

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Digital Courses and Programs: The primary revenue driver is the 3 Day Chic Start course priced at $47, which teaches women how to register their business, set up an LLC, get an EIN, and create an operating agreement. Upsells include a Web Pack add-on for $30. The course includes bonuses valued at over $1,000 (laser strategy session, Airtable spreadsheet, affirmations audio track).
2. Affiliate Marketing: The company participates in the Amazon Associates program and uses affiliate links throughout the website. When users click affiliate links and purchase items, The Wyld Agency, LLC receives an affiliate commission.
3. Advertising and Sponsorships: The website accepts forms of advertising, sponsorship, and paid insertions. Sponsored content and advertising space is identified as such on the website.
4. Networking Event Revenue: Monthly networking events for women in business. Events are priced at $20-25 per person with the goal of 50 attendees ($1,000 per event). Venue costs are avoided by partnering with bars/restaurants who benefit from hosting.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Chic CEO is an online educational platform that provides female entrepreneurs with actionable guidance, resources, and a paid step-by-step course for starting a business. The free business plan template serves as the lead magnet, the 3 Day Chic Start course ($47) delivers hands-on LLC formation, EIN application, and operating agreement creation, and supplementary how-to guides, a blog, and SMS text list provide ongoing support. Networking events and a curated Tech Toolbox round out the offering.

Product overview

Chic CEO is an educational content platform for female entrepreneurs consisting of a free business plan template as the core offering, supplemented by How To Guides with in-depth strategy content, a Blog with business tips and perspectives, and the paid 3 Day Chic Start course for hands-on business setup instruction. Additional offerings include a Text List for tips via SMS and a Tech Toolbox featuring recommended software tools. The platform is operated by The Wyld Agency, LLC and founded by Stephanie Burns.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• 3 Day Chic Start A paid step-by-step digital course priced at $47 that teaches female entrepreneurs how to register their business, set up an LLC, apply for an EIN, and create an operating agreement in three days, including a laser strategy session bonus and an Airtable organizational spreadsheet.
• Free Business Plan Template A free downloadable business plan template designed to help female entrepreneurs create a strategy for business growth, exchanged for an email signup and serving as the primary lead magnet for list building.
• How To Guides A library of free in-depth strategy guides covering topics such as networking events, laptop lifestyle, personal branding, website building, lifestyle blogs, positioning statements, and side hustles, written for female entrepreneurs.
• Chic CEO Blog A blog featuring articles on business planning, laptop lifestyle, personal branding, productivity, revenue-generating strategies, mantras for entrepreneurs, and starting a business.
• Text List A free SMS subscription service where Stephanie Burns texts subscribers tips, secrets, and strategies; users opt in by texting 'Chic CEO' to 858-295-1007.
• Tech Toolbox A curated list of technology tools and software recommendations for entrepreneurs, including website builders, email marketing systems, design tools, payment processors, and business management software.
• Chic CEO Networking Events Monthly in-person networking events for women in business, priced at $20 in advance or $25 at the door, hosted at partner bars/restaurants targeting 50 attendees per event.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 100,000 women have used Chic CEO to get their businesses started
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Clever HubcoreTechnology or IntegrationClever Hub is the recommended email marketing system used by Chic CEO. It handles mass email sending, event registration, and payment collection for networking events. The platform also creates landing pages for events and has discount code functionality that automatically recognizes client emails.
• ClickFunnelscoreTechnology or IntegrationClickFunnels is used as the platform for delivering the 3 Day Chic Start course. It handles the sales funnel, checkout, and delivery of the digital course content. The company uses ClickFunnels to build landing pages and order forms.
• Amazon AssociatesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerChic CEO participates in the Amazon Associates affiliate advertising program. When site visitors click affiliate links and purchase items from Amazon, The Wyld Agency, LLC receives an affiliate commission.
• Jody Greene (Verde Marcomm)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJody Greene, founder of Verde Marcomm, was brought in as a business partner to help build Chic CEO. Together with Stephanie Burns, they developed the content, held networking events across multiple cities, and grew the business to 100,000 subscribers. Jody has a background in marketing.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Marie Forleo: Marie Forleo runs MarieTV, B-School, and a coaching community targeting female entrepreneurs and aspiring business owners. Like Chic CEO, it is founder-led, education-focused, and built around a personal brand and digital courses.
• Side Hustle Nation: Side Hustle Nation is a content and education business run by Nick Loper, covering side hustles, freelance income, and small business startup tactics. Its audience of aspiring entrepreneurs and content-led course model mirror Chic CEO's structure.
• Create & Cultivate: Create & Cultivate runs conferences, digital content, and community for female entrepreneurs and creatives. The event-driven community model parallels Chic CEO's networking events, and the audience and content categories substantially overlap.
• Girlboss: Girlboss is a media and community brand for ambitious women, founded by Sophia Amoruso. It overlaps directly with Chic CEO's audience of female entrepreneurs, with content, events, and resources aimed at career and business starters.
• Foundr Magazine: Foundr produces digital courses, a magazine, podcast, and YouTube content aimed at early-stage entrepreneurs. It is directly comparable as an education-and-content platform for people starting and growing small businesses.
• She Takes on the World: Founded by Natalie MacNeil, She Takes on the World is a female-entrepreneur education and content brand, including courses and books. It targets a near-identical persona (women starting and growing businesses) with a similar personal-brand-driven content model.

Others

• SCORE: SCORE is a U.S. nonprofit network providing free mentoring, workshops, and resources to small business owners. It is a non-paying alternative in the same business-startup education category that Chic CEO's course targets.
• Teachable: Teachable is a SaaS platform that enables creators to build, market, and sell online courses. Chic CEO uses a comparable tool (ClickFunnels) for course delivery; Teachable is an adjacent enabling/infrastructure provider rather than a direct competitor.

Emerging players

• Skillshare: Skillshare is an online learning marketplace with courses on entrepreneurship, branding, productivity, and creative business skills. It overlaps thematically with Chic CEO's content categories but serves a broader, more general audience via a subscription model.

Broad incumbents

• Coursera: Coursera is a large-scale online education platform with university-backed entrepreneurship, marketing, and business courses. It is a broader incumbent that competes for the same learner attention and dollars, though it serves a much wider topic catalog.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ChicCEO
• Facebookfacebook.com/ChicCEO
• Instagraminstagram.com/chicceo

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Chic CEO