When Beth Shero graduated college in 2008 with a design degree, she had no idea that an economic downturn would push her into one of the most pivotal decisions of her life. “I couldn’t find work,” she says. “So I was like, ‘I’ll just be a developer. Who would have guessed?’” Fast forward 15 years, Beth is now the CEO of Shero Commerce, a global e-commerce agency with over 60 employees and partnerships with Shopify, Magento, and BigCommerce.

In a candid and deeply inspiring conversation on the Hello Moxie podcast, Beth shares the story of how she turned uncertainty into innovation—and how she’s paving the way for more women in tech to find their confidence, voice, and power.

Embracing a beginner’s mindset.

Beth’s transition from print designer to front-end developer was driven by pure necessity—but also by an innate drive to build, learn, and grow. She landed her first development job knowing only the basics of HTML and CSS. “The resources were limited back then,” she reflects, “but I just kept pushing hard through it.”

Her resilience carried her forward until she and her husband made the bold decision to launch their own business. Working opposite shifts while raising a young child, they decided to build websites together from home. “We started Shero 15 years ago. It was just him and me,” Beth says. “I did all the designing and development. He did the SEO and marketing. That’s how we got started.”

From Everything to CEO

Beth’s journey into leadership wasn’t immediate. For years, she wore every hat in the business. But nearly three years ago, she stepped fully into the CEO role—and never looked back.

“It was a huge transition,” Beth admits. “The hardest part was letting go and trusting others to get it done. I used to do everything. So learning how to delegate without micromanaging took time.”

Her solution? Transparency and over-communication. “I told my team: ‘This isn’t about you, it’s me. I used to do this job, so I need you to over-communicate so I can breathe a little.’”

Beth also shared how critical it is to find the right people—and let go of those who aren’t aligned. “That was feedback I got early on: I took too long to make decisions. I was overanalyzing. But as CEO, I had to learn to trust my gut.”

Building a Global, Remote, Woman-Led Team

Shero Commerce is now a global operation with team members in the U.S., U.K., Finland, and Albania. Leading a distributed team across cultures hasn’t been easy, but Beth believes communication is everything. “People need to sell the value of what they’re doing—no matter what their role is,” she says. “Remote work requires constant, clear communication. You can’t ever repeat yourself enough.”

Beth is particularly proud of her leadership team—all women. “It’s really cool to see what we’ve built. I know there are women on my team, and even outside it, watching what we’re doing and thinking, ‘I can do that too.’ That means the world to me.”

“I am unstoppable.”

When asked how she built confidence as a leader, Beth doesn’t sugarcoat the struggle. “I used to write ‘I am unstoppable’ on a sticky note and put it on the mirror. I’d repeat it every day until I believed it.”

That self-belief was hard-earned. “People told me I wouldn’t make it. Friends, even family. But I didn’t want to give them the satisfaction of seeing me fail.”

That same grit shows up in her leadership style, her coaching of youth softball, and her commitment to lifting up the next generation. “I want my daughter to see what’s possible. That’s one of the biggest reasons I do what I do.”

Advice to Women in Male-Dominated Spaces

Beth’s experience in the male-heavy world of tech and e-commerce has taught her a lot about finding your voice. “It’s tricky,” she says. “But I always tell women: trust your gut. And find an ally—someone you can bounce ideas off before you share them. It helps you build confidence.”

She also urges women to stop apologizing. “I used to say ‘I’m sorry’ all the time. Now I say ‘thank you for your patience.’ We don’t need to apologize for showing up.”

The Future of E-Commerce Is AI-Driven—and Human-Led

Looking ahead, Beth is excited about how AI will reshape the way we experience online shopping. “The website as we know it will change. AI agents will create dynamic, personalized experiences for each user. It’s going to flip everything we know upside down.”

But even in a tech-driven future, she believes human leadership and connection will matter more than ever. “It’s about strategy and brand trust. You have to build a reputation—because agents will only pull from trusted sources.”

Final Thoughts

Beth Shero shows that you don’t have to have it all figured out to start—and that being real, being bold, and being persistent will take you further than you ever imagined.

“You’re going to fail and you’re going to learn the most. Those are the most important, valuable moments. You just have to put yourself out there.”