From self-proclaimed "software engineer introvert" to confident industry connector, Julia Draghici, Co-Founder & CEO of CPV Lab and CPV ONE, has mastered the art of turning authentic relationships into business growth. 

In this candid conversation with host Lee-Ann Johnstone, Julia reveals how she transformed from someone who believed "building good software and having good customer support would be enough" into a partnership-driven entrepreneur whose business thrives on genuine connections. Through her journey from nervously walking conference floors to building lasting friendships that generate multiple client referrals, Julia demonstrates that the most powerful marketing tool isn't technology—it's the human ability to help first, ask later, and treat partnerships like marriages rather than transactions.

Talking points include: 

• How Julia overcame her introverted nature at industry conferences using simple conversation starters like "what do you do?" to build meaningful business relationships.
• The philosophy of "give first, ask later" and why small gestures like LinkedIn shares, mentions, and introductions create more lasting impact than big sponsorships.
• Why treating partnerships like marriages—with long-term commitment and mutual investment—generates sustainable competitive advantages in performance marketing.

Listen to find out more about: 

• The specific red flags Julia watches for in potential partnerships and why asking "what do I get out of it?" in early conversations signals poor partnership potential.
• How CPV Lab's customer support reveals why humans still matter in an AI-driven world, with "I want to talk with an agent" being their most frequent chatbot query.
• The emerging partnership opportunities between content creators and affiliate managers that represent new collaboration models in performance marketing.

Key segments of this podcast and where you can tune in to go direct: 

[08:44] Julia's first conference networking experience and overcoming introvert challenges

[15:45] The Joey Babineau partnership case study and building lasting business friendships

[26:52] Rapid-fire relationship advice including partnership red flags and trust-building strategies

Our thanks go to Mate Affiliates as this season's sponsor. Would you like to talk about sponsoring our podcast, or gaining a brand mention? Take a look here.

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