Growing Startups with Evelyn Cools

When anyone can write content and cold emails with AI, your story is one of the few things a competitor can't copy. In this episode of Growing Startups, I sit down with Stephen Steers, B2B sales expert and master storyteller, to talk about the four questions he asks before telling a story that sells, why 1,000 true fans can matter more than a big audience, and how he uses permission-based outbound to start conversations. We also get into why speaking is his strongest channel and why he's skeptical of the pressure to scale.

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Marketing can create demand, but if the product doesn’t deliver on the promise, that demand can quickly turn into churn. In this episode of Growing Startups, I sit down with Gev Marotz, founder of Gev Design, to talk about why product, marketing, positioning, and brand need to work together — and how founders can create a more cohesive customer experience from the start.

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AI can write your content. It can’t tell you what you actually think. In this episode of Growing Startups, I sit down with Tish Dignam, founder of Shapes, to talk about finding your voice, getting clear on what you believe, and why that clarity matters so much when you’re building a company.

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In this episode of Growing Startups, I sit down with Jean-Philippe M.L. Schepens van Thiel, Founder & CEO of AxonJay.ai, to talk about how founders can rethink go-to-market in a world where traditional outbound is getting noisier and less effective. We get into why timing and context matter more than volume, how AI can help identify real buying signals, and why human judgment still needs to be part of the process.

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Learn more about AxonJay.ai

Category creation sounds exciting, but it isn’t always the right move for a startup. In this episode of Growing Startups, I sit down with Johanna Cohen, product marketing and communications leader, to talk about how founders and marketers can understand their market, position their product, and decide when creating a new category is actually worth it.

How do you know what to focus on when you’re building an early-stage company? In this episode of Growing Startups, I sit down with Kt McBratney, GP & Head of Community at Renew Venture Capital, to talk about making smarter growth decisions, avoiding the pressure to do everything at once, and building a business in a way that’s sustainable for both founders and their teams.

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In this episode of Growing Startups, we’re switching things up. Erin Miska, positioning and messaging expert for early and growth-stage companies, turns the mic on me to talk about my unconventional path into startup marketing, how I approach zero-to-one marketing, and what it’s like building a business while being a new mom. We also get into how I feel about AI, finding the right marketing channels, avoiding burnout, and crafting a career around the life you actually want.

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The future of B2B marketing looks a lot more human. In this episode of Growing Startups, I sit down with Jeremy Ro, Founding GTM at Virio, to explore why employee generated content is exploding right now and how companies can use personal brands to drive real business growth. From LinkedIn strategy to authentic storytelling, this conversation is full of actionable ideas for modern marketers.

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AI is moving fast and it’s easy to feel like you’re already behind. In this episode of Growing Startups, I sit down with Alfie Marsh, Co-founder and CEO of Station, to unpack how to actually approach AI without getting overwhelmed, from using digital workers to breaking down tasks in a way that makes AI genuinely useful. If you’ve been struggling to keep up or wondering where to start, this conversation will help you focus on what really matters.

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Startup marketing often fails because teams skip the foundations. In this episode of Growing Startups, I sit down with Garrett Jestice, GTM Advisor for B2B startups and Founder of 10X Solo, to break down how to identify your best customers, narrow your focus, and build a go-to-market motion that drives consistent growth.

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