What does it take to disrupt a category that's been around for millennia?

In this episode of Founders in Jeans, I sit down with Clara Veniard, founder and CEO of Coro Foods, the company reinventing salami and pepperoni with bold flavors, all-natural ingredients, and humanely raised pork — all made 100% in-house at their own facility in Washington state.

Clara shares the unexpected origin story behind Coro (which began with a beloved Seattle deli and a mole-inspired salami), why she deliberately chose an "unglamorous" category others overlook, and how she's working to raise the bar on ingredient quality, food safety, and how the meat industry treats its people.

She also gets candid about the hard parts: pricing a premium product without sacrificing profitability, building a resilient supply chain, and keeping human connection at the center as the brand grows.

Whether you're building a food brand or any business in a crowded space, Clara's playbook for finding opportunity where everyone else sees something dull is full of practical, hard-won insight.

TIME STAMPS

01:43 - Meet Clara Veniard and the Coro Foods origin story

03:09 - Why salami? Finding white space in an "old-school" category

04:30 - The Salumi deli, the mole salami, and the seed of Coro

06:05 - Disrupting on every lever: ingredients, food safety, and treating employees better

10:22 - What makes a food product truly unforgettable

11:26 - Building honest, clean products — and negotiating that against cost

14:01 - The fear of premium pricing, and how Clara found confidence in her price point

16:47 - Keeping Coro human in a fast-moving, digital food world

18:35 - The next wave of premium food brands and the ingredients-first trend

20:32 - Rapid fire: the "indulgence" trend, Puma's contrarian branding, and one book every founder should read

_____________Connect with guest Clara Veniard:Website: https://www.corofoods.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/claraveniard/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/clara-veniard-438506/

Contact/Get Coro Foods:

Website: https://www.corofoods.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/corofoods/

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/stores/page/DFEB4E28-A51F-437C-80AA-C8A60E70B148_____________Follow Emily Jean:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emily.jeans/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emily-jeans/Follow Founders in Jeans:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/foundersinjeansWebsite: https://www.livegooddigital.comYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@FoundersinJeansSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3kiqSke5mnlFIlC9t4xLU0Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/founders-in-jeans/id1802430594Subscribe to our Newsletter: https://foundersinjeans.substack.com/subscribe_____________⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Loved this episode? Rate and review Founders in Jeans. It helps more women find us._____________

Coro Foods, Clara Veniard, salami, pepperoni, cured meats, premium food brand, all-natural ingredients, humanely raised pork, food startup, CPG founder, female founder, startup founder, founder podcast, disrupting food industry, supply chain, premium pricing, brand building, Founders in Jeans, Emily Jean

Most founders believe that if the work is good enough, the right people will eventually find it. Publicist KJ Blattenbauer is here to gently end that myth.

In this episode, I sit down with KJ, founder of Hearsay PR and a publicist with nearly 30 years of experience, to talk about why brilliant founders stay invisible, and what to do about it. KJ makes the case that you don't have to be big, famous, or "ready" to start building visibility.

Some of the best PR stories come from people at zero dollars, because they're nimble, relatable, and exactly who everyday audiences want to root for.

We get into what "no-fluff" PR actually looks like, why paying for placements is advertising (not PR) and how to spot a pay-for-play grift, plus scrappy, free ways to land press when you're on a shoestring budget.

KJ also shares how to talk about your work without feeling gross, the one habit that compounds into real media traction, and why in the age of AI, your human story is your biggest advantage.

KJ's book Pitchworthy: The No-Fluff Playbook to Publicity That Pays Off is out now, along with its companion workbook. Think of it as a straight-talking publicist in your back pocket.

IN THIS EPISODE

00:00 – Intro & welcome

01:56 – Meet KJ Blattenbauer

02:32 – How a small-town talker fell into PR

04:01 – What "no-fluff PR" actually means

04:43 – Why great founders stay invisible

06:41 – Why "build it and they'll come" is dead

07:33 – New vs. seasoned founders: the trust gap

09:03 – What PR ROI really looks like

12:14 – Landing press on a shoestring budget

14:14 – The one habit that compounds

15:55 – Promoting yourself without the cringe

17:04 – Nearly 30 years in PR (before the internet)

17:36 – Staying creative & finding everyone's story

18:23 – Being the face and the engine

19:26 – Inside the book Pitchworthy

20:25 – Standing out in the AI era

21:52 – The PR myth to drop

22:28 – Pay-to-play & advice that needs to stop

23:48 – A founder nailing storytelling

25:12 – KJ's top resource for entrepreneurs

26:07 – Where to find KJ & the book

_____________

Connect with guest: KJ Blattenbauer:

Website: https://www.hearsaypr.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kjblattenbauer

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kjblattenbauer

Get the book Pitchworthy (out now): https://www.amazon.com/Pitchworthy-No-Fluff-Playbook-Publicity-That/dp/B0G2SH7FG5

_____________

Follow Emily Jean:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emily.jeans/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emily-jeans/

Follow Founders in Jeans:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/foundersinjeans

Website: https://www.livegooddigital.com

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@FoundersinJeans

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3kiqSke5mnlFIlC9t4xLU0

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/founders-in-jeans/id1802430594

Subscribe to our Newsletter: https://foundersinjeans.substack.com/subscribe

_____________

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Loved this episode? Rate and review Founders in Jeans. It helps more women find us.

_____________

KJ Blattenbauer, Hearsay PR, Pitchworthy, public relations, PR for founders, how to get press, earned media, media coverage, publicity, personal branding, visibility strategy, no-fluff PR, pay-to-play PR, storytelling, female founder, startup founder, founder podcast, small business marketing, how to pitch journalists, Founders in Jeans, Emily Jean

Fertility advice is broken, and most of what you've been told about periods, trackers, and "regulating your cycle" is flat-out wrong. In this episode, I sit down with Kirsten Karchmer, North America's first reproductive acupuncturist and founder of Conceivable, who treated 10,000+ women before building an AI that got her fertility outcomes without her in the room.We get into the messy middle of building in femtech: how she failed the first time, why she scrubbed herself out of her own brand (and why that backfired), how 500K TikTok followers literally built her product, and the study where her AI "Kai" beat her by 6%. Plus the fertility myths she's exhausted by, why she thinks period trackers do more harm than good, and how any of us can actually advocate for our own reproductive health.TIMESTAMPS -IntroMeet Kirsten Karchmer (Conceivable) -What is a reproductive acupuncturist? -Why your period predicts your whole health -Why women's health got ignored for 17 centuries -The emotional weight of building in women's health -How 500K TikTok followers built the product -The study where her AI beat her by 6% -Explaining complex ideas without the jargon -The Gary Vee advice that changed everything -Hooks & pattern interrupts that stop the scroll -Posting cadence + the tool she swears by -Fertility myths she's tired of debunking -How to actually advocate for your reproductive health-Rapid fire round -The daily habit that changed her life -Advice to her younger founder self -Books & tools for female founders -Where to find Kirsten__________ Connect with Kristen Karchmer:Website: https://conceivable.com/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@kirsten_karchmerLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kirsten-karchmer-0139808/Book: Seeing Red by Kristen Karchmer: https://www.amazon.com/Seeing-Red-Every-Woman-Period/dp/1982131950__________ Follow Emily Jean:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emily.jeans/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emily-jeans/Follow Founders in Jeans:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/foundersinjeansWebsite: https://www.livegooddigital.comYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@FoundersinJeansSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3kiqSke5mnlFIlC9t4xLU0Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/founders-in-jeans/id1802430594Subscribe to our Newsletter: https://foundersinjeans.substack.com/subscribe__________ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Loved this episode? Rate and review Founders in Jeans. It helps more women find us.__________ Kirsten Karchmer, Conceivable, fertility, women's health, femtech, reproductive acupuncture, period health, menstrual cycle, fertility trackers, how to get pregnant naturally, female founder, startup founder, founder podcast, AI in healthcare, Founders in Jeans, Emily Jean

Can you really build a personal brand on LinkedIn while working a full-time 9-to-5? Raina Das did exactly that, quietly building her personal brand after work until it turned into 150+ brand deals, 25,000 LinkedIn followers, and three sponsorship deals in a single week. No hustle-porn, no chasing followers, no quitting her day job.

In this episode of Founders in Jeans, Raina shares her honest playbook for personal branding and LinkedIn growth: how she builds content in one calendar-blocked hour a day, why she quit LinkedIn 20–30 times before it finally clicked, and the mindset shift that took her from chasing followers to building a real community.

We also get into what most founders and marketers get wrong about marketing, the difference between a good brand collab and a strategic one, and why consistency (not perfection) is what actually grows a personal brand.

If you're a founder, creator, marketer, or anyone trying to build a personal brand on LinkedIn or Instagram while holding down a full-time job — this one's for you.

In this episode you'll learn:

• How to build a personal brand on LinkedIn while working full-time
• A realistic 1-hour-a-day content routine (and the "inspo bank" trick)
• How to land brand deals and sponsorships as a creator
• Community vs. followers — what actually builds a sustainable brand
• What founders get wrong about marketing
• How to stay consistent and beat content burnout

TIMESTAMPS

00:00 - Intro

03:40 - What a LinkedIn personal brand actually gets you

05:53 - Moving abroad alone at 20 & learning to trust yourself

08:32 - How to build a career on your own terms

10:56 - Balancing a 9-to-5 with a personal brand (time-blocking + the "inspo bank")

13:20 - Why no one cares about your daily posts (avoiding burnout)

13:59 - 150+ brand deals: good collab vs. strategic collab

16:22 - Build a sustainable brand: community over followers

18:18 - What most people get wrong about marketing

19:53 - Why founders bring marketing in too late

21:10 - Does every founder need a personal brand?

22:43 - Staying authentic online & quitting LinkedIn 30 times

24:43 - Rapid fire + hitting 25K LinkedIn followers

25:28 - The most overrated marketing trend right now

26:26 - Advice when you're stuck on what to post

27:34 - Brands nailing their marketing

28:14 - Her #1 book recommendation

30:04 - Where to find Raina

Connect with Raina Das:

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/rainadas

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/themarketingcheerleader/

Website: ⁠https://myjulip.com/raina

Follow Emily Jean:

Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/emily.jeans/⁠

LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/emily-jeans/⁠

Follow Founders in Jeans:

Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/foundersinjeans⁠

Website: ⁠https://www.livegooddigital.com⁠

YouTube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@FoundersinJeans⁠

Spotify: ⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/3kiqSke5mnlFIlC9t4xLU0⁠

Apple Podcasts: ⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/founders-in-jeans/id1802430594⁠

Subscribe to our Newsletter: ⁠https://foundersinjeans.substack.com/subscribe⁠

_________

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Loved this episode? Rate and review Founders in Jeans. It helps more women find us.

_________

personal branding, how to build a personal brand on LinkedIn, LinkedIn personal brand, LinkedIn growth tips, personal branding for beginners, building a personal brand while working full time, how to get brand deals, brand partnerships, marketing tips, content creation tips, women in business podcast, founder personal brand, Raina Das, Founders in Jeans podcast, house of interesting women

What if the safest path to entrepreneurship isn't quitting your job, it's staying in it a little longer?

Ksenia Votinova-Arnaud is the co-founder of LeVPN, a profitable SaaS business she's been building for 15 years without a single outside investment. She's also the founder of the Weatherproof Business Launchpad, where she coaches women in tech to leave corporate life on their own terms, with a validated idea, real customers, and a business that's profitable by design.

In this episode, Ksenia gets real about what it actually took to build something that lasts, the moment in Bali when she realized she was building someone else's life, the Eastern European mindset around resilience that shaped how she thinks about risk, and why she believes "build it and they will come" is the most dangerous lie in entrepreneurship.This one's for you if you've been thinking about leaving corporate, but want to do it right.

WHAT WE COVER:

- Why Ksenia built LeVPN to be profitable from day one,and never needed outside funding

- The Bali pivoting moment that changed everything- Eastern European vs Western mindsets on risk, and which one builds better businesses- The #1 mistake women in tech make when leaving corporate.

- How to validate your idea in 5 hours a week without quitting your job

- Why you're already a founder, even if nobody knows it yet

- What Google and Adobe executives still struggle with

- The "weatherproof business" formula: what it means and why it matters

__________

Connect with Ksenia:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kseniavotinova/

Website: https://kseniavotinova.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kseniavotinova/

Follow Emily Jean:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emily.jeans/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emily-jeans/

Follow Founders In Jeans:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/foundersinjeans/

Website: livegooddigital.com

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@FoundersinJeans

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3kiqSke5mnlFIlC9t4xLU0

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/founders-in-jeans/id1802430594

Subscribe to our Newsletter: https://foundersinjeans.substack.com/subscribe

__________

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Loved this episode? Rate and review Founders in Jeans. It helps more women find us.

__________

women in tech entrepreneurship, how to leave corporate job, SaaS founder story, build a profitable business, weatherproof business, LeVPN founder, female founder podcast, startup without funding, business resilience, women entrepreneur podcast, corporate to founder, how to validate a business idea, business coaching for women, product market fit explained

I sat down with Yvette Boateng, creative strategist, UGC creator, and founder of The Good Yap, and she said something that stopped me mid sentence: You don't really know what your story was until you talk about it.

Yvette has spent nearly a decade in marketing. She started out chasing the influencer dream, pivoted into UGC, built a career around brand storytelling, and eventually realized the skill everyone kept praising her, for storytelling was the exact thing she should be building a business around.

So she did. 

The Good Yap is her coaching and consulting service helping founders, creators, and entrepreneurs excavate their story, shape their personal brand, and turn who they are into opportunities.

This episode is for every founder who has a million ideas but can't figure out how to say them out loud. For every entrepreneur who thinks vulnerability is a liability, not an asset. For everyone who's been told to just post more but knows deep down that's not the whole answer.The real reason your content isn't connecting? It has nothing to do with the algorithm.

TIMESTAMPS

00:00 — Introduction: Yvette Boateng, creative strategist & founder of The Good Yap

02:09 — What it really means to spin stories and yap for a living

06:09 — How she accidentally fell into UGC and what she learned from it

08:21 — Why building relationships (not a following) is what actually grows your brand

12:08 — Why founders struggle to tell their own story  and the real cost of that silence

15:00 — The candle brand founder who went viral by admitting she was struggling

17:00 — Does every founder need to be on camera?

19:30 — Why LinkedIn might be your most underrated platform.

23:48 — The hardest part of turning creativity into a business.

26:30 — How clarity unlocks confidence and why you can't fake your way there

27:20 — Rapid fire: her most memorable campaign (hint: it involved Colgate and a very personal story)

30:00 — Her go to fix for a boring ad

32:00 — The resource she swears by: YouTube over books, every time

WHAT YOU'LL TAKE AWAY

— Why your struggle story isn't a weakness, it's your most powerful piece of content.

— How to know which platform is actually right for you, not just the one everyone says you should be on.

— The silent video test: if your ad doesn't make sense on mute, something is broken.

— Why founders who stay silent about their journey end up irrelevant, even with a great product.

— Clarity before confidence.Here's how to find it.

— Why ghost writing isn't cheating, it's strategy.

__________ 

Connect with Yvette Boateng:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yvette-boateng/

Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@ybsocials?lang=en

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/itsyvetteab/

__________ 

Follow Emily Jean:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emily.jeans/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emily-jeans/

Follow Founders in Jeans:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/foundersinjeans

Website: https://www.livegooddigital.com

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@FoundersinJeans

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3kiqSke5mnlFIlC9t4xLU0

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/founders-in-jeans/id1802430594

Subscribe to our Newsletter: https://foundersinjeans.substack.com/subscribe

__________ 

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Loved this episode? Rate and review Founders in Jeans. It helps more women find us.

__________ 

personal branding for founders, how to tell your story as an entrepreneur, UGC creator tips, brand storytelling strategy, LinkedIn personal branding, creative strategy for small businesses, female founder podcast, women entrepreneur podcast, Yvette Boateng The Good Yap, founder personal brand, content strategy for founders, how to grow on LinkedIn, vulnerability in business, entrepreneurship podcast women, startup podcast, UGC marketing tips, ghost writing for entrepreneurs, founder burnout, building a personal brand from scratch, women in business podcast.

I sat down with Eraj Lodhi, founder of Plot Out Loud, a cheeky marketing agency and podcast based in the UK, and she said something that stopped me mid-conversation.

"Audacity is my business plan."

Eraj left the traditional route, the safe job, the visa sponsorship, the box, and built something entirely her own. She's grown a marketing agency, launched a podcast in her first year, traveled five hours one way for a single shoot, and cold-emailed her way into rooms most people wait years to be invited into. All on the belief that human stories are the most powerful marketing tool we have and that everybody is winging it, including the people at the top.

This episode is for everyone who has been told to pick a niche, stay professional, fit the mold, and play it safe. Eraj's answer to all of that is one word: audacity.

TIMESTAMPS

00:00 — Introduction: Eraj Lodhi, Founder of Plot Out Loud01:47 — What "cheeky marketing" actually means03:34 — From student visa to founder: leaving the safe route05:25 — Building a team without losing the vision06:36 — The blandest marketing campaigns she's ever seen07:59 — Celebrity brand deals gone wrong — and what brands missed09:00 — Why she started a podcast and calls it her most selfish decision11:03 — She traveled 5 hours one way. for one shoot.12:14 — Should everyone start a podcast? Her answer is yes.14:19 — Audacity as a business plan: how self-belief becomes strategy15:33 — Being left on read and why it doesn't count as rejection16:05 — How founders stop playing it safe and start owning their story18:19 — The dream brand she'd give a cheeky makeover (hint: it's LinkedIn)19:56 — Rapid fire: worst slogans, jealousy-inducing campaigns & Meryl Streep22:12 — The most overrated piece of business advice she's ever heard

WHAT YOU'LL TAKE AWAY

• Why "you need a niche" is the most overrated advice in marketing right now.
• What cheeky marketing actually means and why your brand needs more human, less polish.
• How cold emails and audacity built an agency from scratch with no safety net.
• Why everybody at the top is winging it and what that means for you.
• The one thing that makes content connect: stop selling, start being human.
• Why your first imperfect step beats the perfect plan you're still sitting on.

Connect with Eraj Lodhi:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eraj-lodhi/Podcast: Plotcast by Plot Out Loud on Spotify & YouTubeInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/plotoutloud/

Follow Emily Jean:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emily.jeans/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emily-jeans/

Follow Founders in Jeans:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/foundersinjeansWebsite: https://www.livegooddigital.comYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@FoundersinJeansSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3kiqSke5mnlFIlC9t4xLU0Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/founders-in-jeans/id1802430594Newsletter: https://foundersinjeans.substack.com/subscribe

_________

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Loved this episode? Rate and review Founders in Jeans. It helps more women find us.

_________

cheeky marketing agency, human storytelling in marketing, how to start a podcast, founder podcast UK, marketing without a niche, personal brand audacity, Plot Out Loud, Eraj Lodhi, Plotcast, marketing agency founder, cold email strategy, freelance team building, podcast for entrepreneurs, female founder podcast, Founders in Jeans, Emily Jean, women in business, startup podcast, entrepreneur mindset, how to grow a marketing agency, authentic marketing strategy, slow intentional business, founder story podcast, marketing podcast women, cheeky marketing UK, brand storytelling

I had a blast with Palak Agarwal, London-based marketer and personal brand builder, and she said something that made me rethink everything I thought I knew about showing up online.

Palak moved from Nepal to London with limited resources, navigated rejection after rejection, and built a LinkedIn community of 10,000+ followers, not by going viral, not by gaming the algorithm, but by simply being real. She's a self-described introvert who figured out that writing was her superpower, and she used it to build belonging in a city where she knew nobody.

This episode is for everyone who thinks they have nothing worth saying, who scrolls LinkedIn wondering why their content isn't landing, or who's been waiting to feel confident enough to start. The reason it's not working probably isn't your content. It starts way before that.

TIMESTAMPS

00:00 — Introduction: Palak Agarwal, marketer & LinkedIn personal brand builder

02:13 — Moving abroad with limited resources: the scariest leap she ever took

05:35 — The hardest cultural adjustment nobody warns you about

08:43 — How to write content that actually resonates on LinkedIn

10:28 — Balancing vulnerability and professionalism online

13:08 — What it really means to be an introvert on LinkedIn

15:21 — Mindset vs. skill: what actually carries you through hard times

17:47 — If not marketing, she'd be this

19:46 — How she prevents burnout (hint: it involves cookies)

21:32 — The resources she swears by — newsletters over courses, every time

WHAT YOU'LL TAKE AWAY

— Why rejection is redirection, and how to mentally prepare for it before you move or pivot.

— The one question to ask before building your personal brand: what's your why?

— Why authenticity isn't a buzzword, it's the only strategy that actually works.

— How introverts can build powerful personal brands without showing their face first.

— Mindset is the foundation. Skills fill the gaps.

— Why your first imperfect post will always beat the perfect one you never publish.

__________

Connect with Palak Agarwal:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/agarwalpalak99/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/palak.ag/

__________

Follow Emily Jean:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emily.jeans/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emily-jeans/

Follow Founders in Jeans:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/foundersinjeans

Website: https://www.livegooddigital.com

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@FoundersinJeans

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3kiqSke5mnlFIlC9t4xLU0

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/founders-in-jeans/id1802430594

Subscribe to our Newsletter: https://foundersinjeans.substack.com/subscribe

__________

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Loved this episode? Rate and review Founders in Jeans. It helps more women find us.

__________

LinkedIn personal branding, how to grow on LinkedIn, personal branding for introverts, moving abroad career tips, building a personal brand from scratch, LinkedIn content strategy, LinkedIn for marketers, female founder podcast, entrepreneur podcast women, Palak Agarwal, rejection as redirection, mindset for entrepreneurs, content creation authenticity, women in business, startup podcast, international career growth, burnout prevention entrepreneurs

I sat down with Mafalda Johannsen, sales expert, author, and she said something that stopped me mid-conversation.

Mafalda has spent 15 years in sales, starting at 22 on 100% commission selling timeshares in Florida with no safety net and no plan. Since then she's built a career in B2B prospecting, written a book on sales and AI, recorded masterclasses for the DACH region's top sales platform, and managed PR for a jazz band on the side — because why not.

This episode is for every founder who thinks adding AI to their outreach will fix things. It won't. And Mafalda will tell you exactly why — and what to do instead.

TIMESTAMPS

00:00 — Introduction: Mafalda Johannsen

02:20 — How she ended up in sales at 22 with no plan and 100% commission

04:27 — Why the best salespeople never feel like they've mastered it

06:33 — What prospecting actually means (and how it differs from cold outreach)

08:39 — The biggest mistake founders make when adding AI to their sales process

09:17 — AI amplifies your problems before it fixes them11:18 — How to use AI the right way in prospecting

12:44 — The tools Mafalda swears by: Amplemarket and Power Dial

15:30 — Where AI is taking sales in the next few years

17:03 — Why every founder should start a podcast

19:26 — What podcasting teaches you about relationships and business

20:41 — The best sales education format (it depends on you)

22:59 — How she manages PR for a jazz band alongside her sales career

26:23 — Rapid fire: tools, struggles, and the wildest career pivot answer we've ever heard

WHAT YOU'LL TAKE AWAY

— Why AI won't save a broken sales process, it'll just make the mistakes louder.

— The difference between prospecting and cold outreach, and why it matters.

— Two specific AI tools founders can use in their outreach today.

— Why the best salespeople never stop feeling like beginners.

— How podcasting is one of the most underrated networking tools for founders.

— The book recommendation nobody sees coming (hint: it's not a business book).

_____________

Connect with Mafalda Johannsen:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mafalda-johannsen/

Follow Emily Jean:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emily.jeans/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emily-jeans/

Follow Founders in Jeans:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/foundersinjeans

Website: https://www.livegooddigital.com

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@FoundersinJeans

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3kiqSke5mnlFIlC9t4xLU0

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/founders-in-jeans/id1802430594

Subscribe to our Newsletter: https://foundersinjeans.substack.com/subscribe

_____________

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Loved this episode? Rate and review Founders in Jeans. It helps more women find us.

_____________

sales strategy for founders, AI in sales, B2B prospecting tips, cold outreach mistakes, LinkedIn for sales, how to prospect clients, sales tools for entrepreneurs, Mafalda Johannsen, N.Rich, female founder podcast, entrepreneur podcast women, Founders in Jeans, prospecting with AI, sales education, startup podcast, women in business, slow intentional business, founder marketing strategy, sales book recommendation, podcast for entrepreneurs

I sat down with Viktoria Jancurova, LinkedIn personal brand strategist and founder of VJ Personal Branding, and she said something that made me stop and look at my own profile differently.

Viktoria has published over 1,000 posts, generated millions of views across client profiles, built six-figure pipelines, spoken at South Summit in Madrid, and landed paid brand collaborations, all from one platform she started using by accident during university when the jobs weren't showing up but the algorithm was.

This episode is for everyone posting inconsistently, overthinking every caption, or convincing themselves they have nothing worth saying. You do. And the reason it's not working probably has nothing to do with your content. It starts way before that.

TIMESTAMPS

00:00 — Introduction: Viktoria Jancurova of VJ Personal Branding 

00:31 — Done-for-you vs. done-with-you LinkedIn branding 

02:06 — The biggest pattern behind content that actually works 

02:49 — Stop talking about yourself: why content needs to feel like a conversation 

04:19 — The most common mistake CEOs and founders make on LinkedIn 

05:22 — The "go big or go home" trap keeping founders invisible 

06:08 — What's basic to you is mind-blowing to someone else 

07:52 — 1,000+ posts, a million views — and still no such thing as a perfect post 

09:56 — Why your LinkedIn profile is the thing you're getting wrong before you even post 

10:31 — Profile optimization: featured section, CTAs, and making your ICP self-identify 

10:51 — Viktoria's burnout-proof quarterly content system 

13:15 — How to batch a full month of content in one day 

14:18 — Input mode vs. output mode: the mindset shift that makes content sustainable 

15:26 — What LinkedIn gave Viktoria beyond clients: stages, collabs, and self-knowledge 

19:01 — Why the algorithm isn't the point 

20:42 — When to diversify platforms and when not to 

23:23 — Rapid fire: the two most underrated LinkedIn features 

24:50 — The LinkedIn cliché that needs to die: AI comments and AI outreach 

26:04 — Viktoria's go-to post format when she has no time 

27:09 — Posting for the first time: put your phone on flight mode 

28:31 — Free resources + where to find Viktoria

WHAT YOU'LL TAKE AWAY

• Why your profile is losing you clients before you post a single thing.

• The one question to ask before any post: "Why should they care?"

• A burnout-proof content system using quarterly planning and batching.

• Why "go big or go home" is keeping founders silent.

• What LinkedIn opens beyond clients — stages, collabs, brand deals.

• Why your first imperfect post beats the perfect one you never publish.

__________

Connect with Viktoria Jancurova:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vjancurova/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/linkedin_with_vikyj/

Free Profile Toolkit: DM "profile toolkit" on LinkedIn or Instagram

8 Content Templates: in Viktoria's LinkedIn Featured section

___________

Follow Emily Jean:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emily.jeans/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emily-jeans/

_________

Follow Founders in Jeans:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/foundersinjeans Website: https://www.livegooddigital.com

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@FoundersinJeans

Subscribe to the Newsletter: https://foundersinjeans.substack.com/subscribe

__________

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Loved this episode? Rate and review Founders in Jeans. It helps more women find us.

__________

Keywords: LinkedIn personal branding, LinkedIn profile optimization, how to grow on LinkedIn, LinkedIn tips for CEOs, personal branding for entrepreneurs, attract high-paying clients LinkedIn, LinkedIn content strategy, content creation without burnout, female founder podcast, entrepreneur podcast women, Viktoria Jancurova, VJ Personal Branding, LinkedIn lead generation, founder marketing strategy, slow intentional business, girl boss podcast 2026, Founders in Jeans, Emily Jean, women in business, startup podcast, LinkedIn algorithm 2026, LinkedIn coaching