In this episode, I reveal the real secret to finding your first customers and how we scaled to $1M ARR in less than 11 months. Get actionable steps for startup growth, customer acquisition, and building a loyal audience.

00:00 - Intro & Why Finding Customers Is Hard

01:10 - The Customer Adoption Lifecycle

05:30 - Focusing on Early Adopters

09:21 - Squarespace Sponsor

10:30 - Steps to Find Your First Customers

18:00 - The Power of Social Media & Viral Growth

23:00 - Cold Outreach & Referral Programs

29:00 - Lessons Learned & Final Thoughts

Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and share if you found this helpful!

Get 10% off your first Squarespace order by using code NATALIEBARBU or go to htps://squarespace.com/nataliebarbu and sign up for my newsletter: https://www.thegrowthlist.beehiiv.com

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In this episode of "Just Grow With It," I share the real story behind building and launching our MVP (Minimum Viable Product) — from taking a whole year the first time to just two months the second time around. Learn the biggest mistakes founders make, why launching early matters, how to get your first users, and what to focus on to build a product people actually want. Whether you’re a startup founder, product manager, or just curious about entrepreneurship, this episode is packed with actionable advice and honest lessons from the trenches.

Timestamps / Chapters:
00:00 – Intro: Our MVP Journey
00:19 – Welcome to Just Grow With It
00:36 – What is an MVP?
01:01 – The Earliest Version: Solving the Core Problem
01:20 – Why Start Simple?
01:43 – Our First MVP: The Perfection Trap
02:48 – Launching Too Late: What We Learned
03:09 – Building Fast: Our 2-Month MVP
03:27 – Don’t Overspend: Using AI Tools for MVPs
03:50 – No-Code & AI: Building Without Developers
04:29 – How AI Tools Can Help You Build
04:45 – Simple, But Usable: Avoiding Overcomplication
05:09 – Competing with Big Players
05:27 – Project Management vs. Content Scheduling
05:44 – Finding Your Unique Value
05:45 – Getting Your First Users
06:02 – Why Marketing Matters from Day One
06:20 – Building a Waitlist & Social Sharing
06:41 – Launching to Early Adopters
07:06 – Community Building: Facebook & Slack Groups
07:48 – Treating Your First Customers Well
08:05 – Learning from Real Users
08:24 – What to Look for After Launch
08:41 – Is Your Product Intuitive?
09:08 – Watching Real Users Onboard
09:24 – What Features Do People Actually Use?
09:42 – Decoding Customer Feedback
10:01 – User Experience: Less Clicks, More Value
10:46 – Embracing Feedback & Avoiding Churn
11:29 – Is This a Real Problem or a Nice-to-Have?
12:13 – Going Deep, Not Wide: Focus Your Product
12:50 – Saying No to Feature Creep
13:46 – Our Short-Term Goal: Be the Best at What We Do
14:48 – Q&A and Outro

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65% of startups fail because of co-founder issues—don’t let yours be one of them! In this episode of "Just Grow With It," I share my personal journey as a founder, the hard lessons learned about co-founding, and actionable advice to help you find (and keep) the right co-founder for your business.

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We spent two years and a million dollars building the wrong product. The first 500 people to use my link in the description or scan the QR code will receive a one month free trial of Skillshare! Get started today! https://skl.sh/nataliebarbu09251

In this episode of "Just Grow With It," I break down the essential steps every founder should take before starting a business—so you can avoid our mistakes and set yourself up for success. Whether you’re a creator, entrepreneur, or aspiring founder, you’ll learn how to validate your idea, find your niche customer, structure your team, and launch with confidence.

🔔 Subscribe for more founder stories, business tips, and real talk about building startups: https://www.youtube.com/@NatalieBarbu

Timestamps:

If you found this episode helpful, please like, comment your questions, and subscribe for new episodes every Wednesday!

#StartupTips #Entrepreneurship #JustGrowWithIt #BusinessAdvice #Founders #StartupMistakes #HowToStartABusiness

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Welcome to the first episode of Let's Grow with It!

I went from being a full-time influencer to building a profitable, multi-million dollar SaaS company in under a year — but it didn’t start that way. In this first episode of Just Grow With It, I’m walking you through the full story of how I turned an idea into a real business. From creating content in high school, to launching a failed product, to raising VC funding and relaunching with clarity — this is the real, unfiltered version of the journey.If you’re a founder, creator, or someone sitting on an idea, this one’s for you.

We’ll cover the lessons I learned about finding cofounders, making your first hire, building the wrong thing, pivoting quickly, and why being naive might actually be your biggest advantage.This episode is here to break down the growing pains of entrepreneurship — and how sometimes, you just need to grow with it.

00:00 - Introduction and Overview

02:39 - Journey from Influencer to Entrepreneur

03:53 - Squarespace

05:21 - My Early Business Ventures

07:38 - Transition to Full-Time Influencer

09:40 - Starting My Social Media Agency

11:22 - Birth of Rella

17:29 - Building the Team and Raising Capital

20:42 - Pivoting to Rella 2.0

24:38 - Closing Thoughts

Sign up for my newsletter: https://thegrowthlist.beehiiv.com

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I'm so excited to finally share this with you... 🎙️

Introducing Just Grow with It - my new video podcast where I'm pulling back the curtain on the REAL entrepreneurial journey. Not the highlight reel, not the "I made it" stories from the top of the mountain, but the messy, beautiful, terrifying middle of building something from scratch.

Here's what I realized: I was craving advice from someone who's still in the thick of it. Someone figuring it out in real time, making mistakes, pivoting, and yes - sometimes almost shutting down the company (been there 😅).

We've hit some incredible milestones - but the path here? It's been anything but linear. And those are the stories I want to share with you.

Every episode, I'm diving into the nitty gritty of being a business owner. The mistakes that cost us a million dollars, the pivots that saved us, the moment we told our investors we were shutting down, and how we managed to turn it around.

And because I believe in building community around this journey, I'm also launching "The Growth List" - a weekly dose of founder insights, curated resources, and community spotlights for entrepreneurs building authentic, impactful businesses.

Because if you're building something, you deserve to hear from someone who's still building too. Someone who remembers exactly how it feels when everything is breaking and you need all hands on deck. And if you have any guest suggestions - tag them below!

Ready to grow with me? Let's get into it. ✨

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Episode 291: Today, Nat chats with TikTok sensation Corporate Natalie, diving into her journey from Deloitte consultant to viral internet personality. Growing up in Silicon Valley, Natalie always hustled but never imagined social media would become her career. During the pandemic, her comedic “Corporate Natalie” persona took off, allowing her to separate work life from personal life while navigating virality and building a business. She shares her decision to leave her corporate job, her love for hard work, and how she stays organized using tools like Rella. Natalie reflects on her incredible year, including launching a corporate clothing collab with 12th Tribe, and teases future plans like writing a pilot and expanding her creative ventures. Tune in for insights, laughs, and the story behind Corporate Natalie’s success! 

Be sure to keep up with Natalie on social media @corporatenatalie and check out her podcast The Demoted Podcast  

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Episode 290: Happy New Year, TRR listeners! In this episode, Nat dives into her love for goal-setting, reflecting on her 2024 goals and habits while sharing what she stuck to and lessons learned. With only 9-12% of people actually keeping their New Year’s resolutions, Nat offers practical advice on setting goals you can achieve, breaking them down into manageable steps, and finding real motivation behind them. She explores the difference between resolutions and dreams, the importance of writing goals down, and why it’s fun to set goals with others—hello, vision boarding night! Nat also shares her personal goals and habits for 2025 and emphasizes the value of progress tracking and embracing failure. Tune in to get inspired and start your year strong! 

Leave Nat a voicemail! https://www.speakpipe.com/Therealreelpodcast 

Thank you so much for being a part of our podcast community! Please be sure to rate, follow, review, and of course, post to your highlight reel. Follow your host Natalie on Instagram @nataliebarbu and @therealreelpodcast.

This show wouldn't be possible without our incredible sponsors. Check out these deals just for you:

Shopify - Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial period at shopify.com/realreel. 

Earnin - When you download the EarnIn app type in Real Reel under PODCAST when you sign up

Prolon - Prolon is offering The Real Reel listeners 15% off their 5-day nutrition program for your post-holiday glow up when you go to prolon.comlife/realreel

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Episode 289: 2024 Nat felt like she was cruising on autopilot—checking off the to-do list because she had to, not because she wanted to. But 2025? Oh, it’s all about flipping the script. In this lighthearted year-end recap, we unpack the highs, lows, and lessons of 2024 and set the stage for a more mindful, intentional, and balanced year ahead. From prioritizing living in the moment to creating quality-over-quantity content, she’s leaning into work-life harmony and chasing meaningful travels (with fewer posts and better memories). Oh, and there’s a certain London boy who’s made things a little sweeter. Join us as we reflect on the word of the year and explore how faith, mindfulness, and a dash of wanderlust are setting the tone for a transformative year ahead. 

Leave Nat a voicemail! https://www.speakpipe.com/Therealreelpodcast 

Thank you so much for being a part of our podcast community! Please be sure to rate, follow, review, and of course, post to your highlight reel. Follow your host Natalie on Instagram @nataliebarbu and @therealreelpodcast.

This show wouldn't be possible without our incredible sponsors. Check out these deals just for you:

Earnin - When you download the EarnIn app type in Real Reel under PODCAST when you sign up

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Ouai - Go to theouai.com for 20% off sitewide from November 26 to December 2 when you enter promo code REALREEL

Shopify - Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial period at shopify.com/realreel. 

Uncommon Goods - To get 15% off your next gift, go to uncommongoods.com/realreel 

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Episode 288: In this episode, Nat sits down with Emmy-winning filmmaker, human connection specialist and founder of The Skin Deep, Topaz Adizes, to explore the transformative power of human connection. Known for his viral interactive documentary {THE AND} and his upcoming book 12 Questions for Love, Topaz shares insights into how technology has reshaped the way we connect and date in today's world. They discuss cultivating curiosity, navigating loneliness in an era of hyper-connectivity, and breaking down walls created by unrealistic expectations. Topaz also reveals how intentionality, presence, and well-crafted questions can deepen relationships, offering practical tools for dating and exploring emotional intimacy. This episode will leave you inspired to embrace connection with more authenticity and curiosity. 

Follow @theskindeep on Instagram and visit www.theskindeep.com

Leave Nat a voicemail! https://www.speakpipe.com/Therealreelpodcast 

Thank you so much for being a part of our podcast community! Please be sure to rate, follow, review, and of course, post to your highlight reel. Follow your host Natalie on Instagram @nataliebarbu and @therealreelpodcast.

This show wouldn't be possible without our incredible sponsors. Check out these deals just for you:

Earnin - When you download the EarnIn app type in Real Reel under PODCAST when you sign up

SelectQuote - Get the RIGHT life insurance for YOU, for LESS, at selectquote.com/realreel. 

Ouai - Go to theouai.com for 20% off sitewide from November 26 to December 2 when you enter promo code REALREEL

Shopify - Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial period at shopify.com/realreel. 

Uncommon Goods - To get 15% off your next gift, go to uncommongoods.com/realreel 

Skims - The Fits Everybody collection is available in sizes XXS to 4X. You can shop now at SKIMS.com.  

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