AI Won't Save Your Sales Strategy with Mafalda Johannsen

How to Win in a Category Everyone Ignores with Clara Veniard of Coro Foods

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

Why Your Best Work Goes Unseen with KJ Blattenbauer of Hearsay PR

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

The Truth About Fertility Trackers, Periods & Getting Pregnant with Kirsten Karchmer

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

Personal Branding on LinkedIn: How Raina Das Landed 150 Brand Deals on a 9-to-5

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 [https://www.linkedin.com/in/rainadas/] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/themarketingcheerleader/ Website: ⁠https://myjulip.com/raina [https://www.instagram.com/plotoutloud/] Follow Emily Jean: Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/emily.jeans/⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/emily.jeans/] LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/emily-jeans/⁠ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/emily-jeans/] Follow Founders in Jeans: Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/foundersinjeans⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/foundersinjeans] Website: ⁠https://www.livegooddigital.com⁠ [https://www.livegooddigital.com] YouTube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@FoundersinJeans⁠ [https://www.youtube.com/@FoundersinJeans] Spotify: ⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/3kiqSke5mnlFIlC9t4xLU0⁠ [https://open.spotify.com/show/3kiqSke5mnlFIlC9t4xLU0] Apple Podcasts: ⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/founders-in-jeans/id1802430594⁠ [https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/founders-in-jeans/id1802430594] Subscribe to our Newsletter: ⁠https://foundersinjeans.substack.com/subscribe⁠ [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

Whose Life Are You Actually Building with Ksenia Votinova-Arnaud

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