When growing an audience feels impossible because your business did not start with a neat plan, this episode is proof you do not need one. Lindsay Pinchuk sits down with Zibby Owens, founder of Zibby Media, for a conversation that is part strategy and part reality check for women building in midlife.
Zibby shares how a personal reset led to a podcast, then events, then a bookstore, then publishing, all by paying attention to what people responded to. These are real founder stories about testing ideas in public, keeping what works, and letting go of what drains the team. If you are leaving corporate or staring down career pivots, you will hear how both women built momentum without pretending it was effortless.
This is also a lesson in community building for business. Zibby explains why bringing people together in real life made it easier to book guests, strengthen partnerships, and keep growing an audience even when algorithms change. Lindsay connects the dots to her own journey bootstrapping a company from $500 to seven figures, selling it, and then building Dear FoundHer into a podcast, a forum, and live events.
They also talk about values and visibility. Zibby reflects on the backlash that can come with speaking publicly and why she chose to keep showing up anyway. If you want growing an audience without burning out, you will leave with practical steps for outreach, clarity on what to stop doing, and a reminder that growing an audience is built one relationship at a time, starting today.
Episode Breakdown:
00:02 Bootstrapping From $500 to Seven Figures and Building Dear FoundHer With Lindsay Pinchuk
03:48 How Zibby Owens Started Zibby Media Without a Business Plan
07:20 Growing an Audience Through Podcasting, Sponsorships, and Consistent Content
09:36 Community Building for Business Through Live Events and Real-Life Connection
14:09 Leaving Corporate After Acquisition and Making a Career Pivot Into Entrepreneurship
19:07 Rebranding and Streamlining a Growing Business With a Clear Mission
25:12 Values-Driven Leadership, Public Visibility, and Backlash After October 7
31:34 Turning Purpose Into Action With a Bestselling Anthology and Ongoing Community Work
37:05 Hiring, Team Building, and the Reality of Monetizing a Media Business
44:41 Practical Advice for First-Time Founders on Feedback, Clarity, and Growing an Audience
Connect with Zibby Owens:
Follow Zibby Publishing on Instagram
Follow Zibby’s Bookshop on Instagram
Follow Totally Booked with Zibby on Instagram
Connect with Lindsay:
Subscribe to The FoundHer Files
Follow Dear FoundHer on Instagram
Join us for the Dear FoundHer... Forum Virtual Open House + Networking Event on January 28th to meet other amazing women business owners just like you. RSVP HERE to save yourself a seat, it's free.
Subscribe to The FoundHer Files
Follow Dear FoundHer... on Instagram
Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm
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