This episode of A Founder’s Life is brought to you by Thankz — helping founders scale with reliable remote talent. Get $1,000 off your first month by emailing founders@thankz.com with the subject line Founder’s Life.

🌐 Follow A Founder’s Life
• YouTube: @AFoundersLife
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/a-founder-s-life-podcast/
• Instagram: @afounderslife
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/70mfiPVuefpTnQHskflEqc?si=d8f658731c9248ba
• Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a-founders-life/id1780849489

👤 Connect with Today’s Guest – Natalie Nathanson
• Website: magnetudeconsulting.com
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/natalienathanson/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/magnetude-consulting/
• Podcast - Shift and Thrive: https://shiftandthrivepodcast.com/

What does balance really look like when you’re a founder, parent, and leader in a fast-changing world? For Natalie Nathanson, it’s not about perfection — it’s about intention.

Natalie is the Founder & CEO of Magnetude Consulting, a B2B marketing firm helping startups and SMBs scale strategically. She’s also the host of the “Shift and Thrive” podcast, where she interviews leaders on transformation, innovation, and personal growth.

In this episode of A Founder’s Life, Natalie shares how she built her business after a decade in corporate marketing, her approach to leadership and family, and the mindset that helps her stay grounded through chaos.

🔥 What you’ll learn in this conversation:
• How Natalie transitioned from Forrester Research to founding Magnetude Consulting
• The challenges and rewards of building a marketing firm from scratch
• How she defines balance as a founder, parent, and athlete
• Why running, gardening, and creative hobbies fuel her leadership
• The lessons she’s learned from her children and team
• Her advice for new entrepreneurs: “You only get to be new once.”

👉 Subscribe now for more founder stories, raw lessons, and inspiration.

⏱️ Timestamps
0:00 – Intro & sponsor (Thankz)
0:37 – Meet Natalie Nathanson: from Forrester to founder of Magnetude Consulting
1:44 – Starting her firm and redefining what marketing looks like for startups
3:20 – How B2B marketing has evolved in the age of AI
4:25 – Family life: raising two kids and learning from parenthood
5:50 – Health: sleep, nutrition, running, and gardening as restoration
7:40 – Fun: resin art, biking, and growing vegetables
8:46 – Balance: intentional time for what matters most
10:03 – Pivotal moment: navigating family illness during the pandemic
11:19 – Advice to entrepreneurs: “You only get to be new once.”
12:39 – Where to find Natalie (LinkedIn, Magnetude, Shift and Thrive)

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LinkedIn

linkedin.com/in/leogestetner

Website

leogestetner.com/leo

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youtube.com/@afounderslife?sub_confirmation=1

This episode of A Founder’s Life is brought to you by Thankz — helping founders scale with reliable remote talent. Get $1,000 off your first month by emailing founders@thankz.com with the subject line Founder’s Life.

🌐 Follow A Founder’s Life
• YouTube: @AFoundersLife
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/a-founder-s-life-podcast/
• Instagram: @afounderslife
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/70mfiPVuefpTnQHskflEqc?si=d8f658731c9248ba
• Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a-founders-life/id1780849489

👤 Connect with Today’s Guest – Jeanne Achille
•Website: devonpr.com
•Website: https://www.jeanneachille.com/
•LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeanneachille/
•Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/devongroup/

What happens when corporate ceilings stop your growth—but frustration becomes your fuel? For Jeanne Achille, it led to founding The Devon Group, a technology PR and marketing firm that’s been helping global brands launch, scale, and evolve for over 30 years.

In this episode of A Founder’s Life, Jeanne shares her journey from corporate executive to founder, how she built a people-first company culture, and why balance and awareness are key to sustained success. She also opens up about family, mobility, health, and the lifelong process of checking in with yourself.

🔥 What you’ll learn in this conversation:

• How frustration led Jeanne to entrepreneurship
• What it takes to build a company that lasts decades
• Why awareness and reflection matter for leaders
• The importance of mobility, health, and self-care for longevity
• How to balance work, family, and self-awareness
• Why no one succeeds alone — and how to build the right support system

👉 Subscribe now for more founder stories, raw lessons, and inspiration.

⏱️ Timestamps

0:00 – Intro & sponsor (Thankz)

1:16 – Meet Jeanne Achille: founder & CEO of The Devon Group

2:11 – From recruiter to PR founder: frustration that fueled a 30-year business

3:16 – How Devon Group helps clients with launches, rebrands & IPO milestones

4:36 – Defining family: three daughters, extended relatives, and “fur babies”

7:05 – Health & mobility: yoga, farm-to-table nutrition, and lessons from her nurse mother

9:14 – Fun: Broadway, avant-garde theater, and global travel for jazz and art

10:05 – Defining balance: awareness, reflection, and daily self-check-ins

13:05 – Pivotal moment: starting a business on a Wednesday—and getting 3 clients by Thursday

14:11 – Advice for entrepreneurs: don’t do it all yourself; hire key partners early

16:06 – Where to find Jeanne (devonpr.com, LinkedIn, and socials)

👉 Don’t miss an episode — subscribe & join our community of founders redefining success.

LinkedIn

linkedin.com/in/leogestetner

Website

leogestetner.com/leo

Subscribe Now!

youtube.com/@afounderslife?sub_confirmation=1

This episode of A Founder’s Life is brought to you by Thankz — helping founders scale with reliable remote talent. Get $1,000 off your first month by emailing founders@thankz.com with the subject line Founder’s Life.

🌐 Follow A Founder’s Life
• YouTube: @AFoundersLife
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/a-founder-s-life-podcast/
• Instagram: @afounderslife
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/70mfiPVuefpTnQHskflEqc?si=d8f658731c9248ba
• Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a-founders-life/id1780849489

👤 Connect with Today’s Guest – CJ Stasik

• Website: shehandlesit.com
• 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cjstasik_shi/
• 📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cjstasik
• 💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cjstasik/

What happens when success on paper feels like failure in real life? For CJ Stasik, it took burnout, breakdown, and courage to rebuild her life with purpose and alignment.

CJ is the founder of She Handles It, an empowerment coaching brand that helps women break free from burnout, people-pleasing, and overwhelm — and reconnect with the version of themselves they truly want to be.

In this episode of A Founder’s Life, she shares her raw story of leaving a 13-year corporate career, overcoming guilt and exhaustion, and redefining success through mindset, self-awareness, and intention.

🔥 What you’ll learn in this conversation:
•How burnout led CJ to build She Handles It
•Why mindset is the root cause behind most burnout
•How to separate real vs. perceived obstacles
•The truth about “balance” — and why integration works better
•How family, nature, and daily rituals restored her peace
•Why self-care isn’t selfish — it’s essential for leadership and life

👉 Subscribe now for more founder stories, raw lessons, and inspiration.

⏱️ Timestamps
0:00 – Intro & sponsor (Thankz)
0:37 – Meet CJ Stasik: founder of She Handles It
1:30 – From corporate burnout to starting her own brand
3:55 – The breaking point: grocery bags, tears, and a wake-up call
5:14 – Family life: marriage, children, and finding her soulmate
6:05 – What health means: body, mind, and soul in harmony
7:45 – How nature became her emotional reset button
9:02 – Fun: hiking, kayaking, and raising farm animals (the “four Gs”)
10:44 – Redefining balance as integration, not perfection
12:30 – Parenting, presence, and redefining what matters
15:08 – The pivotal moment: leaving a 13-year career to pursue coaching
18:38 – CJ’s advice: self-care isn’t selfish — it’s how you show up better
19:49 – Where to find CJ (shehandlesit.com + socials)

👉 Don’t miss an episode — subscribe & join our community of founders redefining success

LinkedIn

linkedin.com/in/leogestetner

Website

leogestetner.com/leo

Subscribe Now!

youtube.com/@afounderslife?sub_confirmation=1