You have to work hard to be successful. But you also have to work smarter on the right things.On this episode, I’m joined by entrepreneur and marketing expert Katelyn Bourgoin. Katelyn has built multiple businesses, faced the highs and lows of startup life, and figured out what actually works—and what doesn’t—when creating a business that aligns with your strengths.In this conversation, Katelyn shares hard-earned wisdom on building a business that fits you, not just what the industry says you should do.

We talk about how she went from running an agency to launching a tech startup (and realizing it wasn’t for her) to growing her hit newsletter Why We Buy and teaching entrepreneurs how to build standout personal brands.If you’ve ever wondered whether you’re on the right path or struggling with when to pivot vs. when to stay the course, this episode is for you.

Highlights:

• Why starting with the problem, not the format, leads to better businesses
• The biggest mistakes new entrepreneurs make (and how to avoid them)
• How to balance customer feedback with sticking to your vision
• The truth about lifestyle businesses and why they’re not just a shortcut to easy money

In this episode, we cover:
(00:00) Welcome to The Emma Stratton Show
(01:06) Why Katelyn turned down the creator economy in 2014
(05:29) From agency life to tech startup struggles
(10:40) The hard truth about pivoting too soon
(14:14) Finding your zone of genius (and avoiding what drains you)
(17:50) How to build a business that fits your life, not the other way around
(22:57) The biggest myth about entrepreneurship
(27:38) What most people get wrong about business ideas
(33:31) The most underrated path to success
(39:45) Why sticking with it is the real key to long-term success

Follow Katelyn on https://customercamp.co/ and LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/katebour/

Follow Emma on Substack (https://substack.com/@emmastratton) and LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/emma-stratton-punchy/)