In this episode of Self Funded, Chrissie Francona talks with Leslie Zaikis, marketing strategist, fractional CMO, and co-founder of The New HQ, about building a self-funded career long before it was trendy. Leslie shares how leaving big consulting for an early-stage startup and its eventual crash led her to carve out a 13-year path as an independent consultant. She and Chrissie explore what it really looks like to sustain a business on your own terms, from landing clients through genuine curiosity to balancing work and motherhood to helping others design flexible, fulfilling careers through The New HQ.

More Info on Leslie: https://www.lesliezaikis.com

Check Out the New HQ: https://www.thenewhq.co

(00:02:24) Startup Experiences: Navigating Challenges for Growth

(00:11:16) From Big Consulting to Marketing Consultant Journey

(00:17:20) Strategic Marketing Partnerships with Hands-On Delivery

(00:23:31) Flexibility and Tailored Scopes in Consulting

(00:30:13) Embracing Flexibility: Balancing Business and Family

(00:35:10) Transforming Job Offers into Consulting Partnerships

(00:38:45) Empowering Self-Employment: Building Success Together

You Can Find Self-Funded Here:

Substack: https://selffundedbychrissie.substack.com/

Apple:https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/self-funded/id1845157459

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5u4zA43k4hC183fM0PisKq?si=26bf586458934e49

I help growth-stage companies close the gap between strategy and execution for growth or exit through The Long Game. Learn more at longgametalent.com.

These are some of my favorite tools I use everyday in my business and podcast (affiliate links):

Collective: Powers my S-Corp from bookkeeping to paying contractors to tax prep. https://share.collective.com/mQHI7Bf

Flodesk: The easiest email platform with clean, easy-to-customize designs and a simple workflow interface: https://flodesk.com/c/19VL1X

Airtable: I’ve built my business operating system in Airtable, including my CRM, content management tool, and to-do list: https://airtable.com/invite/r/uq7tgTC3