Tenacity with Sonia C.

Latest Episodes:

Why You Are Losing Sales with a Better Product with Martin Salgado Nov 05, 2026

Show notes

Discover why you are losing sales with a better product and how fixing your positioning turns deep technical capability into revenue growth. Companies often lose deals because technical founders overcomplicate their messaging instead of clarifying how they solve a buyer's immediate problem. Buyers choose solutions that resonate with their priorities rather than tools with the most advanced features.

On Tenacity with Sonia C., host Sonia Couto speaks with Martin Salgado, founder of Influential B2B and creator of the Fabric Demand Engineering System. Together, they examine why technically brilliant companies get stuck, how to diagnose hidden drop off points in your sales process, and why building a sound revenue architecture matters more than rushing to publish content or blast cold outreach.

What you'll learn

• How to simplify complex technical messaging so prospects understand your offer immediately

• Why rushing into content marketing or cold outreach masks deeper positioning issues

• How to evaluate your buyer journey to locate where qualified prospects drop off

• Why narrowing your focus to ideal buyers prevents competing on price

• How to use customer conversations to guide your product roadmap and sales strategy

This episode is for technical founders, SaaS operators, and B2B leaders who know their solution is superior to alternatives in the market, yet struggle to convert interest into consistent revenue.

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Selling Your Product Before You Build It with Sabrina Rohde Oct 29, 2026

Show notes

To sell out her first inventory without paid ads, Sabrina Rohde tested demand with a pre-sale waitlist before starting production. This approach not only validated her idea for a functional luxury bag but also provided the initial capital to fund her first small, intentionally slow manufacturing run.

Sabrina Rohde is the founder of the luxury bag company Rode Venet, a brand born from her frustrations as a traveling consultant for McKinsey. She shares the disciplined, customer-first mindset she used to build her company from the ground up while bootstrapping. In this conversation, you will learn:

- How to use a waitlist and pre-sale model to validate an idea and fund production.

- The "sell it before you build it" approach to confirming a real market need.

- Sabrina's framework for deciding where to invest money and where to save as a bootstrapper.

- Why the first year as an entrepreneur can be so difficult and how to get through it.

- The importance of detaching your self-worth from your company's performance.

If you are building a company and want to learn from the real experiences of other founders, follow Tenacity with Sonia C. for more honest conversations. www.soniacouto.com/Podcast

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How to Create Real Social Impact as a Business Leader Oct 23, 2026

Show notes

Learn how to create real social impact as a business leader by opening hiring pipelines to underserved talent and looking beyond short term charity.

Meaningful corporate impact occurs when companies offer direct employment opportunities to marginalized individuals rather than relying solely on donations. Partnering with comprehensive community programs helps break generational poverty cycles by providing people with transferable skills, career stability, and ongoing mentorship. Committing to hire capable individuals from underserved backgrounds strengthens company culture while creating permanent economic mobility.

Denise Whiter, Executive Director of New Beginnings Support Program, joins Sonia Couto on Tenacity with Sonia C. to examine practical community investment. Denise explains how their year long programs, including the Step Into Success initiative and certification with Humber Polytechnic, prepare women for corporate roles at organizations like Ernst & Young and TD. She also highlights the EmpowerMe personal development curriculum and outlines goals for their annual Angels in Action Gala at the Fairmont Royal York Hotel in Toronto.

What you'll learn

• How to create real social impact as a business leader through direct hiring

• Why short term training fails to resolve poverty compared to year long support

• How transferable skills in digital literacy and business writing open corporate career paths

• What common misconceptions prevent companies from hiring women rebuilding after crisis

• How businesses can participate in the Angels in Action Gala or contribute through Canada Helps and Zeffy

This conversation is for founders, executives, and hiring managers who want to move past performative corporate responsibility and build practical employment pathways for overlooked talent.

Learn more about Denise Whiter and support the New Beginnings Support Program through their website: https://newbeginningsprogram.ca/

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Earning FAA Drone Certification When Underfunded with Beth Flippo Oct 05, 2026

Show notes

Beth Flippo, CEO of Drone Express, shares the real story behind building a drone delivery company and earning FAA drone certification with limited funding. She explains how a five year regulatory process, intense competition, and major setbacks became the very things that built a more resilient company.

In this episode:

• The personal problem that inspired the creation of Drone Express.

• How Beth landed Kroger as her first customer by targeting a massive market.

• Why she viewed strict FAA regulations as a collaborator, not an obstacle.

• The leadership strategy she used to keep her team focused during long periods without obvious progress.

• How the company navigated a critical parachute testing phase while running out of money.

• The challenges of raising capital as a female founder in a male dominated industry.

• Why she believes having it harder ultimately builds a stronger, more successful company.

Connect with Beth Flippo and learn more about Drone Express: [Insert Links]

#founderstory #dronetechnology #entrepreneurship #faacertification #startuplife #womenintech #leadership #fundraising #businessstrategy #resilience #tenacitypodcast

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How to Intentionally Design Trust with Shawn Gibbs Sep 25, 2026

Show notes

Becoming a leader people naturally trust starts with becoming a stable, consistent presence who is confident in who they are. In this conversation, founder and medical provider Shawn Gibbs explains why the most trusted leaders are like cruise ships, not dinghies: steady and unwavering because they have done the internal work. Shawn shares lessons from his journey building companies, including GiveGowns, which redesigns hospital gowns to restore patient dignity.

Drawing on his experience in both healthcare and entrepreneurship, Shawn explains why outcomes are determined long before a meeting or sale ever begins. He provides a clear framework for building trust intentionally, not just with customers, but within your team and in your leadership. Listeners will learn practical methods for improving communication, clarifying expectations, and creating a culture where people feel valued and understood.

In this episode, you will learn:

- The power of defining your desired outcome before any meeting or negotiation.

- The story behind GiveGowns and how it restores confidence for patients.

- A simple communication technique to ensure clear expectations and build trust.

- Why intentionality is the key to designing trust into your company's culture.

- How to help your team members grow, even if their goals are outside your company.

- The one thing to start doing to become a leader people are naturally drawn to.

This episode offers a clear guide to building trust with customers, patients, and your team. Follow Tenacity with Sonia C. for more honest conversations and practical lessons for founders.

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Building Brand Authority in the Age of AI with Laurens Tijssen Sep 17, 2026

Show notes

Building brand authority in the age of AI requires a marketing ecosystem built on sustainable systems, not chasing the latest tools. In this conversation, branding and ecosystem strategist Laurens Tijssen explains how founders can create lasting market presence. He shares insights from his journey, which started with an online payment at age 14 and led to working with over 150 clients, including high profile entrepreneurs and global brands.

Laurens explains why the fundamentals of business and branding still matter more than ever. Listeners will learn:

- The marketing ecosystem framework of Attention, Interaction, and Transaction.

- Why resourcefulness and strong fundamentals are more important than any single AI tool.

- How to earn trust with high profile clients and build reputational capital.

- The difference between strategic shortcuts and deceptive tactics that break trust.

- Why Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) is a critical focus for brands today.

This episode offers a clear perspective on how to build a brand that grows stronger over time. If you are a founder working to build a more resilient and visible business, follow Tenacity with Sonia C. for more honest conversations and practical guidance.

If you enjoyed this conversation, follow Tenacity with Sonia C

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The Science of Better Founder Decisions with Kylee Ingram Sep 10, 2026

Show notes

Making better founder decisions requires intentionally designing the process to include cognitive diversity and counteract common biases. In this episode, Sonia C. speaks with Kylee Ingram, a former international television producer who is now the CEO and co-founder of Wizer, a technology company focused on decision science. Kylee shares what she has learned about the science of group decision making from her work with clients like the Sydney Children’s Hospital Foundation and from her time inside technology accelerators.

Kylee explains how founders can improve the quality of their choices by structuring the conversations that lead to them. She offers practical advice for building stronger, more effective teams. Listeners will learn:

- The difference between personality and cognitive diversity, and why a mix of thinking styles leads to better outcomes.

- Warning signs that your decision making process is flawed, including instant agreement and the influence of the loudest voice.

- Why leaders and influential team members should speak last in a decision meeting.

- How to find the right people to help you decide, even if you are a solo founder.

- Common patterns from technology accelerators, including the dangers of mentor whiplash.

If you enjoyed this conversation, follow Tenacity with Sonia C

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Your Brand Story Is Your Best Sales Asset Aug 27, 2026

Show notes

Your brand's authentic story is its most powerful sales asset because it builds human-to-human trust before the first sales call. In this episode, video strategist Graham Kuhn explains how founders can use strategic video, specifically a "brand story video," to shorten the sales cycle, escape the noise of AI-generated content, and connect with customers on a deeper level.

Graham and Sonia discuss why so many founders struggle with video, confusing visibility with trust and hustle with clarity. Graham shares his framework for creating videos that don't just get views, but build credibility and drive revenue, even in complex B2B industries. He explains that you are always selling to a human, and your story is your biggest differentiator.

In this conversation, you will learn:

- Why your unique story is your most effective sales and marketing tool.

- The difference between a generic "About Us" video and a high-impact brand story video.

- A simple, practical technique to overcome the fear of being on camera.

- How to use video to shorten the sales cycle and warm up potential clients.

- Why authentic human connection is your best advantage in an age of AI.

- How to identify and overcome imposter syndrome as a founder.

If you enjoyed this conversation, follow Tenacity with Sonia C

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How Long Are You Going to Keep Calling It a Startup? Aug 14, 2026

Show notes

At some point, being scrappy stops being a strength.

You have customers. You have a team. Maybe you've raised capital. Revenue is coming in. But you're still making every decision, solving every problem, chasing every task, and holding the company together yourself.

So when does your startup actually become a company?

In this episode of Tenacity with Sonia C., Sonia sits down with entrepreneur, investor, author, and business operator Scott Abbott for a candid conversation about what founders often get wrong when they try to scale.

Scott has raised more than $35 million, built and led companies generating billions in sales, invested in startups, and learned some of his hardest lessons by making the mistakes himself, including being fired from his own company.

Together, Sonia and Scott unpack the uncomfortable transition from startup hustle to operating discipline and why the habits that helped you survive the early days can eventually become the very things holding your company back.

They get into why scrappiness has an expiration date, what happens when a business becomes too dependent on its founder, why founders need to understand cash flow and their numbers, and how better systems can actually create more freedom instead of more bureaucracy.

They also talk about founder ego, coachability, burnout, AI as an operating tool, the responsibility that comes with taking outside capital, and why working harder isn't always the answer to a company that has stopped scaling.

In this episode:

• When scrappy startup culture starts hurting growth

• Why some businesses stay stuck in “startup mode” for years

• The difference between building a business and building a scalable company

• Why founder dependency can become a liability

• The financial numbers founders can't afford to ignore

• What investors notice about founders who aren't as coachable as they think

• Why systems and processes can give founders more freedom

• How AI can support better operations without replacing leadership

• Why hustle culture eventually catches up with founders

• What Scott learned after being fired from his own company

If your company is growing but everything still depends on you, this conversation is worth hearing.

Because starting a company takes hustle.

Building one that can survive without you takes something else.

If you enjoyed this conversation, follow Tenacity with Sonia C for more honest discussions with founders who share the realities of entrepreneurship, leadership, growth, and resilience, without the highlight reel.

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I Went to Bed a Millionaire and Woke Up $800K in Debt Jul 30, 2026

Show notes

Every founder loves talking about the win. Very few talk about what it actually cost to get there.

In this episode of Tenacity with Sonia C, entrepreneur, investor, and bestselling author Ari Rastegar shares the stories most founders never tell. From borrowing $3,500 while still in law school to believing he'd become a millionaire overnight, only to wake up $800,000 in debt, Ari opens up about the failures that shaped how he builds businesses today.

This conversation goes beyond startup success. Ari explains why failure isn't the opposite of winning, it's the process that makes great founders. He shares how unexpected setbacks taught him to prepare for uncertainty, why every entrepreneur should stress-test their business before a crisis hits, and how rebuilding his health became just as important as rebuilding his companies.

If you're building a startup, navigating uncertainty, recovering from a setback, or questioning whether the grind is worth it, this episode offers practical lessons from someone who's lived through both the highs and the lows.

In this episode, you'll learn:

Why failure is one of the greatest advantages a founder can have
How Ari went from a $3,500 loan to building a multi-billion-dollar real estate business
The startup mistake that turned a million-dollar win into an $800,000 loss
How to prepare your business for black swan events and unexpected crises
Why hustle alone isn't enough to build a sustainable company
The mindset shift that helped Ari rebuild both his business and his health
What resilience actually looks like when you're under pressure

If you've ever wondered whether you're the only founder struggling behind the scenes, this conversation is for you.

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