Cubicle to CEO

Ellen Yin

We ask founders the business questions you can't Google. Cubicle to CEO® brings you weekly "behind the business" case-study interviews with leading entrepreneurs and CEOs who share a specific growth strategy they've successfully tested, how they implemented it, and what the results (and revenue) were. Host Ellen Yin also shares transparent insights about her own journey bootstrapping a media company from a $300 freelance project into millions in revenue.

  1. Bonus: Before You Spend Another Dollar on FB/IG Ads, Listen to This

    1D AGO

    Bonus: Before You Spend Another Dollar on FB/IG Ads, Listen to This

    Have you tried running ads and watched your budget disappear with nothing to show for it? Claire Pelletreau has seen this time and time again, and she's on a mission to make sure you never waste another dollar in the Zuckerberg machine. A Facebook and Instagram ads expert and conversion optimization strategist, and the host of the Get Paid Podcast, Claire is known for making ads actually make sense without the jargon or an expensive agency eating your margins. In this episode, she breaks down exactly when you're ready to start running ads, what to run first, how much to actually budget, and what's working right now — including why ads are genuinely easier to get results from than they used to be. Connect with Claire: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠1 Simples Ad : https://clairepells.com/ceo Website: clairepells.com Get Paid Podcast: https://pod.link/1005195731/ ⁠Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/clairepells/ Loving our bonus content and want more Cubicle to CEO in your ears? Join us every Monday on our subscriber-only premium feed for case study–style interviews with successful entrepreneurs debriefing their real-time growth experiments and results. Subscribe to get insider access to what's actually been working for businesses in the last 3-18 months: ⁠⁠⁠cubicletoceo.co/podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ If you enjoyed today's episode, please: Post a screenshot & key takeaway on your IG story and tag us ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@cubicletoceo⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ so we can repost you. ⁠⁠⁠Subscribe to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠our premium feed⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for case-study style interviews every Monday. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    32 min
  2. 339. Systemizing To Six Figures: Increasing Average Earnings From $23 to $303/hr On a 9-Hour Work Week

    3D AGO

    339. Systemizing To Six Figures: Increasing Average Earnings From $23 to $303/hr On a 9-Hour Work Week

    This is a free preview of a paid episode (43 min), exclusively available on our subscriber-only premium feed. Become a premium subscriber to tune into the full episode: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://cubicletoceo.co/podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Questions about our premium podcast subscription? Send us a DM ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@cubicletoceo Just in time for summer, we’re kicking off our series on working less! Over the past seven years, email marketer and agency founder Kieryn Wang grew her hourly rate by 1,300% while cutting her workweek down to under 10 hours, averaging multiple six figures a year in the process. In today's case study, Kieryn breaks down how she’s steadily reducing her hours year over year while simultaneously raising her hourly earnings from ALLMOST, the boutique email marketing agency she founded nearly a decade ago. Her simple process for tracking her time and performance data to continuously optimize what’s working is especially fascinating (and easy to borrow!) Connect with Kieryn: Join The Conversion Club: itsallmost.com/the-conversion-club-founder Use code CEO for $30 off! Download the Inbox-to-Revenue Toolkit: https://www.itsallmost.com/cubicletoceo https://www.itsallmost.com IG: ⁠@itsallmost IG Post about time tracking: https://www.instagram.com/p/DYA6ZnBDVYS/?img_index=1 If you enjoyed today's episode, please: Post a screenshot & key takeaway on your IG story and tag us ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@cubicletoceo⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ so we can repost you. ⁠⁠⁠Subscribe to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠our premium feed⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for case-study style interviews every Monday.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    20 min
  3. 338. Press, Pitches, and What's Actually Moving the Needle | PR Expert Roundtable

    MAY 4

    338. Press, Pitches, and What's Actually Moving the Needle | PR Expert Roundtable

    This is a free preview of a paid episode (57 min), exclusively available on our subscriber-only premium feed. Become a premium subscriber to tune into the full episode: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://cubicletoceo.co/podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Questions about our premium podcast subscription? Send us a DM ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@cubicletoceo ⁠ The rules of PR are being rewritten, and most founders haven't gotten the memo yet. This roundtable pulls together Lydia Bagarozza and Bridget Aileen Sicsko of Visibility on Purpose, Caitlin Copple of Full Swing PR, and Gloria Chou of Small Business PR to get honest about the state of PR in 2026. What's the most valuable press a brand can land right now? Which outlets look impressive but don't actually convert? How is AI changing who gets discovered and who gets ignored? They get into all of it, including what most founders completely miss after finally landing a feature. Connect with Caitlin: Take the Visibility Scorecard: https://fullswingpr.typeform.com/visibilityscore https://fullswingpr.com/ linkedin.com/company/fullswingpr/ IG: @fullswingpr IG: @caitlin_copple linkedin.com/in/caitlincopple Caitlin's email: caitlin@fullswingpr.com Connect with Visibility on Purpose: https://www.visibilityonpurpose.com/ IG: @visibilityonpurpose https://www.youtube.com/@visibilityonpurpose Connect with Gloria: Get Gloria's Free On-Demand Training: www.gloriachoupr.com/masterclass IG: @gloriachoupr DM her 'ELLEN' for a free resource! If you enjoyed today's episode, please: Post a screenshot & key takeaway on your IG story and tag us ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@cubicletoceo⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ so we can repost you. ⁠⁠⁠Subscribe to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠our premium feed⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for case-study style interviews every Monday.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    22 min
  4. Bonus: How the Hybrid Agency Model Is Changing the Way Brands Hire Creative Teams

    APR 29

    Bonus: How the Hybrid Agency Model Is Changing the Way Brands Hire Creative Teams

    Most brands have worked with an agency that felt like an external vendor. Rachel Leslie is building something different. As the founder and editor-in-chief of Lāer Studio, Rachel has spent years developing a hybrid creative partner model that embeds her copywriting team directly into the brands they support - from their internal Slack channels to their campaign briefs. With clients like Away, Zola, Avocado Green Mattress, and FILA, she's seen firsthand what changes when a creative relationship goes long-term and the brand finally has a creative partner they can actually lean on. In this episode, Rachel breaks down how she structures her team, how embedded support makes a difference to her clients during high-pressure moments, and how she keeps healthy boundaries without sacrificing the partnership model. She also shares what’s evolving with agencies and in-house creative teams in 2026 and beyond.  Connect with Rachel: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://laerstudio.com/ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram: ⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/laerstudio/ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Workshop: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachelaleslie Loving our bonus content and want more Cubicle to CEO in your ears? Join us every Monday on our subscriber-only premium feed for case study–style interviews with successful entrepreneurs debriefing their real-time growth experiments and results. Subscribe to get insider access to what's actually been working for businesses in the last 3-18 months: ⁠⁠cubicletoceo.co/podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠ If you enjoyed today's episode, please: Post a screenshot & key takeaway on your IG story and tag us ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@cubicletoceo⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ so we can repost you. ⁠⁠⁠Subscribe to ⁠⁠⁠⁠our premium feed⁠⁠⁠⁠ for case-study style interviews every Monday. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    31 min
  5. 337. Creative Ways to Leverage PR Opportunities for Content (Even When Your Pitch Is Rejected)

    APR 27

    337. Creative Ways to Leverage PR Opportunities for Content (Even When Your Pitch Is Rejected)

    This is a free preview of a paid episode (42 min), exclusively available on our subscriber-only premium feed. Become a premium subscriber to tune into the full episode: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://cubicletoceo.co/podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Questions about our premium podcast subscription? Send us a DM ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@cubicletoceo Plot twist: you don't have to land the PR feature to get visibility from your pitching efforts. Continuing our series on leveraging PR to grow your business, this case study shows you how to play the uno reverse card when your pitch is rejected. Ayurvedic practitioner Bridgette Ochoa realized the topics journalists seek expert sources for are a cheat sheet to the exact type of content her audience wants to consume. Bridgette walks us through the HARO and Quoted method that earned her four media features in six weeks, how she repurposes features as credibility anchors on social, and the unique way she capitalizes on PR opportunities even when her pitch doesn’t make the cut. Connect with Bridgette: Mini Healing Recipe Book that boosts digestion and immunity: https://stan.store/bridgeayurveda 3 day cleanse that stops digestive issues, inflammation, and brain fog: https://stan.store/bridgeayurveda ⁠ www.bridgeayurveda.com IG: @bridgeayurveda If you enjoyed today's episode, please: Post a screenshot & key takeaway on your IG story and tag us ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@cubicletoceo⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ so we can repost you. ⁠⁠⁠Subscribe to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠our premium feed⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for case-study style interviews every Monday.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    19 min
  6. 336. How To Sustain Media Momentum Beyond a Viral Moment (Confessions From A Small Business Made Famous by Taylor Swift)

    APR 20

    336. How To Sustain Media Momentum Beyond a Viral Moment (Confessions From A Small Business Made Famous by Taylor Swift)

    This is a free preview of a paid episode (45 min), exclusively available on our subscriber-only premium feed. Become a premium subscriber to tune into the full episode: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://cubicletoceo.co/podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Questions about our premium podcast subscription? Send us a DM ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@cubicletoceo Going viral is part luck, but sustaining it is all skill. Kicking off our series on amplifying your business through PR, today's case study dissects what happened before, during, and after a viral celebrity moment: when Taylor Swift wore Fazit's Glitter Freckles Makeup Patches to a Kansas City Chiefs game in October 2024. We’re going behind-the-scenes with Aliett Buttelman— Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree and co-founder of Fazit— a brand she and co-founder Nina LaBruna bootstrapped with $13,000 in savings and built into a business on track to surpass $40 million in revenue. We get into Fazit’s proactive outreach strategy to get their product in Taylor Swift’s hands (or in this case— face), what they’ve done to sustain the media momentum well beyond the initial viral spike, and how they’ve leveraged this attention to launch in 6,000+ retail locations, including Target, Walmart, and Sephora UK. Connect with Aliett: https://fazitbeauty.com IG: @fazitbeauty TikTok: @fazitbeauty IG: @aliettbutts TikTok: @aliettbutts If you enjoyed today's episode, please: Post a screenshot & key takeaway on your IG story and tag us ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@cubicletoceo⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ so we can repost you. ⁠⁠⁠Subscribe to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠our premium feed⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for case-study style interviews every Monday.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    20 min
  7. 335. What's Working To Sell Out Events in 2026? | Roundtable

    APR 13

    335. What's Working To Sell Out Events in 2026? | Roundtable

    This is a free preview of a paid episode (70 min), exclusively available on our subscriber-only premium feed. Become a premium subscriber to tune into the full episode: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://cubicletoceo.co/podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Questions about our premium podcast subscription? Send us a DM ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@cubicletoceo ⁠ Selling tickets to an in-person event has never been more competitive or nuanced. Wrapping up our series on leveraging events as a business growth engine, this roundtable pulls three women with very different event models into the same conversation: Dielle Charon, host of Millionaires of Color; Taylor Smith, host of The Power Table™; and Alisha Kumar, host of The Founder's Table. With varied event types ranging from multi-city mastermind dinner series to high-ticket conferences, they get into the real mechanics of what’s actually working in 2026 to sell out events. Visit our events directory: ⁠https://www.cubicletoceo.co/2026-events⁠ Connect with Dielle: ⁠ ⁠https://forthe23percent.com ⁠ ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@diellecharon⁠ For the 23 Percent Podcast: ⁠https://forthe23percent.com/podcast/⁠ IG: ⁠@forthe23percent⁠ Connect with Alisha: ⁠https://atthefounderstable.com/ ⁠ IG: ⁠@alishakumar ⁠ IG: ⁠@atthefounderstable ⁠ IG: @⁠goodtimemediaco ⁠ Connect with Taylor: IG: ⁠@taylorsmithonline⁠ ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/taylorsmithonline/ ⁠ IG: ⁠@thepowertable.co⁠ ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-power-table/ ⁠ If you enjoyed today's episode, please: Post a screenshot & key takeaway on your IG story and tag us ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@cubicletoceo⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ so we can repost you. ⁠⁠⁠Subscribe to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠our premium feed⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for case-study style interviews every Monday.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    22 min
  8. 334. Scrappy Scaling: How Co-Branded Events Catapulted an Unknown Company Into the National Spotlight

    APR 6

    334. Scrappy Scaling: How Co-Branded Events Catapulted an Unknown Company Into the National Spotlight

    This is a free preview of a paid episode (40 min), exclusively available on our subscriber-only premium feed. Become a premium subscriber to tune into the full episode: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://cubicletoceo.co/podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Questions about our premium podcast subscription? Send us a DM ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@cubicletoceo ⁠ Continuing our series on leveraging events for business growth, today’s case study is a masterclass in using the resources and infrastructure of established brands to create co-branded experiences that accelerate your own brand expansion. Marty McDonald, USA Today bestselling author of Audacious and founder of Boss Women Media, launched a national events platform from a strategic partnership pitch to Sugarfina’s CEO. Her bold ask turned into sold out pop-ups in five cities, a 22,000-person virtual event, additional partnerships with Amazon and Capital One, and eventually, a book deal. We dig into the pitch, follow-up, and execution in this episode. Connect with Marty: ⁠ Grab a copy of Marty's book Audacious: https://a.co/d/0cFzSDdE https://bosswomen.org/audacious/ If you enjoyed today's episode, please: Post a screenshot & key takeaway on your IG story and tag us ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@cubicletoceo⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ so we can repost you. ⁠⁠⁠Subscribe to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠our premium feed⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for case-study style interviews every Monday.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    18 min
5
out of 5
566 Ratings

About

We ask founders the business questions you can't Google. Cubicle to CEO® brings you weekly "behind the business" case-study interviews with leading entrepreneurs and CEOs who share a specific growth strategy they've successfully tested, how they implemented it, and what the results (and revenue) were. Host Ellen Yin also shares transparent insights about her own journey bootstrapping a media company from a $300 freelance project into millions in revenue.

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