CEO School

Scaling Your Brand Through Community and Connection with Kristina Bartold

February 2, 2026

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  • Prioritizing genuine relationships and networking for your network, rather than immediate ROI, is crucial for long-term business growth. 
  • Podcasting is highlighted as one of the most powerful networking hacks for business owners, allowing for deep connection and establishing authority. 
  • When choosing where to invest time and money for networking, prioritize leaders who are values-aligned and seek out smaller, more intimate settings for better connection quality. 

Segments

Kristina’s Origin Story
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(00:00:00)
  • Key Takeaway: Kristina Bartold transitioned from a perceived ‘dream job’ to entrepreneurship after feeling meant for something different, leading to the founding of Social Snippets.
  • Summary: Kristina, a Canadian with a Master’s in Leadership, initially pursued a traditional career path favored by her immigrant parents. Listening to podcasts sparked a shift, leading her to start a leadership coaching business that quickly scaled through social media. This success revealed the power of online community and led to the creation of Social Snippets to help others build community via podcasting.
Podcasting as Networking Tool
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(00:03:53)
  • Key Takeaway: Podcasting is the best networking hack because it allows hosts to meet influential people, gain knowledge, and establish themselves as an authority in their niche.
  • Summary: Both hosts agree that podcasting is an unparalleled networking tool, enabling direct access to interesting individuals. Hosting allows the speaker to gain valuable information and simultaneously share that expertise with their audience. This process solidifies the host’s position as an authority figure in their respective fields.
Scaling Through US Events
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(00:04:38)
  • Key Takeaway: Kristina scaled her agency rapidly by frequently attending US events post-COVID and focusing on giving free, valuable feedback to potential clients.
  • Summary: The business scaled quickly by consistently traveling to the US for events, often attending one or two per month. Growth was fueled by offering extensive free feedback on social media, podcasting, and community building to everyone encountered. This approach naturally led to service requests and long-term agency clients.
Choosing the Right Rooms
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(00:07:39)
  • Key Takeaway: Event investment decisions should be based first on the leadership’s values and ensuring the event has a genuine networking component, not just stage presentations.
  • Summary: Kristina prioritizes assessing the leader’s values alignment and checking if the community attracts people she wants to associate with, rather than trying to impress the leader directly. She prefers smaller, intimate settings (15-30 people) over large events for making meaningful connections. Investing in VIP access is recommended for proximity to speakers and high-level peers.
Measuring Event ROI
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(00:11:35)
  • Key Takeaway: The primary measurement of ROI for attending events should be the number of genuine relationships built (aiming for 3-5), not immediate sales or transactional outcomes.
  • Summary: The intention when entering an event should be to secure three to five meaningful relationships, which can be mentees, speakers, or peers. Giving value first, such as making introductions for others, cultivates strong reciprocal relationships where people are eager to support you when you eventually have an ask. Relationships are a mutual process requiring consistent pouring and receiving over time.
Intentional Follow-Up Systems
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(00:15:00)
  • Key Takeaway: Fortune is in the follow-up; successful networking requires scheduling dedicated calendar blocks immediately after events to ensure intentional, non-overwhelming outreach.
  • Summary: Kristina implements systems by writing down all to-dos immediately after an event and blocking out significant calendar time specifically for follow-ups on the following Monday. In earlier stages, sending personalized voice notes to every connection was a key strategy for serving and building rapport. Treating follow-up as a scheduled strategy prevents connections from falling through the cracks months later.
Podcasting Trends and Longevity
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(00:16:36)
  • Key Takeaway: The future of podcasting involves increased video presence on platforms like YouTube and ensuring episode topics are SEO-rich to maximize discoverability.
  • Summary: Podcasting is not oversaturated; it is still growing, but hosts must adapt by incorporating video content, especially on YouTube. Titles and show notes must be SEO-rich so the podcast functions as a searchable resource library. Monetization for CEOs is best achieved by using the podcast as a tool for their business (answering common client questions) rather than relying solely on ad revenue.
Social Media and Community Focus
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(00:24:58)
  • Key Takeaway: The core of modern social media is community building, requiring genuine interaction in DMs and choosing platforms where the target audience actively congregates.
  • Summary: Clients with massive followings still struggle to sell if they lack genuine trust and connection with their audience, especially in the age of AI. Platforms like Threads are succeeding because they foster a kinder, more personal environment, offering opportunities for thought leadership as newer spaces. Founders should focus content efforts only on the channels where their current audience resides, such as LinkedIn for B2B or Instagram for product-based businesses.
Starting Community Building
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(00:28:29)
  • Key Takeaway: Community building starts small by identifying ‘power partners’—individuals who serve the same audience but offer non-competing services—and offering them service first.
  • Summary: Community does not require an expensive mastermind event initially; start locally by meeting potential power partners for coffee. A power partner is someone who sells to your audience but offers a different service, creating a natural referral loop. The initial approach should always be asking how you can be of service to them, moving the needle for them first.