Unexpected Ways These Founders Are Growing Their Audience in 2026

Effectively growing an audience is about more than just a hefty marketing budget. As platforms evolve and attention becomes harder to earn, creativity, clarity, and consistency are proving to be just as powerful as ad spend. In fact, it’s the innovative, forward-thinking moves that get the job done.

In this feature, 16 trailblazing founders and leaders share the surprising ways they’re planning to grow their audiences in 2026. From scrappy experiments to thoughtful long-term plays, these insights show that sustainable growth is possible at any stage, as long as you have ingenuity on your side.

Whether you’re just getting started or refining what’s already working, these strategies offer inspiration for building visibility on your own terms.

Clara Ma

✨A 2024 Entreprenista 100 Award Winner ✨

Founder & CEO of Ask a Chief of Staff, a boutique executive search and career development platform dedicated to placing and empowering the next generation of strategic operators.

One of our biggest audience-growth hacks is creating original, niche research with our community. One great example is our annual Chief of Staff compensation survey, which we offer for free. Instead of chasing virality, we obsess over being the most trusted source in our tiny corner of the internet, then invite partners to help us amplify it. That combination of community co-creation and strategic partnerships has quietly become one of our strongest drivers of new subscribers and members.

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My unexpected advice: Pick a very specific person, solve one painful problem for them better than anyone else, and find ways to publicly share how you did it over and over again. 

Kellie Chen

✨A 2024 Entreprenista 100 Award Winner ✨

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Co-Founder of 8Rue Branding, building thriving beauty and wellness brands with the perfect mix of polish and hustle.

One tactic I am using to grow our audience is teaching our brand strategy process publicly through founder workshops and live breakdowns of real client transformations. Most agencies hide their thinking, but showing the why behind each decision builds trust fast. Early tests of this show-your-work approach increased our inbound inquiries by more than 40%!

‍My unexpected advice: Lean into consistency over complexity. Pick one platform, one message, and one audience, then show up with value relentlessly.

Naga Das

Founder of Alternative Coaching Methods, redefining health and wealth through plant medicine.

I'm building my audience by sharing the journey as it unfolds through my newsletter, blog, and podcast. Since I started sharing more vulnerable, in-progress work, my audience has grown consistently because people want to witness the transformation as it's happening, instead of hearing about it from the other side. This approach creates companions on the journey who feel invested in the outcome.

My unexpected advice: You must be willing to look like a foolish beginner in order to become a graceful master. The most powerful content comes from documenting your actual journey in real time.

Linda Du

Co-Founder & CEO of Moola Money, an AI-augmented financial planning platform giving UK millennials and Gen Zs personalised, transparent guidance to build long-term financial confidence.

We’re taking a deliberately low-tech approach to growing a high-tech platform by creating a physical card game called Finance Fundamentals, which we’ll use with early supporters, test users, and at conferences. Having something tangible to play with makes financial concepts feel more accessible and engaging and will allow us to immerse people in our mission.

‍My unexpected advice: Focus on creating tools, insights, or moments that people want to share. 

Seisei Tatebe-Goddu

CEO of Tandem Consulting Group, helping mission-driven organizations navigate growth, develop leaders, and strengthen teams using neuroscience-backed facilitation, coaching, and workshop design.

In 2026, I’m saying goodbye to gatekeeping, making many of my bespoke consulting frameworks and exercises free and open-source. It’s counterintuitive for a consultant to operate this way, but being generous with my strategy has attracted clients who want the depth and customization that only direct partnership provides. 

‍My unexpected advice: Your audience isn’t looking for another expert to talk at them. Identify the patterns you see across your work and make those insights public.

Esosa Edosomwan

Founder & CEO of Umi, a resource for questions about hormones, fibroids, PCOS, periods, and fertility.

At Umi, we’re treating every piece of content like a mini-focus group, creating viral, story-driven content that reaches millions, validating women's experiences, and giving them language for what they've been through. When viewers and users see themselves in our content, they share, tag friends, and join our community before ever becoming customers.

‍My unexpected advice: Stop trying to sell and start validating experiences. When your audience feels truly seen and understood, they become your free marketing team.

Allison Ullo

Founder & CEO of Leaves of Leisure Tea, a luxury low- and zero-caffeine tea brand inspired by nostalgic leisure activities.

A tactic I’m fully committing to in 2026 is sending ten targeted emails every week to people who can meaningfully help grow my business—editors, retail buyers, collaborators, influencers, or potential partners. I’ve done the math for the whole year, and even if the response rate is just 5%, that’s 26 new opportunities that could shift the business—and I’ve already started seeing early wins.

‍My unexpected advice: Get scrappy and stop relying on “going viral” or Meta ads. Consistency and courage win every time. 

Lauryn Warnick

Founder & CEO of Villain Branding, a brand strategy firm that treats brand like a financial tool, helping B2B founders and enterprise teams turn complex stories into clear, profitable direction.

I’m growing my audience by spending more time in small, private rooms where my ideal clients already gather. Think community calls, founder circles, tight-knit groups—anything that might feel like an Amy Poehler-style good hang with a strong point of view, a few thoughtful introductions, and real conversation. People remember that kind of presence and it spreads through the group and beyond.

‍My unexpected advice: Talk to real humans instead of the internet at large. If ten of the right people understand your work deeply, that beats ten thousand strangers who barely skim your posts. 

Simone Steele

Founder & CEO of wellness and beauty clinic Queen Aesthetics & Simply Shady two-in-one tinted mineral sunscreen.

One unexpected strategy we are investing in is hyper-localized community health and beauty pop-ups that bring education, sun care demonstrations, and preventive wellness directly to places where people naturally gather, like gyms, workplaces, schools, and community centers. This approach has already generated strong engagement by transforming brand discovery into meaningful human connection. 

My unexpected advice: Lead with value before visibility. When your work genuinely solves a problem for your audience, they become your most powerful storytellers—and that momentum often costs nothing but intention.

Kylee McGrane-Zarnoch

Founder & Executive Director of A Moment of Magic, a nonprofit organization that harnesses the power of play to spark joy, foster connection, reduce isolation, and support the mental health and emotional healing for medically vulnerable children and their families.

In 2026, my growth strategy is to intentionally embrace the mess and share the unfinished, unpolished, behind-the-scenes moments of building a national nonprofit. People are craving honesty more than perfection, and every time I’ve posted something real and in-progress, engagement has increased and new supporters have found us. Visibility grows fastest when people feel emotionally connected to the people behind the mission. 

My unexpected advice: Treat your audience like co-creators—not spectators—because people love, trust, and share stories they recognize themselves. 

Lakeya Cherry

CEO & Founder of Lakeya Cherry LLC, a dynamic executive coaching and consulting business that empowers leaders and organizations to maximize their potential.

In the new year, I’m offering more free master classes, webinars, and lead magnets to expand my mailing list and community. I’m investing in this approach because I know that access matters and not everyone has the budget for coaching or leadership development. I’ve seen the results firsthand; every time I’ve offered a free resource, my audience has grown with people who are genuinely aligned with my work

My unexpected advice: You don’t need a big budget to build an engaged audience; you need intention and consistency. Share value generously, and create clear pathways for people to stay connected with you over time.

Katharine Campbell Hirst

Leadership Coach of KCH Coaching and Advisory, supporting changemakers to unlock their gifts, vision, and creative power.

Referrals bring the most interesting people into my world, so I’m hosting monthly in-person experiences where clients can bring a friend to join me for something meaningful. I already host intimate dinners at home, which have been incredibly powerful for deepening existing connections, but this series feels like a way to expand the orbit of my work in a more deliberate, joyful way.

My unexpected advice: Don’t underestimate spending time together in-person. I’m creating plenty of online content for the sheer fun of it, but real business growth comes from letting your work spread human to human.

Amanda Northcutt

Founder & CEO of Level Up Creators, a strategy and operations firm for expert-led, values-driven founders.

Rather than high-volume posting, I’m investing heavily in fewer, deeper pieces of long-form thinking paired with intentional placement. This approach has already driven our highest-quality inbound interest because it attracts people who resonate with how we think—not just what we post—and it’s far more sustainable than chasing constant visibility.

My unexpected advice: Focus on clarity over scale. Pick one place where your ideal audience already spends time and show up consistently with a clear point of view. 

Sydney de Arenas

Founder of The Hive, Etho, Ítaca, Summit Chasers, a serial founder and CEO scaling service, design, and hospitality brands across borders.

In October 2026, we’re hosting a signature in-person Summit Success Experience to grow our audience by bringing founders and leaders from very different networks together for real connection, deeper learning, and shared momentum. Immersive experiences build community and loyalty in ways digital alone just can’t. We’re investing in this approach because in-person events generate high-quality engagement and warm leads, strengthen brand authority, and create unforgettable moments that expand reach even after the event ends. 

My unexpected advice: You don’t need a big budget to grow; you need partners. We’ve leaned into sponsorships and collaboration to offset costs and expand our audience—and it’s been far more effective than going it alone.

Mahwash Bhimjee

Founder of Meadow, a comfort-first intimates brand creating thoughtfully designed bras for women navigating body changes, recovery, and tender seasons of life.

I’m doubling down on deep, slow community partnerships, co-creating content and experiences with clinicians, advocates, and survivors who already hold real trust. It’s less flashy than influencer outreach, but it’s driven our most engaged traffic, strongest word of mouth, and repeat customers to date. When people are navigating change, real connection carries more weight than trends.

My unexpected advice: Build relationships before you try to build reach. When you collaborate generously, your audience grows through trust and word-of-mouth instead of just ad spend.

Peri Finkelstein

Founder & CEO of Team Peri Foundation, driven by justice, compassion, and the belief that true inclusion celebrates diversity.

I decided to invest myself this year, spending on PR for both the Team Peri Foundation and my personal brand and joining paid founder communities that support PR growth. Following the recent release of my TEDx Talk and Emmy Award-Winning interview with Fox 5 New York, I’m excited to share my story farther and wider. 

My unexpected advice: Focus on growing your community but also don’t be afraid to invest in yourself.

‍All individuals featured in this article are members of Dreamers & Doers, a highly curated community and PR Hype Machine​​™ amplifying extraordinary women entrepreneurs and leaders through authentic connections, credibility-boosting visibility, and opportunities that accelerate big dreams.

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