Most entrepreneurs would cringe on the thought of burning $5,000 simply to “check” a advertising and marketing technique. Lauren Petrullo calls it important. “The primary $5,000 of your advertising and marketing plan — simply assume you’re setting it on hearth,” she instructed Ginni Saraswati in a disarmingly trustworthy and wildly entertaining episode of The Ginni Present. “You’re paying for knowledge. Not outcomes. Knowledge.”

Welcome to the thoughts of a advertising and marketing insurgent who as soon as handed out condoms as enterprise playing cards and bought her begin after being kicked out of her home at 18.

Founding father of Mongoose Media, Petrullo is an element stand-up comedian, half AI evangelist, and full-force advertising and marketing strategist. Her knowledge isn’t simply witty — it’s solid by means of lived expertise, trauma, hustle, and a deeply analytical mind that is aware of easy methods to use expertise with out dropping the human connection.

Listed here are an important takeaways for entrepreneurs, founders, and anybody making an attempt to scale with soul:

1. AI Is Not the Enemy, It’s the Empire Builder

Petrullo doesn’t see AI because the demise of jobs. In reality, it’s the rationale she’s employed extra individuals. By leveraging instruments like Chatbot Builder and Jasper (pre-ChatGPT), she’s created scalable advertising and marketing methods that enable her staff to do extra significant, revenue-generating work.

“Feedback are probably the most uncared for a part of advertising and marketing proper now,” she says. “However we’ve seen a 25% enhance in conversions simply through the use of AI to interact in DMs and replies.”

Her problem to entrepreneurs: Cease fearing AI. Begin utilizing it to unlock your individuals for deeper, extra strategic work.

2. You’re Not Constructing a Enterprise, You’re Constructing Belief

Advertising, in Petrullo’s phrases, is “affect to spend the place you didn’t plan to.” And affect begins with belief.

Whether or not she’s serving to purchasers join with missed Spanish- or Portuguese-speaking audiences or crafting a marketing campaign round Lunar New 12 months in Mandarin, her message is evident: Communicate to individuals within the language and context that makes them really feel seen.

For founders in 2025, this implies personalization isn’t elective. It’s your aggressive edge.

3. Your Shortage Mindset Is Costing You

Regardless of working a staff of 19 and supporting her companion, Petrullo nonetheless flies center seat and wears hand-me-downs. However ask her to put money into a enterprise device or a marketing campaign that would scale affect? No hesitation.

“I deal with cash personally with shortage,” she admits. “However professionally, I see each greenback as an funding.”

That duality is one thing many founders face, particularly those that come from monetary instability. Petrullo’s perception: You could be frugal at residence, however by no means low cost in enterprise.

4. Edutainment Wins Consideration and Gross sales

Disney taught her a strong lesson: nice tales promote. Whether or not it’s a theme park or a skincare model, the manufacturers that win are those who make prospects really feel one thing.

That’s why Petrullo advocates for “edutaining” content material — academic, entertaining, and deeply human. Wish to dominate your area of interest? Inform higher tales, not simply promote higher merchandise.

5. Radical Consistency is Out. Radical Inconsistency is In.

Shoppers in 2025 don’t simply need polished perfection. They need merchandise and tales that really feel distinctive. That’s why Petrullo sees a wave of “radical inconsistency” coming, the place manufacturers embrace the unpredictable, the seasonal, the human.

Assume: wine that tastes completely different yearly. Cleaning soap that modifications scent with each batch. A model that evolves, identical to its prospects do.

6. Your Interest Would possibly Save You From Burnout

Each quarter, Petrullo picks up a brand new interest — improv, fencing, Korean classes. Not as a result of she has time, however as a result of it helps her disconnect from the 24/7 psychological treadmill of entrepreneurship.

“In the event you’re in advertising and marketing, every little thing turns into an advert,” she says. “The hobbies are my severance. They let me shut it off.”

Take notice, fellow founders: Play isn’t elective. It’s a enterprise technique.

The Backside Line

Lauren Petrullo didn’t simply construct a advertising and marketing company. She constructed a perception system, one which prioritizes individuals, goal, and creativity over empty metrics or vainness development. From utilizing AI to scale connection to advertising and marketing in Mandarin for Lunar New 12 months, her strategy is equal elements daring and good.

So go forward: Burn that first $5,000. Discuss to the shopper no one’s speaking to. Embrace the awkward interest. And when doubtful, do not forget that a condom generally is a rattling good enterprise card, if the story behind it’s value remembering.