Just Grow With It with Natalie Barbu
Just Grow With It is a podcast for founders, creators, and curious doers who are figuring things out in real time. Hosted by Natalie Barbu, a creator turned tech founder, it shares unfiltered lessons from building a business, growing a personal brand, and learning as you go. Episodes offer honest stories, behind-the-scenes insights, and hard-earned lessons, along with encouragement to start before you feel ready. From impulsive ideas to intentional pivots, it treats every step as part of the journey.
Episodes
The marketing strategy that took us from $0 to $3M (it's not what you think)
The marketing funnel is dead — and I'm showing you exactly what replaced it. In this video, I'm breaking down the marketing web: the strategy we use at Rella that took us from $0 to $3M in about a year and a half. I'm pulling back the curtain on our full marketing playbook — content strategy, where we show up, founder-led content, influencer strategy, and paid ads — so you can apply it to your bus
You need to stop using ChatGPT and switch to these instead... 👀
We're a team of 6 people who built a profitable startup, and we couldn't have done it without AI. In this video, I'm breaking down every single AI tool we use to stay lean, ship fast, and avoid burnout.
If you're a founder, solopreneur, or anyone building a business in 2026, this is your complete AI toolkit. I'm sharing the exact tools we use for social media, video editing, admin work, customer
if you're a founder NOT building a personal brand... you're already losing 😬
If you're a founder who thinks building a personal brand is a waste of time, this might be the wake-up call you need. The truth is: distribution is the new moat. Your product isn't enough. Your team isn't enough. If no one knows who you are, you're starting every conversation from zero.
In this episode, I break down why the founders who are winning right now are visible, how to build a personal b
stop being a 'lifestyle creator' 🥴 and start making REAL money by doing this... 💵
Try The Viral Income Lab for just $489 here: https://theviralincomelab.mykajabi.com/joinus
Last year I doubled my creator income—not from going viral, but from treating content like a real business. In this video, I'm sharing the 4 major changes that transformed my brand deals, grew my following, and helped me finally charge what I'm worth. If you're tired of inconsistent sponsorships and low rat
IM ENGAGED! 💍✨ was I surprised?, having a small wedding, and where we are moving!
I'M ENGAGED! 💍 Sharing the full proposal story, answering your questions, and spilling all the tea on my non-traditional wedding plans. From how he proposed at a stunning Miami venue to our decision to keep it intimate with a smaller backyard wedding, I'm taking you through everything!
Thank you Squarespace for sponsoring today's video. Get 10% off using my code NATALIEBARBU or go to https://squa
I create a month's worth of content in JUST A FEW HOURS 📅 ⏰ here's my entire content creation system
As a full-time startup founder managing two brands, I create 100+ pieces of content monthly—95% by myself. In this video, I'm sharing my exact content system that helps me stay consistent without burning out.
🔗 Try Squarespace: squarespace.com/nataliebabu (10% off)
🔗 Try Rella: https://getrella.com?via=natalie
You'll learn:
✅ How to define your content pillars and ideal audience
✅ My AI-powered
The Delusional Confidence That Built a MULTIMILLION Dollar Activewear Brand
In this episode, I sit down with Stefana Avera, founder of Liaison the Label, to talk about building a multimillion-dollar activewear brand from scratch—with zero experience in fashion or manufacturing. Stefana shares the raw, unfiltered journey of bartending to afford $80 product samples, crying over failed prototypes 3 years into development, and the delusional confidence it took to keep going w
Why the Next Billion Dollar Business Will Come From a Creator
Jeff Frommer sold his bootstrapped creative media company for $75 million, and now he's on a mission to change how creators and startups work together. In this episode, we dive deep into why traditional influencer brand deals are dying and how creators can build generational wealth through equity ownership instead of one-off cash payments.
Jeff shares the exact framework he used to build Malka fr
Venture Capital Is Not What It Used to Be 👀 How to STAND OUT As a Founder
Venture capital is changing—fast. Erica shares her journey from outsider to fund founder, reveals the new rules for startup success, and explains why building your personal brand is now essential. If you want to stand out, raise money, and win in today’s VC world, this episode is for you.
Erica's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/erica-wenger-ms-811b80132/
Park Rangers Capital: https://www.pa
How to RESET Your Life for 2026: The Real Goal Setting Playbook 🚀🎯
Welcome to Just Grow With It! In this episode, I reveal my honest approach to goal setting for 2026, what’s changed, and how you can finally make your goals happen.
0:00 – Introduction & Resetting for 2026
1:51 – Lessons Learned & Honest Reflections
3:42 – Why Goals Fail & The Need for a Framework
5:33 – Setting Realistic and Inspiring Goals
7:24 – Focusing on What You Can Control
9:15 – Buildin
Inside Forbes 30 Under 30: The Truth About Making the List
Ever wondered what it really takes to make the Forbes 30 Under 30 list? In this candid conversation, we sit down with Zoya Hasan, Forbes editor and curator of the iconic list, to uncover the real process, the myths, and the hustle behind the headlines. From her journey as a chemistry major to leading one of the most competitive lists in the world, Soya shares insider stories, the importance of res
5 Businesses You Should AVOID Starting in 2026 (And Why!)
Thinking of starting a business in 2026? In this episode, I break down the business models I’d avoid, from influencer marketplaces to novelty AI startups. Learn from my experience, discover what makes a business sustainable, and get tips for success in the new year. Share your thoughts in the comments and don’t forget to subscribe for more founder insights every week!
Subscribe to my substack: ht
6 Lessons That SAVED My Business in 18 Minutes 💡📈🚀
In this episode, I reflect on the monumental lessons learned in 2025 as a founder and creator. Get 10% off your Squarespace purchase using code NATALIEBARBU or go to https://squarespace.com/nataliebarbu
From nearly shutting down to hitting $2M ARR, I share the real, raw journey of building Rella, the power of niching down, why customer obsession is more than a buzzword, and how staying small can
We Spent 2 Years (and $1 Million) Building the Wrong Product! - Here's What We Learned
What does product-market fit really look like? In this episode, I share the raw, unfiltered story of how we spent two years building the wrong product, the painful lessons we learned, and how we finally found true product-market fit with Rella.
You’ll hear about the metrics that fooled us, the pivots that saved us, and the real signals that your product is actually working. If you’re a founder, c
From 200+ NOs to $1 Million: The Real Startup Fundraising Journey
After 200+ investor rejections, we finally raised $1M for our startup. In this episode, I share the real story behind our fundraising journey, lessons learned, and practical tips for founders facing rejection. Whether you’re starting out or deep in the process, this is the advice I wish I had.
Timestamps:
0:00 — Introduction & Podcast Background
3:30 — Fundraising Journey: Rella’s Pre-Seed Story
We Burned $1M Before Learning This Pricing Lesson (Don’t Make Our Mistake)
Welcome to "Just Grow With It"! In this episode, I share the biggest mistake we made as founders: not charging customers soon enough. We wasted two years and nearly lost our company before learning the hard truth about pricing. If you’re a creator, founder, or entrepreneur, this episode will save you time, money, and heartache.
Newsletter: https://thegrowthlist.substack.com/
00:00 – Why not
How We Hit $1M ARR in 11 Months: The Real Secret to Finding Customers
In this episode, I reveal the real secret to finding your first customers and how we scaled to $1M ARR in less than 11 months. Get actionable steps for startup growth, customer acquisition, and building a loyal audience.
00:00 - Intro & Why Finding Customers Is Hard
01:10 - The Customer Adoption Lifecycle
05:30 - Focusing on Early Adopters
09:21 - Squarespace Sponsor
10:30 - Steps to Find Y
How We Built Our MVP in 2 Months: Lessons from Launching a Startup
In this episode of "Just Grow With It," I share the real story behind building and launching our MVP (Minimum Viable Product) — from taking a whole year the first time to just two months the second time around. Learn the biggest mistakes founders make, why launching early matters, how to get your first users, and what to focus on to build a product people actually want. Whether you’re a startup fo
How to Find the Right Cofounder (and Spot the Red Flags Early) 🚩
65% of startups fail because of co-founder issues—don’t let yours be one of them! In this episode of "Just Grow With It," I share my personal journey as a founder, the hard lessons learned about co-founding, and actionable advice to help you find (and keep) the right co-founder for your business.
We’ll cover:
The pros and cons of having a co-founder
Where to find the right co-founder (even if you
7 Harsh Truths I Learned the Hard Way as a Founder 🚫📉👀 (watch this before launching your business)
We spent two years and a million dollars building the wrong product. The first 500 people to use my link in the description or scan the QR code will receive a one month free trial of Skillshare! Get started today! https://skl.sh/nataliebarbu09251
In this episode of "Just Grow With It," I break down the essential steps every founder should take before starting a business—so you can avoid our mis
From full-time influencer to founder of a multimillion dollar tech company
Welcome to the first episode of Let's Grow with It!
I went from being a full-time influencer to building a profitable, multi-million dollar SaaS company in under a year — but it didn’t start that way. In this first episode of Just Grow With It, I’m walking you through the full story of how I turned an idea into a real business. From creating content in high school, to launching a failed product,
Just Grow With It Trailer
I'm so excited to finally share this with you... 🎙️
Introducing Just Grow with It - my new video podcast where I'm pulling back the curtain on the REAL entrepreneurial journey. Not the highlight reel, not the "I made it" stories from the top of the mountain, but the messy, beautiful, terrifying middle of building something from scratch.
Here's what I realized: I was craving advice from someo
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