The #1 Mistake Founders Make in Crowdfunding with Sarah Hardwick

What happens when you put values at the center of your marketing? For Sarah Hardwick, it turned into a career of building communities that actually care about the brands they support. She opens up about how that approach helped her raise over $150 million through crowdfunding and why understanding what people truly value can change everything for a business.

Sarah’s story takes us from starting her own agency, Zenzi Communications, to stepping into the role of CMO at Aptera Motors, where she helped grow a movement around solar-powered vehicles. Along the way, she’s learned how to bring people together in authentic ways that go way beyond demographics and ad campaigns. She even shares the wild story of how a simple parked domain turned into a million-dollar deal.

Now, she’s helping founders and companies tap into the same strategies that worked for her, whether that’s building a loyal investor community or running a campaign that people want to rally behind. If you’ve ever wondered how to get people not just to notice your brand but to believe in it, you’ll love this episode.

Key Timestamps:

[00:00:00] Welcome to Inside the Speakeasy Podcast

[00:04:50] Evolving marketing strategies over time.

[00:06:30] Values-based marketing evolution.

[00:10:49] Values wheel in marketing.

[00:12:23] Freedom seekers vs. tradition seekers.

[00:15:12] Pleasure versus security dynamics.

[00:20:02] Identifying customer values through reviews.

[00:22:27] Brand values and emotional connection.

[00:24:47] Values-based marketing in crowdfunding.

[00:29:30] Investor communication strategies.

[00:31:24] Values-based marketing strategies.

[00:33:32] Crowdfunding campaign strategies.

[00:37:42] Parked domain turned million dollars.

Memorable Quotes:

"We would never even start a campaign without doing values research and understanding what values are important to people." [00:09:50] – Sarah Hardwick

"The biggest problem that most brands have is that they stand for nothing." [00:21:16] – Sarah Hardwick

Connect with Sarah Hardwick:

Website: https://www.sarahhardwick.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahhardwick/

Connect with Eric Berman:

Website: https://speakeasymastermind.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/speakeasymastermind/

Facebook: https://www.instagram.com/speakeasymastermind/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ericberman/

Produced by Evolved Podcasting: www.evolvedpodcasting.com

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