171. $100M CEO Explains How to 10x Your Brand with Storytelling ft. Heidi Somers
THE 505 PODCAST
Transforming Branding Through Storytelling and Innovative Tools
This chapter explores innovative tools like Nano Banana that enhance creativity and branding for online businesses. It highlights the significance of storytelling in marketing, particularly within the women's fitness apparel industry, urging a move from static images to emotionally resonant narratives.
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What’s up, Rock Nation! Today we’re joined by Heidi Somers - YouTuber, entrepreneur, and founder of Buffbunny Collection. Over the past nine years, she’s scaled her creator-led activewear brand into a movement that women around the world connect with.
Heidi breaks down how storytelling became her unfair advantage - from early campaign videos that made women cry, to collections inspired by childhood nostalgia, to the inclusive sizing approach that fixed a broken industry standard. She shares why “pretty girl, pretty outfit” isn’t enough, and how Buffbunny built community by making every woman feel seen.
We also dive into the blueprint any brand can use in 2025: Nail your storytelling, lean into influencer marketing, and create innovative products people can’t buy on Amazon. If you want to learn how to turn a vision into an empire, this episode is packed with lessons from one of the most successful women in fitness and fashion.
Check out Heidi here:
https://www.instagram.com/buffbunny/
https://www.youtube.com/ @heidisomers
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Timestamps:
0:00 - Intro
1:17 - Using storytelling to grow Buff Bunny
2:37 - The campaign that changed everything
5:03 - How Heidi decides which stories are worth sharing
7:07 - Measuring campaign success
8:26 - Breaking down a new campaign strategy
10:56 - Being a year and a half ahead on drops
12:47 - Pretty girl, pretty outfit, pretty photo doesn't work anymore
13:23 - The new collection content playbook
14:29 - Artlist
15:29 - Pretty girl, pretty video, pretty outfit doesn’t work
17:37 - Solving a problem in a saturated market
21:06 - How Grounds (Heidi’s fitness app) came about
23:04 - The gym can be very intimidating
24:31 - There’s always something you can improve on in business
25:58 - How Buff Bunny solved sizing issues for women’s athletic wear
28:13 - Personal Brand Playbook
28:37 - The cost of the perfect fit
29:27 - The story Heidi wants to tell with Buff Bunny
31:22 - Making clothing for every woman in every size
32:51 - The biggest lessons learned in business
35:05 - Asking Christian for advice
37:14 - Heidi’s best piece for business owners
40:35 - The 3 pillars needed to create a successful brand
42:08 - Influencer marketing
43:54 - Why TikTok is great
45:02 - Don’t overcomplicate it
46:09 - Buff Bunny ad strategy
47:51 - Heidi’s content strategy
49:46 - What Heidi has learned from her personal brand team
51:23 - Evolving YouTube content
53:25 - How to start creating content
56:34 - The future of Heidi’s personal brand
58:28 - Public speaking tips
1:05:09 - Team Trips for team building
1:07:33 - Finding boundaries with your content
1:09:09 - Boundaries as an entrepreneur
1:13:28 - Resilience
1:18:10 - How Heidi and Christian started dating
1:19:06 - The power in having a partner
1:23:29 - Hiring and firing advice
1:27:24 - Travel fitness tips
1:31:17 - Launching Grounds with multiple trainers
1:35:55 - Do it with shaky hands
1:40:33 - Relationship advice for entrepreneurs
1:44:16 - Advice to your 18 year old self
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