Matt Bertulli, Founder-CEO of Pela Case and Lomi, dives into the importance of personal branding in today's business landscape. He discusses how authenticity, especially in an age of AI, is vital for creating genuine connections with consumers. Matt emphasizes that CEOs should be the face of their brands, fostering trust through storytelling. He also explores the necessity for consistency in branding and how podcasting can enhance personal connections. Finally, the conversation touches on adapting to technological advancements while maintaining a human touch in business.
46:20
forum Ask episode
web_stories AI Snips
view_agenda Chapters
auto_awesome Transcript
info_circle Episode notes
question_answer ANECDOTE
Personal Brand Journey
Matt Bertulli's personal branding journey started after observing Dan Martell and recognizing a cultural shift.
People now expect to connect with the humans behind companies.
insights INSIGHT
The Business of Me
Matt views himself as the central business, with other ventures like Pela and Lomi attached to him.
This mindset allows him to prioritize personal growth and brand building.
volunteer_activism ADVICE
Founder Visibility
Founders should be visible and share their experiences.
Matt utilizes newsletters, podcasts, and videos to connect with his audience.
Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode
This week on The Mike Method, Mike is sitting down with Matt Bertulli to dive into the evolution of his personal brand and how it connects with his businesses. Matt is an active, in-the-weeds founder-CEO for 15+ years. He's also not your typical CEO. He's a category designer. He sold his first company after bootstrapping it to 100+ employees over 10 years. He is presently the co-founder and CEO at two companies -- Pela Case + Lomi. Both companies are B Corps like my company. They operate at the intersection of waste innovation & consumer technology. Have Jay-Z's Marcy Venture Projects as a notable investor, were named Top 10 in the Canadian Business Growth 500 ranking and are #1 in Deloitte’s Fast 50 for cleantech businesses in Canada. He's also the co-host of a popular "consumer" focused Podcast, The Operators.
In this conversation Matt shares why being the face of his companies matters and how podcasting and content creation have helped him build trust and authenticity with his audience. Along the way, we get into how peer groups shape leadership, why consistency in branding is often more important than authenticity, and how customers care more about a seamless experience than the personal details of the people behind a brand. They also explore the big shift happening in business—the idea that CEOs and founders are no longer just running companies; they are part of the brand itself. People want to connect with real humans, not just faceless corporations. And in a world moving fast toward AI, maintaining that human element is more important than ever. Empathy doesn’t work from a distance. If you want to build something meaningful, you have to be present for the people around you.
Storytelling plays a huge role in all of this. We’re wired to crave stories, both the good and the messy. The leaders who can tap into that—who can show up consistently and share their journey—will have the biggest impact. And when it comes to AI? It’s happening whether we like it or not. The key isn’t to master it overnight—just focus on staying afloat and finding your rhythm. Listen to this episode on Spotify, Apple, Youtube or wherever you get your podcasts.
The Mike Method