The Mike Method

E39 The Business of You: Building a Personal Brand with Matt Bertulli

Mar 11, 2025

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

Creator website

Episode guests

Matt Bertulli

AI Summary

AI Chapters

Episode notes

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

Matt Bertulli emphasizes that personal branding and showcasing real people behind products foster authenticity and build consumer trust.

He advocates for a human-centric approach to business that balances technological advancements with genuine connections, particularly in the age of AI.

Deep dives

Innovative Leadership and Company Growth

Matt Bertulli exemplifies unconventional leadership through his successful journey as an entrepreneur who has built and scaled multiple innovative companies. His ventures, Pila Case and Lomi, are recognized for their contributions to waste innovation and consumer technology, achieving accolades such as being featured in the Canadian Business Growth 500 and Deloitte's Fast 50 for clean tech businesses. Under his stewardship, these companies not only focus on profitability but also emphasize sustainability by becoming certified B Corporations. This innovative approach has attracted notable investors, including Jay-Z's Marcy Venture Projects, highlighting the impact these brands are making in their respective industries.

Intro

3min

The Evolution of Personal Branding

23min

The Power of Personal Branding in Business

4min

Authenticity in an AI World

11min

Navigating Leadership in a Transformative Era

2min

Navigating the Exponential Growth of AI

2min

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.

Episode Resources

Matt Bertulli: Website

Subscribe to the No Competition Newsletter

The Operators Podcast

ViRTUS: Website / Instagram / LinkedIn

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.