A go-to-market strategy is essential for early-stage startups aiming to scale sustainably. In this episode of DO GOOD X, hosts Kimberly Daniel and Stephen Lewis welcome go-to-market expert Sweta Govani, who specializes in helping underestimated entrepreneurs navigate the critical $0 to $1 million revenue stage. Sweta shares her proven framework for finding your first 100 paying customers through intentional customer discovery and authentic engagement. Drawing on her experience advising hundreds of founders, she explains why many entrepreneurs struggle to identify their ideal customer and offers practical solutions for achieving product-market fit. This conversation provides actionable insights for purpose-driven entrepreneurship, emphasizing that mission and profit can coexist when founders stay true to their vision.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

✅ How to develop a go-to-market strategy that aligns with your purpose while achieving sustainable business growth

✅ The five most common mistakes founder-led marketing entrepreneurs make when launching, including why failing to clarify your ideal customer profile leads to wasted resources

✅ Proven techniques for customer validation through authentic conversations, including why the Mom Test approach helps you gather honest feedback and identify market positioning opportunities

✅ Why underestimated founders have unique advantages in building customer-funded businesses

Join the DO GOOD X Community to access resources, connect with purpose-driven entrepreneurs, and grow your impactful business with intention.

TIMESTAMPS:

00:00 Intro: Purpose-driven entrepreneurship and early-stage startups

03:46 Sweta helps underestimated founders reach their first 100 happy paying customers through founder-led marketing

06:29 Sweta shares her personal story of being underestimated as a woman and an immigrant

11:41 Defining go-to-market strategy and the holistic approach to customer discovery and market positioning

13:17 Identifying your ideal customer profile and staying true to your business growth parameters without sacrificing mission

17:36 Essential resources, including Lean Canvas, customer validation techniques, and the Mom Test book for early-stage startup founders

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

💎 The most common mistake in go-to-market strategy is failing to clarify who your customers are—purpose-driven founders have an advantage because their mission helps them identify exactly whom they want to serve and what problem they're solving

💎 Money and mission are not mutually exclusive—you can build a customer-funded business on your terms by establishing clear go-to-market parameters and defining your absolute no-gos before pursuing business growth strategies

💎 Start with 100 conversations within your target audience to validate your idea—this customer discovery approach helps you reach strangers through platforms like LinkedIn and ensures you're building solutions that meet real market needs

ABOUT THE GUEST:

Sweta Govani is a go-to-market expert specializing in helping founders grow from $0 to $1M. With 15+ years in marketing and tech startups, she's been the first marketing hire at two early-stage companies and managed a $40M annual email program. Today, Sweta supports underestimated tech founders through her Founder-Led Marketing Club, where entrepreneurs gain one-on-one guidance to acquire their first 100 paying customers, design go-to-market micro-tests, and build customer-funded businesses that generate lasting wealth.

Lean Canvas - Website

Marketing for entrepreneurs often gets reduced to just posting on social media, but successful business marketing requires so much more. In this episode of DO GOOD X, hosts Stephen Lewis and Kimberly Daniel break down the essential elements every social entrepreneur needs to master. They explore brand storytelling, reaching the right target audience, and driving real customer conversion. Whether you're building a purpose-driven business or scaling an existing venture, this conversation offers practical marketing strategies for social entrepreneurs that go beyond vanity metrics. Learn how to choose the proper marketing channels, measure meaningful conversions, and craft brand messaging that resonates with your customers and supporters.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

✅ The four foundational elements of effective marketing strategy: brand identity, storytelling, audience, and call to action

✅ How to move beyond social media and diversify your marketing communications across multiple marketing tools and platforms

✅ Why understanding your customer engagement metrics matters more than chasing likes and followers in content marketing

✅ Practical steps to define your brand, identify your ideal target audience, and select the proper marketing channels for your business growth

Join the DO GOOD X Community to access resources, connect with purpose-driven entrepreneurs, and grow your impactful business with intention.

TIMESTAMPS:

00:00 Introduction to marketing for entrepreneurs and why it extends far beyond social media marketing

02:32 The four essential elements of marketing: brand, storytelling, target audience, and call to action

05:43 Choosing the proper marketing channels and avoiding the trap of chasing trendy platforms without a strategy

11:07 Real-world examples: How Apple and Charity Water excel at brand messaging and customer conversion

17:44 Four practical marketing strategy steps for social entrepreneurs to implement immediately

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

💎 Marketing for entrepreneurs requires four foundational elements: clear brand identity, compelling brand storytelling, defined audience segmentation, and strategic call to action

💎 Don't put all your eggs in one basket—diversify your digital marketing efforts across multiple marketing channels like email, podcasts, webinars, and social media rather than relying solely on one platform

💎 Focus on meaningful marketing metrics that track customer conversion and actual impact, not just vanity numbers like likes and followers

💎 Start with practical steps: define your brand and the problem you solve, identify your target audience, determine where they spend time, and commit to showing up consistently on one to two channels

RESOURCES MENTIONED:

DO GOOD X - Website

DO GOOD X - LinkedIn

Connect with Hosts:

Kimberly Daniel LinkedIn

Stephen Lewis LinkedIn

QUOTES:

"You might be trying to build a business that serves young adults, but it is their parents who are doing the purchasing. Are the primary and secondary audiences close? The point is paying attention to your audience." Stephen Lewis

"Start with one to two channels. Commit to showing up and pay attention to what's working and adjust as you go." Kimberly Daniel

“While some social...

AI is transforming how social entrepreneurs and small businesses work. In this DO GOOD X podcast episode, hosts Kimberly Daniel and Stephen Lewis explore practical ways underrepresented founders can leverage artificial intelligence applications and business automation tools without feeling overwhelmed. They discuss real opportunities for efficiency across customer relationship management and financial management, while addressing critical concerns about bias, environmental impact, and accessibility. Learn how to use AI in a small business ethically by starting small, identifying one or two repetitive tasks that technology can streamline. Remember, AI for small businesses should enhance, not replace, human connection and community building that drive social impact ventures forward.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

✅ How AI for small businesses creates opportunities through efficiency, business scalability, and enhanced customer experience while freeing up time for meaningful community engagement

✅ The real challenges of ethical AI use, including concerns about AI bias, environmental impact, data analytics accuracy, and accessibility for underrepresented founders

✅ Practical strategies for digital transformation by starting small with marketing automation, financial management software, or business operations management tools that fit your budget

✅ Why human connectedness and face-to-face interaction remain irreplaceable in social entrepreneurship, even as task automation handles repetitive work

Join the DO GOOD X Community to access resources, connect with purpose-driven entrepreneurs, and grow your impactful business with intention.

TIMESTAMPS:

00:00 Introduction to AI for small businesses and business automation tools for social entrepreneurs and underrepresented founders

04:22 Understanding AI and automation: opportunities for efficiency, business scalability, enhanced decision making, and improved customer experience

07:50 Real-world artificial intelligence applications in healthcare, speech pathology, and social impact technology examples like cardio.ai

11:00 Addressing challenges: AI bias concerns, environmental impact, accessibility issues, data privacy, and the importance of ethical AI use

15:50 Business operations management tips: starting small with marketing automation, financial management software, customer relationship management, and task automation

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

💎 Start small with AI for small business by identifying one or two areas where business automation tools can reduce repetitive tasks in marketing automation, financial management software, or customer relationship management systems

💎 Underrepresented founders and communities must actively engage with AI to teach it and reduce AI bias. Technology will only become inclusive when diverse voices shape its development

💎 Ethical AI use requires awareness of environmental impacts, data privacy concerns, and accessibility issues while making intentional decisions that support your social entrepreneurship mission to do good

💎 Task automation and artificial intelligence applications should enhance human connection, not replace it. Prioritize face-to-face touchpoints and community building as irreplaceable elements of your business

RESOURCES MENTIONED:

DO GOOD X - Website

DO GOOD X Start Up Accelerator

DO GOOD X - LinkedIn