Bold, actionable strategies for unlocking explosive brand growth.

⚡️ How to Turn Customers Into Fans — and Fans Into Growth

🚀 The New Era of Brand Growth Starts With Fandom

What if your brand’s biggest growth engine isn’t your product — but the people who can’t stop talking about it?

Last week, I packed three game-changing events into three days — Chief X Chicago, Naturally Chicago Chicago’s Women in CPG Creekside Wellness Retreat, and the Ad Age Business of Brands Conference — and walked away with one undeniable truth:

👉 The brands that will dominate in 2025 won’t be the loudest. They’ll be the ones people love — the ones that turn customers into a community, transactions into tribes, and products into movements.

From trusting your inner voice to backing visionary founders to building cult-level fandom, these conversations were a masterclass in what it takes to build a brand people don’t just buy — they believe in.

Let’s dive in.

🧭 TRUST THE VOICE THAT’S ALREADY GUIDING YOU

First up: Chief X Chicago.

The agenda was stacked with brilliant speakers (check out my LinkedIn post here for more detailed coverage of the day), but one message from the conversation Alison Moore led with Valerie Jarrett, CEO of the Obama Foundation, hit home:

“Trust your inner voice; if you do, it will bring you satisfaction and a purpose-filled life."

💡 CEO Takeaway: Your inner voice is your most underutilized business strategy. If it says go bigger — listen. Alignment builds momentum, and momentum builds empires.

💸 WOMEN DRIVE THE MARKET — FUND THEM ACCORDINGLY

At Naturally Chicago’s Women in CPG Creekside Wellness Retreat, hosted by Tracey Warner Halama ( Supergut CEO and former CEO of Vital Proteins ).

I had the opportunity to learn directly from her as well as the panel of rising start-up superstars:

• Laura Gardner of Local Style Chips
• Emily Cole Groden of Evergreen Waffles
• Annie Slabotsky Nasatir and Morgan Lerner of GoNanas
• Mara Smith of Inspiro Tequila, LLC
• Trish Thomas of Every Body Eat®
• Christie V. of Big Bold Health
• Suzy Richard of SPINS

Here’s the stat that stopped me cold: Women control roughly 85% of consumer purchases in the U.S., but female-only founding teams received just 2.3% of global VC funding in 2024 — and that number is dropping.

This isn’t just inequality. It’s a 20-40x market inefficiency that’s leaving billions on the table

💡 CEO Takeaway: Women drive 85% of consumer spending but receive just 2% of VC funding. That’s not just inequity — it’s a missed multi-billion-dollar opportunity.

Investing in women isn’t a favor. It’s a competitive edge. It’s good for business.

🔥 THE FAN-POWERED BRAND REVOLUTION

What's the difference between a product people buy and a brand they champion?

One word: Fandom.

In a world of fleeting attention and fierce competition, having customers isn't enough.

You need fans. You need a tribe of advocates so passionate they become your most powerful marketing channel, your loudest cheerleaders, and your most loyal growth engine.

This isn't about collecting likes or followers. It's about building a brand that people feel a part of—a brand they are willing to defend, promote, and evangelize.

Forget chasing fleeting trends. The most resilient brands aren't just selling a product; they're cultivating a movement.

🍯 FROM NICHE TO NATIONWIDE: THE MIKE'S HOT HONEY STORY

If you think fandom is only for global giants, look at Mike's Hot Honey.

It started in 2010 with a simple idea: infuse honey with chili peppers. Mike Kurtz discovered the concept while hiking in Brazil and brought it back to his Brooklyn pizzeria. Customers didn't just like it; they became obsessed.

They didn't just buy it; they told their friends, demanded it at other restaurants, and plastered it all over social media.

Mike's Hot Honey didn't have a massive marketing budget. It had something far more potent: a cult following.

Brand fandom transformed their customers into a nationwide volunteer salesforce—spreading the word organically, generating authentic buzz, and driving demand that advertising dollars alone could never buy. This kind of advocacy is not just effective, but efficient: every repost, in-restaurant request, and fan recommendation amplifies reach without a corresponding rise in marketing spend.

At the 2025 Ad Age Business of Brands Conference, I learned firsthand from Kate Guthrie Adams, VP of Marketing at Mike's Hot Honey, how this fandom became the backbone of their explosive growth. According to Kate, the brand scaled by embracing organic social buzz, letting customers lead the way, and leaning into the culture their fans created. By encouraging and amplifying user-generated content, Mike’s Hot Honey found themselves at the center of an authentic conversation that spread far beyond their starting point.

Kate highlighted their bold moves—like launching creative collaborations with unexpected partners and kicking off a national campaign built in the voice of their most passionate fans. These strategies weren’t traditional, but they deeply resonated with the community, turning everyday customers into active brand ambassadors.

Here's the unlock for every business—fandom-powered growth is accessible, scalable, and efficient. You don’t need deep pockets to start. By investing in relationships and amplifying what your true fans already love, you can spark momentum that builds itself.

💡 CEO Takeaway: Your most valuable asset isn't your product; it's the passion people have for brand. And brand fandom can be your most cost-effective growth engine.

🛠 THE FANDOM PLAYBOOK: 3 MOVES TO TURN CUSTOMERS INTO ADVOCATES

Building a fan-centric brand isn't accidental. It's a strategic choice. Here’s how to make it happen.

PLAY #1 – CREATE EMOTIONAL ANCHORS, NOT JUST FEATURES

Fans connect with stories and emotions, not spec sheets. Mike's Hot Honey isn't just spicy-sweet; it's the taste of discovery, the story of a pizza maker's passion project, and the secret ingredient that elevates the everyday.

• Find Your Origin Story: What's the human element behind your brand? Share it relentlessly.
• Define the Feeling: How do you want people to feel when they use your product? Build your messaging around that emotion.
• Own a Ritual: Mike's Hot Honey became synonymous with "the drizzle." What unique ritual can you own?

💡 CEO Takeaway: Competitors can copy features. They can’t copy how you make people feel. Lead with emotion — that’s the one moat they’ll never breach.

PLAY #2 – ARM YOUR SUPERFANS

Your most passionate customers are a volunteer army waiting for orders. Give them the tools and the platform to spread the word. Mike's Hot Honey thrived because its fans drove its expansion, demanding it from chefs and retailers.

• Identify Your 1%: Find the customers who are already talking about you and give them tools to spread the word.
• Create a Mission They Can Rally Behind: Encourage them to "spread the heat." Create hashtags, share user-generated content, and feature their creations.
• Reward Advocacy, Not Just Purchases: Offer exclusive access, early product drops, or simple recognition. Make them feel like insiders.

💡 CEO Takeaway: Stop marketing at people. Start marketing with them. Empower your superfans and they’ll become a volunteer sales force you couldn’t afford to hire.

PLAY #3 – FOSTER COMMUNITY, THE SHARED IDENTITY OF BEING IN THE KNOW

Fandom thrives in community. It’s the shared identity of being "in the know." Mike's Hot Honey built its community in the kitchens of chefs and on the social media feeds of foodies. The brand became a badge of culinary credibility.

• Create a "Third Place": Where can your fans gather? It could be a subreddit, a Facebook group, or a series of local events.
• Speak Their Language: Adopt the slang, inside jokes, and culture of your core audience.
• Facilitate Connections: Your job isn't just to talk to your fans; it's to help them talk to each other.

💡 CEO Takeaway: A customer list is a static database. A community is a living ecosystem — one that sells, scales, and sustains itself long after the campaign ends.

🚀 The FEARLESS GROWTH CHALLENGE

This week, identify your top 10 most vocal, passionate customers. Don't sell them anything.

Instead, reach out and ask them one question: "What do you love most about what we do?"

Their answer is the foundation of your fandom strategy.

🔥 READY TO BUILD A BRAND PEOPLE BRAG ABOUT?

If you’re done chasing followers and ready to spark a fan-fueled movement — one that sells for you — let’s build your playbook.

📅 Book 30 Minutes with Me here— we’ll find the strategy to ignite your fan base.

Be Bold.

Be Strategic.

Be Fearless.

Until next time,

Anna

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