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What happens when your dream startup fails, you lose everything—including other people’s money—and you still choose to build again?
In this episode of Forward Obsessed, host Pete Sena sits down with Katelyn Bourgoin, the founder of Why We Buy and Unignorable, to talk about her incredible journey—from PR school to startup bankruptcy to becoming one of the internet’s most trusted voices on buyer psychology. This is an unfiltered conversation about the emotional toll of failure, the power of transparency, and how Katelyn rebuilt her business and personal brand into a seven-figure media company—one smart insight at a time.
You’ll learn why most startups get customer research wrong, how to write messaging that actually converts, and why AI is both a gift and a threat to creatives. Plus, Katelyn shares how she turned her pain into purpose and found her niche by helping others sell with empathy and science.
If you’re a founder, creator, marketer—or just someone trying to figure out what’s next—this episode will give you the clarity, courage, and tools to move forward.
🔎 Find Out More About Katelyn Bourgoin
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kbourgoin
Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/KateBour
Why We Buy: https://www.learnwhywebuy.com
Unignorable: https://www.beunignorable.com
Nudge Podcast (hosted by collaborator Phil Agnew): https://www.nudgepodcast.com
📕 Chapters
00:00 – Welcome to Forward Obsessed with Katelyn Bourgoin
03:05 – The English major who found her way to marketing
06:42 – How startup failure led to radical transparency
11:18 – Going viral by owning her story
15:10 – Building “Why We Buy” and discovering buyer psychology
18:47 – Lessons from working with early-stage startups
23:20 – Why founders often don’t understand their customers
27:14 – Wallet Opening Words and the psychology of conversion
32:02 – The myth of “don’t sell time for dollars”
36:40 – Being a solo founder: freedom vs. pressure
40:22 – AI, creativity, and the 80/20 rule
44:33 – What makes messaging unignorable
49:12 – Scaling Unignorable: helping founders amplify bold ideas
52:17 – Final advice for creators and founders
🔗 Other Links & Resources:
Alchemy by Rory Sutherland https://www.amazon.com/dp/0062388412
Pre-Suasion by Robert Cialdini https://www.amazon.com/dp/1501109804
Contagious: Why Things Catch On by Jonah Berger https://www.amazon.com/dp/1451686587
Influence by Robert Cialdini https://www.amazon.com/dp/006124189X
Nudge by Richard Thaler and Cass Sunstein https://www.amazon.com/dp/014311526X
🔴 Support & Connect
Forward Obsessed Website: www.forwardobsessed.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/forwardobsessed/
TikTok: https://www.instagram.com/forwardobsessed/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/forward-obsessed/
#ai #buyerpsychology #founderstory
