210: From Single Mum at 23 to CEO & Partner: Building a Brand That Gets You in the Room

Marina Middleton, CEO & Partner at Create & Cultivate, joins Stephanie to talk about how building a powerful personal brand can change your life and career. A first-generation Egyptian immigrant and former single mum, Marina shares the journey from corporate roles at Yahoo, Yahoo News, and Tumblr to co-owning Create & Cultivate and founding Empowered Confidence. Together, they unpack what a personal brand really is, why it matters in 2025, how to decide what you want to be known for, and simple first steps you can take today to be seen, trusted, and chosen for bigger opportunities.

Books Mentioned
Building a StoryBrand by Donald Miller
How to Make a Few Billion Dollars

Podcasts Mentioned
WorkParty Podcast — hosted by Jaclyn Johnson and Marina Middleton (Create & Cultivate)

Marina Middleton is the CEO & Partner at Create & Cultivate, the largest events and media platform for ambitious women — the go-to place to connect, learn, and grow. A first-generation Egyptian immigrant and former single mum at 23, Marina started sharing her story online over a decade ago. That honest storytelling became a personal brand, a community, and eventually Empowered Confidence, a personal brand development company helping women leverage their stories and authenticity to build stronger brands, businesses, and communities. Marina Middleton+3Apple Podcasts+3jamieratermann.com+3
After building digital media campaigns for major global brands at Yahoo, Yahoo News, and Tumblr, Marina went on to co-own Create & Cultivate with its founder, Jaclyn Johnson. As CEO & Partner, she has raised just under $3M in venture capital and is leading the company’s expansion into large-scale experiences like the world’s largest festival for women in business and CONNECT, an AI-powered matchmaking program that helps women meet exactly who they need to meet. She is also the co-founder of The Blueprint Mastermind, a six-month program for women entrepreneurs, and the host and co-host of multiple podcasts focused on women, work, and ambition. iHeart+4Create & Cultivate+4PR Newswire+4

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