Serial Entrepreneur (2 exits) & Growth Advisor • Founded AllPaws (Sold to PetSmart) • Co-Founded Saturday App & Snap Interactive (100m users & $100m revenue)

𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝘁 𝗺𝘆 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗽 𝘁𝗼 𝟭𝟬𝟬𝗠 𝘂𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘀 & $𝟭𝟬𝟬𝗠 𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘂𝗲 • 𝗦𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗘𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘂𝗿 𝘄/ 𝟮 𝗲𝘅𝗶𝘁𝘀 • 𝗔𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗮𝗱𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗼𝗻 𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽, 𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗱𝘀𝗲𝘁, 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴.

Serial tech entrepreneur, business operator, and strategic advisor with deep experience starting and growing consumer-digital businesses. 

As a growth and product-driven startup founder, I have a proven track record of building and growing innovative products used by millions. I have achieved successful exits while overseeing multiple C-Level executive roles for publicly traded, growth stage, and venture-backed startups. I have a bias for action and a passion for solving big problems. Proven ability to innovate and deliver rapid revenue and user growth. 

At the intersection of my passion for pets and online dating expertise, I co-founded AllPaws. This innovative, online dating-style pet adoption platform quickly gained millions of users and was acquired by the pet industry leader, PetSmart. 

Before that, as co-founder I helped build and lead publicly traded SNAP Interactive from inception to rank as the 36th fastest growing technology company in North America with 4,400% revenue growth over 5 years, $20 million+ in annual revenue, and over 100 million users of our online dating apps and social products. 

Today, I advise businesses and startups on optimizing their digital and product growth strategies. Additionally, I coach entrepreneurs and business leaders on building high-income personal brands, and advise top influencers, models, and creators on growing and monetizing their audiences.

I continue to work on new projects, explore new opportunities, and advise. 

Been featured in ABC News, Bloomberg, Good Morning America, TechCrunch, Fox 5 News,  Huffington Post, Mashable, Forbes, Fast Company, Business Insider, and many other top tier publications. 

SPECIALTIES: Growth, Optimization, Digital Strategy, Product Strategy, Personal Branding 

Start-ups | Digital Strategy | General Management | Product Strategy and Development |  Rapid Revenue Growth | Strategic Vision | User Growth & User Acquisition | Marketplaces | Business Strategy | Business Operator | Problem-Solving | Business Operations (CEO, COO, GM) | Product Management | Conversion Optimization | A/B Testing | Web and Mobile Analytics | Mobile Applications | Mobile Growth | iTunes App Store Optimization | e-Commerce | Social Media Marketing & Strategy | M&A Process | Pet Industry | Online Dating Apps

Darrell Lerner

The key to growing a startup in 3 steps.

Test → Learn → Iterate

Then double down on what’s working.

Tight feedback cycles let you gather data and make progress as quickly as possible.

(Quick clip from a podcast I did with Adam Metwally on growth + why virality is harder than people think.)

But here’s the part nobody really wants to admit:

You can’t really “engineer” virality.

Everyone thinks they know what will go viral…

until they post something they’re sure will rip, and it flops.

Then they post something random…

and it takes off...

That’s why “going viral” isn’t a strategy.

The right systems are.

You can’t force outcomes.

But you can run enough reps to find them.

That’s how you win in growth when there’s no formula.

The winners don’t predict virality. They build systems that find it.

What’s the most surprising post you’ve ever had take off?

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2x Exited Founder & Growth Advisor • Built AllPaws (Acquired by PetSmart) • Co-Founded SNAP Interactive (100m users & $100m revenue)

At A Better Jones, I help startups, small businesses, and solopreneurs accelerate their growth. 

A Better Jones

At the end of 2024, I made one small, almost silly, decision, that changed the trajectory of my life and business.
 
I now make this same decision every year. 
And the results keep compounding.
 
Let me give you some context.
 
At the time, I was running a business that was fun, fast, and exciting—at first.
 
But eventually, I saw the ceiling.
 
And I wanted more.
 
• More impact.
• More intention.
• And yes, more revenue.
 
My business partner and I were winging it. 

Yeah, we were seeing some success, but it felt chaotic and stressful.
 
And winging it doesn’t scale.
 
So, going into 2025, I picked a theme for the new year: 𝗖𝗿𝗮𝗳𝘁𝘀𝗺𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽
 
The idea was to transform my work from scattered, shoot-from-the-hip, throw-shit-at-the-wall and hope something sticks…
 
To something that I build with intention, care, and love. A craft.
 
That one word changed everything.
 
→ Every decision ran through the lens: Does this reflect craftsmanship? 
→ Am I building something I’m proud of—or just getting through the day?
 
By March, the partnership ended.
 
Not because I set a goal to leave.
 
But because she loved the hustle, grind, and winging it. 

And I didn’t. At least not anymore.
 
I yearned for something more stable, more scalable, and more impactful.
 
Neither is better—truly. And I’m grateful for that chapter in my life and everything it taught me.
 
But they are different.
 
• Different goals.
• Different values.
• Different styles.
 
The misalignment became impossible to ignore.
 
That’s what themes do. 
They quietly, powerfully, shape your future.
 
And they stick.
 
Craftsmanship didn’t end in 2025. It’s still baked into everything I do and the results continue to compound.
 
Have you ever made one small decision that changed your life? Let me know in the comments!

XOXO,
Kasey

Kasey Jones 🏔

I Help Consultants Scale End Referral Reliance and Reach Systematic, Predictable $30k+ Months Revenue via Strategy & Leverage, Not People & Time | 41k+ News Subs | Mix of Jocko Willink & Mr. Rogers

It’s that weird in-between week.
 
You’re either eating leftover pie in stretchy pants…
 
Or mapping out your “this is the year I finally…” goals.
 
But let me tell you something that changed everything for me.
 
I haven’t set a New Year’s resolution in years.
 
Not because I don’t have big goals.
 
But because resolutions are a fundamentally broken system.
 
→ They create a pass/fail binary that doesn’t account for real life. 
→ They tell you what to do—but not how to decide. 
→ And they rarely help when you’re faced with the 101 micro-decisions that actually shape your day.
 
So instead of goals, I set a theme.
 
• One word or phrase that becomes a filter. 
• A North Star. 
• A decision-making lens for the entire year.
 
Not something to achieve. 
Something to embody.
 
And damn, the results compound.
 
(Stay tuned—I’ll share the themes that changed my life. And how to find your own.)
 
What about you?
 
Have you ever set a theme for the year instead of a resolution?
 
👇 I’d love to hear what you’re thinking about for 2026.

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2025 hit me like a freight train.
 
Health issues forced me to scale back to 25–40% capacity.
 
And for a high-achiever like me? That was brutal.
 
But it also forced clarity.
 
Because when you can’t do everything, you finally get honest about what actually matters.
 
So I chose a theme I’ve held onto for years:
 
𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘁 𝗕𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗱𝘀 𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗶𝘁𝘆
 
Just like chefs who make better meals under pressure… 
Just like creators who thrive within boundaries…
 
I realized the constraints weren’t my downfall.
 
They were my freedom.
 
→ To say no. 
→ To build around what I want , not what I “should.” 
→ To create art, not just output.
 
This is my slow season.
 
But it’s also my most creative one yet.
 
What’s a constraint in your life that might actually be a gift?

The worst business decision I ever made wasn't a failure. It was a success I should have walked away from.
 
A few years ago, I was making $50K a month. On paper, I was crushing it.
 
Behind the scenes? I was miserable.
 
I built an agency because everyone said that's what successful entrepreneurs do. 

But I have ADHD. Operational complexity drains me.
 
→ I kept saying yes to projects that exhausted me and clients who didn't appreciate me.
→ I kept building around my weaknesses instead of my strengths.
 
Then my body shut down. 

Severe vertigo from a viral infection knocked me flat for weeks. 

My nervous system was so fried from constant stress that my body couldn't fight it off.
 
I was making $50K a month while feeling more incompetent than when I made $5K doing work I loved.
 
Here's what I wish someone had told me:
 
Every mediocre opportunity you say yes to costs you the dream opportunities you'll never meet.
 
Now I ask:
 
Does this align with who I am and where I'm going?
 
The business you deserve isn't built on your ability to suffer. It's built on your ability to deliver extraordinary results through your natural gifts.

And I don’t just mean burnout from doing too much.
 
I mean the kind that creeps in even when things are “working.”
 
→ You’re making money 
→ You’re getting clients 
→ You’re hitting goals
 
But you’re quietly exhausted.
 
Low-key resentful.
 
Wondering if this is really it.
 
Here’s what I wish someone had told me:
 
🖤 1. You can burn out from success just as easily as failure.
 
Because when your business grows faster than your clarity…
 
It starts to consume you.
 
🖤 2. Rest won’t fix what misalignment created.
 
You don’t need a vacation.
 
You need to rebuild.
 
🖤 3. You’ll start to resent your dream—and think it means you’re ungrateful.
 
But resentment is a signal.
 
It’s telling you what used to fit… doesn’t anymore.
 
🖤 4. Your business isn’t supposed to depend on your exhaustion.
 
If it only works when you're pushing, it’s not sustainable.
 
It’s not a business. It’s a performance.
 
🖤 5. You’re allowed to outgrow your old goals.
 
You don’t have to keep building what you no longer want.
 
If you're running on fumes right now—
 
Even with a calendar full of clients—
 
Let this be your reminder:
 
You're not broken. 
You're becoming.

What I wish I knew before I started taking on client projects... 

"𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗯𝘂𝘆𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘀𝘆𝗺𝗽𝘁𝗼𝗺 𝗮𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗲, 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗺 𝗮𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗲."
 
Every consultant learns this eventually:
 
You scope the project based on what the client tells you. 30 days in, you realize they had no idea what was actually wrong.
 
They weren't lying. They're symptom aware, not problem aware.
 
They know something hurts. They don't know why.
 
Here's what I learned:
 
1. Their diagnosis is almost always incomplete. They tell you about the symptom. You scope a solution for that symptom. But the symptom isn't the problem.
   
2. You'll end up in a lose-lose-lose situation. Either you do extra work for free and burn out. Or you accept mediocre results and damage your reputation. Or you ask for more money and create an awkward conversation that often kills the relationship.
   
3. The fix isn't working harder—it's diagnosing before you deliver. When you do the discovery work, you control the scope. No more surprises. No more resentment.
 
The consultants who avoid this trap aren't smarter. They just stopped trusting the client's self-diagnosis.

I used to start every client project from scratch. Custom everything. 

And I wondered why I was exhausted making the same money month after month.
 
Then I learned the difference between effort and leverage.
 
Successful people don't work harder. They build systems that multiply effort.
 
They create once, use forever. Solve a problem once—it works forever.
 
They automate decisions.
 
→ They said "I only take calls on Tuesdays." 
→ They said "I charge $10K minimum." 
→ Decision made once, executed forever.
 
They make their work compound.
 
→ One client project becomes a framework for ten. 
→ One piece of content attracts thousands. 
→ Every action feeds the next.
 
I went from rebuilding from scratch every month to building assets that stack.
 
That's how you scale revenue without scaling hours.
 
Stop trading time for results. Build leverage.

I used to say "I help businesses with strategy" and wondered why I couldn't charge premium prices.
 
These 3 phrases were killing my credibility.
 
𝗥𝗲𝗱 𝗳𝗹𝗮𝗴 #𝟭: 
You help a broad category of people with broad services. "I help businesses with strategy" sounds like 10,000 other consultants. Premium clients hire specialists, not generalists.
 
𝗥𝗲𝗱 𝗳𝗹𝗮𝗴 #𝟮: 
You offer a menu of services. "I can help with lots of things" sounds desperate, not flexible. Experts say "I solve THIS problem and deliver THIS outcome."
 
𝗥𝗲𝗱 𝗳𝗹𝗮𝗴 #𝟯: 
You wait for prospects to tell you what they need, then create custom proposals. That's order-taking, not expertise.
 
See the pattern? All three signal scarcity mindset. And prospects can smell it.
 
Experts are specific. Generalists are vague.

I stayed stuck with $5K clients because I was terrified the $50K clients would not hire me.
 
• Not enough credibility. 
• Not enough “big-name” clients.
 
So I kept my rates low and my positioning safe.
 
Here's what I learned:
 
→ Premium clients aren't hiring your resume. 
They're hiring your precision.
 
→ They don't care how many clients you've had. 
They care if you understand their exact problem.
 
2 years of focused expertise beats 10 years of generalist experience. Every time.
 
One $50K client creates momentum—space to think, energy to serve, time to build.
 
Ten $5K clients? Chaos. Drowning in delivery. No time for anything but surviving.
 
Stop being afraid to go upmarket. Start being afraid of staying stuck serving clients who can't afford your real value.

I spent years thinking I was "bad at planning." 

Turns out, I was trying to plan like a neurotypical person (And I have ADHD)
 
→ Time blocking failed. 
→ Project management systems fell apart. 
→ Quarterly plans lasted two weeks, max.
 
Here's what actually works:
 
1. I stopped planning for motivation. Systems beat motivation every time.
2. I schedule around my energy, not the clock. I protect high-energy windows for work that matters.
3. I focus on weekly sprints, not quarterly plans. My brain can crush a focused week.
4. I build in recovery. Rest isn't a reward—it's infrastructure.
 
When I stopped fighting my brain and started building around it, I became way more productive. Not less.
 
Your brain isn't broken. The system just wasn't built for you.

I asked a client these 4 questions. She couldn't answer them clearly. 

Within 8 months of fixing that, she went from $10K to $70K months.
 
If you're not making the money you want, your positioning might be the problem.
 
Here's the 60-second test:
 
1. WHO is in a situation where your work is high stakes?
2. WHAT specific problem are they experiencing—in their words, not yours?
3. WHAT outcome do you help them achieve? (Include numbers. Include timeline.)
4. HOW do you help them get there in a way no one else can?
 
If you can't answer these clearly and specifically, that's why you're not closing more clients.
 
Drop your answers in the comments—I'll help you sharpen your positioning so you can start making the money you actually deserve.

I've had to rebuild my life more than once.
 
→ Layoffs 
→ Failed relationships 
→ Rock-bottom moments I don't talk about publicly
 
No one handed me a checklist for reinvention. So I taught myself.
 
Here's what I learned:
 
“You don't bounce back. You build FORWARD.”
 
The version of you that's dying? Let her go. She got you this far. But she can't take you where you're going.
 
Stop asking "What do I DO now?" 
Start asking "Who do I BECOME now?"
 
Reinvention isn't a to-do list. It's an identity shift.
 
And the biggest mistake? Trying to fix a life that no longer fits—instead of creating one that lets you feel as good as you deserve.
 
You don't need a five-year plan. 
You need a spark. Then a motion. 
Then a subtraction—cutting everything that no longer fits.
 
Reinvention isn't a comeback. It's a departure from a life that didn't fit Future You.
 
You're not going back to who you were. 
You're stepping into who you've always been becoming.
 
And she's just getting started.

For 6 months, I posted content that got great engagement but zero clients. 

I was operating on 5 Marketing Myths that cost me thousands in revenue. 

Then I challenged every single one—and ONE post brought in $15K in two weeks. 

Here's what I was wrong about.

Carousel - 5 marketing myths that cost me 6 months and tho

I used to think my energy crashes were about my workload.
 
Then I went back through my journal and checked my calendar.
 
My most anxious mornings?
 
• I hadn't slept. 
• I'd skipped exercise. 
• Maybe had some alcohol the night before.
 
The realization was painful:
 
My anxiety had almost nothing to do with how much was on my plate. 
It had everything to do with how well I'd taken care of myself.
 
I spent decades taking pride in my hustle mindset. 

Admitting I wasn't anxious because of my ambition—but because I wasn't sleeping? That was hard.
 
Here's what I see in entrepreneurs all the time:
 
→ Burnt out? Your messaging gets desperate. 
→ Overwhelmed? You skip follow-ups. 
→ Not sleeping? You avoid sales calls entirely.
 
We think the solution is better strategy. More leads. A new tactic.
 
Sometimes the real solution is going to bed an hour earlier.
 
Taking care of yourself isn't self-indulgent. It's business strategy.

I used to have a to-do list that could fill a novel. Content to create. Funnels to build. Networking events to attend.
 
I was very BUSY every single day. 

And my income? Wildly inconsistent. 
$30K months followed by $3K months.
 
Then I did something terrifying: 

I deleted 70% of my to-do list.
 
→ Stopped going to networking events that didn't convert. 
→ Stopped creating content for platforms that didn't drive leads. 
→ Stopped offering services that drained me. 
→ Stopped saying yes to "good" opportunities that weren't great.
 
What happened? I went from inconsistent $10-20K months to consistent $40-50K months.
 
Here's the truth:
 
Most of what's on your to-do list isn't moving your business forward. It just feels productive.
 
Now I ask one question before adding anything: 

Is this essential—or am I doing it because someone told me I should?
 
If it's not essential, it doesn't make the cut.
 
Your business doesn't need you to do more. 
It needs you to do less—with more focus.

XOXO,
Kasey

Heading into 2026, I was scaling fast.
 
Revenue jumped from $10K → $30–$50K months.
 
But behind the scenes? I was dropping balls left and right.
 
So I picked this military phrase as my theme:
 
“Slow is smooth. Smooth is fast.”
 
And I lived it.
 
• I built systems. 
• I slowed the hell down. 
• I tracked every metric.
 
And I focused on ONE improvement at a time.
 
The result?
 
→ Our webinar funnel went from shaky to sharp. 
→ Same offer. Same structure. 
→ 5x the revenue in just 10 weeks.
 
That’s the power of focused iteration.
 
Not throwing more at the wall.
Not trying to be everywhere.
 
Just doing the damn thing, better—one step at a time.
 
So here’s my question to you:
 
What are you rushing through that actually needs more care?

I’m not anti-goals.
 
I f*cking love a good 90-day plan.
 
But I also know life will happen.
 
And when it does, you need something better than a goalpost that moves.
 
You need a filter. A compass. A theme.
 
Here’s how it works:
 
→ One phrase. One lens.
→ Every decision runs through it.
→ No overthinking. Just clarity.
 
Because one aligned decision makes a thousand others easier.
 
This is how you build a business—and a life—that feels like 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴.
 
So tell me:
 
What’s your theme for 2026?
 
If you don’t know yet, stay tuned—I’ll be sharing my year-end review and template to help you find it.
 
Let’s make this year your most intentional one yet.

Let’s get real for a sec.
 
A few years ago, I looked like I was killing it:
 
→ Featured on podcasts
→ Speaking at conferences
→ $30K months
→ Clients with big names and bigger budgets
 
But here’s what you didn’t see:
 
→ I was customizing every offer
→ I was working nights and weekends
→ I was terrified to slow down
→ My “strategy” was basically hope + hustle
 
And when a client churned, I panicked.
Because everything depended on me.
 
No systems.
No structure.
 
Just a collection of projects with my name on them.
 
That wasn’t success. 
That was survival.
 
Real success came when I slowed the hell down and rebuilt:
 
→ A single high-leverage offer
→ A clear message I could stand behind
→ A business model that gave me breathing room
 
Now?
 
I make more working less.
I have actual freedom.
 
And I only work with people who light me up.
 
Here’s what I know for sure:
 
If you’re exhausted, but everyone thinks you’re “crushing it” — it’s time to make a change.
 
Because pretending it’s working is the surest way to burn out.
 
What part of your “success” isn’t actually working for you?

Health issues forced me to scale back to 25–40% capacity.
 
And for a high-achiever like me?
 
That felt like failure.
 
But here’s what I learned when my body said “stop”:
 
When you can’t do everything, you finally get honest about what actually matters.
 
So I chose a theme I’ve whispered to myself for years:
 
𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘁 𝗯𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗱𝘀 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗶𝘁𝘆.
 
The kind of creativity that’s not bloated by urgency.
 
Not driven by dopamine.
Not rooted in performative productivity.
 
Just truth.
 
Clarity.
 
And the actual art I want to create.
 
Because constraints aren’t your downfall.
 
They’re your freedom.
 
→ To say no without guilt
→ To build around what you want, not what you “should”
→ To create resonance, not just content
→ To stop chasing likability—and show up in your full magnetism
 
This is my slow season.
 
And it’s also the most aligned I’ve felt in years.
 
What constraint in your life might actually be a gift in disguise?
 
Or better yet—what’s something you’re done pretending you can carry?

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