52: The Business of Impact with Linda Hafstad (CEO and Founding Partner Ekte Media)

Linda Hafstad’s journey is a testament to bold choices and a relentless drive to make a difference. Growing up as an expatriate child living across the globe, she developed an early awareness of life’s brevity and the importance of meaningful work. Despite earning a perfect GPA, Linda made the unconventional decision to skip college, opting instead to pursue her dream of building something impactful. By 17, she had founded Ekte Media—named after the Norwegian word for "real"—and forged a unique path by partnering with impact-driven organizations to tell authentic stories. To fund her vision, Linda took on side jobs like Uber Eats, embodying the resilience and dedication that define her career today. Recently spending time with Sir Richard Branson on Necker Island, she found renewed inspiration in her mission to elevate brands focused on global change. Now a recipient of multiple awards, including the Outstanding Leadership Award at the Marketing 2.0 Conference, Linda’s story of unwavering integrity and purpose-driven work makes her a trailblazer in brand strategy and digital impact. Starring: Michael Newborn (@michaelnewborn) John Ballenger (@john-ballenger53) Guest: Linda Hafstad Personal: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindahafstad/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lindahafstad/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lindahafstad Business: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ektemedia/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ekteimpactmedia Network/Produced by: Seltzer Kings (@seltzerkings) (seltzerkings.com) Theme Music: "You Can't Stop Me" by Andy Mineo Listen Here: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/71Uji4fPLsnGEJjeAqomiJ?si=77e3d7bb636c422a Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-second-act-with-michael-and-john/id1707412739 Amazon: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/a6b369bb-36a9-47ab-9f22-1bacfcff6166/the-second-act-with-michael-and-john iHeart: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-the-second-act-with-michae-123242148/ Socials: Linktree: linktr.ee/secondactmovement Instagram: @secondactmovement LinkedIn: @secondactmovement Facebook: @secondactmovement YouTube: @secondactmovement Website: michaelandjohn.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices