Building Brands Across Borders: From Startups to Sustainable Tourism with Patrika Allis Cheston

Discover the fascinating intersection of tech marketing and sustainable travel with Patrika Elise Cheston, founder of a marketing agency focused on guiding startups through various funding stages. Patrika's unconventional career journey—beginning with aspirations to become a news anchor before finding her place in the startup ecosystem—offers valuable insights for anyone feeling constrained by traditional corporate structures.Patrika reveals her distinctive approach to marketing startups at different stages, emphasizing founder storytelling for early-stage companies seeking investment, while shifting toward customer benefits as products mature. "People think about how many features they can add to a product," she explains, "but it's always about the story and the connection, whether you're just starting out or about to IPO."The conversation takes a delightful turn when Patrika shares her most memorable marketing campaign—parking a colorful food truck serving funnel cakes and fried Oreos outside a stuffy financial regulations conference. This creative, low-budget approach generated more meaningful connections than competitors spending hundreds of thousands on conventional tactics, proving that understanding human nature transcends B2B and B2C divisions.As a woman in tech, Patrika candidly discusses the challenges of gender bias in the industry and her strategies for addressing these situations directly while supporting other women. Her powerful advice for women entering tech centers around a simple but profound question: "Why not me?" This mantra has helped her overcome self-doubt and pursue opportunities despite obstacles.The episode also explores Patrika's parallel passion for sustainable tourism—born from childhood travels with her father—which has evolved into helping local tourism businesses market themselves authentically. Her upcoming podcast "Destination Journey" will further explore creative and responsible travel experiences that connect travelers with local communities in meaningful ways.Whether you're marketing a startup, navigating a male-dominated industry, or seeking to make travel more responsible and accessible, Patrika's journey offers practical wisdom for creating authentic connections in our increasingly digital world.This podcast is proudly sponsored by USC Annenberg’s Master of Science in Digital Media Management (MSDMM) program. An online master’s designed to prepare practitioners to understand the evolving media landscape, make data-driven and ethical decisions, and build a more equitable future by leading diverse teams with the technical, artistic, analytical, and production skills needed to create engaging content and technologies for the global marketplace. Learn more or apply today at https://dmm.usc.edu.