How a 20-Year-Old Founder Won Clients Like Pepsi and the United Nations

At 19, Erifili Gunari built Z-Link, a Gen Z-led agency helping brands like Pepsi, IKEA, and the United Nations actually talk to young people 🚀In this episode of Founders and Builders, Erifili shares how to start before you feel “ready,” turn cold outreach into major press, and use intuition (not permission) to build a life you actually want. We dig into Gen Z behaviors, UGC that performs, and why inbound beats outbound when you’re authentic online.As always, if you enjoyed this episode, make sure to like and subscribe 🔔Chapters:(00:00) Intro(00:59) Why waiting to be “ready” holds you back(01:26) Starting Z-Link at 19: no funding, no playbook(02:50) Spotting the Gen Z agency gap(04:43) What really defines Gen Z (global nuances)(07:00) From brands → people: authenticity and trust(08:49) Increase your surface area for serendipity(10:02) Month 1–12: press hacks that drove inbound(13:53) The cold DM template that got journalists to reply(16:58) Building an inbound magnet with personal brand(18:57) Ideal clients: why “vibe check” beats industry(19:44) ⭐ Listener Suggestion – Software of the Week(20:24) UGC 101: why “real” converts(22:06) Smart UGC collabs: Hinge x Substack writers(23:46) Performance UGC & giving creators freedom(24:54) Scaling UGC: in-house vs. specialist partners(26:20) Repurposing content across platforms (when & how)(28:02) Testing, then boosting: TikTok as the proving ground(29:28) Crystal Clear: starting a blog that resonates(31:58) The theme: distilling complexity into clarity(33:22) Stop outsourcing decisions: trusting yourself(37:30) Intuition vs anxiety: how to tell the difference(41:42) Body signals, big choices, and living your own life(45:36) Getting unstuck: engineer inspiration & momentum(48:28) Find your inspiration triggers (journaling, fitness, space)(49:47) Make it fun: environments that fuel focus(50:56) 30 years from now: what was it all for?⭐ Listeners Suggestion – Software of the Week: https://superpower.com/👍 Why subscribe?If you sketch business ideas on napkins, obsess over product-market fit, or dream of building with creators and community, this channel is for you.🔔 Tap the bell so YouTube tells you the moment new episodes drop 🔔#GenZ #Marketing #UGC #Startups #Founders #Entrepreneurship