How Bethany Stachenfeld Grew Her LinkedIn Presence and Drove Startup Growth
Bethany Stachenfeld, the CEO of SendSpark, a video prospecting software, didn’t set out to become a LinkedIn power user. Like many startup founders, she was juggling a million things to grow her company—everything from product development to sales. LinkedIn, initially just another growth experiment, turned into one of the most valuable channels for both personal branding and business development. In this ep
isode of LinkedIn Famous, Bethany shares her journey on LinkedIn, the tools and strategies she uses to stay active, and the unexpected ways her LinkedIn presence has impacted SendSpark’s growth.
Something you wouldn’t know about Bethany from her LinkedIn profile is that she’s a third-degree black belt in karate. She grew up practicing martial arts and remains connected to her dojo. This reflects her discipline and determination—qualities that as you’ll learn below, translated into her entrepreneurial journey.
Listen or watch trailer episode below!
Throwing sphaghetti at the wall
When Bethany first began posting on LinkedIn, she didn’t have a grand strategy in mind. It was simply one of many experiments she tried to see what would stick.
“Honestly, we were just doing everything we could think of to grow the company,” Bethany shared. “I’d send some cold emails, try an ad, post on LinkedIn—and posting on LinkedIn was one of the things that worked.”
However, the early days weren’t without challenges. One of the biggest hurdles Bethany faced was finding her authentic voice. At first, she struggled with what to share—how much was too much? How could she stand out from the sea of generic business advice?
Her solution? She started writing posts as if she were speaking to her past self.
“I decided that the person I would talk to is me from the previous week,” Bethany explained. “If I thought it was interesting or helpful a week ago, someone else would probably think it’s interesting now.”
This approach helped her move past the fear of oversharing or being too basic. Instead, she leaned into authenticity, which quickly resonated with her audience.
How Bethany maintains her LinkedIn presence
Maintaining a consistent presence on LinkedIn can be challenging, especially for a busy CEO. For Bethany, it’s all about keeping things simple and making LinkedIn part of her daily workflow.
“At SendSpark, we have a culture where everyone posts on LinkedIn. It’s not formalized, but if someone on the team hasn’t posted in a while, we’ll give them a nudge and say, ‘Hey, your LinkedIn game is slipping!’”
Bethany credits this team accountability for keeping her active on the platform. It’s not about creating highly polished content—it’s about sharing real insights as they come up.
Another tool in Bethany’s LinkedIn playbook is using engagement data for outreach. The SendSpark team monitors who interacts with their posts and uses that information to personalize follow-up messages. Tools like Expandi help automate some of this process, and SendSpark’s own video platform allows them to send personalized video messages that drive strong engagement.
Bethany also shared how much time she spends on LinkedIn and how that time is allocated. She typically dedicates about 60 minutes each day to the platform. But that's broken up in to small chunks between meetings. Most of that engagement is commenting on relevant posts and engaging with her network. For Bethany, the content creation element is the least heavy lift. She writes up unpolished "shower thoughts" and video creation is quick for her (with the help of SendSpark). By keeping her sessions short and focused, she ensures LinkedIn remains a productive part of her daily workflow without becoming a time drain.
Turning LinkedIn engagement into revenue
The results of Bethany’s LinkedIn efforts have been impressive. She’s grown her audience by more than 10,000 followers in the past six months, and the platform has become a key source of demos and sales for SendSpark which has grown to 65,000 users this year.
One standout success metric? LinkedIn outreach driven by engagement has a 30% reply rate—far higher than typical cold email campaigns.
“We’ve run some campaigns where we post about SendSpark, and then reach out to people who engaged with the post,” Bethany said. “Those outreach messages often get a 20-30% reply rate, which is huge compared to the 5% you’d expect from a cold email.”
But beyond the hard numbers, Bethany shared that LinkedIn is a powerful way to stay top-of-mind with potential customers.
“It’s not always about driving new leads,” she explained. “It’s about nurturing relationships and building trust over time.”
LinkedIn engagement isn't just about pipeline. Through network engagement, Bethany sparked (no pun intended) a real relationship with Ben Wright, who is now SendSpark’s Head of Growth. This connection exemplifies how building a personal brand on LinkedIn can be a powerful way to attract talent. Founder-led branding not only drives revenue but also helps recruit key team members who believe in your vision and are inspired to join the journey.
Bethany's advice for founders looking to build a brand
Bethany’s biggest piece of advice for founders starting to build their personal brand is to embrace authenticity and consistency. “It’s easy to overthink LinkedIn and feel like every post needs to be perfect. But people resonate with real stories and genuine experiences,” she said.
She encourages founders to start by sharing what they know. “You don’t need groundbreaking insights. Start by talking about what you learned last week or what challenges you’re solving right now. If it was helpful to you, it will be helpful to someone else.”
Bethany also recommends engaging with other creators. “Don’t just post—comment, interact, and build relationships. LinkedIn is a two-way street, and some of the best opportunities come from meaningful interactions.”
Finally, she advises founders to make LinkedIn a habit rather than a chore. “It doesn’t have to take hours of your time. Keep it simple, keep it real, and show up consistently.
Where Bethany finds inspiration
Bethany draws inspiration from several standout LinkedIn creators who have built impactful personal brands. One of her key inspirations is Alina Vandenberghe from Chili Piper, who consistently shares relatable and authentic content about startup growth and leadership.
Bethany also follows Adam Robinson from Retention.com, who provides a masterclass in founder-led content. His ability to blend humor, insight, and storytelling resonates with audiences and keeps him top-of-mind in his industry.
These individuals, according to Bethany, serve as great examples of how founders can show up on LinkedIn with authenticity and consistency to build a trusted brand and drive real business results.
Until next time, stay connected
Bethany’s LinkedIn journey is proof that authenticity and consistency can yield incredible results—both for personal branding and business growth. Her approach to using LinkedIn engagement for personalized outreach is a game-changer for founders looking to drive revenue.
If you’re a startup founder or sales leader looking to grow your LinkedIn presence, Bethany’s story is full of actionable advice. Start by sharing what you’ve learned recently, keep your outreach personalized, and lean on your team for accountability.
Follow Bethany on LinkedIn here. And don’t forget to check out Sendspark too.
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And if you need help with your LinkedIn strategy, connect with your host with the most, Brad Zomick, on LinkedIn! Send him a DM and let him know what’s holding you back—whether it’s finding your voice, crafting scroll-stopping content, or building a strategy that actually drives business results. He’s here to help you get LinkedIn Famous!
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