IAM2570 – Founder Elevates Companies That Have a Positive Impact on Our World

Sacha Cohen is the founder of Grassfed Media, a strategic communications agency focused on supporting conscious companies and mission-driven organizations.

With a career spanning journalism, branding, PR, and digital strategy, Sacha brings a holistic and values-driven approach to helping clients amplify their message and connect with the right audiences.

Her agency has worked with high-profile clients such as National Geographic, the American Kidney Fund, the Partnership for a Healthier America, and Equinox Restaurant.

She emphasizes the importance of storytelling, especially for smaller businesses without in-house marketing teams, and credits her unique perspective.

Sacha also highlights the value of a strong morning routine and mind-body-spirit practices in fueling her work.

She encourages others to focus on their own path, avoid comparing themselves to others, and lead with kindness—a key yet underrated quality in strong leadership.

Website: Grassfed Media
LinkedIn: Sacha Cohen
Instagram: @sachacohendc

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Transcription:

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Sacha Cohen Teaser 00:00

Conscious companies to me means anything that align with my values and help really bring joy and love, and happiness into the world.

So, it can encompass a lot of different things. And the way I feel that I help companies is that I bring a really holistic communications perspective to the table.

So, because I've been a communicator for my entire career, but in different ways, that allows me to look at the big picture.

Intro 00:31

Are you ready to hear business stories and learn effective ways to build relationships, generate sales, and level up your business from awesome CEOs, entrepreneurs, and founders without listening to a long, long, long interview?

If so, you've come to the right place. Gresh values your time and is ready to share with you the valuable info you're in search of. This is the I AM CEO Podcast.

Gresham Harkless 00:58

Hello, hello, hello. This is Gresh from the I AM CEO Podcast, and I have a very special guest on the show today. I have Sacha Cohen of Grassfed Media. Sacha, it's awesome to have you on the show.

Sacha Cohen 01:07

Hi, Gresham. It's great to be here. Thanks so much for having me.

Gresham Harkless 01:10

No problem. I appreciate having you on. And what I want to do is just read a little bit more about Sacha, so you can hear about all the awesome things that she's doing.

And Sacha is the founder of Grassfed Media, a strategic communications agency that is committed to supporting and elevating conscious companies and organizations that have a positive impact on our world.

Her clients have included the Partnership for a Healthier America, The American Kidney Fund, National Geographic, Equinox Restaurant, and many others.

She advises them on communications, branding, social media, and PR strategy. Her clients have been featured in NPR, The Washington Post, The New York Times, Bloomberg Radio, and many more.

Prior to Grassfed Media, Sacha worked with many well-known for-profit and non-profit organizations as a senior-level strategic communications and online marketing professional.

She was also a longtime writer and editor and has been published in the Washington Post, New York Magazine, Washingtonian, Kiplinger.com, USA Today, and many more.

Sacha, are you ready to speak to the I AM CEO community?

Sacha Cohen 02:12

I am ready. Thanks so much for that great introduction. I really appreciate it.

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Gresham Harkless 02:16

No problem. You're doing awesome things. So, I'm super excited to have you. I wanted to kick everything off and hear a little bit more about what I call your CEO story and we'll let you just start your business.

Sacha Cohen 02:27

Absolutely. So, I started Grassfed Media in 2013 because I had been in the working world for almost 20 years at that point, or 15, 20, don't wanna age myself too much. And I knew that I was good at certain things.

I wanted to be able to work with the kinds of clients that really got me out of bed in the morning, that I felt a connection to, the kind of clients that I was invested in their mission. And that encompasses what many people term conscious companies.

So, I work with conscious companies and nonprofits to do all kinds of communications, marketing, and PR work for them to really help them elevate their brand, reach the right audiences, and reach, in some cases, the right customers, in fact, if they're for-profit.

And so, I've been working for, as I said, six years, and I work with a really interesting mixture of clients.

I have clients that are in the hospitality and restaurant space. For example, my client Equinox Restaurant is really sort of a forerunner in so many things, from plant-based food to currently they're really focused on reducing food waste.

So, I'm very proud of the work that we do together. I've worked with natural beauty companies, helping them get the word out about the benefits of using products that don't have toxic chemicals in them and that are better for the environment, and in some cases are vegan. That are cruelty-free, all of these great things.

And so, what I bring to the table is really helping them formulate their messaging and their story so that they can just focus on their business and not have to worry so much about the marketing and communications piece.

I also am currently expanding into a new arena, a new-ish arena for me, which is the cannabis industry.

So, I have a couple of CBD clients, and I'm really excited to grow that part of the business as well.

Gresham Harkless 04:39

Nice. A little, a little, a little peek into my business. Nice. Well, I definitely appreciate that. And, I wanted to hear a little bit more on like how you're serving clients.

And I know you touched on it some more, could you drill a little bit deeper, and also what would you consider how, if somebody is listening, would they consider themselves to be a conscious company?

Is there a kind of a way or a measure that you use for that?

Sacha Cohen 04:58

Yeah, I mean, conscious companies are focused on people and planet over profit. So essentially, the idea is that you are not doing any harm, you're doing good in the world.

You're either supporting environmental initiatives, you are helping people, and that could be anything from building homes for Habitat for Humanity to helping children overcome health issues or the obesity crisis.

I mean, that's a pretty wide spectrum. But, conscious companies, to me, means anything that aligns with my values and helps really bring joy, and love, and happiness into the world.

So, it can encompass a lot of different things. And the way I feel that I help companies is that I bring a really holistic communications perspective to the table.

So, because I've been a communicator for my entire career, but in different ways, that allows me to look at the big picture.

So, for example, I started out as an editor many years ago, and I was an editor and a writer and so I really understand how to tell stories, and how, and what editors are looking for what writers and what the media are looking for.

And then I also was a very early adopter of online writing and online digital, and so I have a real comfort level and expertise in the digital world, and the same goes for social media.

Again, I was very early on involved in social media, really back when it truly meant what it meant in the first iterations of social media, when it was about connecting with each other and really, having a social connection and being able to tap into the collective good from a digital perspective.

And then, beyond that, just bringing all those pieces together, the strategy, the marketing strategy, the communication strategy, the content creation, all of those elements come together and bring a full picture of a brand.

So, you have to have all of those different pieces together so that you can have the full expression of a brand and reach the right audiences so that those audiences are able to the messaging resonates with those audiences.

Gresham Harkless 07:31

Yeah, that makes perfect sense. And I think especially in this day and age, having the background that you have is definitely key for those brands and those businesses, and organizations that want to express themselves and showcase their stories.

Because just like you kind of touched on, like if they're conscious companies, they probably have a really strong mission and vision because you're trying to make a great impact on the world and do really phenomenal things.

But sometimes even if you are and your desire is to do that, if you don't communicate that and you don't showcase that in different aspects of your brand, sometimes it may not get to the people that it needs to get to.

So, I appreciate you for definitely doing that and helping people do that because even consumers take in content and information and brands' messaging is so many different ways that you kind of have to have that holistic approach to your communications.

Sacha Cohen 08:22

Yeah, absolutely. And sometimes, a lot of times, um, companies, smaller companies, especially small businesses, don't have an in-house marketing or PR team. So, as you said, they have a really strong mission, are a great product.

They have a lot to offer, but if there's no one there to help them get it out into the world, then it just sort of sits there on the table and never really is able to have lift off.

So that's oftentimes when I get pulled in, is when companies are looking for a partner who's really invested in their mission and their product or their service or what they're trying to do.

And I always feel like I am, I have the luxury in some respects of being able to choose who I work with because I run my own company.

And so that to me is really a wonderful thing because I can have a much stronger investment in my clients than I would if I were working for someone else and I was being told, okay, well, you're going to work on this account.

And one thing I did want to say is that I have never worked at a PR agency.

So, I don't really even know what that looks like. I was always on the client side, working with PR and marketing agencies.

And so, when I started Grassfed Media, I was coming at it from a very different perspective, and I do things a little bit differently because I've never been inside of a traditional agency model.

So, I come at it more from the client side, more from the consumer side, so I understand what is going to be authentic and resonate with the audiences that my clients are trying to reach without the sort of old school constructs of the older PR model.

And I think that that brings a little bit of a fresh approach to what I do.

Gresham Harkless 10:18

Absolutely, and I think that's definitely necessary, with as many different ways that people can take in content and so many things that are kind of asking and pulling for our attention that you have to kind of break through the noise.

And often a way to break through the noise is not even be part of what the noise is.

And so, I think those fresh eyes, that fresh perspective, that trailblazing mentality often creates great ways to kind of communicate and great ways to even reach through so that you've been able to feature and have your clients featured in a lot of different media sites and publications.

So, I think a lot of that is just because you do have that client-focused idea and that perspective, and that kind of resonates with those media publications as well.

And I wanted to switch gears a little bit, and I wanted to ask you for what I call a CEO hack.

And this might be an app, a book, or a habit that you have, but something that is more effective and efficient.

Sacha Cohen 11:13

This is an area that I absolutely love talking about. I am very committed and passionate about the whole mind, body, spirit interaction.

And so that comes into play for me every day. There are things that I do every day that make me a better person, and that translates into my business.

So, first things first, I mean a lot of people talk about their morning routine, and I like to think I have a pretty strong morning routine.

I get up, I meditate, I have a really great breakfast, I take my dog out on a walk, and then I'm kind of ready and my head's clear and ready to work.

Gresham Harkless 11:54

It's great to hear that. And now I want to ask you for what I call a CEO nugget. And this is a word or a piece of advice, or if it can happen to a time machine, what would you tell your younger self?

Sacha Cohen 12:07

I think the biggest piece of advice I would probably give to my younger self and others is try not to compare yourself to anyone else.

You are your own unique story, and comparing yourself to others and feeling that you're less than or you're not as successful as, it's just, it's not going to help you.

And it can really take away from your self-esteem. So, I really try to stay away from comparisons.

Now that's not to say that it's not good to have aspirational people in your life or a mentor, someone you look up to or are inspired by, but comparing yourself to others is not a good way to operate.

And I would just say chart your own course, keep your eyes focused on your goals, and don't listen to the naysayers.

Those are kind of my biggest words of advice for people who are entrepreneurs or getting into the entrepreneurial space.

Gresham Harkless 13:13

Absolutely. The saying goes comparison is a thief of joy. So, a lot of times when, a lot of times you do that, you don't, you aren't really, like I say, you always, if you run your own race, you can't lose because you run your race.

You don't run anybody else's races, because if you do that, then that's when you lose because you're comparing somebody else, chapter five, maybe to your chapter one.

And when you do that, that kind of sets you back and you get frustrated and things like that, but you're really right where you should be.

And it's important to kind of remember that because a lot of times that can kind of seep in.

Sacha Cohen 13:49

Exactly. I mean, so many remarkable people and people who've really been tremendous, tremendous successors, if they had spent the time comparing themselves to other people at that time or in that industry, they wouldn't be who they became.

So, you just have to, like you said, chart your own course, run your own race, whatever you wanna call it. That's the recipe for success.

Gresham Harkless 14:18

Exactly, do you.

Sacha Cohen 14:19

Yeah, you do you, right?

Gresham Harkless 14:22

Exactly. So now I wanted to ask you my absolute favorite question, which is the definition of what it means to be a CEO.

And we're hoping to have different quote-unquote CEOs on the show. So, Sacha, what does being a CEO mean to you?

Sacha Cohen 14:33

Being a CEO to me means having a vision, being true to yourself, and leading with kindness.

Those are the things that matter to me and are truly the embodiment of what it means to be a CEO.

And I think that the kindness piece is something that I would love to see so many more people embrace and have it be a more important aspect of our work life and the work that we do. It's undervalued in our society. And I hope that changes.

Gresham Harkless 15:11

I do as well. Being kind is cool. So, make sure you be cool and be kind. So, I would definitely agree with you a hundred thousand percent on that.

So, Sacha, I appreciate your time. What I want to do is pass you the mic, so to speak, just to see if there's anything additional you can let our readers and listeners know.

And then, of course, how best they can get a whole view and find out about all the awesome things you're doing.

Sacha Cohen 15:33

Absolutely. Well, I, I love connecting with people. I, one of the things I didn't say earlier is that's one of the things that brings me a lot of joy is connecting people and bringing people together and putting together partnerships.

And so, I'm always happy to hear from people and would be thankful to hear from your audience.

So, if you want to reach me, you can visit my website, which is grassfedmediadc.com, or follow me on Instagram at @sachacohendc or at Grassfed Media.

Gresham Harkless 16:08

Awesome, awesome, awesome. And we'll have those links in the show notes as well. So, thank you again, Sacha, and I hope you have a phenomenal rest of the day.

Sacha Cohen 16:14

Thank you so much for having me on your show. Have a wonderful day.

Outro 16:17

Thank you for listening to the I AM CEO Podcast powered by CB Nation and Blue 16 Media. Tune in next time and visit us at iamceo.co. I AM CEO is not just a phrase; it's a community.

Don't forget to schedule your complimentary digital marketing consultation at Blue16Media.com. This has been the I AM CEO Podcast with Gresham Harkless Jr. Thank you for listening.

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