What if the secret to scaling your business isn’t louder ads or bigger budgets—but strategic influence rooted in authenticity?
In this game-changing episode of The Rooted Founder, Staci Gray sits down with Paige Velasquez Budde —powerhouse CEO of Zilker Media and author of the upcoming book “The Strategic Business Influencer”—for an eye-opening conversation about why servant leaders can no longer afford to stay behind the scenes.
If you’ve been hiding behind your corporate logo while watching competitors with bigger budgets win, or if the thought of “personal branding” makes your skin crawl, this conversation offers a research-backed framework that changes everything. Paige’s Influence ID protocol has helped Fortune 500 leaders and bestselling authors build trust at scale without compromising their authentic leadership style.
Paige reveals why institutional trust is at an all-time low, how AI is disrupting traditional discoverability, and why your personal profile carries more algorithmic weight than your company page. Through vulnerable insights about overcoming the “I don’t want to be online” mindset, she shows how strategic business influence becomes the ultimate differentiator in a crowded marketplace.
This isn’t about becoming an ego-driven personality or celebrity CEO. This is about servant leaders stepping into their role as strategic business influencers who build trust faster, create meaningful relationships at scale, and differentiate their companies through authentic thought leadership.
We explore:
✅ Why your first impression as a leader now happens entirely online
✅ The three-category content strategy that builds relationships, not just followers
✅ How to control your Google search results and AI platform presence
✅ Why relationship-driven content is the secret weapon for CEOs
✅ The shift from pay-to-play marketing to strategic influence
This conversation will challenge leaders who think they can afford to stay offline and marketing teams stuck in outdated tactics. Paige breaks down why speed of trust matters more than speed of sales, and how positioning yourself alongside (not in front of) your company creates the ultimate competitive advantage.
If you’re ready to discover how strategic visibility can accelerate your business results while staying true to your servant leadership values, this episode will transform your approach to influence.
Connect with Paige:
PaigeVelasquezBudde.com (download the free 18-page Influence ID workbook)
Company Page: zilkermedia.com
Book: “The Strategic Business Influencer” (November 2025)
