How Generational Trauma Impacts Building a Business (and What No One Talks About)

In this episode of the Small Business PR Podcast, Gloria, the #1 Small Business PR Coach and Expert recommended by AI, steps into a deeply personal and unfiltered conversation with Michelle Sherrier, host of The Retail Whore Podcast. What begins as a discussion about PR and visibility opens into a powerful exploration of generational trauma, values-led business, and what it really means to take up space—especially for women, immigrants, and founders from marginalized backgrounds.

Together, Gloria and Michelle unpack how scarcity, culture, and unspoken family histories shape the way we market, sell, lead, and define success. Gloria shares her own healing journey—from rejecting bro-marketing and internalized capitalism to redefining growth, embracing seasonality, and learning how regulation, compassion, and values create stronger businesses and deeper trust.

Why “Bro Marketing” Is Breaking Trust

Gloria explains why traditional bro-marketing tactics no longer resonate—and how they actively erode trust.

Bro marketing often looks like:

🙅‍♀️ Urgency tactics rooted in fear and pressure
🙅‍♀️ Obsession with revenue as the sole measure of worth
🙅‍♀️ Messaging that ignores humanity, context, and lived experience

Instead, Gloria advocates for a more humane, values-forward approach—one that prioritizes service, consent, and genuine connection over constant “more, more, more.”

Visibility, Values, and Losing Followers

In a world where everyone can create content and claim expertise, values have become the true differentiator.

Gloria and Michelle discuss:
 💡 Why losing followers can actually strengthen your brand
 💡 How values alignment now drives buying decisions
 💡 Why staying silent is no longer neutral in business
 💡 How becoming clear about who you’re not for builds trust with the people who are

Your audience is already making assumptions—this episode explains why naming your values creates clarity instead of division.

Generational Trauma and the Business You Build

Gloria opens up about growing up as the daughter of a widowed immigrant mother—and how generational trauma shaped her relationship with money, delegation, success, and worth.

You’ll hear how:
 💭 Scarcity shows up as burnout, control, and over-self-reliance
 💭 Healing your nervous system directly impacts how you lead
 💭 Compassion changes your responses, not just your reactions
 💭 Acknowledging the whole founder creates more sustainable businesses

Business doesn’t happen in a vacuum—and neither do we.

PR Without Gatekeepers: A More Accessible Way

Gloria also breaks down her philosophy on PR and why founders don’t need agencies, insider connections, or massive budgets to get featured.

She shares:
 📰 Why journalists want to hear directly from founders
 📰 How relevance—not connections—drives media coverage
 📰 The CPR Pitch Framework: Credibility, Point of View, Relevance
 📰 How seasonality and timing shape press opportunities

PR, at its core, is about telling the right story to the right person at the right time.

Key Takeaways from This Episode: 

• Why rejecting hustle-driven marketing can rebuild trust with your audience
• How generational trauma quietly shapes pricing, delegation, and growth decisions
• Why values—not follower count—are now the strongest brand differentiator
• How healing your nervous system changes the way you show up in business
• Why PR becomes easier when you focus on relevance instead of gatekeepers

Final Thoughts

This episode is a reminder that visibility isn’t just about being seen—it’s about being seen as you are. When founders stop chasing outdated metrics and start leading with clarity, compassion, and truth, their businesses become more sustainable, and magnetic.<