Elena Ciccotelli built her EV podcast and EVs for Everyone brand by doing what most people in the electric vehicle industry would never attempt. She took a technical, fast moving space and turned it into a human centered platform filled with humor, insight, and real electric vehicle thought leadership. Her path from Lyft and automotive partnerships to creating a niche EV media brand shows how clarity, consistency, and a smart content strategy for founders can open unexpected doors. She shares what it looks like to navigate EV industry trends, push back on stale B2B marketing in automotive, and trust your voice even when the market gets loud. Entrepreneurs will recognize the grit in her story, but the spotlight stays fully on Elena and the way she built something original in a crowded industry.
Key Takeaways:
1️⃣ Control Your Controllables
Elena grew her EV podcast and niche EV media brand by focusing on what she could shape each day. You cannot control electric vehicle industry timelines or how fast a partnership lands, but you can control your content strategy for founders, your consistency, and the effort you put behind every idea. Staying focused on your controllables is how you turn a side project into real EV industry thought leadership.
2️⃣ Your Brand Wins When You Act Human
Most B2B marketing in automotive feels like a technical manual no one asked for. Elena stood out by using humor in B2B marketing, storytelling, and real personality to create electric vehicle thought leadership people actually want to consume. When you drop the corporate voice and show up as a human, you build trust faster and outpace every competitor still clinging to mid content.
3️⃣ Ask for Help Before You Burn Out
Being a solo founder in a fast moving space like the EV industry can get isolating. Elena learned that asking mentors and peers for feedback, advice, and support is not weakness but a key part of building authority in the EV industry and staying consistent with content creation. Founders who reach out early make smarter decisions and avoid the burnout cycle that kills great ideas.
Timestamps
00:00 Welcome to the Chaos
04:35 The Journey of Starting a Podcast
07:52 Control Your Controllables
12:56 Challenges of Electric Vehicle Infrastructure
16:18 Marketing Electric Vehicles
20:29 Self-Discovery in Entrepreneurship
24:47 The Rewards of Changing the Automotive Narrative
30:05 Adapting to Industry Changes
33:09 Winning with Ideas and Execution
34:36 The Role of AI in Creativity
36:31 Challenges of Content Creation
39:08 The Performative Side of Entrepreneurship
42:05 Aha Moments and Learning Experiences
46:34 Navigating Client Expectations
50:02 The Evolution of Podcasting
52:43 Defining the Entrepreneurial Journey
53:39 Looking Ahead: Entertainment and Connection
To stay connected with Elena and everything she is building in the EV space
Website: https://evs4everyone.com/elena/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-evs-for-everyone-podcast/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elenaciccotelli/