Today we’d like to introduce you to Lena Grundhoefer

Hi Lena, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.

I originally began my career pursuing luxury fashion. From a young age, I was captivated by the magazines, the runways, the editorials and the possibility of creating trends that mirrored into the every day garments. All the while, I lived in the city of Chicago and I knew that I yearned for more after I graduated. After attending the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York and participating in 7 different internships, I realized from an early age that it just wasn’t for me. Ambitious and creative dreamers were often overworked, underpaid, didn’t really leave positions and the industry often times pushed people who didn’t necessarily have a means or disposable income to keep spending in a rat race of consumption and repeating over and over again.

After college, I pivoted into tech and was granted the opportunity to work at Facebook (now Meta). I traveled around The United States, primarily the East Coast, and started my marketing consultancy (at the time, Lena Grundhoefer Consulting) on the side. I co-founded a sock company and produced and shot a variety of photoshoots around the country while on the road. It wasn’t until this point in my career that I realized understanding the fast-paced nature of fashion trends translated to other parts of honestly, every industry I applied it to.

Fast forward to March 2021, crypto was warming up and a few different coincidental things crossed my path–Dogecoin went parabolic, friends talking about NFT’s being the next big thing, Solana hitting the masses and then some. I doubled down on crypto after the 1st NFT project on Solana reached out to work with them and rebranded my agency to ZEITGEIST Labs. Over the last few years, I’ve had the pleasure of working with brands like NFL Rivals, Solana Foundation, Deadmau5’s Pixelynx and 100+ other brands.

In addition to that, I’m the Cofounder of OFFLINE, a tech community dedicated to powering IRL events and experiences that proliferate the crypto industry.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?

The journey as a founder is never smooth. When I first started, I was working 12-hour days for the first year and was perpetually exhausted. I then realized I needed a team and scaling up seemed like the only promising solution. I hired a co-founder, built the business up with a 10-person global team, where we were making $50,000/month and at the time, crushing it. Next thing I knew, everything changed and crypto crumbled given the cyclical nature of the industry and the company had to evolve. I chose to pivot it back down to a solopreneur consultancy because facing the music made me realize, scale was not ever my passion, working with as many brands possible was. Around that time, AI was taking off and the need for marketing agencies was on the decline. I quickly realized that being a strong asset with a swiss army knife approach has kept me rooted and primarily word-of-mouth, which speaks volumes for itself. Regardless of the pivots, regardless of the changes, I’m greatful for all that’s happened and I’m extremely greatful for all the people I’ve worked with along the way. I wouldn’t be here without them.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?

ZEITGEIST Labs is a bicoastal marketing consultancy targeting the bold, the builders and the brave. Our mission is to amplify voices and visions that uplift, inspire, and resonate, creating moments that matter in an ever-evolving world. Positioned at the intersection of growth and creativity, we lead with a strategy-first approach. Our specialties include event production, social media, thought leadership, and fractional CMO/GTM services. Although our team is compact with only five members, our impact resonates powerfully across the crypto sector and other pioneering industries we engage with.

Can you share something surprising about yourself?

I was previously the co-captain of a roller derby team!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://zeitgeistlabs.co/
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/lenagrundhoefer
• Twitter: https://x.com/lenagrundhoefer
• Other: https://x.com/getofflinexyz

Image Credits

Vic Yuen