Maribel Lara goes from Gary Vee’s Chief of Staff to CEO of Beget Love

What happens when you walk away from a powerful corporate brand… and realize you have to become one yourself?

If you’ve ever felt the pull between security and purpose—this conversation will hit deeper than you expect. In this episode of Life After Corporate, Deb sits down with Maribel Lara, former marketing leader alongside Gary Vaynerchuk turned founder of Beget Love Consulting, to unpack what it really looks like to start over—with zero revenue, no safety net, and a whole new identity to build.

They dive into the unfiltered realities of leaving corporate, from confidence gaps and visibility fears to rebuilding your network and learning how to attract clients on your own terms. This isn’t theory—it’s the emotional, strategic, and deeply human side of entrepreneurship that most people never talk about.

So the real question is… are you ready to stop borrowing credibility—and finally build your own?

[00:01 – 08:55] The Moment You Realize You Can’t Go Back

• Pulling yourself out of a Fortune 500 track—and into the unknown of building something of their own
• The quiet (and terrifying) realization that alignment and impact matter more than brand recognition
• Walking away from Gary Vaynerchuk and VaynerMedia… even when everything on paper says “stay”
• The reality no one glamorizes: three months of zero revenue, no clients, and a whole lot of uncertainty

[08:56 – 16:24] Who Am I Without the Brand?” (And Why That Question Hits So Hard)

• The identity crisis no one warns you about when you leave corporate
• The internal battle: am I standing on my experience—or hiding behind someone else’s name?
• The unexpected turning point—a simple, on-camera moment with Gary V that changed how Maribel saw herself
• Letting go of borrowed credibility… and learning to own your own voice

[16:25 – 25:09] The Discipline of Saying No (Even When Money Is on the Table)

• Why some of the “best” opportunities are actually distractions in disguise
• Saying no to work that would’ve made money—but pulled her away from the business she was trying to build
• The reality: everyone will have opinions when you make this leap—and most of them won’t be helpful
• Learning to filter advice without shutting yourself off from growth

[25:10 – 39:43] When You Finally Stop Doing It Alone

• Why visibility isn’t about being everywhere—it’s about showing up where it actually works for you
• Thinking about content better: LinkedIn for authority, Instagram for value, Substack for depth, YouTube for reach
• The uncomfortable truth: vulnerability isn’t a weakness anymore—it’s the thing that actually builds connection
• And the reminder most people need to hear: you’re not as alone in this as you think—there are more people rooting for you than you realize