Built Online Podcast: "Army Officer to Founder: How She Turns Views Into Revenue"

Host: Cody McGuffie
Guest: Julianna Claire Christensen
Original Release Date: February 3, 2026

Episode Overview

In this episode of Built Online, host Cody McGuffie interviews Julianna Claire Christensen—a former Army officer turned content creator and founder of self-care brand Roam. Julianna shares her unique journey from military service to digital entrepreneurship, offering a behind-the-scenes look at how she built a massive online following and leveraged it to launch a product-based business. Key themes include building an authentic brand, the realities of content creation, customer obsession, and actionable advice for aspiring e-commerce founders.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. From Army Officer to Content Creator (04:56 - 10:41)

• Military Background: Julianna graduated from West Point in 2013 and served as a second lieutenant. She developed a desire for a creative outlet during her regimented military life.
• Discovering Instagram: Early adopter of Instagram, amazed by the possibilities (“I was like, what is this?...I stumbled across this group of women…uploading the most beautiful images I’d ever seen.” – Julianna, 06:03).
• Beginning Content Creation: Started blogging seriously while deployed in Afghanistan, learning everything from scratch with books like "Vlogging for Dummies" (07:16).
• Transition to Full-Time: Committed to making content creation her full-time career, giving herself six months to make it sustainable. With financial support from her husband, she succeeded and never looked back (09:32).

2. The Drive to Build a Brand (10:41 - 14:36)

• Desire for Stability & Legacy: After years as a content creator, Julianna worried about the volatility of influencer income and longevity in social media (10:55).
• Identifying Product Opportunities: Leveraged audience data from affiliate marketing to identify on-the-go self-care as an underserved need (“What people were really purchasing from me particularly were these self-care items they could take with them on the go.” – Julianna, 10:43).
• Launch of Roam: Developed the idea of creating high-quality, “luxurious but affordable” self-care essentials used during everyday moments, like hand sanitizer, wipes, and toilet seat covers (02:33, 11:45).
• Quick Stats:
  • Hand sanitizer took two years to formulate (19:42).
  • Award-winning soap sheets (03:07).
  • Small but rapidly growing brand; over a 38% return-customer rate (22:09).

3. Monetizing Influence—How Julianna Built Her Revenue Streams (12:36 - 14:09)

• Affiliate Marketing: Julianna excels at authentically recommending products she already uses, which resonates with her audience (“My strength is affiliate marketing where I can share these products organically.” – Julianna, 12:50).
• Brand Partnerships & Sponsorships: While still part of her income, brand deals are no longer her sole focus due to her product line success (13:41).
• Massive Reach:
  • 2.9 million followers on both Instagram and TikTok
  • 1M on Amazon Storefront
  • Nearly 500k on YouTube (“Permission to fully brag here.” – Cody, 13:57)
• Strategic Leverage: Recognizes the power of leveraging her audience to transition into product-based entrepreneurship (14:09).

4. Serving an Audience—Mindset and Responsibility (14:45 - 18:57)

• Providing Value First: Julianna is adamant about her role to serve, not just to sell (“The larger your audience, the larger your responsibility…it’s a serve.” – Julianna, 15:10).
• Warning Against Selfish Motivation: Critiques the ‘get rich quick’ mentality among Gen Z influencer hopefuls—success hinges on audience service, not personal gain (15:06).
• Staying Authentic and Accountable: She emphasizes trust, authenticity, and never taking her community for granted (16:40, 21:34).
• Algorithm Anxiety: Discusses content visibility volatility and the need for consistent value, referencing a favorite quote: “Nothing in nature blooms year round.” (18:07, 19:06)

5. Building Roam—Product Development and Customer Obsession (19:42 - 29:24)

• High Standards: Spent years perfecting her products, especially the hand sanitizer (tested 40–60 samples), seeking FDA certifications for safety and efficacy (19:42, 20:38).
• Why Replenishable Products?: Chose consumable self-care goods for retention (“With replenishable product, you don’t have to keep finding new customers…You work on nurturing the base you already have.” – Julianna, 25:11).
• Customer Persona: Created a detailed customer archetype to design and market her products (29:48 – 30:33).
• Origin of Brand Name: Roam is inspired by her daughter Roman—giving the brand a personal, authentic touch (27:16).
• Relentless Passion: Admits to being “passionate about toilet seat covers” and highlights the importance of legitimate enthusiasm for one’s niche, no matter how quirky (28:33 – 29:15).

6. Advice for Aspiring Founders

• Embrace the Journey: Reflection on persistence (“It took me 4–5 years before I made a dime creating content. I did not care at all because I was having so much fun.” – Julianna, 23:31)
• Get Obsessed: Passion for even the smallest details is key to standing out and remaining resilient (28:40 – 29:24).
• Start with Value: The money follows when all other systems—product quality, customer care, branding—are clicking into place (24:26).

7. Roam’s Future & Julianna’s Vision (30:33 – 31:37)

• Growth Strategy:
  • Not aiming to sell soon; focused on nurturing a loyal customer base and exploring wholesale opportunities over major retailer expansion (30:55).
  • Stays committed to community and measured growth; not looking for a quick exit.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Authenticity & Responsibility:

  “The larger your audience, the larger the responsibility…it’s a serve, you should be providing value to your audience always.”
  — Julianna (15:10)

• On Consistency in Business & Life:

  “Nothing in nature blooms year round.”
  — Julianna (19:06)

• On Customer Loyalty and Product Quality:

  “It's not that it's easy to get a customer to purchase for the first time. I think it's harder to get second and third time customers…Rome, we have an over 38% customer return rate already.”
  — Julianna (22:09)

• On Motivation for Entrepreneurship:

  “If you go into creating content or trying to grow an audience and your main goal is to make money, I promise you you’re not going to make a dime.”
  — Julianna (15:06)

• On Passion:

  “Who's passionate about toilet seat covers? Me.”
  — Julianna (28:33)

• On Customer Focus:

  “I created my core customer base...I made a name for her, her age, what activities she would do, where she was shopping. I created, like, this whole persona of who I was creating this product for.”
  — Julianna (29:48)

Key Timestamps for Important Segments

• Discovering Instagram & Early Blogging: 06:03 – 09:32
• Developing Monetization Streams: 12:36 – 14:09
• Launching Roam & Product Strategy: 19:42 – 25:11
• Customer Persona Deep-Dive: 29:48 – 30:33
• Vision for Roam’s Future: 30:33 – 31:37

Tone & Style

Julianna is candid, articulate, and passionate—her answers are practical but always rooted in a deeper sense of purpose and service. Cody guides the conversation with curiosity and respect, prompting meaningful reflection and clear business takeaways.

Summary Takeaways for E-Commerce Founders

• Build real connections with your audience; serve their needs over your own ambitions.
• Validate business ideas with real data—affiliate sales, feedback, and personal experience.
• Quality, authenticity, and passion are non-negotiable for brand longevity.
• Be prepared for the long haul: Consistency and obsession with your craft beat short-term greed.
• Clearly define your core customer and build for them.
• View monetary success as a byproduct of doing the fundamental things right.

Find Julianna:

• Personal: @juliana_claire
• Roam: @roam.clean
• Website: romeclean.com