By: Gesche Haas is the founder & CEO of Dreamers & Doers, a highly curated community and PR Hype Machine™ for extraordinary women entrepreneurs.

Over the years, Gen Z has developed a reputation for being hard to win over.

Like many cases of painting generations with a broad brush, though, it’s not actually that simple. 

Leaders and founders who are working to garner and maintain Gen Z’s trust—whether as bosses in the workplace, service providers, or product developers—have worked hard to figure out what makes them tick. Their learnings reveal a much more nuanced demographic than one might assume. 

Overall, the takeaway from across industries is this: Gen Z isn’t skeptical by default. Instead, they’re fluent in reading misalignment—and once they spot it, trust evaporates. Gen Z doesn’t respond to messaging. They respond to consistency, real stories, and connection. 

For founders, understanding how to genuinely reach Gen Z is a fundamental requirement for building relevance, resilience, and long-term growth in a rapidly evolving landscape. That’s why we asked leaders who have made major strides in appealing to and keeping Gen Z customers to break down what it really takes to connect with this audience. 

These women have learned firsthand that success goes far beyond trend-hopping or quick-hit marketing. 

Trust Isn’t Simply Claimed

Companies can max out their marketing budgets in search of the brand message that feels most resonant with what they’re seeing on TikTok, but ultimately, that’s not really what potential Gen Z clients and customers are craving. When it comes to establishing that all-important trust, it’s really about going back to basics. Consistency, honesty, and genuinely walking the talk for audiences are all key ingredients for building a foundation with Gen Z. 

“Trust is earned by consistently demonstrating positive behaviors—and Gen Z clocks that faster than anyone,” says Charmaine Green-Forde, founder and CEO of coaching and consulting practice Chapter tOO. “That mix of honesty and utility is what earns their trust.”

Rather than polished theory or word-perfect verbiage, Green-Forde focuses on breaking down what’s actually happening behind workplace decisions and giving Gen Z clients language they can use immediately. Customers experience the value of her work right away, which cultivates more trust than any flashy messaging could.

Executive coach Ulrika Gustafson sees the same pattern at the highest levels of leadership, where she reports that executives often underestimate how quickly this demographic can read through corporate theatrics. “Gen Z doesn’t buy trust; they observe it,” she explains. “If your message and your behavior don’t match, they’ll walk.”

That demand for alignment extends far beyond leadership. It shows up in branding, storytelling, and product design, too. When it does come time to invest in messaging for Gen Z—after trust has been established through that all-important consistency, of course—leaders should focus on being real. Kellie Chen, co-founder of 8Rue Branding, has learned from experience that aesthetics alone won’t cut it. 

Authenticity Beats Aesthetics—Every Time

“You have to design for their emotions,” Chen adds, pointing to recent work that actively fights Gen Z’s allergy to performativity by getting to the heart of how tweens and teens really feel about the sensitive subject of period care. “When a brand reflects their inner world with honesty and heart, trust becomes instinctive.”

Don’t be fooled by assumptions that digital natives will only buy into brands that look as on-trend and visually satisfying as their social media feeds. Chen and others have learned from firsthand experience that perfect visuals won’t mean anything to Gen Z if a brand’s core feels inauthentic. For many founders, that means letting go of perfection entirely. 

“Gen Z doesn’t want perfection—they want purpose and honesty,” Storylock Legan trademark attorney Lauren Bercuson says. “Show up consistently, speak their language, and make sure your brand feels like a conversation instead of a talking point.”

Like any good conversation, a company’s dialogue with young clients is about more than intelligent insights and expertise. Humanity, emotional resonance, and even humor are key to establishing long-lasting relationships with Gen Z.

“Don’t be afraid to share your quirks and let your personality shine through,” Chief Marketing Strategist Julie Zhu says. “Gen Z connects with brands that feel human. When you show a little realness, they open up and actually engage.”

If quirky or silly doesn’t feel right for you and your brand, behind-the-scenes content can serve a similar purpose for Gen Z. Nicole Leon—founder of L Leon VIrtual Assistance LLC—has experienced success with this group by pulling back the curtain on “the behind-the-brand moments and the messy middle, not the highlight reel.”

No one wants that polished highlight reel designed around what you think a brand is supposed to look like—especially not Gen Z.

Invite Them In—Don’t Talk At Them

Along with realness, authenticity, and trust, Gen Z consumers crave a real seat at the table. This generation doesn’t want to be on the receiving end of marketing; they want to be included. 

To do this, Digital Culture Group uses their proprietary Audience Resonance Index to identify the motivators, values, and digital behaviors that drive Gen Z’s attention, then aligns messaging across video, social, and immersive formats accordingly to maximize the customer’s role in building campaigns and products. As a result, founder Crystal Foote says their Gen Z campaigns consistently outperform benchmarks, driving engagement rates up to three times higher than standard digital averages.

“Treat Gen Z like collaborators, not customers,” SWAIR co-founder Carrie Sporer adds. “They want to build with you, not be sold to. Invite their feedback and engage with honesty, and they’ll turn your brand into their movement.”

Meaningful engagement with Gen Z can also start internally: with hiring. For Go To Market, bringing Gen Z professionals to the team helps ensure that audiences from this demographic feel truly seen and heard. 

“We hire Gen Z because no one knows their taste better than they do,” Go To Market’s Chief Swag Officer Amanda Hofman says. “They cringe-test our marketing, style, and sales ideas and join client calls so our partners see our generational range in action. The result is a design that resonates across age groups and feels current.”

​​When Gen Z Is the Brand

Not surprisingly, the clearest insights might just come from Gen Z leaders themselves. Peri Finkelstein—founder and CEO of the Team Peri Foundation—can speak to the Gen Z audience because she’s part of it. 

“Gen Z consumers gravitate toward brands that feel authentic and relatable, that weave real personal stories into their marketing,” Finkelstein, 25, says. “Show up without airs and share your story openly, and Gen Z-ers will become your biggest fans.”

Specifically, Finkelstein recommends sharing personal stories and relatable narratives in brand messaging whenever possible. These principles have guided her to create uplifting content like her podcast and the Step Out of Line Movement, an initiative that challenges ableism and promotes inclusion in schools and workplaces.

The Bottom Line: What Gen Z Is Really Asking For

Taken together, these founder and leader insights point to a broader shift: Gen Z isn’t disengaged or disloyal—they’re discerning. 

“Gen Z can spot inauthenticity instantly,” says Linda Du, co-founder and CEO of AI-powered personal finance platform Moola Money. “They trust brands that listen, adapt, and admit imperfection.”

To build a lasting, trusting relationship with Gen Z consumers, listen, adapt, and show up consistently. You don’t need to be flashier or louder than the competition. You just need to be real.