Podcasts about brand identity

Robin is the Head of Technology Investment Banking at Oppenheimer & Co. Inc., where he leads a 50-banker team spanning 12 tech verticals. He has 30+ years of investment banking experience advising high-growth technology companies on M&A and capital raising.Topics:AI in Investment BankingTech Market OutlookStrategically Hiring Senior TalentBuilding a Collaborative Culture...and so much more.Top TakeawaysGrowth opportunities are increasingly coming from venture-backed targets. Most of the M&A activity Robin's team is seeing isn't traditional buyouts but portcos making strategic acquisitions to build out their existing platforms. Oppenheimer's recent sale of Kentik to PE-backed Infoblox is one example. For sponsors, it's a reason to look beyond the traditional add-on universe when building their M&A pipelines.The best use of AI may be capacity creation rather than headcount reduction. Oppenheimer is using an internal analytics tool to offload model-building, SEC data pulls, and other repetitive work. Robin sees the payoff not as needing fewer bankers, but as giving the existing team more capacity to process transactions and spend time with clients. The practical opportunity is to identify where AI can remove execution bottlenecks, then deliberately reinvest that capacity rather than treating efficiency as the end goal.High-stakes moments are built through low-stakes repetition. Robin learned that lesson rowing at Harvard, where months of repetitive training came down to a handful of six-minute races. Dealmaking requires the same discipline: keep doing the work when the payoff is distant, so you're ready when the moment that matters arrives.About Oppenheimer & Co. Inc.Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. is a full-service investment bank and wealth manager. Robin leads its technology investment banking group, with about 50 bankers across 12 verticals, from semiconductors and enterprise software to defense tech and aerospace. The team has advised on transactions including Backblaze's 2021 IPO, Corvex's $33M data-center financing, and Gilat's ~$157.5M acquisition of Comtech's satellite and space communications segment.Investors & Operators is brought to you by 51 Labs51 Labs is a marketing agency for the lower middle market. We offer full-service digital marketing for PE, portfolio companies, IB, VC, hedge funds.Brand Identity, Marketing Strategy, Marketing & AGM Video, LinkedIn Strategy & Execution, Web Design & Development, CRM Support & more400+ videos100+ projects#1 content creator on LinkedIn in the lower middle market

The US produces some of the most careful, literal commercials in the world. Is this 'vanilla' approach a creative failure? Or is it a structural necessity? Shann Biglione, author of 'The Vanilla Imperative: Why US Advertisers Are So Carefully Bland' joins WARC's Ann Marie Kerwin to discuss the nuances of US consumer psychology and why, in a nation as culturally loose yet ideologically polarized as the United States, playing it safe isn't a sign of creative cowardice but the only rational economic move to avoid alienating a fragmented market.Guests: Shann Biglione, Co-founder, Kumkuat AIAnn Marie Kerwin, Americas Editor, WARCChapters:00:00 Intro: Why US Advertising is so carefully bland02:10 U.S. Ads vs. Global Ads: A creative gap?03:52 Is bland advertising a result of fiduciary duties?05:49 Why American ads favor literal, verifiable claims08:20 American identity and the challenge of mass marketing11:28 Cultural identity in US consumer audiences13:44 Media fragmentation, algorithms, and US consumer Tribes17:39 Nike, Liquid Death, and Yeti: Winning niche audiences21:47 The 'stretch but don't break' brand framework23:34 The snap, overlap, and trip-wire tests for brand strategy27:14 Screenshot and Boomerang tests for advertising campaigns30:22 Protecting your brand core and exploring new flavors#marketing #advertising #creativity #brandstrategy For 40 years, WARC has been providing the marketing industry with rigorous, unbiased evidence and expert effectiveness guidance. The WARC Podcast publishes a new episode every Tuesday and Thursday. Subscribe to The WARC Podcast here: https://www.warc.com/en/warc-podcasts Sign up to daily WARC News for free: https://www.warc.com/en/latest Book a demo: https://www.warc.com/en/subscribe

The best design in healthcare is the kind you never notice. When it works, a patient feels safe before a clinician says a word. When it doesn't, trust wears away one small friction point at a time.Jamie sits down with Mallory Phillips, creative director at Your Health. She led the creation of the company's logo and now helps shape how its teams learn. Mallory trained in advertising design at the Savannah College of Art and Design, and she argues that design is far bigger than logos and brochures. It covers forms, instructions, onboarding, the words staff choose, and the moment a clinician steps into a patient's home.In this episode:Why patient experience rarely fails because of one big mistake, and how a hundred small friction points do the damage insteadHow in-home care flips the rules: you're a guest in someone's home, so trust has to be earned differentlyWhat Chick-fil-A's "my pleasure" and Airbnb's "home away from home" can teach healthcareThe science of readable design, and why a confusing door handle is the designer's failure, not the user'sThe story inside the Your Health logo, from a handwritten signature to a plus sign that puts the patient at the centerIf you've ever wondered why some care feels personal and some feels like paperwork, this conversation answers it. You'll also come away noticing the small details that make people feel seen. www.YourHealth.Org

Season 7 Episode 4 - On this episode we have on Adrian to talk about what it's like coming up in this industry, working at a big chain, brand identity and managing client expectations. Thanks for listening

In this episode of Read Receipt, Sean sits down with John Scheer, co-founder and chief creative officer of Herman-Scheer, a strategic branding agency focused on healthcare, self-care, and wellbeing since 2010.John traces the 15-year arc from knocking on doors with a duct-taped WordPress site to a 21-person agency that doubled in a year. He gets into the breakthroughs that turned a scrappy shop into a real business: splitting roles with co-founder Chapin Herman, niching down into health and wellness, and bringing in a strategist, Allison, to back the creative work with real data.It's an honest look at getting your process dialed, doing the work before you know how, why you launch a brand to grow into rather than a single product, and giving yourself room to breathe while the business keeps growing.Tune in for a candid conversation on building a branding agency the slow, deliberate way.Chapters:00:00 - Cold open00:39 - Brand self-ID: what Herman-Scheer is01:00 - Moving to Northeast Ohio, going fully remote04:00 - Starting right out of college07:00 - The first video and knocking on doors in LA11:00 - The breakthrough: splitting roles with Chapin14:00 - Niching into health, self-care, and wellbeing17:00 - Adding data and insight, bringing in Allison22:00 - The shape of the team today28:00 - Account directors as the real differentiators33:00 - Clients that come back, and the case-study lag39:00 - The branding process, step by step45:00 - How AI fits into the work48:00 - The longer-term vision for the agency51:00 - Room to breathe while the business grows53:00 - Close

Send us Fan MailIn this episode of Cosmic RX Radio, Madi Murphy sits down with liberatory astrologer and brand strategist Leslie Tagorda, author of Astrology for Changemakers and creator of the AstroBrand™ Method.

Vern Davenport is a Partner at QHP Capital with 35+ years of experience building and transforming healthcare technology and services businesses. Vern is the author of Accelerating Growth, which lays out QHP's approach to scaling companies through its Management System.Allison Crumpler is the former VP of People & Culture at Catalyst Clinical Research. A professional Certified Coach with 15+ years of experience in clinical research, Allison focuses on leadership development, organizational culture, and employee engagement.Topics:Why Culture Drives PerformanceTurning Values Into BehaviorsHow to Kill Watermelon MetricsScaling Culture Across a Portfolio...and so much more.Top TakeawaysValues become culture through repetition. Operationalizing values means defining the behaviors behind them, teaching them, and reinforcing them in practice. Allison calls it the “Mr. Miyagi” approach: repeat those behaviors over and over, even when they feel obvious. That repetition is what embeds them into the organization and gives managers and employees a shared language for accountability.Measure culture with leading indicators, not just engagement surveys. Allison shares a few of the metrics Catalyst used to measure culture beyond traditional engagement and turnover data. They called them “Key Culture Indicators”: employee referrals, town hall attendance and time to hire. Put a target against each indicator, review it alongside operating KPIs, and set a more ambitious target once the current one is consistently achieved.Make the financials visible so everyone knows how they contribute. An individual contributor in a 1,000-person company can't see how they move EBITDA, so they disengage. Catalyst shared key company metrics across the organization, then helped teams understand how their own work affected sales, customer satisfaction and financial performance. Transparency turned "just doing my job" into "we win or lose together."About QHPQHP Capital is a private equity firm focused on middle-market life sciences and pharma services businesses. With $4.5B+ in AUM, QHP combines decades of sector experience with an operator-led approach to investing. Across its portfolio, the firm implements its proprietary Management System to build stronger leadership teams, operating infrastructure and commercial capabilities and support long-term, independent growth.About Catalyst Clinical ResearchCatalyst Clinical Research is a technology-enabled clinical research organization (CRO) specializing in oncology and providing clinical development services to biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies globally.Investors & Operators is brought to you by 51 Labs51 Labs is a marketing agency for the lower middle market. We offer full-service digital marketing for PE, portfolio companies, IB, VC, hedge funds.Brand Identity, Marketing Strategy, Marketing & AGM Video, LinkedIn Strategy & Execution, Web Design & Development, CRM Support & more400+ videos100+ projects#1 content creator on LinkedIn in the lower middle market

Welcome to HALO Talks! In this episode, we sit down with Kat and Brooke Wyman, the co-founders behind SoulFire Collective Yoga, a rapidly growing boutique fitness concept in the D.C. metro area. What began as a smaller, community-driven studio at Rehoboth Beach in Delaware, quickly blossomed into a thriving brand with locations in Bethesda and Arlington, thanks to a blend of deep-rooted passion for wellness and sharp operational backgrounds . . . Kat from Lululemon and Brooke from the restaurant industry. Kat and Brooke talk about their path from various side-hustles (and doing literal bike-loads of laundry in the early days of the business!) to now profitable, vibrant, scalable studios that buck the trends seen in the wider boutique fitness industry. Host Pete Moore digs deeper into how their athlete-first approach to yoga resonates with members seeking both community and resilience, their strategies for location selection and market expansion, and the systems that power their rapid instructor onboarding, which bypasses the traditional models for a more immersive, scalable approach. Listen for actionable insights on building authentic fitness communities, the importance of operational complementarity, and what venture-minded investors should consider as SoulFire eyes its next phase of growth. If you're interested in where the HALO sector's heading post-pandemic, or if you're looking for inspiration on how to scale with purpose, this is a must-listen. When it comes to their longevity, Kate states, "I think what's really interesting, and I think what's made Brooke and I unique and what's helped us survive COVID . . . is that we're really good at keeping our ear to the ground and listening for what's needed, but also keeping everything that we shift or change, really on brand and really aligned." Key themes discussed Community-centric wellness spaces and fostering belonging Growth from local studio to multi-location brand Unique founder backgrounds blending retail, restaurants, athletics Non-traditional, scalable approach to yoga business Market selection and suburban expansion strategy In-house instructor training for quality and scale Ideal investors: passionate community members or experienced sector partners A Few Key Takeaways 1. Build Around Community, Not Just Modality: Creating a community hub was the foundational vision for SoulFire. Rather than chasing a trend, Kat and Brooke built a brand rooted in belonging, connection, and well-being, using yoga as the "container" for this mission 00:46 01:21. 2. Cross-Disciplinary Backgrounds Fuel Strong Operations: The founders' experience, one from Lululemon retail management, the other from the restaurant industry, gave them complementary skill sets in branding, experience design, logistics, and cost control. This blend has been instrumental for profitably scaling their studios 08:44 09:40. 3. Differentiation Through "Human Readiness": Soul Fire's value proposition extends beyond traditional yoga. Their focus on human readiness—equipping members with resilience and life skills—sets them apart. Programs like power yoga, activating breathwork, and mat strength target well-rounded physical and mental readiness, not just fitness 14:04 14:52. 4. Data-Driven Expansion Strategy: Location selection is driven by close analysis of demographic and psychographic factor, not simply "gut feel." Their highest-performing studio, Bethesda, serves as a prototype: targeting affluent suburban markets on the edge of large metros, with residents already engaged in other premium fitness offerings. Expansion is further informed by observing successful peers like [solidcore] 17:25 20:08 21:07. 5. Scalable, In-House Instructor Training: Instead of relying on slow, traditional 200-hour yoga certifications, SoulFire developed an immersive, internally controlled instructor training program. This approach speeds up onboarding while maintaining quality and brand standards, enabling fast and consistent scaling 23:02 24:50 25:20. Resources: SoulFire Collective: https://soulfirecollective.com  Brooke Wyman: https://www.instagram.com/_b.wyman_  Kat Wyman: https://www.instagram.com/katwyman/  Integrity Square: https://www.integritysq.com Prospect Wizard: https://www.theprospectwizard.com Promotion Vault: https://www.promotionvault.com HigherDose: https://www.higherdose.com

Send us Fan MailWhat if the biggest thing holding your marketing back isn't your ads... but your brand?In this episode of Imperfect Marketing, Kendra Corman sits down with Matt Raminick, founder of Sunnyside, to explore what branding really means and why so many businesses miss the mark by focusing on logos, colors, and visual identity before understanding their customers.Matt shares the four foundational questions every business should answer before investing in marketing, explains why customer research should guide every decision, and discusses how data, curiosity, and real conversations help brands stand out in crowded markets. You'll also hear why AI is a powerful tool for analyzing information, but it can never replace genuine customer insights.Whether you're launching a new business, refreshing your brand, or trying to improve your marketing results, this conversation will help you build a stronger foundation that supports long-term growth.In this episode, you'll discover:✔ Why branding is much more than your logo✔ The four-part framework for building a memorable brand✔ How to identify and understand your ideal customer✔ Why talking to customers is still one of the best marketing strategies✔ How surveys and customer feedback can improve your messaging✔ Why trying to market to everyone usually hurts your business✔ Matt's biggest marketing lesson after more than 20 years in the industryYour brand isn't what you say it is. It's what your customers remember and why they choose to come back.About Matt RaminickMatt Raminick is the founder of Sunnyside, a marketing agency that helps lifestyle brands grow through strategic branding, paid advertising, and customer-focused marketing. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a review, and share it with another business owner or marketer who could benefit from the conversation.LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattraminick/Website: sunnysidecalifornia.com Connect with Kendra Corman:Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kendracorman/#branding #marketingstrategy #smallbusinessmarketing #digitalmarketing #brandstrategy #businessgrowth #entrepreneurship Looking to leverage AI? Want better results? Want to think about what you want to leverage?Check and see how I am using it for FREE on YouTube. From "Holy cow, it can do that?" to "Wait, how does this work again?" – I've got all your AI curiosities covered. It's the perfect after-podcast snack for your tech-hungry brain. Watch here

John Block is the Co-Founder and CEO of Unity Partners. He launched the firm in 2022 after nearly a decade as a Partner at HGGC, where he sat on the boards of more than ten services and software companies. A St. Louis native, John is a self-described grinder who runs most mornings and throws an annual paella party for the whole team.Topics:Employee Purpose PlansNarrowing a Five-Year PlanBuy-and-Build vs. Slap-and-Sell IntegrationThe 1% Better Model in Diligence and Ops...and so much more.Top TakeawaysBig five-year goals require a narrow year-one plan. Unity maps a five-year "passion for excellence" plan, usually five goals across growth, tech, and market positioning. Before the investment closes, Unity works with the leadership team to choose the 2–3 priorities that matter most in year one. Three priorities beat five because a founder chasing everything at once accomplishes nothing well. As John puts it, they got "manic about getting focused" after learning the hard way.Employee equity only works with an ownership culture behind it. Unity ties its employee ownership plans to a clear return objective, then communicates progress openly along the way. For companies without a defined exit, John suggests adapting the same model around a three-year revenue or earnings goal with a bonus pool accrued against it. Repeatability comes from a consistent framework, not an identical playbook. John describes Unity's model as closer to building custom homes than identical row houses: there is a common blueprint and framework, but execution changes by company. The practical implication is to standardize the process for building the plan without assuming every portfolio company needs the same plan.About Unity PartnersUnity Partners is a Dallas-based private equity firm focused on the lower middle market. The firm makes control investments in large, fragmented services industries, essential and recurring businesses across both field- and office-based services. Since launching in 2022, Unity has built eight platforms and invests out of a fund of roughly $330M. Its philosophy runs on the idea of “Building Better Together.”Investors & Operators is brought to you by 51 Labs51 Labs is a marketing agency for the lower middle market. We offer full-service digital marketing for PE, portfolio companies, IB, VC, hedge funds.Brand Identity, Marketing Strategy, Marketing & AGM Video, LinkedIn Strategy & Execution, Web Design & Development, Growth Support & more400+ videos100+ projects#1 content creator on LinkedIn in the lower middle market

In this episode, I break down why the new StockX Mystery Boxes are just glorified gambling (allegedly). We also dive into the new raffle operator SuperSwipe - who they are and how they landed Travis Scott and Pharrell. Then I compare Kids of Immigrants' brand identity to the actual experience of being a kid of immigrants. Plus a lot more!Timestamps00:00 Intro: Dog Days of Sneaker Summer02:42 On Feet05:24 Pickups: Nothing 05:53 Misses: SoulGoods Homescape Woven08:32 Toro 4: A 2013 Facebook Group Classic09:31 Travis Scott Jordan Lows10:48 Who is SuperSwipe?13:48 Brand Identity and Kids of Immigrants20:14  StockX Playing Catch Up to Goat21:51 StockX Mystery Boxes: Glorified Gambling (Allegedly) 25:52 Economics of the Model28:26 Degeneration X33:21 Outro

Tessa Cohen and Sara Sebastjanska built Benjie—a clean, chemical-free bandage brand—with no outside money and no product development experience. They launched by crashing Coachella with handmade posters and pitching strangers in festival bathrooms, selling out their entire inventory within a week, without spending a dollar on ads. For more on Benjie and show notes click here Subscribe and watch Shopify Masters on YouTube!Sign up for your FREE Shopify Trial here.

Surf park marketing starts with a strong brand. In this podcast Stephanie ter Hürne shares 5 tips (and much more) for building destinations

Brandon Fix is a Division General Manager at Renuity Home, where he leads one of the company's largest operating divisions. A former U.S. Air Force Special Tactics Officer, he brings a systems-driven approach to leadership, translating military decision-making, operational discipline, and team development into managing complex businesses and P&Ls.Topics:Why Special Ops Make Elite OperatorsThe Military-to-P&L Mental ModelBuilding a Sales Org That ScalesWhat Servant Leadership Means...and so much more.Top TakeawaysGreat operators see people behind every line item. Brandon doesn't treat a P&L as a spreadsheet to optimize. According to his military-to-P&L mental model, marketing is intelligence, sales are the first team into the field, operations deliver the mission, and support functions enable execution. When conversion drops, he looks at sales leadership before the sales report. When marketing underperforms, he asks whether the team has the right intelligence. Financial performance to him is the outcome of how well those teams are led.At scale, your biggest lever is talent. As Brandon's organization grew to a 1,000-person, $350M division, he couldn't be everywhere at once. His job shifted from solving problems to making sure the right leaders were solving them. That meant hiring leaders who can operate independently, coaching them well, and making tough people decisions before small leadership gaps become big operational problems.Don't just build skills, learn to communicate them. Brandon believes his military experience gave him the leadership skills to run a business. But earning that opportunity required learning the language of finance, operations, and private equity so employers could connect his experience to the role. His advice: learn to translate your experience into the language of the role you're pursuing.About Renuity HomeRenuity Home is one of the largest home improvement platforms in the U.S., providing replacement windows, doors, bathrooms, kitchens, garages, closets, and other remodeling services through a family of national and regional brands. The company operates across 40 states, employs 1,000+ people, and has served over 300,000 homeowners, making it a notable example of building scale through acquisitions while preserving strong local operating brands.Investors & Operators is brought to you by 51 Labs51 Labs is a marketing agency for the lower middle market. We offer full-service digital marketing for PE, portfolio companies, IB, VC, hedge funds.Brand Identity, Marketing Strategy, Marketing & AGM Video, LinkedIn Strategy & Execution, Web Design & Development, Growth Support & more400+ videos100+ projects#1 content creator on LinkedIn in the lower middle market

Lauren Ridgley is the CEO of Left Hand Agency, a boutique independent full-service media agency based in Portland specializing in CPG brands. Her team plans and buys across the full mix, including retail media networks, paid social, OOH, CTV, programmatic, and paid search, spanning both performance and brand investment. Left Hand isn't a performance-only shop or a digital agency; the team's differentiation is knowing how to balance brand and performance investment for long-term growth, not just short-term response.Before founding Left Hand, Lauren spent years as a marketing director in TV and entertainment. She's deeply versed in the Byron Sharp and Ehrenberg-Bass frameworks around mental and physical availability, and Left Hand has been known to send clients copies of How Brands Grow to make the case.Lauren is a regular voice in industry conversations, having appeared on multiple podcasts and panels, including a past panel with Indie Agency News. She's active in the Pacific Northwest marketing and creative community through NextNW (formerly Portland Ad Fed), and writes the CPG-focused High Five newsletter series.

In today's episode, I share why the strongest brands are built on purpose, consistency, and emotional connection rather than logos, titles, or marketing tactics. Alongside Blaine Bartlett, I explain how defining your purpose, identifying your natural archetype, and aligning your values with your actions creates lasting trust and loyalty. We also discuss why people remember how you make them feel, how authenticity begins with understanding your essence, and why attracting the right audience matters more than appealing to everyone. A meaningful brand is not something you manufacture overnight. It is the result of consistently becoming the person or organization you were meant to be.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

How to Find Your Real Brand Identity (And Attract the Right Customers)

In a crowded market, copying products has become effortless. Herman Scheer cofounder John Scheer explains why building a strong, clear brand is an entrepreneur's last line of defense. By rooting messaging in human truth and optimizing copy for AI search tools, he reveals how modern businesses can carve out lasting market moats that drive long-term value. For more on Herman Scheer, in show notes, click here. Subscribe and watch Shopify Masters on YouTube!Sign up for your FREE Shopify Trial here.

Most businesses don't have a branding problem—they have a systems problem.In this episode, Chris Outlaw introduces the Unified Brand Framework, a practical methodology designed to help founders, CEOs, and marketing leaders eliminate confusion and build brands that scale consistently.Drawing on real-world experience, Chris explains why so many businesses suffer from a "brand identity crisis," where leadership teams have different interpretations of the brand, resulting in inconsistent marketing, unclear positioning, and diluted growth.You'll discover the four interconnected layers every successful brand needs:• Brand Strategy – defining purpose, positioning, values and audience.• Brand Identity – translating strategy into visual and verbal expression.• Brand Marketing – communicating your brand consistently across every channel.• Brand Governance – creating the systems that keep your brand aligned as you grow.Rather than treating branding as a one-off project, Chris explains how thinking of your brand as an operating system creates stronger marketing, better decision-making, and sustainable growth.Whether you're scaling your business, repositioning your brand, or simply trying to create more consistency across your organisation, this episode provides a practical framework you can implement immediately.Listen now to discover how a unified brand becomes one of your biggest competitive advantages.-----Whether you're a founder, marketing director, or business leader managing a growing brand across multiple teams or regions, this episode will help you identify the hidden friction points holding your brand back.Take the Brand Power Assessment: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠BrandPowerScorecard.co.uk⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Book a ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Free Brand Discovery Call:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe for more episodes focused on building stronger, smarter, and more unified brands.Watch podcast clips & deep dives on YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Elements Brand Management⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

The Return on Investment of Good Customer Reviews  Shep interviews Daniel Vivarelli, founder of Starloop. He talks about how customer reviews build business reputations and Starloop's unique model of planting a tree for every review to drive ethical engagement and market leadership.  This episode of Amazing Business Radio with Shep Hyken answers the following questions and more:    Why are customer reviews important for SEO and lead generation?  What is the difference between customer surveys and online reviews?  How do positive online reviews impact customer price sensitivity?  How can businesses use negative reviews to improve their brand reputation?  What is the best way to get more Google reviews ethically?  Top Takeaways:    Google reviews have evolved from a nice-to-have to one of the main factors customers consider in their decision-making process. In today's competitive environment, businesses with the most reviews and the highest ratings attract the most clients.  While both surveys and online reviews offer customer feedback, reviews deliver additional value because they are public and influence a brand's reputation. Surveys provide private insights to the business, but reviews contribute directly to marketing by enhancing trust and credibility online.  Online reviews are especially valuable for local businesses whose reputation is their brand. Positive reviews can be the deciding factor when customers compare options in search results.  Businesses with positive reviews online not only receive more inquiries. They also see a shift in how customers approach the business. With a strong online reputation, customers are less likely to ask about prices. They get inquiries focused on booking services or making purchases, since most of their usual "objections," such as value for money or quality, are already addressed by other customers' reviews.  Negative reviews are important, too. While every business should avoid getting negative reviews, their presence is an opportunity for businesses to demonstrate how they show up for customers when something goes wrong.    Building a solid reputation through reviews is a gradual process, but it offers lasting benefits. Leveraging free tools like the Google Business Profile (which is free!) to accumulate genuine reviews is a high-return strategy for long-term business growth.   Plus, Shep and Daniel discuss how planting one tree for every review motivates customers and benefits businesses. Tune in!  Quote:   "Whoever's got the most reviews and the highest rating is the one that's going to attract the people they seek to serve."    About:    Daniel Vivarelli is the founder of Starloop. He created the platform in 2016 to help local businesses grow by harnessing trust, reputation, and genuine customer feedback.  Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert, New York Times bestselling author, award-winning keynote speaker, and host of Amazing Business Radio.    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What happens when your franchise grows faster than the systems designed to support it?Many brands dream about expansion, but growth creates a new challenge: maintaining the consistency, culture, and customer experience that made people fall in love with the brand in the first place. As locations multiply, leaders must find ways to support franchisees, protect the brand, and adapt to changing customer expectations without losing what made the business successful.In this episode, Goldfish Swim School Chief Marketing Officer Shana Krisan shares what she's learned helping grow the brand from just 12 locations to more than 200 across the United States and Canada. She explains how strong systems, clear brand standards, local marketing support, and franchisee collaboration have helped Goldfish scale while staying true to its mission and customer experience.Shana also opens up about leadership, hiring, authenticity, franchisee relationships, and the mission-driven culture that has helped Goldfish continue to grow while staying true to its purpose. She shares why building the right team is often more important than finding the latest marketing tactic and how strong partnerships, collaboration, and a clear mission have helped the brand scale without losing what makes it special. Whether you're leading a franchise system, growing a multi-location business, or building a team that can scale with you, this conversation offers practical insights on growing without losing the identity that made your brand successful in the first place. Connect with Shana:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shana-krisan-cfe-1a20581b/Email: shana@goldfishfranchise.comWebsite: https://goldfishswimschool.com/Episode Highlights:How Shana found her way into franchisingGrowing Goldfish Swim School from 12 to 208 locationsMaintaining brand consistency during rapid growthSupporting franchisees through systems and playbooksThe balance between national and local marketingHiring the right people as your organization scalesLearning from franchisee innovationBuilding strong industry relationships and collaboration Leading with authenticity and self-awarenessScaling a brand without losing its identityConnect with TracyPersonal LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tracy-panase/JBF LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/jbfsaleJBF Franchise System - https://jbfsalefranchise.com/Email: podcast@jbfsale.comConnect with ShannonPersonal LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/shannonwilburn/       JBF LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/jbfsaleWebsite - https://shineexecutivecoaching.com/Email - shannon@shineexecutivecoaching.com

Short description David Brown and Paul Murrell explore how carmakers balance shared engineering with distinctive brand identity, from Stellantis to Mercedes-Benz's new retail approach. They discuss logistics, motoring journalism, iconic vehicle-inspired wine branding, the centenary of Route 66, and whether technology, design and culture still shape how we experience cars in an increasingly digital world. Episode Breakdown • Multi-brand car companies – 00:00:55 • Mercedes reinvents the showroom – 00:11:12 • Logistics behind online deliveries – 00:25:09 • Wine labels inspired by iconic vehicles – 00:31:12 • Route 66 turns 100 – 00:40:38 • (Further topics continue beyond the available transcript excerpt.) Multi-brand car companies David and Paul examine Stellantis' strategy of sharing engineering while preserving distinct brand identities. They compare past automotive mergers, discuss why simple badge engineering often fails, and argue that character, handling, design and brand values remain essential even when platforms and technology are shared. Mercedes reinvents the showroom The discussion looks at Mercedes-Benz's new experiential city studio, asking whether immersive retail, virtual reality and digital configuration can create stronger customer engagement. They also reflect on motoring journalism, product credibility, vehicle safety, tyre choices and the importance of independent reviews. Logistics behind online deliveries Using a coffee delivery as an example, the program explores how modern logistics extends far beyond transport. The conversation covers parcel tracking, supply chain efficiency, delivery scheduling, driver pressures and how infrastructure and consumer behaviour continue to evolve. Wine labels inspired by iconic vehicles A South Australian winery's "Super Trooper" label sparks a discussion about automotive culture influencing other industries. The hosts compare vehicle branding with wine marketing, debate tasting language, and consider why iconic vehicles such as the Toyota Troop Carrier resonate far beyond transport. Route 66 turns 100 Marking the centenary of the famous highway's numbering, David and Paul reflect on Route 66 as both transport infrastructure and cultural icon. They discuss its links to early American migration, tourism, motoring history and the enduring appeal of travelling simply for the journey itself. Program Links and Credits Website: Cars Transport Culture Podcast: Overdrive Radio Presenter: David Brown Contributor: Paul Murrell (Seniordriver.au)

Before leading value creation at Brightstar Capital Partners, Chris Nicolini served as an Army officer, ran large-scale manufacturing operations, and led transformation efforts at General Electric. Today, he brings those lessons to founder-led businesses navigating growth, talent challenges, AI adoption, and operational change.Topics:AI Implementation at PE firmsBuilding a Repeatable Hiring PipelineIntegration Best PracticesStrategy as Alignment, Not Just a PlanRestructuring Frameworks ...and so much more.Top TakeawaysSuccessful AI adoption starts with problems, not tools. At Brightstar, AI initiatives start with a business problem. During AI hackathons, teams identify a bottleneck, repetitive task, or inefficiency, then spend the day building a solution around it. The biggest AI wins come from eliminating friction and repetitive work, rather than accumulating more tools.Build a hiring flywheel, not a hiring process. Chris grew a maintenance team from 2 to 25 people by building a hiring system that consistently recruited electrical and mechanical engineers from the Naval Power Training Unit. The lesson: scalable hiring comes from building a repeatable talent pipeline, not filling roles one at a time.Strategy only works when the team is aligned. Many leaders mistake strategy for a plan. The real test is whether the team understands where the company is going, why it matters, and what role they play in getting there. A brilliant plan without buy-in is just a document.Understand the cause before cutting the cost. When performance declines, many companies immediately look for expenses to cut. Chris argues the better approach is to first understand why those costs exist. Some expenses are inefficiencies. Others directly support revenue generation, customer retention, or growth. Cut the wrong one, and you can make the problem worse.About Brightstar Capital PartnersBrightstar is a middle-market private equity firm that invests in founder-led businesses across business services, industrials, government services, and tech. The firm works closely with management teams on growth, talent, operational transformation, and AI adoption, combining hands-on operational expertise with emerging technologies to create value across the portfolio.Investors & Operators is brought to you by 51 Labs51 Labs is a marketing agency for the lower middle market. We offer full-service digital marketing for PE, portfolio companies, IB, VC, hedge funds.AGM Support, Video, Marketing Strategy, Brand Identity, Web Design & Development, LinkedIn Strategy & Execution & more400+ videos100+ projects#1 content creator on LinkedIn in the lower middle market

Artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming how brands are built, but it's also making them easier to imitate. From voice cloning and deepfakes to synthetic endorsements and digital impersonation, the lines between authentic and artificial are becoming increasingly blurred.In this episode of Brand & New, host Willard Knox speaks with Justin Pierce, Partner and Co-Chair of Intellectual Property at Venable LLP (USA), about how AI is reshaping brand protection. They explore why protecting a brand now extends well beyond trademarks, what organizations and individuals should be doing today to safeguard their identities, and how businesses can become "AI-ready" as technology and the legal landscape continue to evolve.This episode of Brand & New is sponsored by Venable LLP.Related ResourcesAbout Justin PierceAbout Venable LLPRecent and Related Brand & New EpisodesCopyright in the Age of AIThe Legal Wake-up Call for Generative AIThe AI Gender GapRecent INTA Research for Intellectual Property ProfessionalsExploring the Use of Artificial Intelligence in the Likelihood of Confusion AnalysisIP Law Firms of the Future: Think Tank Report

What does it take to build a beauty brand that can grow beyond a single hero product while staying true to its purpose? On Episode 310 of Where Brains Meet Beauty, Mutha COO David Krzypow and Head of Brand Marketing Lauren Katz join Jodi Katz for a conversation about brand building, leadership, and navigating growth in today's increasingly competitive beauty landscape.David shares how his journey from engineering to beauty helped shape his approach to building brands through analytical rigor and creative thinking, while Lauren discusses the importance of deeply understanding your customer and translating authentic brand stories into meaningful marketing.Together, they explore what it takes to stay focused when faced with constant noise, how Mutha has evolved from a product created to solve a real need into a growing beauty brand, and why strong brand identity remains one of the most valuable assets a company can have.It's a thoughtful conversation about career growth, entrepreneurship, motherhood, and the balance between intuition and strategy that drives successful brands forward. Thank you to our partner CEW. If you're looking to accelerate your career and expand your network, visit CEW.org and use code WBMB20 for 20% off your first year of membership.

Brand identity shapes how customers recognize, trust, and value a business — not just how it looks. Here is how a strong, consistent identity influences pricing power, retention, and long-term competitive advantage. To learn more, visit https://www.thelolaagency.com/post/the-power-of-brand-management-unleashing-creativity-to-drive-business-success London : Los Angeles (LO:LA) City: El Segundo Address: 840 Apollo Street Website: https://www.thelolaagency.com

After tracing her own chronic skin and hair issues back to hard water, Karlee Zhang partnered with Omer Ozener to build Hello Klean on just £60,000 of personal savings. By educating consumers on an invisible problem and leveraging a “free trial” strategy, they created a new “shower care” category that now boasts more than 90,000 active subscribers. For more on Hello Klean, in show notes, click here. Subscribe and watch Shopify Masters on YouTube!Sign up for your FREE Shopify Trial here.

Hyla Nayeri co-founded 437, a bootstrapped activewear brand, into an eight-figure business— and she did it by simplifying ruthlessly, betting on organic social and influencer marketing, and protecting a culture that includes a four-day workweek. For more on 437 and show notes click here Subscribe and watch Shopify Masters on YouTube!Sign up for your FREE Shopify Trial here.

Alex Russ is the Head of Americas for Evercore's Private Funds Group. He advises PE sponsors on fundraising strategy, LP positioning, and market navigation, with a focus on helping managers differentiate themselves in an increasingly competitive capital environment. Hilary LaBrash is a Managing Director in Evercore's Private Funds Group, where she works closely with emerging and established managers on fundraising preparation, messaging, and investor strategy. Topics:Fundraising Environment in 2026First Close Strategy & Fund Sizing360 Feedback & LP Pre-WiringWhat Differentiates a GPEmerging Manager Playbook...and so much more.Top TakeawaysYou only get one first impression with LPs. Alex and Hilary emphasized that many Emerging Managers rush into market before the story, team, or positioning is fully ready. In a crowded fundraising environment, LPs rarely “reset” their perception later. If you show up to that first meeting half-prepared, LPs may start questioning readiness, infrastructure, and execution.LPs care about organizational health more than most GPs realize. Alex and Hilary talked about how the best firms create long-term alignment by promoting talent internally, evolving economics as the firm grows, and giving younger partners real opportunity over time. When firms fail to do that, spinouts often follow. For LPs, team stability and incentive alignment are strong indicators of whether a manager can execute consistently across multiple fund cycles.“Founder-friendly” is no longer a differentiator. Many firms use the same buzzwords — proprietary sourcing, operational value-add, founder relationships — making it harder for LPs to tell managers apart. What stands out today is a repeatable process: why you win deals, when you deploy operational resources, how you make decisions, and what specifically makes a company a fit for your strategy.About EvercoreEvercore is one of the world's leading independent investment banking advisory firms, with $5+ trillion in announced transactions since founding. Their Private Funds Group works with PE, infrastructure, real estate, and private credit managers on fundraising strategy, positioning, and LP engagement—across institutional investors worldwide.Investors & Operators is brought to you by 51 Labs51 Labs is a marketing agency for the lower middle market. We offer full-service digital marketing for PE, portfolio companies, IB, VC, hedge funds.Brand Identity, Marketing Strategy, Marketing & AGM Video, LinkedIn Strategy & Execution, Web Design & Development, CRM Support & more400+ videos100+ projects#1 content creator on LinkedIn in the lower middle market

Andrew Nelson is Chief of Staff to the CEO at Waste Eliminator, where he helps drive strategic initiatives, operational execution, and growth across the company's expanding footprint in the Southeast. Before entering the private sector, Andrew spent six years in the U.S. Army with 3rd Ranger Battalion, completing five deployments across Syria, Iraq, and Afghanistan. He transitioned from the military in 2022 and later earned his MBA from Emory University. Topics:Why Portcos Need a Chief of Staff Military Speed as a PE AdvantageThe Military-to-Civilian ShiftTranslating Military Skills Into Business...and so much more.Top TakeawaysA Chief of Staff can become a force multiplier for a PE-backed CEO. Andrew described the role as part project manager, part operator, and part accountability driver. In lean portfolio companies where leadership teams are stretched thin, a Chief of Staff can help move strategic initiatives forward across operations, finance, systems, and growth projects simultaneously.Clear ownership prevents projects from stalling. Andrew shared a military execution principle he still uses in business today: every task needs a clear owner, a standard, and a “time hack” — the agreed-upon deadline for completion. Many fast-growing companies struggle because ownership and timelines are vague. As projects pile up inside PE-backed businesses, unclear accountability often becomes the bottleneck that slows execution.Military operators fit portfolio companies better than Fortune 500s. Andrew made the point that large corporations can feel slow and highly segmented, while lower middle market businesses offer more ownership, faster decision-making, and clearer impact. For many veterans, that environment feels much closer to the pace and accountability they were used to in the military.The right network changes the trajectory of a transition. Andrew's path to Waste Eliminator didn't come through LinkedIn or a recruiter. It came through a direct introduction from a 51 Vets member who had already made a similar move. One of Andrew's biggest takeaways was how valuable it is to have people a few years ahead of you who understand both the military background and the PE/portfolio company world. 51 Vets is that network, with 500+ members from the special operations and aviation communities and mentors across IB, PE, consulting, and operating roles.About Waste EliminatorWaste Eliminator is a waste and recycling platform focused on sustainable waste solutions and landfill diversion. The company handles a broad range of waste streams, serving customers from households to large commercial and industrial facilities. Backed by Allied Industrial Partners, Waste Eliminator has expanded through acquisitions and now operates across multiple locations throughout Georgia and the broader Southeast.Investors & Operators is brought to you by 51 Labs51 Labs is a marketing agency for the lower middle market. We offer full-service digital marketing for PE, portfolio companies, IB, VC, hedge funds.Brand Identity, Marketing Strategy, Marketing & AGM Video, LinkedIn Strategy & Execution, Web Design & Development, CRM Support & more400+ videos100+ projects#1 content creator on LinkedIn in the lower middle market

What makes people love brands like Apple and Chick-fil-A — while distrusting others like McDonald's?In this episode of The Franchise Advisory Board Podcast, Dave Hansen sits down with branding expert Todd Anthony to break down the psychology behind successful brands, franchise growth, customer trust, and audience alignment.They explore how branding impacts customer perception, why franchises must understand their target audience, and how companies can evolve their messaging without alienating loyal customers.First, a big thank you to our episode sponsor, ClientTether, for supporting the show and helping franchise brands build stronger, more connected relationships through smart automation.From Chick-fil-A and Apple to Quiznos, Toys R Us, Budweiser, and home service franchises, this conversation dives deep into real-world examples of branding wins, branding failures, and what businesses can learn from both.You'll learn:• Why every business has a brand — whether intentional or not• How customer perception shapes business growth• Why trust and consistency matter in franchising• How to know when your brand needs a refresh• The dangers of targeting the wrong audience• Why audience research is critical for scaling• How franchises can evolve their brand without losing identity• The role of differentiation in crowded markets• How strong branding creates emotional loyaltyTodd Anthony also shares practical strategies for:Brand positioningFranchise marketingAudience targetingBrand governanceCustomer trust buildingBrand consistencyRebranding strategiesMarket differentiationWhether you're a franchise owner, marketer, entrepreneur, or creative strategist, this episode is packed with actionable branding insights you can apply immediately.Special thanks to our guest Todd Anthony from Pinwheel Agency for joining the show and sharing his expertise.Connect with Todd:• Website: Pinwheel Agency• LinkedIn: Todd Anthony on LinkedInThanks for listening to the Franchise Advisory Board Podcast, where we explore the ideas, strategies, and people shaping the future of franchising.If you found today's episode valuable, please subscribe, rate, and share it with a fellow franchise leader. To learn more, connect with us on LinkedIn and Youtube.Until next time, stay curious, stay strategic, and keep building stronger franchise systems!

Most people are out here trying to build a brand before they even understand what one is. And then they wonder why it's not working. Today we're going back to basics — and I promise it's going to change how you see your business and your personal brand. READ MORE HERE

Clayface is stepping into full horror territory, and Frank and Squeaks break down why that could be exactly what DC needs. The episode also covers a packed week of reboots and adaptations, including FernGully, The Phantom, Django/Zorro, RoboCop, Battlefield, and Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced. The back half shifts into a spoiler-heavy Invincible Season 4 review, with a big focus on Thragg, Mark's impossible choices, and the emotional weight of Atom Eve's storyline. Frank and Squeaks also dig into Xbox's future, Game Pass changes, the return of stronger Xbox branding, and whether the next console can make fans excited again. Timestamps and Topics 00:00 Avengers: Endgame 7-Year Anniversary and Favorite Character Arcs 03:05 Capital Creative Showcase and Convention Updates 04:02 Clayface Trailer Discussion and DC Horror Potential 08:27 FernGully, The Phantom, Django/Zorro, and RoboCop Reboots 16:35 Battlefield Movie and Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced 25:28 Invincible Season 4 Spoiler Review 40:01 Xbox's Future, Game Pass Changes, Project Helix, and Brand Identity 59:21 Network Updates, Recommendations, and Closing Key Takeaways Frank and Squeaks look back at Avengers: Endgame seven years later, highlighting Steve Rogers, Nebula, Black Widow, Hawkeye, and the idea of a Ronin video game. The Clayface trailer sparked a strong reaction because it feels more like a horror movie than a standard DC or Batman-adjacent story. Reboots dominate the news cycle, with mixed reactions to FernGully, The Phantom, RoboCop, Django/Zorro, and Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced. The Battlefield movie conversation centers on how it can separate itself from Call of Duty and other military films by leaning into large-scale, multi-front battles. The Invincible Season 4 review praises Thragg as a major villain, explores Mark's moral limits, and gives the season a 9 out of 10 from both hosts. The Xbox discussion focuses on Game Pass pricing, exclusives, Project Helix, and whether Xbox can rebuild its identity as a console brand. Memorable Quotes "Give me a Ronin video game. I think that'd be dope." "This needs to be treated as a full-on horror movie." "Why would McDonald's lose the Golden Arches? You guys are doing that right now." "Mark's weakness is the fact that he's a good person." "I'm excited to be a fanboy again." Call to Action Subscribe to Geek Freaks wherever you listen to podcasts, leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, and share the episode with #GeekFreaksPodcast. Reviews help more listeners find the show, and Frank may read your review on a future episode. Links and Resources Visit GeekFreaksPodcast.com for all Geek Freaks news, reviews, interviews, and updates. GeekFreaksPodcast.com is also the source of all news discussed during the podcast. Transcript source: uploaded GF2 transcript. Follow Us Facebook: facebook.com/thegeekfreakspodcast Threads: @geekfreakspodcast Patreon: patreon.com/GeekFreakspodcast Twitter: @geekfreakspod Instagram: @geekfreakspodcast Listener Questions Send in your reactions to the Clayface trailer, your thoughts on Xbox's future, and whether Invincible Season 4 earned that 9 out of 10. You can also send future topic ideas for upcoming Geek Freaks episodes. Geek culture, entertainment news, DC Comics, Clayface, Batman, Xbox, Game Pass, Invincible, Prime Video, Assassin's Creed, Battlefield, RoboCop, FernGully, The Phantom, Django Zorro, video game movies, comic book movies, geek news, movie news, gaming news, podcast, Geek Freaks Podcast

From Corporate HR To Luxury Home DesignA polished career can still leave you whispering through a closed office door while your kids are on the other side. We sit down with Alissa, founder of Gemhaus Design, to talk about what happens when a global HR path with late-night calls and constant pressure stops fitting real life and you decide to jump anyway.We get into the full pivot: how her love of interiors started early, why the business began with real estate development, and how Whitefish, Montana became the springboard for luxury ski-home investing. Alissa breaks down what she actually looks for in a smart investment property, why seasonality matters for a short-term rental, and how to think about cap rate and operating costs without getting lost in jargon.Then we zoom into the human side of interior design and entrepreneurship. Alissa shares what a premium design process looks like, how she learns the truth of how a family lives, and why “work-life balance” isn't the goal. We talk harmony, trade-offs, failure, celebration, and the kind of mom mornings that include potty-training emergencies and gorilla glue on every door handle.If you're building a business, considering real estate investing, or craving a career that feels more like you, hit play. Subscribe, share this with a friend who's on the edge of a leap, and leave a review with the biggest trade-off you're navigating right now.Resources Mentioned:Shonda Rhimes The DailyRadio Lab - The InterstitiumTelepathy TapesConnect with Alissa:Website: Gemhaus DesignIG: @gemhaus.designContact the Host, Kelly Kirk:Email: info.ryh7@gmail.comGet Connected/Follow:The Hue Drop Newsletter: Subscribe HereIG: @ryh_pod & @thekelly.tanke.kirkFacebook: Reclaiming Your Hue Facebook PageCAKES Affiliate Link: KELLYKIRKCredits:Editor: Joseph KirkMusic: Kristofer Tanke Thanks for listening & cheers to Reclaiming Your Hue! 

Lone Fox's Drew Scott on the vintage pivot that doubled revenue, building two million subscribers without ads, and why his business model can't be copied. For more on Lone Fox and show notes click here Subscribe and watch Shopify Masters on YouTube!Sign up for your FREE Shopify Trial here.

Most small business owners think they have a brand. What they actually have is a collection of decisions made in a hurry — four shades of blue, six different fonts, and a website built room by room without a blueprint. Sound familiar? In this episode, Phil and Kenny sit down with Kevin Sotto of Sotto Digital — the digital strategist behind the This Commerce Life rebrand — to talk about what branding actually is, why so many Canadian food and CPG brands get it wrong, and what it takes to build a digital presence that earns trust. Kevin shares his journey from engineering at McMaster, to RBC, to health-tech startup life, to running his own digital marketing and branding consultancy. He also pulls back the curtain on his experience working with TCL — from cleaning up a messy website to uncovering the three core pillars of the brand and why that "editorial navy" is doing more work than anyone realized.

We live in a world obsessed with brand identity. But what happens when we apply this brand-thinking to faith? What comes to mind when you hear the word "Christian"? And are those ideas even close to what Jesus expected of his followers? We might be surprised by the answer.

Flamingo Estate stayed true to its roots and built an eight-figure brand by saying no to almost every piece of outside advice. Subscribe and watch Shopify Masters on YouTube!Sign up for your FREE Shopify Trial here.

Special Xero offer: Get 90% off for 6 months using this link: https://referrals.xero.com/jacquinaunton_Rebranding Terms & Conditions apply.* If you're thinking about rebranding… this is your sign to STOP before you open Canva. Because the biggest mistake I see? It's not bad design… it's bad strategy. I'm walking you through exactly how to rebrand your business the right way… so you're not back here in 3 months wondering why it didn't work. We're going beyond colours, logos and fonts… and diving into the strategy that actually makes your brand attract the right clients, feel aligned, and grow with your business. I cover: Why most rebrands fail The 5 real reasons you feel the urge to rebrand The exact 5-step process to rebrand strategically How to attract better clients (and repel the wrong ones) Why your backend systems matter just as much as your visuals If you're ready to rebrand once… and do it properly… press play. Timestamps Intro 0:00 Why you're rebranding 1:15 PSA 5:43 Steps to follow 8:00 Wrapping up 14:32 Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/Se6uhtNkGh4 Read on the Blog: https://whitedeer.com.au/ep260/ WORK WITH JACQUI: // DIY Design My Biz: The best course for business owners DIYing their own brand and graphics in Canva. Learn more: https://whitedeer.com.au/diy-dmb // The Co+Creation Design Club: Design WITH the help of a professional designer in this high-touch coaching space: https://whitedeer.com.au/designclub // Design Studio: If you're after fully done-for-you design services my studio team can help! https://whitedeer.com.au/designstudio

In this episode of The Influence Factor, Alessandro Bogliari chats with Robin Ross, AVP of Corporate Marketing at Costco, shares insights into the company's marketing journey, the evolution of social media strategies, and the importance of community engagement. He discusses his mission to amplify employee ideas, the challenges of navigating customer feedback, and the balance between brand identity and current trends. Robin emphasizes the significance of user-generated content and the need to adapt to various social media platforms while considering the future of long-form content.

In this popular highlight episode, Stacey revisits the essential topic of creating a mission for your business — and why it matters more than most entrepreneurs realise. Whether you started your business with passion and energy or you're deep in the day-to-day juggle, having a clear mission helps anchor your decisions, inspire your team, and connect more deeply with your customers. Stacey breaks down what a mission truly is: what you deliver and the impact it has on your customer. She shares practical ways to uncover your mission, including brainstorming prompts, feedback from customers and staff, and exploring mission-driven language that reflects what makes your business unique. You’ll learn how to clarify what you’re known for, what sets you apart, and why people keep choosing you. Stacey also highlights the importance of living your mission daily — not hiding it in a drawer — and offers ideas for displaying and communicating it consistently across your business. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Your Brand Is Your Business Outfit: The Unspoken Rules of Brand Identity That Drive Real GrowthGuest: Lexy Rubin, Owner and Creative Director of Rubin Design Company Host: Julie RigaOverviewIn this episode of the Stay On Course Podcast, Julie Riga sits down with Lexy Rubin, Owner and Creative Director of Rubin Design Company, an award-winning branding agency in South Florida. Lexy is a purpose-driven brand strategist whose career spans NASA internships, New York City corporate branding, and 11 years building her own legacy as a founder.Together, they explore what it truly means to build a brand that connects and stands the test of time. From first impression psychology to the rise of AI in design, this conversation delivers authentic growth strategies for entrepreneurs and business leaders ready to elevate their brand.Your Brand Is Your Business Outfit: The Unspoken Rules of Brand Identity That Drive Real GrowthAbout Lexy RubinLexy Rubin is the owner and creative director of Rubin Design Company, a South Florida-based branding agency offering custom logo design services, brand identity design, and brand strategy consulting nationwide. A graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design, she became the first graphic designer to intern at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, then worked with Bath and Body Works and L'Oreal in New York City.Fun Fact: Lexy's favorite food is Chicken Romano from the Cheesecake Factory.Key Topics DiscussedWhat Is a Brand, Really? Your brand is your business's first impression. It is the outfit your company wears every day. It shapes purchasing decisions, team recruitment, and client trust before a word is spoken.Why Professional Branding Matters in 2026 Working with a professional logo designer or corporate branding agency is your foundation. With AI everywhere, authentic human-crafted brand identity is a genuine competitive advantage. Apple, Nike, and Starbucks invest heavily in branding because perception is everything.The AI Question Every Business Owner Is Asking Can AI replace custom logo design services? Lexy says not at the soul level. There is an emotional and spiritual dimension to brand identity that no algorithm can replicate. Investment in professional brand strategy consulting is more urgent than ever.Branding Trends for 2025 to 2026 Typography is king, with bespoke typefaces driving personality across logos, websites, and cards. Motion graphics are replacing static visuals. Video-first design is now expected. If your brand has not been refreshed in ten or more years, it is outdated.You Are the Brand Your personal leadership presence and business brand are inseparable. In the age of AI cloning, being authentically yourself is your single most powerful asset.Memorable Quotes"Your brand is basically your first impression. It is the outfit your business wears.""The real, authentic version of yourself is going to be craved now more than ever because of AI.""There is a magical recipe to great brand identity: part logic, part skill, part soul."Key TakeawaysYour brand is your foundation. Get it right before you scale.Authenticity is your superpower in a world of AI-generated content.Every touchpoint is a brand moment: your logo, LinkedIn, and background.Refresh your visual identity as trends and audience expectations evolve.You are the brand. Leadership presence and professional branding are inseparable.Connect with Lexy RubinWebsite: www.RubinDesignCo.comLinkedIn and Facebook: Rubin Design CoConnect with Julie RigaWebsite: julieriga.com/leadCoaching: Learn more about leadership coaching and transformation#BrandIdentity #StayOnCourse #AuthenticLeadership #PurposeDrivenBusiness #BrandingTips2026Subscribe to Stay On Course wherever you listen to podcasts. Share this episode with any business owner who needs to hear this.

What happens when you take a centuries-old, traditional industry and inject it with vibrant color? This week, Cassie sits down with Alice Carroll, Co-Founder of Foxes Bow Irish Whiskey, to discuss the art of strategic disruption. Alice breaks down her journey from "stealthily stealing secrets" at major whiskey multinationals to launching an independent brand that refuses to play by the rules. We explore how being the "only woman at the table" became her greatest creative advantage, the tactical data she used to get retailers to say "yes" to a non-traditional design, and why she believes distinctiveness is more valuable than differentiation in 2026. Whether you're an entrepreneur in a "stiff" industry or a marketer struggling to find your authentic voice on camera, Alice's "warts-and-all" approach to brand building is the shot of inspiration you need.Key Takeaways:// Why looking at adjacent industries (and what your target audience follows on Instagram) is more effective than looking at your direct competitors when designing a brand.// How Alice leveraged her perspective as an "outsider" in a male-dominated category to spot the massive white space that legacy brands were too risk-averse to touch.// How to use consumer research and "hard facts" about audience pain points to convince conservative stakeholders to approve bold, eclectic designs.// The secret to building a brand that is instantly recognizable on any shelf or social feed, regardless of the context.// Why Alice is betting on a 2026 trend toward vibrancy, color, and "social middle-ground" wellness over the beige, minimalist extremes of recent years.// Why "boring" behind-the-scenes failures (like 20 misprinted billboards) often drive more engagement and trust than polished, high-production brand content.// Advice for the "camera-shy" on how to park your ego and let your audience's engagement dictate your content strategy.Connect with Alice: InstagramLearn More About Foxes Bow: Website____Join the MHH Collective! The MHH Collective is a community for marketers and business owners to connect, ask real questions, and grow their careers together. Join for access to live Q&As with industry experts, a private Slack community, and ongoing resources: https://www.marketinghappyhr.com/mhh-collectiveSay hi! DM us on Instagram and let us know what content you want to hear on the show - We can't wait to hear from you! Please also consider rating the show and leaving a review, as that helps us tremendously as we move forward in this Marketing Happy Hour journey and create more content for all of you. ⁠Join the MHH Collective: ⁠Join now⁠Get the latest marketing trends, open jobs and MHH updates, straight to your inbox: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join our email list!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow MHH on Social: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Trust has always been the invisible architecture beneath brands, institutions, and markets. But today, that architecture is shifting. For the past decade, we've moved through distinct eras of trust. First came consequence brands, which positioned themselves around measurable moral impact. Then came emotion-led brands, where what felt right became the guiding force. Now we appear to be entering a third era, where trust is built not on credentials or transparency, but on visible sacrifice and embodied virtue. As institutional continuity weakens and shared reality fragments, credibility reorganizes around individuals. “Proof of knowing” carries less weight than “proof of doing.” Degrees, affiliations, and institutional endorsements are no longer sufficient signals. Instead, audiences look for lived experience, personal risk, and skin in the game. At the same time, many of the platforms designed to increase transparency have reduced everyday vulnerability. But true trust requires vulnerability. As a result, trust is reemerging in smaller, more intimate spaces where shared stakes and emotional exposure create safety. In this episode of Unseen Unknown, Jasmine and Jean-Louis explore how trust systems evolve, why incremental positioning feels insufficient in the current cultural climate, and what this shift means for founders and brands trying to remain credible. When trust becomes the product itself, the rules change. Links to interesting things mentioned in this episode and further reading: The Futures That Just Died (Concept Bureau) We're Desperate For Potency (Concept Bureau) Edelman Trust Barometer Reports (Edelman) Who Can You Trust?: How Technology Brought Us Together and Why It Might Drive Us Apart (Rachel Botsman) Strangers in Their Own Land: Anger and Mourning on the American Right (Arlie Russell Hochschild) Gallup is stopping its Presidential Approval tracking (The New York Times) The great nonpartisan divide that's plaguing Americans (Axios) Check out our Substack for more brand strategy thinking, and our community Exposure Community.

From line cook to 8-figure founder, Ellen Bennett turned $300 and a vision into Hedley & Bennett, a heritage kitchen brand. Subscribe and watch Shopify Masters on YouTube!Sign up for your FREE Shopify Trial here.

“I don't know if you can see it, [but] that's an octopus. Yeah, on my upper arm. If you're not watching this, the audio version is, there's sunlight coming through and it's dappling across this octopus. I'm a scuba diver. I really did believe, when I was young, that I was going to be a marine mammal biologist. That was my destiny. I watched Jacques Cousteau and I was all about it, and then life happened and I wasn't all about it. It was until later in life that I got into scuba diving.” – Michael DargieThis week's guest is a storyteller, creative instigator, occasional octopus whisperer, and founder of Make More Creative. He mentors with Calgary Economic Development and Canada's Trade Accelerator Program, and speaks regularly at incubators, colleges, and universities. He's the author of BrandJitsu™: Move Your Brand From ‘Meh' To Memorable, a methodology that helps companies find, shape, and share their stories, and he's a creative chaos agent with Loose Moose Theatre and Dropbear & Panda Productions, and the host of the multi-nominated RebelRebel podcast.His name is Michael Dargie, and in this episode, we'll be diving into the power of sound in storytelling, branding, and bold creative expression. From podcasting to performance, he shares how voice and sound shape everything he creates—emotionally, strategically, and playfully. You'll hear how his experiences as a comedian, filmmaker, and entrepreneur all connect through the thread of sound. And whether you're a fellow storyteller or just love great audio, you'll leave this conversation inspired to find your own voice, and maybe stir up a little creative trouble while you're at it.As always, if you have questions for my guest, you're welcome to reach out through the links in the show notes. If you have questions for me, visit audiobrandingpodcast.com, where you'll find a lot of ways to get in touch. Plus, subscribing to the newsletter will let you know when the new podcasts are available, along with other interesting bits of audio-related news. And if you're getting some value from listening, the best ways to show your support are to share this podcast with a friend and leave an honest review. Both those things really help, and I'd love to feature your review on future podcasts. You can leave one either in written or in voice format from the podcast's main page. I would so appreciate that.(00:00) - Becoming an Octopus WhispererWe start the conversation off with Michael's early memories of sound, which in his case includes gunslinger ballads on the family stereo. “I would just listen to these songs,” he says, “these stories, and just get lost in the moment. I would let my brain drift away and see it all happening.” He also tells us more about what it means to be an octopus whisperer. “I have been diving with them,” he explains, “I've interacted with them, I've hung out with them. I love them. They're. They're smart. They've got, like, nine brains. You know, each arm has its own brain. It's like distributive intelligence.”(13:01) - Creative Rebel in SoundMichael talks more about being a creative rebel, and how his podcast, The RebelRebel Podcast, aims for people who don't necessarily fit just one creative box. “It's for creative rebels and entrepreneurs,” he says, “people that go left when people go right, you zig when others zag, and I'm curious about that story. So if you fit that model, then you'd be a great fit to the show.” We discuss his improv comedy experience and the lessons it taught him about marketing. “[Improv] is a huge part of it,” he tells us. “Like, you agree to what's happening and then see where it goes instead of blocking the...

Ep. #102 - An inspiration-packed episode of Within the game podcast with Ike Shehadeh of "Ike's Love and Sandwiches" on the many ways through which he has achieved the success of his brand, restaurant, and how you can tap in from that. Books Referenced: Sacred Commerce: https://amzn.to/4aaplAv Spiritual Growth: https://amzn.to/3ZLE3sE Thank you to Podcast Sponsor Blenders Eyewear! Use Code “WCB20” for 20% off Blenders Sunglasses https://www.blenderseyewear.com

Canyon Coffee grew into a seven-figure brand by selling outside traditional coffee channels. This is how a design-first retail strategy shaped a more sustainable business. Subscribe and watch Shopify Masters on YouTube!Sign up for your FREE Shopify Trial here.

Ros sits down with two-time WNBA champion, two-time WNBA Commissioner's Cup champion, and NCAA Champion, the Indiana Fever's own Sydney Colson! Together, they reflect on the Indiana Fever's season. Were they cursed by the city of Phoenix? How does humor help her during ACL rehab? What has it been like getting to know Caitlin Clark? Then, Sydney gives Kelsey Mitchell her flowers. She explains where her endurance comes from throughout a rollercoaster of a career. How did Sydney find her lane? How does she deal with the haters? What was it like performing standup at WNBA All-Star weekend? Finally, Sydney breaks down how she is using fashion to meet the moment and build her brand outside of basketball. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices