Afleveringen
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Whatâs the difference between a successful freelancer and one who struggles with feast or famine? Itâs not how good you are at your craft, but how you position yourself to clients.
Amy Posner is a seasoned online entrepreneur and business coach who helps digital creative freelancers build breakthrough businesses. Over her 30-year career, sheâs launched six successful businesses (five of which are still in business today) and mentored thousands of freelancers to success.
Now, Amy focuses on empowering freelancers to grow the business they want by teaching them the skills they need to attract the right clients inside her Complete Breakthrough Freelancer course and on her podcast, Business Badassery.
Overcoming Feast or Famine
The biggest challenge for freelancers is feast or famineâa windfall of work followed by a period of little to no income. The best way to overcome this is with business systems and processes, so you always have another project in the pipeline.
Amy teaches her students skills like writing proposals, selling on calls, and communicating the value they deliver. Many successful freelancers give their clients expert strategic advice, but are selling themselves as order takersâsomeone who does nothing more than follow orders and create deliverables. If you position yourself as a strategist, youâre perceived as much more valuable.
The Difference between an Order Taker and an Expert
The primary difference between order takers and experts is that experts deliver an experience, not just deliverables. It starts on the discovery call, when you first connect with the client. High-quality clients want a strategic partner, someone they can trust to give them expert advice and who is interested in getting results.
Once youâve landed the client, you need to deliver on the experience youâve promised. When in doubt, overcommunicate and overdeliver. Again, systems and processes come in handy here. Keep the client in the loop on whatâs happening, especially for longer projects. Be reliable and do what you say youâre going to do.
Enjoy this episode with Amy PosnerâŠ
Soundbytes
12:29-12:43
âI see so many successful freelancers who are giving expert advice, and they're counseling as experts, but they're selling themselves as a creator of deliverables. And you're seen in a very different light.â18:02-18:21
âThe truth is, you don't need a unique perspective. You need a perspective. If a client's going out looking, they don't care that I think the same thing you do. They care what I think. So they're not looking necessarily for originality. They're looking for a stake in the ground, that you believe in something and that you have something to say.âQuotes
âWhat I noticed was that you could be really great at your craft. And if you didn't have commensurate business skills, you didn't do as well as mediocre craftspeople who had the business side down.â
âNobody gets into business to sell stuff. They get into business because they love doing a thing.â
âI'm a chronic over-deliverer. I like to get invested in people and in getting results.â
Links mentioned in this episode:
From Our Guest
Website: https://amyposner.com/
Connect with Amy Posner on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amyposnerbusinessgrowthmentor/
Connect with brandiD
Download our free guide to learn 16 crucial website updates that attract more leads and convert visitors into clients: https://thebrandid.com/website-tweaks/
Ready to elevate your digital presence with a powerful brand or website? Contact us here: https://thebrandid.com/contact-form/
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Omar Alvarez is on a mission to reinvent how we connectâby bringing storytelling back to the heart of technology. With his startup KINNECT, heâs doing exactly thatâcreating a platform that helps people share their life stories, from past experiences to future dreams, in a way thatâs meaningful, inclusive, and easy to use.
Not only has he secured support for his vision, but heâs now poised to disrupt an outdated market and drive innovation, building a fresh space where technology meets human connection.
With professional experience at some of the worldâs most iconic storytelling brands like Nike, Leviâs, Hilton, and Hims and Hers, Omar brings a unique blend of creative expertise and personal passion to every piece of the KINNECT experience
Creating Connections at Work
KINNECT creates social spaces for people to connect and drive belonging, whether with your family, friends, or team at work. Each environment is hyper-personalized.
One big challengeâand opportunityâin the marketplace is creating connections in the workforce. How do you feel like you belong when you work remotely or never see the higher-ups? Employees want to know about the people they work with, who their executives are, and whoâs responsible for big decisions at the company. To be effective at work, you have to feel like you're part of a team. KINNECT is hoping to help bridge that gap.
Securing Funding
In the beginning, the thought of raising capital was daunting for Omar. The odds were stacked against him. But he didnât let the odds hold him back.
At the end of the day, investors are just people. Omar shares his story and the mission behind KINNECT (which was partly inspired by the death of his grandfather), and the right people connect with the product. Some people have told Omar itâs unprofessional to share personal stories, but he knows itâs important for investors to believe in the founderâand that means being authentic to who he is. To date, heâs raised over $400,000 in funding.
Enjoy this episode with Omar AlvarezâŠ
Soundbytes
6:32-6:43
âI really want to think about all the beautiful and cool things about social media and ways of connection today, but I want to cherry-pick what I like about them and then build a complete opposite direction.â28:52-29:06
âI was like, All right, I have this amount of money. I have this big vision.
How am I going to build an AI that is not going to change the algorithm to focus on behaviors for purchasing, but instead, how can I use the algorithm to actually help people?âQuotes
âHow do you feel like you belong at work when there's such little information and little ways of actually driving belonging besides like a random Slack huddle?â
âTo be effective at work, you have to feel like you're part of a team.â
âInvestors are also people. They should definitely look at the needs for business growth. But why not let someone who is Latino, first-generation, English as a second language? Why can't I just act that way too in building a company that is venture scalable?â
Links mentioned in this episode:
From Our Guest
Website: https://www.kinnect.club/
Connect with Omar Alvarez on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heraldalvarez/
Connect with brandiD
Download our free guide to learn 16 crucial website updates that attract more leads and convert visitors into clients: https://thebrandid.com/website-tweaks/
Ready to elevate your digital presence with a powerful brand or website? Contact us here: https://thebrandid.com/contact-form/
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Zijn er afleveringen die ontbreken?
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Ever wish there was a cheat sheet on exactly what to look for in your employees? Fred Meyers has cracked the code on how to hire, develop, and retain great team members.
As the founder of Queensboro, Fred is an early pioneer and 40+ year veteran of the custom logo apparel business, selling directly to small and medium-sized businesses. As technology evolved, from 800 numbers and fax machines to personal computers, the internet, and mobile devices, Fred navigated each marketing shift. From small print ads and direct mail to catalogs and digital campaigns, he adapted using custom-built software, often developed on tight budgets.
The 4P System
A few years after recovering from the 2008 recession, Fred had a realization that to build a truly great company, he needed a great team. From that moment on, building and developing his team has been the highest priority. He realized that great employees had four characteristics in common: what he calls the 4Pâs.
The first P is for productivity: the person can do their job, and they have the basic skills. The second is that theyâre positive and bring good energy to the group. Theyâre easy to communicate with. The key to communication is trust. Itâs not just about what they say, but their actions too.
The next P is for principled, which is how they engage with others. Do they treat other people the way they want to be treated? The final P is for proactive: theyâre always seeking to improve and take responsibility for whatever comes across their path. They have a growth mindset and love learning.
Recruiting based on the 4Pâs has led to a compassionate, non-traditional group of people on Fredâs team. Instead of looking at where someone went to college or what credentials they have, they hire based on what kind of person they are.
Enjoy this episode with Fred MeyersâŠ
Soundbytes
8:27-8:51
âI've always seen the way people have their favorite articles of clothing, the favorite garments, you know, and they the way they feel about these, these pieces of clothing, are far greater than what they should based on the fact that it's some cotton, it's a couple of buttons, maybe a little bit of color. But there's some magic that goes on there, and I saw potential for that magic.â18:27-18:56
âWhy aren't we doing better? Why aren't we doing better? And I'm on lap 50, and I think I was 50 at the time when it happened, and just thinking about that too, and I hit the wall, and I said, Ah, we're not doing better because we're not better. We're actually performing to our level of ability.â39:21-39:38
âWeâve got a lot of really compassionate and somewhat nontraditional people here, because we're not looking as much for credentials or where do you go to college, that kind of thing. But what's in your heart?âQuotes
âI try to model the way I lead and be a boss based on the environment that I would want to work in.â
âYou're doing as good as you should be doing, so how do you do better?â
âWe're not looking as much for credentials or where you went to college, but what's in your heart?â
Links mentioned in this episode:
From Our Guest
Website: https://www.queensboro.com/
Connect with Fred Meyers on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fred-meyers-12250b3/
Connect with brandiD
Download our free guide to learn 16 crucial website updates that attract more leads and convert visitors into clients: https://thebrandid.com/website-tweaks/
Ready to elevate your digital presence with a powerful brand or website? Contact us here: https://thebrandid.com/contact-form/
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Did you know your heart contains 40,000 neurons? Your heart can sense things that your logical brain simply canâtâand tapping into that intelligence can help you make better decisions for your business.
Leyla SalvadĂ© is a Heart Intelligence expert and founder of Standing Lightâą, a company empowering humanity through heart-centered education and events. As a Heartfulness Therapist at an exclusive clinic in Zurich, she guides royalty, billionaires, and visionaries on journeys of healing and self-regulation. Creator of The Standing Light Methodâą, the world's first heart workout, Leyla bridges science and spirituality to unlock the heart's potential, inspiring individuals to shift from a head-based mentality to a heart-empowered reality.
The Power of the Heart
There are three brains in the body: the head, the gut, and the heart. Many entrepreneurs are caught up in the head (logic, judging, analytical reasoning) and gut (instinct). The downside of overlying on logic is that our brains operate based on memory, and our memories are often based on fear or trauma. The heart brain, which contains 40,000 neurons, is responsible for intuitionâthe most underutilized resource for most people.
Luckily, the heart is also a muscle. Like any muscle, the more you train it, the stronger and more intelligent it becomes. Leylaâs Standing Light Method guides people back into the heart and creates coherence between the head and the heart.
How to Develop Your Heart Intelligence
To make better decisions and lead a healthy life, you need to have a strong relationship with your inner self (your heart).
One easy way to connect with your intuition on a daily basis is to practice placing your hands on your heart as soon as you wake up. Feel your heartbeat. Slow down and tune in until you can really hear it. Practice gratitude for your heart, the organ responsible for keeping you alive and the seat of so much inner wisdom.
Enjoy this episode with Leyla SalvadĂ©âŠ
Soundbytes
10:45-11:50
âSo ultimately, we have three brains in the body. We've got the head brain, which in our current society is the All-Knowing King. And then we've got the heart brain, and then the gut brain, and the intelligence of the head brain is logic, and we need that. We need that intellectual logic that deciphers and judges and assesses is this good, is this bad, is this wrong, is it right? The Heart Brain, its intelligence is intuition, and then the gut brain is instinct.â13:49-14:02
âThe future is heart, but without understanding that the heart has its own brain, people would assume that it's just all very airy and beautiful, but that's not fact. That's not the truth. It's a matter of training this heart intelligence, which is also a muscle, and just like any muscle, the more you train it, the stronger it becomes, and the more intelligent it becomes.âQuotes
âI was always on a mission to make the world a better place.â
âIt was the transmutation, the alchemization of my deepest pain point into my greatest healing, and I knew I needed to share this with the world, and that that was my destiny.â
âLogic will get you into the door, but intuition will keep you in the room.â
âEmotions are energy in motion.â
âYou don't need anything outside of yourself to have the deepest transformational experience.â
Links mentioned in this episode:
From Our Guest
Website: https://www.standinglight.com/
Connect with Leyla Salvadé on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leylasalvade/
Connect with brandiD
Download our free guide to learn 16 crucial website updates that attract more leads and convert visitors into clients: https://thebrandid.com/website-tweaks/
Ready to elevate your digital presence with a powerful brand or website? Contact us here: https://thebrandid.com/contact-form/
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As any venture capitalist knows, not every investment pays off. Half of all new businesses fail within the first five yearsâbut todayâs podcast guest has learned to spot the winners.
Brandon T. Adams is a 2X EmmyÂź Award-Winning Producer, Podcaster, Media Expert, Investor, and Advisor. In 2017, he founded Accelerant Media Group, an agency that produces commercials, social media content, and TV shows. Accelerant Media Group has produced TV Shows and Documentaries such as Ambitious Adventures, Success in Your City, Red Flags, and Beyond Small Town Dreams.
Brandon is the Co-CEO and Co-Founder of Big Brand Ventures, an advisory and marketing firm that helps scale companies from 7 figures to 8-9 figures in revenue. His expertise in business growth has led to successful campaigns across diverse industries, such as Tech, TeleHealth, Marketing, Blockchain, Entertainment & Film, Franchising, and Consumer Products.
From Crowdfunding to Equity Consulting
Brandon entered the investing world through crowdfunding. After helping people raise money for their businesses, he realized there was an opportunity to trade his consulting talents and network in exchange for a piece of the company. He could get paid to help the founders increase the value of their company.
Not every investment pays off. No one can predict the future and many businesses fail within their first few years, but some turn into other opportunitiesâand it just takes one good bet to make it a win for all parties.
What Makes a Successful Entrepreneur
When Brandon is choosing his investments, he bets on the founder more than the business. Part of their vetting process involves auditing the founder to see how coachable they are, if theyâre open to different ideas, or if thereâs a real reason they havenât been able to scale on their own. Some of the qualities they look for are integrity, grit, and adaptability.
Being open to change is essential because every level of business requires something different from the founder: a different operating system, team, and skill set. To go from zero to $100,000 takes a different person than $100,000 to $1 million or $1 million to $10 million. The most successful founders are able to evolve into what their business needs at that new level.
Enjoy this episode with Brandon T. AdamsâŠ
Soundbytes
15:47-16:03
âI bet on the person, the CEO, the founder. I've seen really good products and opportunities that fail and don't scale because the person running or operating the business is their own worst enemy. They're not open to change.â17:39-18:04
âWhat it takes you to go from zero to 100,000 is one thing. Going from 100,000 to a million is one thing. To go from a million to 10 million is a whole other story. To go from 10 million to 100 millionâŠThat whole process takes different people, different conversations, different structures, different systems, and you, as the founder and CEO, have to become a different person.âQuotes
âIf you want anything in life and you surround yourself with the right people and work towards it, you'll achieve it.â
âIf you can communicate the story, and obviously the brand around it, that's what people buy into.â
âWhen you're around certain people that do things at a certain level, it opens your mind to that level.â
âThat's the thing with this world, you never can predict the future, and it just takes one time to be right to make it a big win for all parties.â
Links mentioned in this episode:
From Our Guest
Website: http://www.BrandonTAdams.com
Connect with Brandon on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brandontadams1/
Connect with brandiD
Download our free guide to learn 16 crucial website updates that attract more leads and convert visitors into clients: https://thebrandid.com/website-tweaks/
Ready to elevate your digital presence with a powerful brand or website? Contact us here: https://thebrandid.com/contact-form/
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Could your digital business benefit from more physical marketing? Mark Stern is reimagining direct mail with experiential boxes designed to set your customers up for success and extend lifetime value.
Mark is a serial entrepreneur and founder of the Custom Box Agency, a design agency that specializes in optimizing the customer journey through direct mail. His innovative work caught the attention of Forbes, which featured him as one of the Next 1,000 Entrepreneurs redefining the American Dream. He was also highlighted in Joey Coleman's Wall Street Journal Bestseller, Never Lose an Employee Again.
Before embarking on his entrepreneurial path, Stern was a top-ranked strategy consultant at Deloitte Consulting, the worldâs largest consulting firm. He is an MBA graduate from Duke University. Stern is also a six-time Spartan Trifecta holder and serves as a mentor at South by Southwest (SXSW), guiding up-and-coming startups.
Connecting the Digital to the Physical
The idea for the Custom Box Agency was born out of Markâs experience buying online courses. After spending $2,000+ on a course, he was left to print out the workbook or go to the store to track down what he needed to get started. Oftentimes, he didnât end up starting at all. He began to wonder how course creators could better set their students up for successâbeyond simply sending swag with the company logo.
When Mark started shipping out his boxes, the idea immediately caught on. People shared unboxing videos and became unofficial ambassadors and salespeople for the business. In the first year, Custom Box Agency grew from zero to a million dollars in revenue, all through organic word-of-mouth.
The 3 Customer Journeys
One key aspect of Markâs custom box business is tailoring the boxes to the customer journey. There are three different types of journeys throughout the customer lifecycle: acquisition, delivery, and retention. And within those journeys, there are multiple steps.
On the acquisition journey, prospects might discover you through social media, SEO, or in-person events. After someone finds you, you donât necessarily want to pitch them right awayâthose are cold leads. So you might nurture them through case studies, demos, or free content to build more of a relationship with them. From there, you have to close them as a customer. What does the point of sale look like?
After someone buys your product, you need to take them from onboarding to delivering the value you promised. Retention involves recognizing your clients. How do you celebrate them when they hit a milestone or introduce the next way that you can serve them? If someone goes through one journey, the question is, what's next?
Enjoy this episode with Mark SternâŠ
Soundbytes
5:57-6:22
âIf you have something digital, you need something physical to complement it. And now, in this day and age, where it's becoming even more relevant, is the rise of AI. We have so much digital content being pumped into the system. When we think about experience, design experiences seen through the senses, everything digital is only what you see and hear. A podcast is what you hear, YouTube is what you see and hear, and Facebook scrolling is what you see. I can activate the kinesthetic, touch, taste, and smell.â13:28-13:42
âRecognition is huge. How do I celebrate you and see you when you hit a milestone or introduce the next way that I can serve you? So when we think about journey stacking, if people get through one journey, the question is, what's next? And that becomes the retention play. How do I extend the relationship and extend lifetime value?â25:32-25:57
âHow are we thinking about the programs we're creating, and are we engineering a replayable story? And we should be. The example I tell course creators and coaches all the time is, have you ever played a song and then six months later, listened to the song again and it had a new meaning? Or have you ever watched a movie and then years later, watched it again and it was a completely different experience? That's because we evolve.âQuotes
âIt started this idea of, if you have something digital, you need something physical to compliment it.â
âWe went from zero to a million in the first year via word of mouth, just because we had a unique perspective on how can we truly set people up for success.â
âSwag means stuff without a goal. Stop sending people stuff. Truly engineer the things that they need to be set up for success.â
âPeople love getting surprises in the mail.â
âAs an entrepreneur, it's important that we hold a bigger vision for our people than they hold for themselves.â
Links mentioned in this episode:
From Our Guest
Website: https://customboxagency.com/
Connect with Mark Stern on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marustern/
Connect with brandiD
Download our free guide to learn 16 crucial website updates that attract more leads and convert visitors into clients: https://thebrandid.com/website-tweaks/
Ready to elevate your digital presence with a powerful brand or website? Contact us here: https://thebrandid.com/contact-form/
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Did you know that every year, the government gives small business owners millions of dollars in funding? Most entrepreneurs arenât even aware that this type of assistance is available, let alone how to access it. Todayâs guest shares an inside look at how you can secure funding for your business.
Matthew Lesko is a well-known author, speaker, and advocate for government programs and benefits. He has dedicated his career to educating Americans about available government assistance, authoring over 20 books that have sold more than 4 million copies, including Get Government Money for Your Business.
Matthew gained national recognition through his engaging infomercials, which showcased various government grants and programs. He has made numerous appearances on popular television shows, including Oprah, Larry King Live, Good Morning America, and The Tonight Show with David Letterman.
In recent years, Lesko has transitioned to a community-focused model with his platform, Lesko Help, which connects individuals with resources and support for navigating government benefits. With a community of over 15,000 members, he continues to empower people to access legitimate government programs that can enhance their quality of life.
The Free Money Economy
Although about 60% of our economy is capitalism (companies that want to take your money), the other 40% is what Matthew calls the free money economy: organizations that want to give you money. These are government offices, grants, and nonprofit organizations.
As the American economy grows, 10% of the population benefits while 90% of people are getting a smaller and smaller share of the pie. Matthewâs mission is to help the 90% find and use the government assistance thatâs already available.
How to Find Funding Opportunities
To look for funding opportunities, your first instinct might be to go to Googleâbut search engine rankings are determined by whoever is most effective at marketing.
Instead, search on government websites that end in .gov or nonprofit websites that end in .org. You can also try the database at sba.gov/local-assistance to search for more local opportunities. Another great resource for entrepreneurs is careeronestop.org. These job help centers often provide free training, grants, and even funding for you to grow and train your team.
Whenever possible, try to connect with a real human being rather than fill out an online application. The people who work for these organizations will be able to point you in the right direction.
Enjoy this episode with Matthew LeskoâŠ
Soundbytes
9:28-9:48
âOnce you're having fun, then I think that's where you find out what your superpowers are because you're what's special about you is usually what other people call weird. That's a clue, that's probably a superpower. You can do that better than anybody else.â13:54-14:23
âAbout 60% of everything in our economy is capitalism. On the other side, that's what I call the free money economy. Give out money. These people want to take money. You want your money, right? These people want to give you money. These are government offices and nonprofit organizations. I had no idea about all that stuff, but it represents 40% of everything in our economy is giving away money.Quotes
âThe most important decisions are those that other people think you're hurting yourself, but you're not.â
âYou make up reasons why it's okay not to follow your heart. And I just had to do it.â
âYour heart is smarter than your brain.â
âThose failures were a godsend. Because I wasn't having fun, I wasn't succeeding.â
âYou have to fail to grow.â
â40% of everything in our economy is giving away money.â
Links mentioned in this episode:
From Our Guest
Website: https://www.free.lesko.com/leskohelp
Connect with Matthew Lesko on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lesk0/
Connect with brandiD
Download our free guide to learn 16 crucial website updates that attract more leads and convert visitors into clients: https://thebrandid.com/website-tweaks/
Ready to elevate your digital presence with a powerful brand or website? Contact us here: https://thebrandid.com/contact-form/
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Between employee burnout, working remotely, and economic stress, being a leader these days comes with its fair share of challenges. This weekâs podcast guest shares how to steer your team to success.
Karin Hurt is the Founder and CEO of Lets Grow Leaders, a global leadership company known for practical tools and leadership development programs that stick. A former Verizon Wireless executive with more than two decades of experience in sales, customer service, and human resources, Karin is known for growing courageous leaders, building great cultures, and inspiring high-performance teams.
Karin and her husband, David have helped tens of thousands of leaders on every continent (except Antarctica) with their leadership development programs and keynotes. They also provide clean water to the people of Cambodia through their Winning Wells philanthropic initiative. Karin is an award-winning author of five books and host of the popular LinkedIn show, Asking for a Friend. She was recently named by Inc. Magazine as a Top 100 Great Leadership Speaker.
Developing Leaders in Your Company
Lets Grow Leaders works with fast-growing startups to help them expand beyond the founder group. When you have a small team, everyone is a visionary and free to pursue their ideas. But once you reach 50 people, you need systems and processes. You need to create alignment throughout the organization.
The first step is to clarify your vision. Where is the company going and what are your most important things (what Karin calls MITs). What is your communication style? How are you how are you leading? How are you training and growing leaders within your company? Get everyone on the page.
Turning Conflict into Collaboration
After surveying 5,000 people in 45 countries, 70% said they were experiencing the same or significantly more workplace conflict than before the pandemic. More people are working remotely, some are feeling disconnected due to lingering mental health challenges. Others are experiencing burnout from understaffing and increased workload.
The biggest cause of conflict is a lack of shared expectations. As the leader, you might think youâve clearly communicated your expectations, but your team could have misinterpreted them.
If you tell your team they can work from anywhere, itâs worth clarifying what exactly that means. Do they still need to attend meetings in your time zone? Do they need to have their camera on? If you require people to come into the office, what are they expected to do with that time? Define what success looks like and share that definition with your team.
Enjoy this episode with Karin HurtâŠ
Soundbytes
10:16-10:32
âIt gets very frustrating because you do not have the systems and processes, and everybody is used to being able to come up with their idea and follow their idea, but you really need alignment and you need communication plans. You need all those foundational things.â15:03-15:28
âYou've got remote and hybrid teams. You've got people who are feeling disconnected with lingering mental health challenges. You've got burnout and understaffing, and all of that is emerging, and yet we're coming to people and saying, âYou've got to do more.â The economy is uncertain, and all of that is really creating a lot of stress and anxiety for people. And so we need to give people practical ways to collaborate.âQuotes
âThe biggest challenge that we're seeing right now is that there is so much conflict.â
âOn the other side of differences of opinion, that's where innovation really lies.â
âOne good conversation about expectations can prevent 14 âwhy didnât youâ conversations.â
Links mentioned in this episode:
From Our Guest
Website: https://letsgrowleaders.com/
Connect with Karin Hurt on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karin-hurt/
Connect with brandiD
Download our free guide to learn 16 crucial website updates that attract more leads and convert visitors into clients: https://thebrandid.com/website-tweaks/
Ready to elevate your digital presence with a powerful brand or website? Contact us here: https://thebrandid.com/contact-form/
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With the digital marketing world changing so fast, how can you keep up? Sunny Dublick shares her recommendations for effective marketing in 2025 and how your company can innovate to stay ahead of the curve.
Sunny is an award-winning marketing specialist and founder of Sunny Dublick Marketing. Sunny has spent over 15 years in the marketing and advertising industry, working with high-profile clients such as the Philadelphia 76ers and HanesBrands, as well as small and medium-sized businesses spanning the hospitality, retail, and professional services industries.
After nine years working for various advertising agencies and corporate marketing departments, Sunny set out on her own, forming Sunny Dublick Marketing to provide transparent and effective marketing solutions to businesses nationwide. Her strategies are designed to inspire creativity and enable clients to grow the best, most authentic version of their brand.
The Future of AI in Marketing
The digital marketing landscape is constantly shifting. Instead of fighting to stay ahead of the curve and keep up with rapidly changing technology, Sunny recommends slowing down. If you decide to incorporate something new, be intentional. Act from a place of purpose instead of fear of the future.
At one point, no one knew how to post on Facebook or run Google ads. There were a lot of unknownsâbut business owners and marketers figured it out over time. The same will be true for AI and these new technologies. The important part is to stay open and be willing to try new things.
If you want to incorporate AI into your marketing, Sunny recommends using it to kickstart ideas rather than write all of your content. It can be helpful for a first draft, so youâre not staring at a blank page, but it still needs a human touch. No one wants to read a blog post written entirely by AI.
The Importance of Innovation
The role of marketing in your organization goes beyond generating new leads. Your marketing team can also problem-solve across departments, inspire new offers, and overcome sales objections.
Instead of assuming thereâs a marketing problem when leads slow down, Sunny recommends starting at the source. Are your offerings still what your customers want? Is there room for innovation and growth? Has the market evolved?
Separating marketing from branding, sales, and finance doesnât serve your organization. This is why more and more companies are shifting away from Chief Marketing Officers to Chief Growth Officers or Brand Officers, to bridge different functions.
Enjoy this episode with Sunny DublickâŠ
Soundbytes
11:11-11:32
âPeople are looking forward to like, Metaverse and web 3.0 and how do we stay ahead of that? There's always been, for a really long time, a question mark of where things are going. And the worst thing that you can do, from a marketing perspective is just running after that shiny object and being like, I have to do this too, right?â23:20-23:42
âOftentimes companies will work with a marketing company and they'll have a fancy new logo, some pretty pictures on a website, and they're like, cool, we're done, right? That's what I call lipstick-on-a-pig marketing. You made it pretty. But at the end of the day, your offering is something that can and should change over time.âQuotes
âThe beautiful thing about marketing, especially digital marketing, is so much of what you need to know is available to be self-taught.â
âThe worst thing that you can do from a marketing perspective is run after that shiny object.â
âThe nature of marketing is one in which you always have to be agile, and you always have to be willing and able to try new things.â
âNow we can write six posts a day automatically, but just because you can doesn't mean you should.â
âMarketing can and should be something that bridges a lot of different functions within an organization, and you're only getting a tiny piece of it if you're keeping them pigeon-holed into these are the people that put up my social media posts and run some ads for me.â
Links mentioned in this episode:
From Our Guest
Website: http://sunnydublick.com
Connect with Sunny Dublick on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sunnydublick/
Connect with brandiD
Download our free guide to learn 16 crucial website updates that attract more leads and convert visitors into clients: https://thebrandid.com/website-tweaks/
Ready to elevate your digital presence with a powerful brand or website? Contact us here: https://thebrandid.com/contact-form
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Just how safe is your business online? Fraud cases have more than doubled in recent years, while AI-driven scams are only growing more sophisticated. Todayâs guest shares how you can protect your business.
John King is an experienced business executive and IT consultant who has worked with many small, midsize, and Fortune 1000 companies. He has held various management positions including Controller, CIO, Director of Applications Development, and president of his own consulting company. His book The Compass Approach provides techniques for managing a business around the four points of the compass to achieve improved results.
Staying Safe Online
John is a founding member of TrustedAndTrue, a one-of-a-kind matchmaking service that addresses a growing concern in the dating industry: fraud and theft. TrustedAndTrueâs rigorous enrollment process eliminates the risk of individuals using fake identity credentials, giving users the security that everyone they interact with is who they say they are.
TrustedAndTrue stems from Johnâs work at The Authenticity Institute, an organization working to implement authenticity solutions in different industries. One of their latest innovations is the digital signature, which requires an in-depth identity verification process. To keep your business safe from scams, you could require a digital signature to access certain materials.
Unlike traditional passwords, the digital signature is virtually impossible to hack. Most information security technology aims to catch scammers after theyâve already broken into your records. Digital signatures could potentially prevent these crimes before they happen.
Marketing Across Industries
Because their technology can apply to so many industries, The Authenticity Institute looks for entrepreneurs with deep experience in a particular vertical. Those experts become the marketing team, spreading the word about authenticity technology in banking, healthcare, law, real estate, and even the music industry. Each industry has a unique perspective business plan.
Enjoy this episode with John KingâŠ
Soundbytes
16:24-16:39
âIf you have a business and you're counting on the person that you're working with from a vendor, that they're legit, right? You may not be successful with that. You may end up with a write-off you don't really want to have.â22:00-22:17
âIf you look at the information security market, it's growing by leaps and bounds. But they're operating on a premise where they âcatch the bad guysâ after the fact. We're saying we don't want to do that. We want to catch you before you go in.â31:40-32:03
âWhat happens is one of your vendors gets their email address hacked and they send you a request to send some information and give you a fake number, and all of a sudden, you send thousands of dollars to an address that you've not sent before. And you've got a problem.âQuotes
âThe key is having an entrepreneur who understands the marketplace and can say this is how it should work and this is how we can bring value to that particular marketplace.â
âThey're operating on a premise where they âcatch the bad guysâ after the fact. We want to catch them before.â
Links mentioned in this episode:
From Our Guest
Website: https://trustedandtrue.net/
Connect with John King on LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/johnwkingii
Connect with brandiD
Download our free guide to learn 16 crucial website updates that attract more leads and convert visitors into clients: https://thebrandid.com/website-tweaks/
Ready to elevate your digital presence with a powerful brand or website? Contact us here: https://thebrandid.com/contact-form/
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What makes a compelling offer? According to Michael Barbarita, there are five essential elements that play a role in conversion.
Michael is the founder and CEO of Next Step CFO, providing fractional CFO services to small businesses. Michael has owned and operated retail, service, and manufacturing companies for over 30 years. One of his companies, Ski Town USA, grew from $2.5 Million to $8 million in less than 5 years. His product, Cookies To Scoop Frozen Cookie Dough was featured on the QVC Home Shopping Network and was one of the top 20 products in the State of Massachusetts in 1997.
The Conversion Formula
Michael takes all his clients through a four-step process to conversion. The first step is Captivate: get the customerâs attention by speaking to their problems and pain points. The second phase is Fascinate, where you present your unique solution to that problem. The combination of these two elements creates market dominance. Without either one, the rest of the formula falls apart.
The third component is Educate. Now that you have the customerâs attention, you can educate them on how to solve that problem. The final phase is the Close, which needs to be a compelling offer. Once you get this messaging formula right, you can use it on any marketing platform you choose.
5 Elements of Compelling Offer
There are five components to a compelling offer. The first is scarcity or urgency, something that compelled the customer to take action due a deadline or limited quantity.
The second component is risk reversal, where the business takes on most or all of the risk associated with the purchase. For example, in the ski industry, customers never know if their skis are truly the right fit until theyâre out on the mountain. So in Michaelâs business, he implemented âthe ski guaranteeâ where customers were allowed to try out their new skis up to three times risk-free. Out of the 11,000 pairs of skis they sold that year, only 14 customers returned them.
The third element of a compelling offer is adding more value to your product or service. The fourth is to package or bundle multiple products together, which gives the impression of a discount. The fifth and final element is to be indifferent to the outcome. Go into every sales conversation with the customerâs best interest in mind and youâll see your conversions increase.
Enjoy this episode with Michael BarbaritaâŠ
Soundbytes
10:18-10:33
âWe're all afraid of increasing our prices. But if we market it right and show value, and/or either market it right or show value or market it right and show value, we can charge anything.â20:58-21:33
âIf you sound like a used car salesperson, or if you look like you're pressing in any way, shape or form, to make a sale, the customer has this feeling that you're out for yourself and not for them. So you've got to present your selling, your sales presentations and so forthâŠyouâve got to be very detached from the outcome. And it's hard. It's hard to do, by the way, but you have to be detached from the outcome so that you can make that sale and the customer knows you have their best interests in mind.âQuotes
âWe always implemented business and financial strategies that the competition wasn't doing.â
âOnce you fail, you gotta get back on your feet quick. Otherwise, you're gonna stay down.â
âOnly 1-3% of any of buyers in any market, in any industry, at any moment is ready to buy now. The other 97-99% are on this journey, and that journey can last anywhere from 15 seconds to 15 years.â
Links mentioned in this episode:
From Our Guest
Website: http://www.nextstepcfo.net
Connect with Michael on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelbarbarita/
Connect with brandiD
Download our free guide to learn 16 crucial website updates that attract more leads and convert visitors into clients: https://thebrandid.com/website-tweaks/
Ready to elevate your digital presence with a powerful brand or website? Contact us here: https://thebrandid.com/contact-form/
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The digital marketing world has gone through a lot of changes in the past decade, but search engine optimization (SEO) remains as relevant as ever.
Jesse Ringer is the founder of Method and Metric search engine marketing agency. For over 10 years, he has helped business owners and marketing teams build winning SEO strategies for their organizations that drive website traffic and generate revenue.
Jesseâs passion for progression, creativity backed by data, and the democratization of tech have led him to build an agency focused on connecting data and people in an ethical and forward-thinking way. He is a creative problem solver, marketer, and entrepreneur, known for building high-performing teams and delivering results.
The Best Type of Content to Create in 2025
As AI becomes more commonly used in content writing, Jesse encourages his clients not to underestimate the value of human connection. Any business can pump out 50 articles per month using AI, but all those articles will sound identical. What makes great content is your brandâs unique voice, perspective, and ideas.
On a related note, donât create content just for the sake of ranking on Google. Write for lead generation, not just traffic. What type of content will actually drive revenue in your business? In most cases, this will mean going beyond how-to educational content.
What questions do your clients commonly ask you? Get clear on your target audience and their pain points, then create content that demonstrates your expertise in solving those problems.
The Website Optimization Process
To optimize your website, start by auditing your current system: what technology and plug-ins are you using? How is the website content organized? What keywords are you targeting and which are you actually ranking for? Then decide what your priorities are moving forward.
At this stage, Jesse usually builds out a list of recommendations for his clients: including updates to their keyword strategy, site architecture, website pages, blog content, as well as the technical implementation.
The next step is a roadmap for implementation. Depending on the changes that need to be made, it could take up to six months. Most clients start to see results within the first few months, with exponential growth around the six-month mark.
Enjoy this episode with Jesse RingerâŠ
Soundbytes
14:13-14:40
âWe could pump out 50 articles a month now, right? Okay, but they're gonna sound like all the other ones that are being pumped out right now. How do you continue to make this unique to your brand and resonate with your audience? If they're just producing content for the sake of ranking, great, but that's not like that's not going to be a driving force of their business.â20:59-21:17
âFind the thing that you do really well. And how do you put that into a guide to help educate your potential customers? When smarter customers see how helpful you are and how good you are at what you do, they'll be more inclined to work with you down the road.â27:10-27:36
âIf you're running paid ads or social ads, SEO is a way to lower customer acquisition costs. SEO is always on. Organic search is always on. If you decide to stop working, it will continue to help bring traffic in for quite some time after you pull the plug on that. Whereas ads, you turn it off, you don't see any more traffic from those ads.âQuotes
âI always wanted to have my own business. I just had no idea how I was going to get there.â
âClicks are not going to make you more money.â
âClicks are part of it. But if those clicks don't convert, it's wasted.â
âYou could rank number one for 1000 keywords, but if nobody searches for them, what good does it do?â
âSEO helps to inform the whole marketing strategy. It informs your website strategy and it serves a lot of other marketing channels.â
âAI is pulling from all of the internet, so you are just going to get the average of all of the internet. And I really hope you don't think your business is average.â
Links mentioned in this episode:
From Our Guest
Website: https://methodandmetric.com
Connect with Jesse on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jesseringer/
Connect with brandiD
Download our free guide to learn 16 crucial website updates that attract more leads and convert visitors into clients: https://thebrandid.com/website-tweaks/
Ready to elevate your digital presence with a powerful brand or website? Contact us here: https://thebrandid.com/contact-form/
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When Luke Boyengerâs family business went bankrupt in the 2007-2008 financial crisis, it ignited an unexpected passion.
After witnessing the painful closure of his fatherâs business, Luke began to look around at the other companies that survived the same financial crisis. What did they have in common? The answer came down to accounting and finances.
Luke has since dedicated his career to mastering the art of successful business management. This mission led him to pursue a degree in accounting, secure his CPA license, and start a company of his own: Cruzumi CFO & Advisory, where he helps business owners increase profits and improve cash flow.
The Strategic Value of Accounting
Many business owners view accounting as a necessary evil. But Luke says it should be a major value driver in the business, beyond just filing taxes. Understanding your finances allows you to make data-driven decisions about how to grow your business. Without that data, youâre simply guessing.
As a business owner, it's easy to spend all day on busy work that doesnât actually move the needle. Quality financial data helps you determine which tasks drive revenue and create value in the companyâand which tasks donât.
Your CFO (whether fractional or full-time) should be producing budgets, cash flow forecasts, and projections. They should meet with you regularly as a strategic advisor to help you build the financial roadmap to achieve your business goals.
When Should You Hire a Fractional CFO?
Luke is often asked about the best time to hire a fractional CFO vs. a full-time employee. In most cases, a part-time fractional CFO is the more cost-effective solution. But it doesnât just come down to revenueâwhat matters is the complexity of the business.
Some questions worth considering are: What stage of business are you in? What are your growth goals? How are you planning to achieve those goals?
If you have a simple business model and modest growth goals, it makes sense to hire a fractional CFO. If you have a complex model, ambitious growth goals, and plan to sell your company or buy other businesses, a full-time CFO is probably worth the investment.
Enjoy this episode with Luke BoyengerâŠ
Soundbytes
3:29-3:53
âI looked at what happened in my dad's business, and I looked around and saw all these other businesses that did not go bankrupt during the exact same financial crisis. And I was like, Well, why? Why did they survive and we didn't? Something's different about their businesses than ours. And I knew just enough at that point to understand that it was something about accounting and finance.â7:58-8:19
âSo many business owners view accounting as a necessary evil or just want to do the bare minimum to be able to file a tax return. The only reason companies do accounting is they can file taxes. There's no other reason to do accounting other than filing taxes, right? No, that's not true at all.â8:20-8:49
âAccounting should be a value driver in the business in terms of the quality of data and analysis and information that they're able to put in front of a business owner to allow them to make strategic decisions about how they're going to drive growth in a profitable organization that they're trying to build. Without that flow of really high-quality, timely data coming out of a well-built accounting function, it's impossible to do that.âQuotes
âThis is how I take the skill set that I've developed and deploy it in a way that's actually meaningful to me because I'm getting to work with business owners that I'm passionate about.â
âAccounting should be a value driver in the business.â
âI want my pricing to be at about 25% of the value that we add.â
âMarketing works best when you focus it.â
Links mentioned in this episode:
From Our Guest
Website: https://cruzumi.com/
Connect with Luke on LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/luke-boyenger
Connect with brandiD
Download our free guide to learn 16 crucial website updates that attract more leads and convert visitors into clients: https://thebrandid.com/website-tweaks/
Ready to elevate your digital presence with a powerful brand or website? Contact us here: https://thebrandid.com/contact-form/
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Good writing is the foundation of thought leadership. Whether you choose to write articles online, publish a book, or a combination of both, thereâs no way around it: writing is an essential skill for any entrepreneur looking to build their authority. Todayâs guest is here to help you sharpen your storytelling skills.
As the founder of The Institute for Thought Leadership, Rhea Wessel helps entrepreneurs grow their businesses through story smarts. She advises on messaging, AI writing, and finding and articulating your best ideas. As a journalist, Rhea wrote thousands of stories for outlets like the NYT, WSJ, and BBC, and has penned and edited thousands of stories across 30 industries.
Becoming a Thought Leader
Thereâs no formula for becoming a thought leaderâbut there are shortcuts. Writing a book is one of the fastest ways to skyrocket your authority. Publishing a book can help you gain invitations to speak on bigger stages, which leads to more sales, more invitations, and so on. Books can also be repurposed into social media posts, newsletters, and blogs.
Rhea recommends publishing one book per year. If youâre just dipping your toe into the thought leadership world, you might want to start with online content. But donât be afraid to pursue bigger publicationsâone great article could change your business.
The 3-Step Process for Thought Leadership Writing
The first step in establishing thought leadership is to know your niche. What is your area of expertise and how are you going to distinguish yourself from others in the industry?
Once youâre clear on your niche, look for creative ways to frame it. When youâre writing about the same topics over and over again, you need fresh ways of framing your ideas. For example, you could repeat the same story, but frame it through the lens of a different audience. If you have more than one ideal customer avatar (ICA), this technique can help you generate new story ideas.
The last step is to flesh out your ideas and start writing. Rhea recommends always having an editor or friend review your work. Everything you publish is a reflection of your brand, so quality matters.
Enjoy this episode with Rhea WesselâŠ
Soundbytes
6:47-7:19
âYou need to have a writing practice if you're going to be constantly finding new ideas to serve your audience and externalizing those. You need to have ways to take a thought that's just emerging, capture it, and potentially park it for a while until it matures and you're ready to turn that into a piece of intellectual property.â12:53-13:11
âI am using generative AI daily and It has changed the way I gather information, it's changed the way that I collect it, and also how I write my articles.âQuotes
âWriting is thinking on paper.â
âThought leadership practice lives off intellectual property.â
âThere are so many great ideas, but they're not being heard.â
âI want to help the world's true subject matter experts get their best ideas out there.â
Links mentioned in this episode:
From Our Guest
Website: http://www.instituteforthoughtleadership.com
Connect with Rhea on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rheawessel/
Write Like a Thought Leader Book: https://getbook.at/WriteLikeThoughtLeader
Connect with brandiD
Download our free guide to learn 16 crucial website updates that attract more leads and convert visitors into clients: https://thebrandid.com/website-tweaks/
Ready to elevate your digital presence with a powerful brand or website? Contact us here: https://thebrandid.com/contact-form/
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What do all great brands have in common? They create a meaningful experience for their customersâsomething Stu Synder is an expert in.
Stu is the Founder and President of Snyder Media Group, LLC., creating content and providing strategic guidance to media, live entertainment, and start-up companies.
Chances are, youâre already familiar with Stuâs work. Maybe you watched Cartoon Network or Adult Swim during his long tenure at Turner Broadcasting System. Perhaps youâve seen a film he helped bring to screens, such as Terminator 2: Judgement Day or Reservoir Dogs. Or maybe youâve attended Disney on Ice or a Ringling Brothers show. Most recently, Stu is the co-owner of Beal's Lobster Pier, an iconic restaurant and lobster pier on Mount Desert Island, Maine.
The one thing that all of Stu's projects have in common is that they offer people memorable experiences.
Exceed Your Customersâ Expectations
Stu lives by the rule of over-delivering. When someone walks into his restaurant, he aims to put a smile on their faceâwhether thatâs with great customer service, decorations on their takeout box, or an extra gift with their order. It might even involve taking the customer for a walk to show them where the lobsters come in.
Itâs all about the experience and making them feel connected to your brand. When you exceed expectations, thatâs what turns customers into advocates.
Equally important is how you deal with customers when things go wrong. Stu personally responds to every review of his restaurant, positive or negative. If itâs positive, he thanks them for coming in. If itâs not, he uses it as a learning opportunity and lets the customer know how he plans to correct the issue. The most important thing is to make your customers feel heard and taken care of.
Building an Entrepreneurial Team
As any business owner knows, building a team comes with its fair share of challenges. It can be difficult to keep everyone on the same page moving toward your vision. Stu takes a unique approach, encouraging his team to think like entrepreneursâto look for out-of-the-box solutions, be creative, and take calculated risks.
If youâre the leader, itâs your job to give your team direction. But you should also listen to their input on that direction. Set targets together so everyone stays accountable.
In the hiring process, Stu recommends focusing on personality just as much (if not more so) than their work experience. Get to know the person, their communication style, and their interests. Would they get along with the other people on your team? Does their communication style work well with yours? Look for people who want positive relationships with their professional peers. Strong connections within your team make for a healthier business.
Enjoy this episode with Stu SnyderâŠ
Soundbytes
17:13-17:37
âIf someone comes in expecting this, I want to over-deliver and exceed their expectations, whether that is the time that they hit Beal's or they get a little thing, someone orders from deals a box of lobsters, or Lunchable kids. How do we over exceed that expectation and put a smile on their face? What do we put in the box? How is the box decorated? How do we deliver on that experience?â18:47-19:01
âYou're not going to take care of 100% of the people and satisfy everyone. It's also when things go wrong or they're not perfect, how do we respond to them? How do we take care of them? Because that's critical to me.â24:13-24:35
âI like to keep growing. I like working with different teams and learning, because I personally feel that if you if one stays too long in one place, you're only learning one set of disciplines. This is the way we did it. Well, what I wanted to learn was different ways of doing things and then apply it to my overall skill set. âQuotes
âMaking people feel special, making people become advocates for your show or advocates for your brand is very important.â
âOver-delivering is critical.â
âHow do we make people feel special, especially in a world that we're living in, where I think people are looking for that.â
âBeing a leader was encouraging my team to think as entrepreneurs.â
âNever take yourself too seriously.â
âYour team needs direction. They need to know where theyâre headed.â
âIf I'm making a hiring decision after one hour, I'm not doing my job.â
Links mentioned in this episode:
From Our Guest
Visit Stuâs website: https://stuartsnyder.com/
Connect with Stu on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stuartsnyder/
Connect with brandiD
Download our free guide to learn 16 crucial website updates that attract more leads and convert visitors into clients: https://thebrandid.com/website-tweaks/
Ready to elevate your digital presence with a powerful brand or website? Contact us here: https://thebrandid.com/contact-form/
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Welcome to our special 200th episode! Weâre thrilled to mark this milestone with none other than Shareef Abdur-Rahim, a former NBA All-Star, Olympic gold medalist, and current President of the NBA G League. Shareefâs incredible journey from professional athlete to business leader is packed with lessons on leadership, personal growth, and making an impact.
Reflecting on the Journey Beyond the Court
In this milestone episode, Shareef shares how he transitioned from a celebrated NBA career into a dynamic role on the business side of sports. From his time as a player to leading the NBA G Leagueâs expansion to 31 teams and its first international team in Mexico City, Shareef reveals how he embraced change and built on his strengths to create a meaningful second act.
For leaders and entrepreneurs, Shareef offers valuable insights into the importance of setting a clear vision, leading by example, and building trust within a team. He emphasizes that leadership isnât always about charismaâitâs about consistency, care, and a shared commitment to success.
The Power of Personal Branding
Shareef discusses the importance of personal branding, especially for young professionals and athletes. In todayâs social media-driven world, understanding and leveraging your brand can open doors to lifelong opportunities. Shareef shares practical advice on how to balance authenticity with strategy to build a brand that aligns with your values and goals.
This episode also highlights the incredible ability of sports to bring people together, regardless of background or beliefs. Shareefâs dedication to creating opportunities for the next generationâboth on and off the courtâserves as a reminder of how we can all use our platforms to make a difference.
Thank you for being part of our journey to 200 episodes! This special conversation with Shareef Abdur-Rahim is packed with inspiration, and we canât wait for you to listen.
Soundbytes
11:54-12:20
"I think the ability to be able to one outline a vision for people, you know, I just think our coach meeting us at the beginning saying, Okay, this is our objective. So being able to outline a vision of where you want to go, a plan, to articulate a plan."15:51-16:22
"I think it starts with education, especially for young people. Weâre in an era of name, image, and likeness opportunities, and the social media boom has opened so many doors. Itâs incredible to see young athletes, even as early as high school, learning to leverage these opportunities to build something lasting for their future."20:55-21:20
"One of the great things about sport is how it humbles you naturally. Being part of a team teaches you that your success relies on others. Itâs about understanding the necessity of working together, recognizing the value of everyoneâs contributions, and staying grounded in the process."
_____________________________________Quotes
"The power of sport is its ability to bring communities together, regardless of background or beliefs."
"Leadership starts with outlining a vision, crafting a plan, and exemplifying the behavior you want to see."
"As athletes, we must leverage our experiences to build something meaningful for life beyond the game."
_____________________________________
Links mentioned in this episode:
From Our Guest
Visit Shareef Abdur-Rahim's Website: https://Shareefabdurrahim.com
Connect with Shareef on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shareef-abdur-rahim/
Learn more about Future Foundation: https://future-foundation.com
Connect with brandiD
Download our free guide to learn 16 crucial website updates that attract more leads and convert visitors into clients: https://thebrandid.com/website-tweaks/
Ready to elevate your digital presence with a powerful brand or website? Contact us here: https://thebrandid.com/contact-form
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When Nick Barrett launched his company in 2020, he had no experience in product development. Just a few years later, his products have appeared on The TODAY Show, Good Morning America, ABC Secret Sales, and the Tamron Hall Show. Theyâve also been endorsed by Sharks from ABC's Shark Tank. His product, the CordBrick, was voted "Coolest Product" by attendees of the National Retail Federation BIG SHOW in NYC in 2023.
Creating a Unique Product
Nick built his first prototype of the CordBrick out of modeling clay from Michaelâs. He knew the design needed to be simple, clean, and mass-market-friendly.
Nick recommends all product-based entrepreneurs find a unique angle or design to help differentiate from the competitionâand that once you find that unique aspect, protect it. The CordBrick has multiple patents, including utility and intellectual property.
Share Your Idea as Much as Possible
Nickâs biggest advice to other entrepreneurs is to share your idea with as many people as possible. Some founders are worried about people stealing their ideas, but the benefits outweigh the risks. An outside perspective can help you see your product in a new light and come up with better solutions.
Another benefit is that the more information you give people, the more likely they are to introduce you to their network and connect you with the right people.
Likewise, Nick recommends consulting with other entrepreneurs who have done the thing youâre trying to accomplish. Look into what made those people successful. Read their biographies, and if youâre able, reach out and connect with them. But when you ask for advice, focus on the big picture. The industry and technology may have changed, but the principles remain the same.
Enjoy this episode with Nick BarrettâŠ
Soundbytes
10:17-10:38
âHow much would people really pay to solve this problem? Like $5? So one of the first things I did was I took these and I took them to a little shopping center near me, and people told me they would pay not just five, but $10. Some people even told me $20. Several people told me 20 and I was like, Wow, that's crazy. I can't believe people would pay that much to solve this. I might be able to have a business out of this.â11:58-12:24
âDon't be afraid to share your idea with a lot of people. I think people keep things too close to their chest for too long, and they either don't do anything, or they get stuck on a couple of thoughts. They either haven't diagnosed the problem correctly, or there's a solution they haven't considered, and just by talking to people, I would say I've gained so much more benefit from talking to people.âQuotes
âDon't be afraid to share your idea with a lot of people.â
âThe more you share, the more information people can give you about how to help you better or introduce you to the right person.â
âItâs more work than you think, but that doesn't mean not to do it.â
Links mentioned in this episode:
From Our Guest
CordBrick: https://cordbrick.com/
Connect with Nick on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nick-barrett-0781491a/
Connect with brandiD
Download our free guide to learn 16 crucial website updates that attract more leads and convert visitors into clients: https://thebrandid.com/website-tweaks/
Ready to elevate your digital presence with a powerful brand or website? Contact us here: https://thebrandid.com/contact-form/
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Did you know that employees are more likely to stay at an organization when they view their leader as empathetic?
Of all the traits that make for great leadership, empathy is near the top of the listâand according to this weekâs podcast guest, itâs going to be increasingly important for the next generation.
Pattie Dale Tye is the Consulting COO for Stoll Keenon Ogden PLLC and a Board Member of Trilogy Health Services, LLC. Pattie Dale is also a C-suite veteran with over 30 years of experience leading companies to new heights. She spent over a decade with AT&T, leading sales and operations for the companyâs largest accounts. In her time with Humana, Pattie Dale was instrumental in the companyâs multibillion-dollar Large Employer Segment. She is also the best-selling Forbes Author of Ordinary to Extra-Ordinary.
Challenges for the Next Generation of Leaders
Any entrepreneur who led a team through the pandemic knows how difficult it can be to connect virtually. Leaders need to model behavior, and thatâs much more difficult to do online. Pattie recommends meeting in person as much as possible. If thatâs not possible, look for ways to bring the whole team together for virtual events.
Another challenge is that Gen Z and millennials donât have a lot of trust in leadershipâso you need to work harder to earn their loyalty. Theyâre driven by purpose, autonomy, and flexibility, and they want to work for leaders who share those values. Look for ways to demonstrate those values and show that you care about them as individuals.
Leading with Empathy and Generosity
According to Pattie Dale, the two most important characteristics of a leader are empathy and generosity. You need to know the people youâre leading and understand where they're coming from. Let them know that youâre invested in their success and that they can come to you when they need support.
As for generosity, focus on giving back to your team. Replace a âsurvival of the fittestâ mentality with generosity. If someone is struggling, offer to help. Make yourself available. Being approachable can help you get the best of everyone.
Enjoy this episode with Pattie Dale TyeâŠ
Soundbytes
14:00-14:26
âWhen itâs a customer with a problem that I can help solve in a way that helps that entity flourish, it just lights me up, because you know that had a multiplier effectâthat didn't just help that person, that executive that day, or that leader that day, that allowed them to feed many, many families and to grow business in a much more expansive way.â18:46-19:24
âWe need to be leading with empathy right now. And I love to say you need to be leading with generosity. You need to get to know the people youâre leading and understand where they're coming from and why they have the notions about leadership they do, because we understand that 50% of the Gen Z's don't have respect nor trust in leadership, and we need to. We need to get to the root cause and let them know that you have as much vested in their success as hopefully they have in their own success.âQuotes
âI was very ordinary until I learned what might make me extraordinary.â
âAs long as I'm helping solve a problem and release energy to the universe, I'm a happy camper.â
âStop coming to work in a survival mode and come to work in a giving mode.â
âIf you're not an approachable leader, you're not going to get the best out of your people.â
Links mentioned in this episode:
From Our Guest
Visit Pattieâs website: http://pattiedaletye.com
Connect with Pattie on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pattie-dale-tye/
Connect with brandiD
Download our free guide to learn 16 crucial website updates that attract more leads and convert visitors into clients: https://thebrandid.com/website-tweaks/
Ready to elevate your digital presence with a powerful brand or website? Contact us here: https://thebrandid.com/contact-form/
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Do you ever feel like there just arenât enough hours in the day? As a business owner, your to-do list is virtually never-ending. But what if you could grow your business faster by doing less? Todayâs podcast guest is proof that itâs possible.
Rodric Lenhart is a lifelong entrepreneur, multi-best-selling author, and sought-after speaker. Over the last 30 years, heâs built several multi-million dollar companies in both the product and service industries. Having traveled to more than 50 countries across six continents, Rodric brings a unique worldview and a deep appreciation for freedom. All profits from his book Million Dollar Flip Flops are donated to his foundation, Send a Student Leader Abroad, with the goal of sending one million kids on life-changing trips.
Build Your Business Around Your Life
Like most successful business owners, Rodric is very protective of his time. He wakes up in the sun and has a structured morning routine, after which he works from around 10:00 to 3:00 pm. Itâs important for him to leave empty space on the calendar for reading, writing, and introspection. That quiet time is crucial for developing the business. When youâre busy all day everyday, that leaves little room for new ideas.
If youâre trying to find your ideal daily routine, ask yourself what you want your day to look like a year from nowâthen build a business that fuels that, instead of the other way around.
Advice for New Entrepreneurs
Rodric has two pieces of advice for new entrepreneurs: the first is to turn off social media. Forget what everyone else is doing and focus on your business and your customers. Donât get lost in the comparison game.
Second, try to avoid Shiny Object Syndrome. Itâs easy to get sucked into the newest app or strategy, but successful businesses are built on the basics. Be willing to pick up the phone and have conversations with people. Figure out what your target audience wants and needs, then give it to them. Let them tell you what they want, instead of trying to impose your ideas on them. Listen and learn.
Enjoy this episode with founder Rodric LenhartâŠ
Soundbytes
11:29-11:51
âIâm very protective of my time. I haven't set an alarm in probably 15 years. I wake up with the sun. I have a very set morning routine, and I try to work between around 10:00 and 3:00 every day. And I make a lot of time for reading and introspection and writing and developing the business, not just being busy all the time.â21:10-21:36
âItâs shiny object syndrome, the next cool app or program, the next customer acquisition method. That's not what's going to give you a successful business. It's back to the basics. It's having conversations with people. It's being willing to pick up the phone. It's learning what do they want, what do they need? That's how you know what to give them, versus thinking you have this idea of what to give them.âQuotes
âThe bulk of my financial abundance came from the ability to change course.â
âWhat do you want your day to look like a year from now? And let's build a business that feeds that, not the other way around.â
âWhy write a book? Well, it's to help people who are in the same situation I might have been in 20 years ago.â
âUltimately, it all comes from a place of service. And I think if we aren't wired that way to start, none of the other things fall into place.â
âI donât know what chapter two looks like, but I know I can't see it while I'm in the middle of chapter one.â
Links mentioned in this episode:
Million Dollar Flip Flops: http://www.milliondollarflipflops.com/
Connect with Rodric on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rodriclenhart/
Connect with Rodric on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rodriclenhart/
Connect with brandiD: Download our free guide to learn 16 crucial website updates that attract more leads and convert visitors into clients: https://thebrandid.com/website-tweaks/
Ready to elevate your digital presence with a powerful brand or website? Contact us here: https://thebrandid.com/contact-form/ -
Marketing your business on a budget?
In this episode, Michael Herklots shares how he used the power of storytelling and personal branding to build his luxury cigar business from the ground up.
Michael has worked in the Premium Cigar Industry since 1999. He served as Vice President of Nat Sherman International, responsible for creating and maintaining the companyâs portfolio of premium cigars, pipe tobaccos, and accessories. Most recently, he is the co-founder of Ferio Tego, which has been named the âBrand of the Yearâ by Cigar Dojo and âNew Company of the Yearâ by Halfwheel.
Michael is a Certified Master Tobacconist by Tobacconist University and a thoughtful business leader with 20 years of experience in specialty retail and wholesale luxury goods.
The Power of Storytelling
When Michael and his co-founder decided to launch a cigar company during COVID-19, there was no shortage of obstacles. Aside from the challenge of selling cigars during a respiratory pandemic, they also had limited capital. Without the budget to hire a marketing team or ad agency, they leaned on something more powerful: their story.
Over and over again, they told the story of Ferio Tego, their backgrounds in the cigar industry, and their vision for the brand. Both Michael and his co-founder Brendon Scott had plenty of connections in the cigar world, but they took a unique approach to every conversation.
Every time they met with a potential partner, they would lean into different aspects of their story. For instance, smaller companies were more likely to relate to their story of bootstrapping the business from the ground up, while larger companies wanted to see the data and volume.
Innovate the Process, Not the Product
In todayâs fast-paced world, many companies shift their marketing and add new products every weekâbut ultimately, that hurts your brand recognition and makes it harder for retailers to sell your products. The more consistent you stay, the greater the chance consumers will start to relate to and remember your brand.
While the Ferio Tego brand is consistent, Michael is constantly innovating other aspects of the business. He and his co-founder have taken a unique approach in partnering with other cigar companies. They now have factories in multiple countries without the overhead of managing their own warehouses.
Enjoy this episode with founder Michael HerklotsâŠ
Soundbytes
17:46-18:30
âNew businesses, we donât have a marketing budget, we donât have an advertising agency. We don't have four people who are building decks on what is Ferio Tego and what isn't Ferio Tego and creating all of those thoughtful pyramids. Who has time for that? We're fighting for our lives every day, trying to get another sale. And so what we lack in that sophisticated, deep infrastructure of brand, we have what a lot of those departments crave and try to create which is the absolute authentic story of time served and process and how we do things.â19:20-19:37
âWhat they are trying to do is to create brands that feel authentic, whereas we have, just as a consequence of being a small startup, we're creating a brand that is authentic. What you see is what you get.â27:09-27:37
âAs a Brand Builder and a storyteller, it's incumbent on me to tell the same story over and over and over again consistently, so that you as a retailer, can tell the same story over and over to your consumers. The consumers can learn that story and share it with their peers, and by the time they learn it, they can catch back up with the brand, and we're still singing the same song. We've abandoned that in so many industries.â54:04-54:50
âThere are times when you look at something that just seems so overwhelming, whether it's something as small as playing a gig, or something as big as launching a company. And to get over the hump of it, I have to believe that the opportunity and the idea and the considerationâall of the work has been done for a reason. All those opportunities are lined up for a reason and therefore I have to have faith that this is meant to be.âQuotes
âTheyâre trying to create brands that feel authentic, whereas we, as a consequence of being a small startup, are creating a brand that is authentic.â
âAs a Brand Builder and a storyteller, it's incumbent on me to tell the same story over and over and over again consistently.â
âItâs become innovative to go back to building the brand.â
âIt's probably naive to think that it's possible to be everything to everyone. What I try to do is be something to everyone.â
âI don't know anyone who would consider themselves an expert. Even the most famous, most successful are still practicing all the time.â
âYou have to live within what's authentic to you and let your audience find you.â
Links mentioned in this episode:
Learn more about Ferio Tego cigars: https://www.feriotego.com/
Connect with Michael on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelherklots/
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