The brndBrief Podcast

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Aug 2026

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Welcome to The brndBrief Podcast – where we have candid conversations with industry leaders about business trends, the impact of technology and the secret sauce behind successful brands. This podcast is powered by brndMethod Media Group.

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41 recent

August 6, 2026Episode 437 min

The Three-Year Rule Behind Building Trust Before the Deal Closes

Most B2B sales cycles push for speed, but Rachel Montague closes deals that sometimes won't happen for three years. As CMO of the oldest Black-owned food service company in the U.S., she runs marketing strategies that couldn't be more different: throwing survey parties for college students while building multi-year relationships with university presidents. This episode reveals why her longest sales cycles produce her best clients, and how treating marketing like medicine changed everything. Key Takeaways: Rachel started marketing with zero experience by unlocking competitor files, redesigning proposals like magazines, and teaching herself from Harvard's curriculum after her father said she had "nothing to offer." She solves the angry-respondent problem by throwing parties where students take surveys for prizes, then uses AI to analyze patterns in the feedback and posts "you asked, we listened" signs for every change implemented. Her B2B strategy requires starting relationship-building two to three years before a contract expires, positioning as a friend rather than a vendor so clients already know her reputation when RFPs come out. She studies con artists and scammers to understand psychological patterns in persuasion, goes undercover at her own locations and competitors' businesses, and pays students to be "spies" who report problems directly to her cell phone. ------------------------ 🎙️SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST ON APPLE PODCAST If you enjoyed the episode, don't forget to subscribe, and leave a review. Thanks! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-brndbrief-podcast/id1724388941 ------------------------ Guest Information Gourmetservicesinc.com

July 30, 2026Episode 338 min

The Real Cost of Disconnected Marketing Systems (and What to Track Instead)

Marketing leaders say they want visibility into what happens after a lead reaches sales, but most never actually look. Latasia Cox, founder and CMO of Framework Marketing Consulting, breaks down where that fear comes from and why the fix isn't more effort, it's better systems. This episode gets into the real reasons marketing keeps getting treated as expendable, and what to do about it. Key Takeaways 📌 Marketing leaders often avoid pushing for full visibility into sales handoffs because looking too closely can expose how little organizational support their team actually received. 📌 Latasia names five distinct types of marketing ROI beyond simple attribution, including transformational and efficiency ROI, both of which leadership rarely thinks to measure. 📌 When different platforms report conflicting website or campaign numbers, the answer isn't choosing which one to trust, it's tracking the pattern across all of them. 📌 Trade show spending deserves the same scrutiny as any other line item, starting with clear goals before deciding which shows make the cut. ------------------------ 🎙️SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST ON APPLE PODCAST If you enjoyed the episode, don't forget to subscribe, and leave a review. Thanks! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-brndbrief-podcast/id1724388941 ------------------------ Guest Information https://www.frameyourmarketing.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/framework-marketing-consulting/

July 23, 2026Episode 213 min

How to Build Fan-Led Marketing Without a Big Budget

In this episode of The brndBrief Podcast, guest Kevin Kinghorn, Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer of Portland Trail Blazers, discusses how small-market sports teams navigate budget constraints while building identity-driven fandom. He tackles the the shift from broad awareness campaigns to targeted, values-based marketing that puts the brand in the hands of fans through their "pass the mic" strategy. The conversation explores why website traffic and other vanity metrics stopped being useful indicators of fan engagement, and how retail data revealed surprising gaps between actual buyers and aspirational brand positioning. Key points include: 📌 Small-market sports teams face constant budget constraints because costs concentrate in athletic operations rather than scalable infrastructure, requiring focused decisions about where to spend marketing resources based on specific fan segments rather than broad awareness campaigns. 📌 Fan-led marketing works better than traditional influencer partnerships when you prioritize "people of influence" who have authentic audiences in specific communities, then let them tell the story rather than paying them to promote the brand. 📌 Website traffic and passive social metrics can be misleading vanity numbers that don't connect to business impact or accurate audience targeting, making it necessary to combine syndicated research data with first-party behavioral data to measure what actually drives purchase and fandom. 📌 Regional sports networks shifting to direct-to-consumer models creates opportunities to gather detailed viewing data by device and user, enabling sports organizations to tie watch behavior to other fan activities without relying on traditional measurement companies like Nielsen or Comscore. ------------------------ 🎙️SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST ON APPLE PODCAST If you enjoyed the episode, don't forget to subscribe, and leave a review. Thanks! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-brndbrief-podcast/id1724388941 ------------------------ Guest Information https://www.nba.com/blazers/ https://www.instagram.com/trailblazers https://www.tiktok.com/@trailblazers?lang=en https://www.youtube.com/user/portlandtrailblazers https://x.com/trailblazers

July 16, 2026Episode 114 min

The Winery That Runs Marketing Like a Sneaker Drop

Most marketing leaders face constant pressure to prove ROI on every initiative, which often kills the brand-building work that drives long-term growth. Ed Fuchuck, General Manager at Tank Garage Winery, operates in an environment where the owner has a marketing background and understands that not everything belongs on a spreadsheet. This episode explores how Tank Garage makes brand deposits that can't be directly measured but create the differentiation that keeps them growing in a struggling wine industry. Key Takeaways: Tank Garage Winery applies the Steve Jobs "brand bank" framework: every marketing decision either deposits value into the brand or makes a withdrawal, and tracking ROI isn't always the point. They deliberately exercise restraint on direct marketing tactics like pop-up forms and discount wheels because respecting customer experience matters more than collecting email addresses. Their entire wine model creates legitimate scarcity through one-off, limited production releases that function like sneaker drops, forcing customers to buy direct or miss out completely. They use AI to extend capabilities they don't have in-house (like coding special web experiences) but refuse to let it touch creative decisions because machine-generated content lacks the weird, human edge their brand requires. ------------------------ 🎙️SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST ON APPLE PODCAST If you enjoyed the episode, don't forget to subscribe, and leave a review. Thanks! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-brndbrief-podcast/id1724388941 ------------------------ Guest Information tankgaragewinery.com instagram.com/tankwinery

April 12, 2024Episode 1417 min

How to support women in business through purposeful travel with Megan Grant of Cherish Tours

This episode of The brndBrief Podcast features guest Megan Grant, Founder and Chief Memory Creator at Cherish Tours, a unique tour company empowering women through purposeful travel experiences. In this conversation, Megan shares the journey behind the creation of Cherish Tours and discusses the meticulous process of crafting meaningful and impactful tours for women travelers. Key points include: 📌 Cherish Tours Mission: Drawing from her background in hospitality and personal travel experiences, Megan founded Cherish Tours, which aims to support women in business and create meaningful travel experiences that positively impact the places visited. 📌 Crafting Unique Tours: Megan personally curates each tour itinerary, visiting destinations and forming partnerships with women-owned or led businesses. 📌 Supporting Women in Business: Cherish Tours intentionally partners with women-led businesses in various destinations, ensuring that travelers' spending supports local women. 📌 Future of Travel and Adaptation: Post-pandemic, Cherish Tours prioritizes traveler safety while embracing shifts towards purposeful travel and supporting small businesses, and their introduction of tailor-made tours expands their impact by providing personalized travel experiences. ------------------------ 🎙️SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST ON APPLE PODCAST If you enjoyed the episode, don't forget to subscribe, and leave a review. Thanks! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-brndbrief-podcast/id1724388941 ------------------------ Guest Information Company Website https://www.gocherishtours.com/ Nordic Getaway https://www.gocherishtours.com/iceland-adventure Social Media Links IG - https://www.instagram.com/gocherishtours/ - @gocherishtours LI - https://www.linkedin.com/company/cherish-tours-llc/ FB - https://www.facebook.com/gocherishtours

March 8, 2024Episode 1016 min

How to build a vibrant lifestyle brand with Rochelle Porter of Rochelle Porter Design

This episode of The brndBrief Podcast features Rochelle Porter, Founder and Creative Director of Rochelle Porter Design – an eclectic lifestyle brand known for its bold colors, patterns, and sustainable practices, inspired by a fusion of Caribbean, Scandinavian, and West African influences. Rochelle talks about the dynamic creative process behind her vibrant designs, the evolution of her brand, and the pivotal role of sustainability in her business model. Key takeaways: 📌 Sustainability and ethical manufacturing have been integral to the brand's identity from the outset, with initiatives like sourcing organic materials and partnering with local manufacturing programs. 📌 Leveraging press coverage has been a cornerstone of the brand's marketing strategy, fostering strong relationships with publications and journalists and positioning the brand as a go-to source for vibrant, eco-conscious designs. 📌 Rochelle discusses leveraging AI for content creation efficiency and explores future tech trends like virtual reality tours for visual products and fit technology to reduce fabric waste and enhance online shopping experiences. 📌 Future Expansion: Rochelle hints at upcoming product line expansions, collaborations with retailers, and the introduction of new products like wall art. ------------------------ 🎙️SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST ON APPLE PODCAST If you enjoyed the episode, don't forget to subscribe, and leave a review. Thanks! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-brndbrief-podcast/id1724388941 ------------------------ Guest Information https://rochelleporter.com/ @roporterdesign

February 20, 2025Episode 227 min

How to Build Brand Trust Through Authentic Storytelling

In this episode of The brndBrief Podcast, Kelli Kelley sits down with Nikkia Adolphe, Co-Founder and Head of Strategy of BrandSavor Media + Marketing, a strategic marketing and communications consultancy focused on brand storytelling. This conversation explores successful brand reinvention strategies, the role of cultural relevance in storytelling, and the importance of maintaining consistent brand values. Key points include: 📌 Effective brand storytelling requires moving from transactional marketing to narrative-driven branding. 📌 Successful brand reinvention requires building consistent narratives over time rather than waiting for major moments or crises. 📌 PR and brand awareness require a long-term, "crockpot not microwave" approach, with earned media serving as the top of the funnel that must be supported by integrated marketing efforts and proper amplification across channels. 📌 Brand success relies on the "trifecta" of sales, marketing, and communications working together cohesively. ------------------------ 🎙️SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST ON APPLE PODCAST If you enjoyed the episode, don't forget to subscribe, and leave a review. Thanks! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-brndbrief-podcast/id1724388941 ------------------------ Guest Information https://brandsavor.co/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/brandsavorcomms

March 29, 2024Episode 1219 min

How to navigate the legal side of creativity with Sharon Toerek of Toerek Law

This episode of The brndBrief Podcast features guest Sharon Toerek, Founder and CEO of Toerek Law, a national intellectual property and marketing law firm that specializes in helping creative professionals in the advertising and marketing industries protect, enforce, and monetize their creative assets. In this conversation, Sharon addresses the legal side of the creative industry, emphasizing the significance of safeguarding intellectual property. Key points include: 📌 Importance of Intellectual Property: Sharon discusses the significance of intellectual property as a business asset and highlights the necessity of integrating legal considerations early in the creative process to avoid last-minute obstacles. 📌 Legal Considerations in Creativity: The misconception that legal considerations hinder creativity is a misconception; instead, it promotes a proactive approach to safeguard brands, content, and marketing strategies right from the start. 📌 Early Legal Engagement: Sharon advocates for proactive legal involvement to avoid pitfalls and delays down the line, especially in trademark registration and content creation. 📌 Challenges with AI-generated Content: Sharon sheds light on the complexities surrounding the protection of AI-generated content, highlighting the need for clarity on ownership rights. ------------------------ 🎙️SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST ON APPLE PODCAST If you enjoyed the episode, don't forget to subscribe, and leave a review. Thanks! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-brndbrief-podcast/id1724388941 ------------------------ Guest Information www.legalandcreative.com linkedin.com/in/sharontoerek X: @SharonToerek IG: @sltoerek

August 7, 2025Episode 525 min

How to Transform an Entire Industry Category While Building a $300M Brand

In this episode of The brndBrief Podcast, newest guest Gabrielle Richards, Brand Director at Trafilea/Shapermint, a tech e-commerce group that has built an ecosystem of empowering brands including Shapermint, Truekind, and The Spa Dr., discuss how Shapermint transformed the shapewear industry by shifting the conversation from shame to body confidence while growing to 12 million customers. The conversation covers Trafilea's proprietary AI tools for creative development and the challenge of maintaining authentic storytelling at scale. Key points include: 📌 Brand guidelines become critical when teams are distributed globally - they reduce review time and ensure consistency across all customer touchpoints when properly implemented and shared across departments. 📌 Proprietary AI tools can scale creative production while maintaining brand voice by training systems on established guidelines and continuously auditing output against brand standards rather than using generic solutions. 📌 Shapermint changed shapewear perception by positioning products as comfortable daily essentials rather than special occasion items, using real women as models without photo retouching to show authentic results. 📌 Track quarterly brand sentiment surveys, aided/unaided awareness, and weekly revenue metrics from non-paid channels including influencer partnerships, affiliate programs, and branded keyword performance to prove brand investment value. ------------------------ 🎙️SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST ON APPLE PODCAST If you enjoyed the episode, don't forget to subscribe, and leave a review. Thanks! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-brndbrief-podcast/id1724388941 ------------------------ Guest Information www.trafilea.com @shapermint

March 27, 2025Episode 422 min

How to Market “Unsexy” Industries into $100M Opportunities

In this episode of The brndBrief Podcast, Melinda Joseph, VP of Marketing & Communications at InVitro Capital, shares insights on how InVitro Capital functions as a venture studio, operating in the space between venture capital and private equity - with a focus on building startups in a capital-efficient way. Melinda discusses her role in marketing and brand positioning for both the venture studio and its portfolio companies. Key points include: 📌 The venture studio model creates a "de-risked" approach to building startups with central resources, focusing on product validation before development. 📌 Marketing priorities include educating investors about the venture studio model and showcasing proof of concept through their first cohort of portfolio companies. 📌 Measuring marketing success involves tracking network growth, inquiry volume, portfolio traction metrics, and relationship development rather than traditional transactional metrics. 📌 AI integration is making startup development more efficient, enabling companies to build "faster, smarter, and cheaper" with a hybrid approach of AI tools and human expertise. ------------------------ 🎙️SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST ON APPLE PODCAST If you enjoyed the episode, don't forget to subscribe, and leave a review. Thanks! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-brndbrief-podcast/id1724388941 ------------------------ Guest Information https://invitrocapital.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/invitrocapital https://x.com/invitrocapital https://www.youtube.com/@InVitro_Capital