I wanted to close out Season 1 of YES, BRAND with a fun chat about brands, pizza, messaging, insurance, and upscale cosmetics. So, naturally I invited Glenn Rudin of Always Been Creative to the studio. A self-described "product guy" for much of his illustrious career (think Revlon, Sherwin-Williams and other Fortune 500 companies), Glenn knows selling and messaging up and down (he's known as the "Message Master"). And what we've realized is that today, while we prefer the term 'personal brand,' we're all products.

In this episode, Hersh Rephun and guest Chelsea Talamantes dive deep into the world of rebranding. They explore Chelsea's current brand and her plans for change, the role of personal connection, and the significance of fearlessness in business. Hersh shares personal anecdotes from his life as a comedian and father, while emphasizing the value of learning from trial and error. The duo concludes with a discussion on future plans and Chelsea's powerful message on embracing failure for success.

James Kevin O'Connor has developed an amazing personal brand with his faith and his musical artistry at center stage. His sense of himself is harmoniously in sync with the world around him. As you'll see from our conversation - and from the track he plays for me during our interview - he is as complex as his lyrics and as strong in his resolve to live out his dharmic, creative plan, to its very (sweet) end. If you're a speaker, he can craft a branded musical theme song for you. And he's a chaplain, so in addition to having soul, he has a feel for yours!

She is known as The Brand Navigator, and award-winning Neurobranding expert Lauren Clemett has climbed personal mountains to find her true north. Told as a child that she had wordblindness and would never be able to read or write properly, Lauren went on to become a 5-time best selling author and now uses her dyslexia as her greatest asset - helping others understand how the brain sees brands. She has worked at leading advertising agencies and in brand management since before the internet, helping launch hundreds of global brands and appears in worldwide media, as a sought-after personal branding specialist.

What do Santa's Elves do the rest of the year? I have an idea, because - and I hope he takes this the right way - my YES, BRAND guest Steve Buzogany has that Head Elf quality. His enthusiasm, not only for gifting, but for client appreciation as well, is off the charts. And, significantly, his firm, Appreciation Advocate, does NOT gift on holidays; its strategy is to make it about the client, and the needs of their VIPs, not the mad Nov-Dec rush in which you heartfelt message is most likely to feel commercialized and to simply get lost. Join me for a chat with Steve, to find out how he transitioned from real estate honcho to thankyou guru!

Meet artist and LA HOPE DEALER Corie Mattie! The impetus for our interview is the stunning "Own Your Happy" t-shirt collaboration between Corie + Jeremy Novy and streetwear label The KOSHER Brand. With an eye for the intersection of art and activism, Corie uses a balance of wordplay and imagery to deliver a message that hits you in the gut. Corie was thrust into the spotlight in 2020 as “LA Hope Dealer,” after becoming known for her striking yellow murals encouraging the community to stay home and stay positive during the early days of the pandemic.

Tom Paladino of Scalar Light Healing has spent five decades committed to understanding and utilizing the one form of energy that may solve many of the world's (as yet) unsolvable issues. On this episode of YES, BRAND we talk scalar light and how to present it to the people!

It is always a thrill for me to speak with colleagues who do SO well those things that I do not do. This is especially true when they are fellow artists, driven by creativity and thriving in business relationships that are rewarding and rooted in mutual trust. On this episode of YES, BRAND, Tori Barker and I dissect the brand building, messaging, and marketing process, share some laughs, and play some games along the way. Brand: Creative Marketing Title: Principal and Creative Visionary Brand Category: Digital Marketing Years in Business: 4

Is Gusher the greatest startup engine ever? Is an idea enough? Dive into this high-energy, solution-packed, and laughs-rich chat with Chris Joyce, whose idea for Gusher is helping other bright minds get their products to market. Chris asks, "Who's the VIM (vested interest market)?" These are the people who will make up your team, become your most zealous initial customers, and help you bring your product to the world. Chris is founder of 24 companies in high tech, consumer goods, health, and manufacturing. His products have been sold in more than 11,000 stores in 23 countries. He has users of his tech products in 148 countries across the globe. And NOW, he sits down with Hersh on YES, BRAND, to talk about his current product.

In this episode, Hersh Rephun chats with Kay Suthar about her journey into podcasting, the creation of her agency, and tips for starting a podcast. They introduce the "YES Brand Challenge" game, discuss the importance of authenticity in business, and explore Kay's diverse career, including her time as an MMA fighter.

If you haven't heard of Mike Lander, this is the best way to meet him: relaxed, having a few laughs, and dropping wisdom nuggets about the art of negotiation. He's a master at it, that's his brand at first glance. But there's so much more to Mike, as you'll see when we discover the similarities between high stakes dealmaking and improvisational comedy.

This season's theme of "Selling the Truth" provides a unique opportunity for me to sit down with colleagues and test my theory about getting real to get funny. On YES, BRAND this week is DP Knudten, whose book, Nonfiction Brand, challenges you to own your personal brand. We talk about DP's brand, and how he discovered that he wasn't so much a "writer," as a "provocateur," specifically spurring his clients to stop and think.

Since 2006, my YES, BRAND guest, JD Gershbein, has been at the forefront of the LinkedIn conversation. One of the world’s first independent LinkedIn consultants and a pioneer in LinkedIn education, JD serves ambitious professionals striving to make their mark in the Digital Age. We have a great time talking about HIS brand, and how he helps cultivate a style for YOURS. We also cover comedy, honesty, and decency as pertains to brand presence on the platform.

Meet The Good Eggs, protagonists of an eponymous book series created by my guest, Sandy Ciaramitaro, to impart life lessons about virtues, diversity, and service. And today on YES, BRAND, we dive into the experiences of the characters in an effort to unearth some potential marketing strategies so Sandy can retire from teaching and focus on writing children's books, and presiding over The Good Eggs Foundation!

Listen up, spiritual thought leaders, visionaries, and entrepreneurs with online courses and content: Sara Yamtich has spent a decade introducing you to a growing audience of believers as CEO and Founder of digital marketing agency, Conscious Conversion. And today on YES, BRAND, we talk through some of the challenges associated with pitching a new paradigm and getting the attention of "they" (you'll have to listen to find out more).

His company is called Spear and Clover, and on this episode of YES, BRAND, Jason Skeesick and I have a conversation. It's really that simple. It's only the second time we've spoken, which is important, because I imagine this is how he operates as "a father, husband, fighter, and carrier of heavy things," to use his description of himself. It's also how I operate, as a host, and as a "message therapist" - the discourse depends on you, and that adaptability is to my benefit in more ways than I can enumerate.

In this episode, Hersh Rephun chats with Kerry Shaw Brown and Martin Pazzani about their Unbound Spirits and Milstrom bourbon brands. They discuss the brands' origins, their targeted premium bourbon consumer, and the launch. They also delve into brand creation's challenges, such as risk-taking and competition, and their marketing strategies. The conversation wraps up with a look at their daily operations and a glimpse at an upcoming product launch.

That episode title reads like the headline of a possible profile on Deborah Coviello, aka The Drop In CEO. That's probably because when wearing my publicist hat, I like to zero in on the essence of the client and drive that message home. To me, Deb has the charm, wisdom, and composure of a modern-day Mary Poppins, helping companies navigate challenges before popping open her umbrella and being whisked away to the next place she is needed. We have a great time breaking down Deb's brand, and bandying about ways to convey her distinct voice (literally and branding-wise) to our audience of business owners, founders, C-suiters, and marketers.

Making life easier for people in business is one of the most honorable roles I can imagine. And Steve Ramona's personal brand boils down to that. He's even streamlined his bio to convey his direct objective, as his latest venture, InPhone, takes flight: "I have been in business for myself for 19 years. Always looking at ways to serve others in their business. I believe the more we can help others the more we help ourselves."