What if you could authentically align your professional identity with your core values?

Join me as I sit down with Rachel Gogos, the visionary founder and CEO brandiD, to uncover the magic behind the Soul ID framework.

Rachel takes us through the transformative journey of creating a website that not only stands out aesthetically but also communicates your unique differentiators and values.

Learn about the critical importance of keeping your online presence fresh and relevant, and discover the specific timelines for website updates tailored to different industries.

We draw unexpected parallels between the world of high-end restaurants and web agencies.

Rachel shares her expertise in understanding clients' deepest aspirations and fears to deliver exceptional customer service and an online presence that mirrors their vision.

She introduces five distinct brand personality types—trendsetter, leader, influencer, nurturer, and teacher—offering actionable steps to translate your brand's essence into a cohesive online identity.

Lastly, we touch on the powerful influence of personal style in branding, especially for those navigating new professional terrains.

Rachel gives us real-life examples, like Christy Pretty Fronczak and Azizi Satius, illustrating how personal style can shape web design from playful to sophisticated.

We delve into the necessity of self-awareness and clarity in defining your brand’s personality to attract the right clients.

Rachel's insights on DIY branding, periodic brand refreshes, and the profound impact of authenticity provide essential takeaways for anyone looking to make a significant difference through their business.

Key Moments:

5:25 - Website Aesthetic Shifts for Different Industries

10:56 - Understanding Brand Personas and Visuals

18:58 - Personal Brand Evolution and Ideal Audience

Rachel Gogos is a serial entrepreneur with a passion for people, the web, and creating strong brands. She started her career at the United Nations headquarters in New York City, where she helped create the look and feel of the organization’s first website.

Today, Rachel runs a digital agency, thebrandiD.com, which she founded in 2007. Rachel and her team build online platforms for authors, coaches, consultants, and small businesses. She’s also the host of The Business of You podcast (you can tune in on iTunes).

She’s held positions at The Wall Street Journal and DowJones.com. Her entrepreneurial spirit started young; the child of Greek immigrants and Buffalo-based entrepreneurs, Rachel grew up in the restaurant business.

A writer at heart, Rachel used to pen a column, Digital You, which appeared on the online Business section of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.com. She was also a contributing author to Personal Branding For Dummies (Wiley), the #1 top-selling personal branding book on Amazon.com. In 2018 Rachel self-published her own book called Build Your Personal Brand: The Distinctive Guide to Soul-Based Marketing.

Rachel has a Master’s degree in Higher Education Administration from New York University and an undergraduate degree in English Literature with a minor in Communications. When she isn’t immersing herself in all things brand-related, Rachel can be found honing her negotiating skills with her two teenagers, Zoe and Alexa, or making her famous pastitsio, much to the joy of her husband, Dino.

Connect with Rachel: www.thebrandid.com

Easy tips to Adjust your website: https://buildmybrandid.com/website-tweaks/

Personality Quiz: https://content.leadquizzes.com/lp/jqgbMsr00g

Connect with me, Shay Wheat:

Website:

What if focusing solely on revenue is holding your business back?

Join me and Andrea Jenson, founder and CEO of the Cashflow CFO, who shares her expert strategies for transforming a six-figure business into a seven- or eight-figure powerhouse.

Andrea explains the critical shift from prioritizing revenue to focusing on profit and emphasizes the necessity of a profitable business model before scaling.

She reveals the key systems and processes required to allocate revenue effectively into four essential buckets: cost of goods sold, general and administrative expenses, marketing, and profit.

This episode is packed with actionable insights to help you achieve sustainable growth and avoid common pitfalls.

In this episode, we also tackle the strategic planning necessary for hitting revenue goals through events, be they quarterly or annual. Andrea offers a comprehensive breakdown on how to translate annual goals into achievable quarterly targets, stressing the importance of metrics like sales conversion rates, lead generation, and cost per lead.

We discuss the crucial distinction between events designed to fill a room versus those aimed directly at sales goals. For businesses hinging on significant annual events, Andrea's guidance on setting good, better, and best goals will ensure you stay on track, using numbers as objective tools rather than emotional crutches.

Finally, Andrea delves into strategic financial planning for growth and successful exit strategies. Whether you're eyeing a high-value sale to private equity or a more modest exit, Andrea underscores the importance of creating transferable value, professional management, and robust financial records.

Andrea's expertise highlights how professional financial management isn't just a nice-to-have but a critical investment for any business owner serious about maximizing profitability and paving the way for a successful future. Don't miss this essential episode filled with expert advice and strategic insights!

Highlights:

3:39 - Structuring Revenue for Business Growth

9:35 - Balancing Business Budgets and Profit

15:42 - Sales Goal Segmentation and Metrics

18:32 - Revenue and Profit Allocation Framework

26:12 - Strategic Planning for Business Growth

29:44 - Importance of CFO in Business Sales

Andrea Jenson is an entrepreneur, investor and the Founder and CEO of The Cash Flow CFO. A premier Fractional CFO and Accounting firm dedicated to empowering business owners in their scaling efforts through insightful financial decisions grounded in solid data. As the creator of the Profit Growth Method, Andrea and her team offer a comprehensive strategy designed to bolster business profitability in a holistic and sustainable way.

Celebrated as one of the Top 5 Business Strategists for Scaling a Company in 2023 by both Forbes and Success Magazines, Andrea's expertise profoundly enhances the financial health of businesses, optimizing cash flow, controlling expenses, and cultivating investment strategies to fuel growth through M&A activities.

Outside of her professional achievements, Andrea is a wife and mother, an enthusiastic soccer player, and a passionate volunteer with a deep love for animals. Her multifaceted life enriches her role as an entrepreneur, investor, and visionary, making her insights and leadership uniquely impactful in the business world.

Connect with Andrea: https://thecashflowcfo.com/

Listen to the podcast: https://thecashflowcfo.com/podcast/

Connect with me, Shay Wheat:

Website: GraceandEaseProductions.com

Discover the Perfect Venue Without the Hassle: GraceandEaseProductions.com/venue

How can you turn yourself into a brand as powerful and enduring as Nike or George Clooney?

Join me in this thought-provoking episode of Creating Powerful Impact, where we welcome the incredible branding expert Laura Bull.

Drawing from her decade-long experience at Sony Music Entertainment, Laura shares invaluable insights on transforming individuals into competitive and sustainable business brands.

She breaks down the process of defining a compelling brand message, and the importance of shared values, and debunks the myth of the "it factor," all while highlighting the necessity of building revenue streams for long-term success.

Ever wondered what it takes to build a brand that stands the test of time? My conversation with Laura reveals the intricate process of understanding your target audience through extensive audits and evolving hypotheses.

Laura emphasizes the importance of aligning personal values with target audience expectations and shows how strategic partnerships can amplify brand strength.

Using examples like Nike and The Gap, we explore brand alignment and the impact of transference of brand elements, all underscored by the vital role of authenticity and strategic thinking.

Curious about the role of AI in maintaining brand integrity?

Laura sheds light on the cautious integration of AI in market research and content creation, ensuring that brand values remain intact.

She provides practical tools, including a chapter from her book and a brand checklist, to help distinguish between short-term marketing tactics and long-term branding strategies.

Tune in to discover how to choose social media platforms that truly align with your brand identity, and get ready to implement actionable steps that promise to elevate your professional influence.

Highlights:

1:35 Personal Branding for Visionaries and Creatives

7:12 Brand Development and Execution Strategy

16:39 Personal Branding and Business Growth

Laura Bull is a bestselling author and brand strategist who specializes in transforming people into competitive and sustainable business brands. Early on in her career, Laura spent ten years with Sony Music Entertainment, becoming one of the company's youngest executives at the age of twenty-eight.

During her tenure, she spearheaded artist development and marketing for globally recognized brands including Carrie Underwood, Brad Paisley, and Johnny Cash among hundreds of other artists from Arista, RCA, Columbia, Epic, and Monument Records. A veteran of the music industry, she has served for more than a decade on the National Advisory Board for Musician's On Call.

Now an Amazon instant bestselling author in multiple categories like Marketing, Direct Marketing and Marketing for Small Business categories, From Individual to Empire: A Guide to Building an Authentic and Powerful Brand offers insurmountable knowledge to teach others what it takes to become a powerful "influencer."

A consultant and speaker, Bull has been an adjunct professor for six years teaching disciplines in marketing and music business at multiple colleges and universities including SMU's Temerlin Advertising Institute. She has a BBA from Belmont University’s Mike Curb School of Music Business and a Master of Liberal Studies from Southern Methodist University.

Connect with Laura: https://www.thebrandmgmt.com/

Grab Laura's Checklist and First Chapter of her best selling book now: https://www.thebrandmgmt.com/

Connect with me, Shay Wheat:

Website: GraceandEaseProductions.com

Discover the Perfect Venue Without the Hassle: GraceandEaseProductions.com/venue