Big Brand Love

Great brands aren't built on slick slogans or shiny design files. They’re built on people.

In this episode of Big Brand Love, Mike Leon sits down with Josh Siegel—a multi-time Head of People and Culture whose career spans from marketing powerhouses like AB InBev and The Weather Network to the nonprofit world. Together, they unpack why love for a brand always starts on the inside, and how intentional culture, deep mission, and authentic storytelling turn an organization into something remarkable.

In this conversation, they dive into:

• From B2B Marketing to Culture Leadership: Why the biggest lever for business growth always comes back to great people and a thriving internal culture.
• The Secret to Internal Brand Love: How to connect team members to a bigger mission—even in unglamorous categories—and why a lack of employee passion is a failure of storytelling, not attitude.
• The Founder’s "Why" & Scaling Without Breaking: How early-stage culture takes root, and how to protect your brand truth from weak leadership hires, misaligned investors, and operational noise as you grow.
• AI as a Cultural Amplifier: How technology is already shifting workflow design, and why AI will either free your people for high-impact creative work or just scale bad processes faster.
• The Future of Work: Why curiosity, adaptability, and surrounding yourself with "energy adders" matter far more than front-loaded functional knowledge in a fast-changing world.

Whether you're scaling a team, refining your internal story, or looking to reignite passion across your organization, this episode is packed with practical wisdom on how to love and develop your people first.

People & Culture Executive

Josh has led a multi-disciplinary career as a HR & OE Executive, global marketing/sales professional and most recently as a senior not-for-profit community leader. At the core of Josh's work is driving the alignment of people, purpose, and strategy.

He has had the pleasure of driving this alignment at some of Canada’s most successful tech scale-ups and sharing his insights while instructing at multiple post-secondary institutions. In addition to his professional work, Josh has continually given back to his communities as both a board member for the Prosserman & Schwartz Reisman JCCs, and participant in the Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation's Fight to End Cancer.

Josh firmly believes that we as humans perform best when body, mind, and soul are deeply aligned. That's why he also has a deep love for martial arts, yoga, pilates, and of course, walking his little 7-pound bundle of joy and terror, Psylocke the Morkie.

What happens when your product, culture, and customer experience all speak the exact same language? Pure magic.

In this episode, Mike Leon sits down with Christine Smith to explore what it truly takes to build brand love in a fast-evolving consumer landscape. Together, they unpack the shift from simple transactions to deep, lasting relationships—and why authenticity remains your most powerful asset.

In this conversation, they dive into:

• The Evolution of Brand Experience: How consumer expectations have shifted and why every touchpoint matters.
• Authenticity in an AI Era: The delicate balance between leveraging technology and preserving real human connection.
• Building Brand Truth: Why alignment across culture, service, and marketing is the only way to keep your story unbroken.
• Unforgettable Brand Moments: How unexpected touches and genuine care turn everyday consumers into lifelong brand advocates.

Whether you are looking to redefine your strategy or simply rediscover what makes your brand undisputedly unique, this conversation is packed with fresh insights to help you create your remarkable.

About Our Guest: Christine Smith

Marketing & Brand Leader

Christine Smith is a brand leader who has spent more than two decades, on both the agency and client side, building the emotional connection between people and the brands they choose.

Her work spans Hyundai, Genesis, Campbell’s and Gillette, to name a few. The “Made for Real, Real Life” campaign she led at BBDO for Campbell’s reconnected the iconic brand with its consumers, broke into pop culture, was picked up by the likes of Stephen Colbert, and is now part of the Smithsonian’s archives.