Brand Chops Podcast

In this episode of Brand Chops, Zack Lemear and Chris Duhaime delve into the Sage brand archetype, which emphasizes wisdom, expertise, and knowledge. They discuss how businesses can effectively embody this archetype to attract the right customers, the common pitfalls to avoid, and strategies for positioning oneself as a trusted expert in the field. The conversation highlights the importance of clear messaging, high-value content, and building trust with customers.

If your brand is built on brainpower, this one’s for you. Zack Lemear and Chris Duhaime crack open the Sage archetype—the personality that wins customers through rock-solid facts, thought leadership, and “aha!” moments. You’ll learn:

Walk away with a checklist for positioning your business as the go-to source of truth—and watch trust turn into sales.

Takeaways

Chapters

Brand Chops is brought to you by the fine people at Pivot Creative. Pivot Creative is a full service branding and marketing agency that partners with businesses to build brands that connect so that every dollar you spend is an investment and not an expense.

SEO veteran BJ Bergey joins hosts Chris Duhaime and Zack Lemear to prove that search engines and strong brands are inseparable.

Whether you’re a solopreneur or scaling past seven figures, this episode arms you with practical plays to make SEO the loudest amplifier of your brand voice—no jargon, no fluff, just chops you can use today.

Takeaways

Chapters

Brand Chops is brought to you by the fine people at Pivot Creative. Pivot Creative is a full service branding and marketing agency that partners with businesses to build brands that connect so that every dollar you spend is an investment and not an expense.

In this episode of Brand Chops, hosts Chris Duhaime and Zack Lemear unpack the Explorer archetype—one of Carl Jung’s 12 brand archetypes—and why it matters for small business branding. If your ideal customer craves freedom, independence, and discovery, this is your blueprint. From psychographics to messaging and design tips, you’ll learn how to attract the adventure-seekers and wanderers of your market. Featuring real-world examples like Jeep and Red Bull, this episode is packed with practical insights to help you build a brand that dares to be different.

Takeaways

Chapters

Brand Chops is brought to you by the fine people at Pivot Creative. Pivot Creative is a full service branding and marketing agency that partners with businesses to build brands that connect so that every dollar you spend is an investment and not an expense.

How much is inconsistent messaging costing your business? In this episode, we dive into the critical (and often overlooked) topic of brand voice and tone with content strategist and SEO expert Alison Ver Halen. Together with Zack Lemear and Chris Duhaime, we break down how small businesses can clarify their identity, connect more deeply with the right customers, reduce friction in the sales process, and stop sounding like a different person in every email, ad, and post. Learn how to build trust, create loyalty, and finally make your content work harder for you.

Takeaways

Chapters

Brand Chops is brought to you by the fine people at Pivot Creative. Pivot Creative is a full service branding and marketing agency that partners with businesses to build brands that connect so that every dollar you spend is an investment and not an expense.

Summary

In this episode of Brand Chops, hosts Zack Lemear and Chris Duhaime kick off a 12-part series on brand archetypes, starting with the Innocent archetype. They discuss the importance of identifying your brand's archetype to connect with your audience emotionally. The Innocent brand is characterized by safety, optimism, and honesty, appealing to consumers who value simplicity and transparency. The hosts provide practical tips for small businesses to effectively embody the Innocent archetype, emphasizing the need for clear messaging, clean design, and authenticity. They conclude by encouraging listeners to reflect on their brand's identity and stay tuned for the next episode on the Explorer archetype.

Takeaways

Chapters

Brand Chops is brought to you by the fine people at Pivot Creative. Pivot Creative is a full service branding and marketing agency that partners with businesses to build brands that connect so that every dollar you spend is an investment and not an expense.

In this episode of Brand Chops, Zack Lemear and Chris Duhaime dive deep into the polarizing world of politics and its undeniable impact on branding. From Trump’s iconic red hat to Ben & Jerry’s activist messaging, they explore real-world examples of how political alignment (or avoidance) can shape brand identity, attract or repel customers, and ultimately affect the bottom line. Whether you’re a small business owner navigating your personal brand or a marketer managing a national campaign, this episode reveals the risks and rewards of mixing politics with branding—and why knowing your audience is more important than ever.

Takeaways

Chapters

Brand Chops is brought to you by the fine people at Pivot Creative. Pivot Creative is a full service branding and marketing agency that partners with businesses to build brands that connect so that every dollar you spend is an investment and not an expense.

Trust is everything in cannabis—and most brands aren’t earning it.

In this episode, Zack Lemear and Chris Duhaime discuss teh top ten do’s and don’ts of cannabis branding. 

Tune in and learn how to:

Whether you're running a dispensary, launching a CBD product, or thinking about entering the industry, this episode is your playbook for smarter cannabis branding in 2025.

Takeaways

Chapters

Brand Chops is brought to you by the fine people at Pivot Creative. Pivot Creative is a full service branding and marketing agency that partners with businesses to build brands that connect so that every dollar you spend is an investment and not an expense.

Most small businesses stop at demographics. 😬

The smart ones dig deeper.

In this episode, we show you how to tap into the 12 brand archetypes to connect with what your audience actually cares about — and why that changes everything.

🎙️ If you don’t know your brand’s archetype, you’re leaving trust, loyalty, and sales on the table. In this episode, we break down Carl Jung’s 12 archetypes — and how smart brands use them to dominate their market. Find out why your brand personality isn't optional anymore. 

In this episode of Brand Chops, hosts Zack Lemear and Chris Duhaime delve into the concept of brand archetypes, rooted in Carl Jung's psychology. They discuss the importance of identifying and leveraging these archetypes to create a more authentic brand strategy, particularly for small businesses.

Takeaways

Chapters

Brand Chops is brought to you by the fine people at Pivot Creative. Pivot Creative is a full service branding and marketing agency that partners with businesses to build brands that connect so that every dollar you spend is an investment and not an expense.

How do you turn one funny ad into triple the engagement and a spot on a podcast? Honest Brothers Painting shares the creative risk that made their brand unforgettable — and why leaning into who you are is the real secret to growth.

In this episode of Brand Chops, Zack Lemear sits down with Shawn P and Shawn R Kelleher of Honest Brothers Painting — the local NH company that blew up their engagement with some hilarious, creative risk.

They break down how being bold (and staying true to who you are) turned a small business into a movement — more likes, more leads, more sales — and a brand people actually love.

Get ready for real talk on creative marketing, building a culture that matters, and why success starts with service.

🔥 If you're playing it safe, you're playing it wrong. Hit play.

Takeaways

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Honest Brothers Painting

02:15 Creative Marketing Strategies that Work

04:58 Taking Risks in Advertising

10:27 Authenticity in Branding

16:59 Community Impact and Mission Work

19:17 Building a Purpose-Driven Business

20:34 Creating a Supportive Company Culture

22:46 The Importance of Brand Identity

25:32 Finding Your Core Values

30:04 Advice for Small Business Owners

Brand Chops is brought to you by the fine people at Pivot Creative. Pivot Creative is a full service branding and marketing agency that partners with businesses to build brands that connect so that every dollar you spend is an investment and not an expense.

Learn how to build effective personas that resonate with your target audience, the importance of understanding who your ideal clients are, and the necessity of market research. In this episode of Brand Chops, Zack Lemear and Chris Duhaime delve into the significance of ideal client profiles and personas/avatars in marketing. The conversation also explores psychological archetypes and their role in crafting compelling messaging, as well as the distinctions between B2B and B2C marketing strategies. The hosts emphasize the need for precise targeting and the development of a unique value proposition to stand out in a crowded marketplace.

Takeaways

Chapters

Brand Chops is brought to you by the fine people at Pivot Creative. Pivot Creative is a full service branding and marketing agency that partners with businesses to build brands that connect so that every dollar you spend is an investment and not an expense.