What’s the most powerful metric for your brand? Shares. 

This week on Brandidly Speaking, Cris Gordon sits down with Jen Hayes Lee, Head of Marketing and Content at The Bump, to unpack how she’s built a brand that parents are actively recommending to one another. 

From scaling one of the most trusted platforms in parenting to fostering a deeply engaged community, Jen shares how a clear understanding of brand values and audience needs has been central to creating content that consistently outperforms. In the episode we dive into the role of strategic partnerships and how to choose the right ones, how brands can create content that feels human, and what it takes to scale while maintaining the feeling of a small, connected community.

New podcast episodes drop every Wednesday, hosted by Cris Gordon, Head of Beauty at MMC.  

🎙️ Subscribe on Spotify | Apple Podcasts | YouTube 

👍 Follow @Brandidly_Speaking on Instagram, LinkedIn, and TikTok and MMC on Instagram and LinkedIn. 

📲 We'd love to hear from you: [email protected] 

In today’s healthcare landscape, you must have both the expertise AND the ability to communicate it clearly to build genuine trust with your patients. 

In this episode of Brandidly Speaking, Cris sits down with Dr. Sheila Farhang, double board-certified dermatologist and founder of Avant Dermatology, to unpack what it really takes to build trust as a medical expert in the digital age. From growing her platform organically over more than a decade to becoming a go-to voice across social media, Dr. Farhang shares how she’s navigated the shift from seeing patients to trusted public authority without losing her patient-first values.  

Cris and Dr. Farhang also explore how brand visibility is now shaped by everything from press coverage to digital footprint, and what founders in healthcare need to understand if they want to reach the right audiences in a meaningful way.  

This conversation is a must-listen for healthcare founders, doctors, and experts who know they have something important to say, but want to make sure it lands, builds trust, and reaches the people who need it most. 

New podcast episodes drop every Wednesday, hosted by Cris Gordon, Head of Beauty at MMC.  

🎙️ Subscribe on Spotify | Apple Podcasts | YouTube 

👍 Follow @Brandidly_Speaking on Instagram, LinkedIn, and TikTok and MMC on Instagram and LinkedIn. 

📲 We'd love to hear from you: [email protected] 

What does it take to build a brand story that goes beyond surface level in the beauty industry? 

In this episode, Lisa Hanna, former Miss World, global political leader, and now beauty founder, shares why understanding the entire industry is the foundation for building a brand that truly stands out. 

After decades on the world stage and in government, Lisa entered the beauty industry to build something with meaning. And that meant learning every layer of the business, from formulation and finance to global markets and strategy. 

This conversation goes far beyond beauty, and it teaches us about the discipline and leadership it takes to build a brand with depth in an industry driven by noise. 

If you’re building a brand, or want to, this episode will change how you think about storytelling, strategy, and long-term success. 

New podcast episodes drop every Wednesday, hosted by Cris Gordon, Head of Beauty at MMC.  

🎙️ Subscribe on Spotify | Apple Podcasts | YouTube 

👍 Follow @Brandidly_Speaking on Instagram, LinkedIn, and TikTok and MMC on Instagram and LinkedIn. 

📲 We'd love to hear from you: [email protected] 

How do you break through in the crowded supplement market where new products are getting launched left and right?   

In this episode, Bridgitte Malinson, founder of Gut Personal, breaks down how she built a cult-favorite wellness brand by blending clinical credibility with community-first marketing. From strategic PR placements to organic storytelling, she focused on building trust through earned media and expert validation, positioning the brand as both authoritative and approachable. Instead of relying on paid ads or empty trends, she focused on real connection, education, and personalized experiences that make customers feel seen. 

For brand founders, this is a masterclass in modern brand building: how to make your product feel aspirational, how to leverage PR to build credibility and awareness, how to turn affiliates into true brand advocates, and how to stand out in a saturated category without losing credibility. 

If you’re building in a space that feels crowded,  this conversation will show you how to make it matter, make it trusted, and make it grow. 

New podcast episodes drop every Wednesday, hosted by Cris Gordon, Head of Beauty at MMC.  

🎙️ Subscribe on Spotify | Apple Podcasts | YouTube 

👍 Follow @Brandidly_Speaking on Instagram, LinkedIn, and TikTok and MMC on Instagram and LinkedIn. 

📲 We'd love to hear from you: [email protected] 

You’re posting consistently, so why isn’t anyone sticking around? 

Most founders think they need better content. In reality, they’re over-editing, overthinking, and filtering out the very thing that makes people care. 

In this episode of Brandidly Speaking, Lilliana Vazquez (former TODAY Show + E! host turned creator) shares what turns content into community, and why it has nothing to do with being perfect. 

We get into the risks of showing up fully, how to handle criticism, and why trying to be liked by everyone is exactly what’s holding you back. 

If your content isn’t translating into connection, this podcast episode delivers the insights you need to craft messages that genuinely resonate with your community. 

New podcast episodes drop every Wednesday, hosted by Cris Gordon, Head of Beauty at MMC.  

🎙️ Subscribe on Spotify | Apple Podcasts | YouTube 

👍 Follow @Brandidly_Speaking on Instagram, LinkedIn, and TikTok and MMC on Instagram and LinkedIn. 

📲 We'd love to hear from you: [email protected] 

On this week’s episode, we sit down with Lisa Jauregui, Founder of BK Beauty, to break down how she turned audience feedback into a $25 million beauty brand. 

Before founding BK Beauty, Lisa worked in advertising, became a MAC makeup artist, and later began creating YouTube makeup tutorials while raising her kids. By consistently sharing expert advice and education, she built a loyal audience that trusted her recommendations. Through affiliate link data, Lisa gained clear insight into exactly what her audience wanted - from product categories and price points to buying behavior and preferences. 

That data became the foundation for BK Beauty. Instead of guessing what to launch, Lisa used real audience feedback to design products people were already asking for, leading to one of the most successful creator‑led beauty brands today, with massive traction on TikTok and social media. 

If you’re a creator, influencer, founder, or aspiring entrepreneur looking to turn content into a scalable, multi‑million‑dollar brand, this episode is packed with practical takeaways. Tune in to hear how Lisa leveraged data, audience trust, and education to build BK Beauty, and how you can apply the same strategy to your own brand. 

🎙️ Subscribe on Spotify | Apple Podcasts | YouTube 

👍 Follow @Brandidly_Speaking on Instagram, LinkedIn, and TikTok and MMC on Instagram and LinkedIn. 

📲 We'd love to hear from you: [email protected]

Finance can feel intimidating for most brand-builders and marketers but understanding the numbers might be the most powerful growth tool you have. 

In this episode of Brandidly Speaking, we sit down with Chris Polakowski, Executive Director of Global Operations at MMC, to unpack the financial and operational decisions that separate busy brands from profitable ones. From understanding your P&L to managing risk, Chris breaks down how finance can empower creativity and unlock smarter growth.  

Throughout the conversation, we explore the core financial metrics every business should understand, including revenue, expenses, and cash flow, and why many companies confuse being busy with being profitable. Chris shares how founders and marketers can balance bold ideas with financial realities, how to think about risk in a strategic way, and why operational systems and financial visibility are essential for sustainable growth. 

Whether you're building a startup, scaling a seven-figure brand, or leading marketing inside a legacy company, this episode offers practical insights on how to make smarter decisions, operationalize growth, and build a business that lasts. 

New podcast episodes drop every Wednesday, hosted by Cris Gordon, Head of Beauty at MMC.  

🎙️ Subscribe on Spotify | Apple Podcasts | YouTube 

👍 Follow @Brandidly_Speaking on Instagram, LinkedIn, and TikTok and MMC on Instagram and LinkedIn. 

📲 We'd love to hear from you: [email protected] 

In this episode of Brandidly Speaking, we sit down with Sarah Chen-Spellings, investor & capital strategist, to talk about why understanding finances is a game‑changer for women business owners. 

Sarah entered the business world at just 25 and quickly found herself in rooms where major investment decisions were being made. As a young Malaysian woman building her career, she noticed a striking pattern: the people making these decisions were almost always men. That realization exposed a major gap in the industry and ultimately inspired her to help change it. 

Through her work building Beyond The Billion—mobilizing over $1 billion into women-founded companies—Sarah brings a rare, insider perspective on how wealth is actually built: from ownership and decision-making to long-term value creation.

In this episode, Sarah shares the power she’s gained from financial knowledge, what she looks for when investing in a business, and what helps companies succeed long after they receive funding. This conversation is a must‑listen for women founders, entrepreneurs, and business owners who want to better understand investing, capital access, and how financial knowledge creates long‑term opportunity.

New podcast episodes drop every Wednesday, hosted by Cris Gordon, Head of Beauty at MMC.  

🎙️ Subscribe on Spotify | Apple Podcasts | YouTube 

👍 Follow @Brandidly_Speaking on Instagram, LinkedIn, and TikTok and MMC on Instagram and LinkedIn. 

📲 We'd love to hear from you: [email protected]

This week on Brandidly Speaking, we’re joined by MMC’s Dr. Kavin Shah, the medical expert behind our scientific communications work. As consumers become more focused on ingredients and transparency, trust has never mattered more. Dr. Kavin, a board-certified surgeon with a master’s in public health, shares how brands can turn complex science into content that’s clear, credible, and actually drives decisions. 

Together, Cris and Kavin break down how consumers can spot the difference between legitimate, evidence-based information and marketing masked as science. Kavin also shares how brands can collaborate with medical experts to communicate complex scientific ideas way that are accessible, honest, and compelling. If you’re a brand operating at the intersection of beauty and wellness, or science-backed innovation – or just a consumer trying to make sense of it all - this episode is for you. 

New podcast episodes drop every Wednesday, hosted by Cris Gordon, Head of Beauty at MMC.  

🎙️ Subscribe on Spotify | Apple Podcasts | YouTube 

👍 Follow @Brandidly_Speaking on Instagram, LinkedIn, and TikTok and MMC on Instagram and LinkedIn. 

📲 We'd love to hear from you: [email protected] 

In this week’s episode of Brandidly Speaking, we sit down with Aliett Buttelman, the Co-Founder of Fazit Beauty. A true innovator in the makeup application space, Fazit understands the consumer’s desire for instant confidence, and has built an entire brand around delivering it. From major sporting moments like the Olympics and the Super Bowl to music festivals like Coachella, they’ve mastered the art of showing up at the right moment, in the right way.

Many point to the brand’s viral moment when Taylor Swift wore Fazit to a Chiefs game as an overnight success. But the truth is, that moment was anything but accidental. Fazit had spent months behind the scenes laying the groundwork to ensure the team was fully prepared when that opportunity came into fruition. Aliett breaks down exactly how the moment came together, and how the brand was ready to capitalize when it did. She also shares insights into Fazit’s upcoming strategic partnership announcements with sports teams and athletes, including the U.S. Women’s Flag Football Team, the World Cup, and the Olympics, as well as what’s next for the brand. This conversation is packed with practical wisdom and offers a rare look at a brand that built staying power beyond a viral moment.

New podcast episodes drop every Wednesday, hosted by Cris Gordon, Head of Beauty at MMC.  

🎙️ Subscribe on Spotify | Apple Podcasts | YouTube 

👍 Follow @Brandidly_Speaking on Instagram, LinkedIn, and TikTok and MMC on Instagram and LinkedIn. 

📲 We'd love to hear from you: [email protected]