Lead With Your Brand!™

In this empowering episode of the Lead With Your Brand podcast, host Jayzen Patria dives deeper into the final step of the Five Steps to Lead With Your Brand™—Be Your Own Chief Marketing Officer—by exploring the critical roles of influencers, endorsers, and word of mouth in building your professional brand.

Last week, we focused on controlling your own message through your personal “advertising”—your elevator pitch, resume, LinkedIn profile, and self-assessments. This week, Jayzen expands the conversation by showing how your brand is also shaped by what others say about you.

Jayzen reveals how great careers are boosted not just by what you say about yourself, but by who knows you and what they say about you. Learn how to spot and cultivate relationships with super-connectors and build a diverse network that champions your success.

Tune in for practical tools like building a "Contact Map" and real-world strategies for strengthening meaningful connections, challenging you to go beyond your comfort zone and make lasting deposits in your “relationship bank.”

Whether you’re climbing the corporate ladder or pivoting careers, this episode is your guide to ensuring that your brand isn’t just seen—but endorsed, amplified, and remembered.

This week, Jayzen welcomes Paula Bruno, CEO of Intuition Media Group and a true pioneer in the influencer marketing industry. With over 15 years of experience and more than 750 brand campaigns under her belt, Paula shares how she helped shape the landscape of influencer collaborations with tips on how to apply the same concepts to your brand.

Guest Bio

Paula Bruno

CEO

Intuition Media Group

Paula Bruno is the CEO of Intuition Media Group, a full-service influencer marketing agency established in 2008. With over 15 years of experience in the industry, Paula has been at the forefront of influencer marketing since its inception, helping shape the framework for influencer compensation and collaborations. Prior to founding Intuition Media Group, she helped build and take public a company in the equipment rental space through acquisitions. Her agency has worked with major brands like Canon USA, Hyundai, TikTok, GoDaddy, and has managed over 750 brand projects resulting in over 3B impressions.

Links 

To book Jayzen for a speaking engagement or workshop visit Jayzenpatria.com

Follow Jayzen on his book journey at LeadWithYourBrand.com/book

Since the start of the year, Jayzen has taken an extended deep dive each week into one of the Five Steps To Lead With Your Brand! As a review, here are the first four steps of the Lead With Your Brand! system:

1. Define Your Audience
2. Know What You Stand For Today
3. Refine Who You Want To Be
4. Keep Up Your Image!

This week, we’re on to Step 5…Be Your Own Chief Marketing Officer.  It’s time to showcase your super premium brand, because at the end of the day, you've got to promote yourself. For many of us, there is a common theme of consistently doing great work, going above and beyond, and an assumption that your work will speak for itself. The reality is…it won’t. You can have amazing performance, but if nobody knows about it, how are they going to amplify you? Your work is not going to speak for itself. You've got to follow Step 5 and  Be Your Own Chief Marketing Officer.

Tune in for practical takeaways on how to market yourself and your accomplishments to help you achieve your next big career breakthrough!  Jayzen breaks it down with amazing examples and lessons on how to promote yourself most effectively.

Jayzen is thrilled to welcome Liz Randall to the show.  Liz has one of those super cool jobs where she is at the forefront of technology, AI and talent for one of the world's most noted talent agencies in Los Angeles.  Throughout her career, innovation has led the way, allowing her to spearhead industry-changing initiatives.

Guest Bio

Liz Randall

Head of Operations, Strategic Development

CAA

Liz Randall is Head of Operations, Strategic Development at leading entertainment and sports agency Creative Artists Agency (CAA). Randall is based in the Los Angeles office and is responsible for the execution of enterprise growth initiatives, including theCAAvault, an in-house, talent-focused service that scans, captures, and securely stores Talent’s digital likeness.

Randall began her career at Time Warner, where she held various roles in strategy and innovation, and led the digital transformation of MotorTrend Group. Prior to joining CAA in 2023, she led enterprise-wide initiatives in new technology development, cybersecurity, and IPv6 migration at Apple.

Randall graduated from Georgia State University with a Bachelor of Business in Marketing and Operations and obtained an MBA from Emory University.

Links 

To book Jayzen for a speaking engagement or workshop visit Jayzenpatria.com

Follow Jayzen on his book journey at LeadWithYourBrand.com/book

Tune in this week for a review of the first three steps of the Lead With Your Brand! system:

1. Define Your Audience
2. Know What You Stand For Today
3. Refine Who You Want To Be

And then, on to step four…Keep Up Your Image!

Now that you have created your five to eight SuperSized brand attributes, you have to live them every single day. The bottom line is a Brand isn’t about words that you put on paper. It’s about the actions and the choices you make every single day. Take those brand attributes and peel the layers back.

Great brands think about their brand filter. Create your formula that determines the way that you dress, the way that you maintain your office space, and most importantly, the way you create your signature projects. No matter how boring a project or task is that you’ve been given, you can do it in a way that brings your brand attributes to life and really promotes you.

This week, Jayzen welcomes Jamie Schwartzman to the show. He is the Chief Creative Strategist and founder of Flux Branding, a premier branding agency. Listen in for a great discussion about how to apply the amazing system that he has developed for some of the top brands on your own personal brand.

Guest Bio

Jamie Schwartzman

Chief Creative Strategist & Founder

Flux Branding

Jamie Schwartzman is the Chief Creative Strategist and founder of Flux Branding, a premier branding agency with over 25 years of experience transforming businesses. An expert in corporate rebranding, Jamie developed the IDEA Method—a proprietary four-step branding process that reduces risk, reveals a brand’s true identity, and guides it to success.

Under his leadership, Flux Branding has revitalized public and private companies, including helping Motor Car Parts of America boost their stock price from $2 to $38 per share through strategic rebranding. Jamie’s expertise was featured on Gordon Ramsay’s TV show “Food Stars,” where he appeared as an Expert Brand Strategist, coaching the winning contestant for the grand prize. For over a decade, he has shared industry insights through his “First Tuesday” newsletter, which includes monthly essays with branding insights.

Passionate about crafting authentic brand stories that achieve growth, Jamie believes that change is the only constant. He and his team at Flux Branding continue to inspire and lead brands to embrace change, think strategically, and communicate boldly. He’s known for his wit, wisdom, and ingenuity— making him a seasoned advisor to business leaders who demand performance.

Links 

To book Jayzen for a speaking engagement or workshop visit Jayzenpatria.com

Follow Jayzen on his book journey at LeadWithYourBrand.com/book

We’re already almost into March, and that means Spring…and moving on to creating your Brand Foundation. Now that you have your five to eight SuperSized brand attributes, you have to live them every single day. The bottom line is a Brand isn’t about words that you put on paper. It’s about the actions and the choices you make every single day. It is critical that you take the time to craft the declarative statements that are foundational to your brand. What is it about you that differentiates yourself from others in the most compelling way possible? A Brand Foundation answers three questions:

What is that you believe?

What is your brand promise?

What is your brand position?

Tune in to hear Jayzen’s incredible lesson on how to think about your Brand Foundation through some fantastic real-life brand examples. Ultimately, your Brand Foundation becomes part of your brand language that will help you with everything from interviewing to your LinkedIn profile and more importantly, how people see and talk about you.

This week, Jayzen talks with Ron Szekely, the founder of BOS360 Growth Systems. After an amazing career working with top global brands, Ron has taken the best business systems and created brand-focused growth system to help companies and teams unlock their potential.

Guest Bio

Ron Szekely

Co-Founder

BOS360 Growth Systems

Ron is a business coach, ex-corporate leader, unconventional thinker, and founder of BOS360 Growth Systems—a transformative methodology blending the art and science of business to help founder-led companies grow. BOS360 simplifies operations and accelerates success by uniting strategy, brand, and team into a cohesive system, fostering high-performing, purpose-driven organizations.

With over 25 years of leadership experience at global enterprises like L’Oréal, Sanofi, and Keurig—where he earned recognition as Marketing Magazine’s Marketer of the Year—Ron developed a unique perspective on balancing creativity and commerce.

His passion for entrepreneurship and scaling startups inspired the creation of BOS360, designed to unlock growth and help leaders build businesses with meaningful impact. Known for his unconventional coaching style, Ron poses bold questions, turns challenges into opportunities, and uses optimism as a strategic tool to guide leaders in navigating complexity and achieving sustainable growth.

Links 

To book Jayzen for a speaking engagement or workshop visit Jayzenpatria.com

Follow Jayzen on his book journey at LeadWithYourBrand.com/book

It’s on to Step Three of the Lead With Your Brand system, REFINE WHO YOU WANT TO BE.  This week, Jayzen takes a deep dive into how you can develop your personal word bank by taking your brand attributes from Step Two, and SUPERSIZING THEM!

Now you can refine who you want to be by turning up the volume to be the best you that you can be. Take those five to eight brand attributes you came up with in the last step. Go through the McDonald’s drive-through and SUPERSIZE your words. Or, be a Marvel superhero and define those attributes as your SUPERPOWERS. Take those words and switch them from commodity descriptors everyone uses to make them uniquely you.

Don’t just say, “I’m a good presenter.” Say, “I’m a showman!” It’s not  “I’m well networked and have great relationships with people,” say, “I’m a super connector!” Why just be analytical when you can be a Data Guru? If you are organized, are you really a Precision Executor? If you are innovative, are you really a First-Mover who is the first to jump onto new ideas and trends?

Each one of your SuperSized words can have related sub-words or synonyms, all of which become your personal word bank, which is pure gold. These are the words you use to describe yourself or when interviewing for a new role.  Use them to re-tool your LinkedIn profile, when completing your annual review and more.  These are the words that you want to use so that others start to describe you in the same way.

This week, Jayzen welcomes Jessica Embree to the show.  In addition to helping her clients build brand credibility through both print and digital media, she is co-author of the Amazon bestseller, Double Sales / Zero Salespeople: Optimize Your Sales and Marketing Into One Business Development StrategyThat Works!  In the book, she lays out the system that they developed to grow the agency and cut their cost of acquisition from $40,000 to $4,000!

Guest Bio

Jessica Embree

Creative Director

Tulip Media Group

Jessica Embree has been the Creative Director at Tulip Media Group for over eight years. She works with Client-Partners to craft their brand identities into compelling stories with clear and consistent marketing messaging. Jessica is also Google Ad Certified and takes the lead on all of Tulip Media’s print and digital marketing programs for Client-Partners. 

Jessica is the co-author of the Amazon bestseller, Double Sales / Zero Salespeople: Optimize Your Sales and Marketing Into One Business Development StrategyThat Works!

Links 

To book Jayzen for a speaking engagement or workshop visit Jayzenpatria.com

Follow Jayzen on his book journey at LeadWithYourBrand.com/book

As we close out January, it’s time for the second step of the Lead With Your Brand system, KNOW WHAT YOU STAND FOR TODAY.  Tune in for an extended lesson on how to be your best authentic self as you develop your personal brand and work towards your next career breakthrough.

Here is the dirty little secret. We can all smell inauthenticity from a mile away and it reeks! If you’re thinking, “I want to be Steve Jobs” or “I want to be Sheryl Sandberg” or “I want to have Oprah Winfrey‘s brand,” the truth is, you are not Oprah, and you’re never going to be her! Who you are is you. What you can be is THE BEST you! Start by thinking authentically what your brand authentically is today. What are those words and adjectives that people have used to describe you, sometimes even since you were a little kid? What do people love about you? Find 5 to 8 words that resonate with you. Maybe you are analytical, organized, and innovative. These become your brand attributes that you lead with all the time and are truly authentically you.

This week, Jayzen is excited to welcome his friend, John Pagano to the show.  John has had an incredible career in the entertainment industry working with some of the most iconic titles including SpongeBob, iCarly, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and more.  As Vice President of Nickelodeon Digital Studios, John oversees 53 Nickelodeon YouTube channels worldwide, producing over 1,000 videos monthly and has launched a breakthrough video editing system using AI technology.

Guest Bio

John Pagano

Vice President of Editorial, Nickelodeon Digital Studio

John Pagano is a seasoned media professional with nearly two decades of experience. Starting at Nickelodeon’s Brand Creative department, he crafted promos for shows like Degrassi, SpongeBob, and iCarly, swiftly rising from Production Assistant to Executive Producer. Leading a large creative team, John directed branding for Nickelodeon’s top live events and digital channels, including TeenNick, NickToons, Nick Music, and Nick Sports.

In 2018, John pivoted to digital media, playing a key role in launching Nickelodeon’s Digital Studio. He managed content for high-profile YouTube channels like SpongeBob, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and Avatar: The Last Airbender, driving these channels to millions of subscribers and billions of watch time minutes.

By 2024, John globalized the department, overseeing 53 Nickelodeon YouTube channels worldwide, producing over 1,000 videos monthly. An early adopter of AI, he launched an innovative video editing system using ML and AI technology. John also served as Executive Producer for on-air and streaming specials like SpongeBob’s Super Bowl Party and the documentary Behind the Dangerverse. His work has earned accolades from ProMax, Kid Screen, and The Shorty Awards.

Links 

To book Jayzen for a speaking engagement or workshop visit Jayzenpatria.com

Follow Jayzen on his book journey at LeadWithYourBrand.com/book

As we all know, Los Angeles has had a challenging start to the New Year. Tune in to hear Jayzen’s reflections on the tragedy and the incredible resilient human spirit that is more alive than ever in LA.

As we jump into the new year, Jayzen is ready to make 2025 your year to achieve your next career breakthrough!  over the next couple of months, Jayzen will take a deep dive into each of the Five Steps to Lead With Your Brand.  This week.. Step 1: DEFINE YOUR AUDIENCE.

I know what you are thinking. You can work on any team. You can work for anybody. You can work for any company. And you can serve any customer. While that may be true because you have amazing expertise, here is what we know about brands - when you are trying to be everything to everybody, you are really being nothing to no one! You have got to find your target audience. Let’s make it really simple. Think about the people who love you. Who are your raving fans today? Who buys your services? Who promotes you? Who asks you to be on their team? Now, what is the secret sauce between that group of people that you can define as your tribe that your brand can SuperServe.

This week, Jayzen is thrilled to welcome Emily Chang to the show.  Emily shares her incredible career journey that has spanned senior leadership roles at P&G, the first executive for Apple in China overseeing retail marketing, CMO of Starbucks China and more.  Her insights and practical advice on how to be a leader on any level and move your career forward are invaluable.  She is also a best-selling author and the current CEO West for VML. 

Guest Bio

Emily Chang

CEO West, VML and Best Selling Author of The Spare Room

Emily is CEO of the NA West for VML, coming from 25 years of experience spanning QSR, Retail, Hospitality, Creative, Tech, and FMCG industries. She holds an exceptional track record of accelerating global brands which began at P and G. Over 11 years, she worked across all three business units spanning upstream design, retail, and digital marketing, and based in Cincinnati, Fayetteville, and Guangzhou.

She then moved to Apple as the first executive in China overseeing Retail Marketing for APAC, opening new stores and developing the Apple Asia retail operating model. Later, she joined IHG as the Chief Commercial Officer for Greater China where she led a team of 5,400, launching a new brand and crafting new partnerships to become the #1 hotel brand in China.

Drawn to the best of CX and CRM, Emily joined Starbucks in 2017 as CMO of China, where she oversaw all commercial functions and led the teams that brought digital experiences to life like the Shanghai Roastery Augmented Reality, Starbucks Delivery, and Digital Gifting. Five years ago, Emily became CEO of McCann Worldgroup in China, where she transformed a 450-member team across four agencies in three offices to deliver five-year highs in record revenue and OIBI.

Emily believes passionately in living with intention and leading with authenticity. She published a best-selling book called “The Spare Room,” and speaks at industry-leading events like TEDx and Fortune Most Powerful Women. Emily is a member of YPO and has also served on non-profit boards, including most recently with SOS Children’s Villages.

Links 

To book Jayzen for a speaking engagement or workshop visit Jayzenpatria.com

Happy New Year!  

Start your year off right with this very special episode and make 2025 the year for your next career breakthrough!  Jayzen dives into the foundational elements of what a brand is, and more importantly, where to start with your personal brand.  A brand is about the sum of all of the experiences, thoughts and emotions that you have with a product or service.  Your brand is much the same. Tune in to hear an overview of the Five Steps To Lead With Your Brand and much more!

To start the year, we’re taking a look back and sharing some of the best career advice that his guests had to offer, including:

• Brooke Sopelsa, NBC Out Editorial Director, NBC News
• Nicole Haase, Co-Founder and CEO, Modern Prairie
• Ed Soo Hoo, Worldwide CTO - Global Accounts, Lenovo
• Mark Bertolini Chief Executive Officer, Oscar Health
• Andrew Howlett, CEO, Struck 
• Beck Bailey, Managing Director and Global Chief Diversity Officer, Accenture
• Laura Hertz, CEO and Co-Founder, Gifts for Good
• Cassie Petrey, CEO and Co-Founder, Crowd Surf
• Jai Khanna, Co-Founder and CEO, Victory Media Group
• Marion Hargett, Vice President of Business Development, The Trade Desk
• Dr.Timbrala Marshall, Medical Operations Lead, Urgent Care Hospital Group, VCA Animal Hospital
• Javier Constante, President, Dow Brasil and América Latina

Happy New Year and here’s to an incredible 2025!

Links 

To book Jayzen for a speaking engagement or workshop visit Jayzenpatria.com

The tree is up and the house is decorated!  Tune in this week to hear Jayzen’s thoughts on bringing your brand to life this season by adding your signature style to everything, not just at work.  We know that Jayzen’s brand is being Hollywood, a Showman, a jet setter and a Storyteller. So you better believe that the holidays for him are that way too! 

Now, of course, we still need to talk about work and your career. For most of us, there are only a couple of weeks left in the office before we all head out for the holidays.  Remember, just like in Hollywood, you’re only as good as your last picture! So find ways to end the year on a high note. How can you put a shiny bow on top of those year-end projects?  Now is not the time to dial it in. Listen now for more and get ready to make 2025 the year for your next big career breakthrough!

This week, Jayzen welcomes Jane McCarthy to the show. After working as a brand strategist on some of the most successful brands in the world, Jane noticed a gap in powerful feminine archetypes in the traditional marketing canon and so, decided to explore these. Jane utilized her personal passion for, and study in, mythology, astrology, the Enneagram and the tarot to craft the expression of the goddess archetypes included in her book, The Goddess Guide to Branding. Working with her sister, Jane launched Goddess Office, a new platform for elevating women and the archetypal feminine in business in 2024.

Guest Bio

Jane McCarthy 

Brand Strategist and Author of The Goddess Guide to Branding

Jane McCarthy is a brand strategist with over a decade of experience in advertising. She has collaborated with both global and local brands in a variety of categories, from energy to confections, serving brands like SweeTarts, Southern California Edison, Boys & Girls Clubs of America and Dole. She graduated from the University of St. Andrews in Scotland with an MA in International Relations & Business.

As a strategist, Jane’s emphasis is on leveraging archetypes to unlock a brand’s true essence and power. She noticed a lack of powerful feminine archetypes in the traditional marketing canon and so, decided to explore these. Jane utilized her personal passion for, and study in, mythology, astrology, the Enneagram and the tarot to craft the expression of the goddess archetypes included in The Goddess Guide to Branding.

Along with her sister Kate McAndrew, a venture capitalist passionate about investing in female-led startups, Jane wrote The Goddess Guide to Branding in order to empower women entrepreneurs to build the businesses and brands they’re called to. In August 2024, the sisters launched the Goddess Office, a new platform for elevating women and the archetypal feminine in business.

Links 

To book Jayzen for a speaking engagement or workshop visit Jayzenpatria.com

Learn more about Jane and The Goddess Office at goddessoffice.substack.com

Drumroll, please….Jayzen makes his SuperSized announcement!  That’s right, his book is finally on it’s way!  Lead With Your Brand! : Build Your SuperPremium Personal Brand to Achieve Your Next Career Breakthrough will be available in Spring 2025!  In the book, Jayzen shares his full five-step process for you to build your personal brand and drive your career forward. Check out all of the latest about the book at leadwithyourbrand.com/book 

The holidays are upon us, and we all know that as exciting as the season is, it can be equally as stressful.  It is critical to remember that your brand shines even brighter in times of gray skies or when you’re in difficult situations.  Tune in to this week’s show to hear Jayzen’s tips on how to Lead With Your Brand this season to make sure you’re showing the best of yourself as we celebrate the holidays and close out the year.

This week, Jayzen is excited to welcome his longtime friend Marion Hargett to the show. Marion has built an incredible career helping top brands reach their target audience by providing cross-screen digital, video, and programmatic advertising solutions. Her amazing career advice about embracing discomfort in your career can be applied to anyone in any industry.

Guest Bio

Marion Hargett

Vice President of Business Development

The Trade Desk

As Vice President of Business Development at The Trade Desk, Marion Hargett leads the team responsible for driving revenue generation and strategic partnerships for the East Coast and Canada. Hargett is a proven leader known for creating highly effective teams, leading essential change, driving top line revenue growth, and providing audience and cross-screen solutions to Fortune 500 companies. Throughout her career, she has also developed a keen understanding of addressable video, digital, and programmatic and shares her knowledge of industry dynamics regularly with The Trade Desk clients and via speaking engagements at various industry events. Prior to her role at The Trade Desk, Hargett spent over 20 years in leadership roles at companies including NBCUniversal, Ampersand and iHeart Media where she has served as a change agent, driving innovation across traditional business models.

Links 

To book Jayzen for a speaking engagement or workshop visit Jayzenpatria.com

Learn more about The Trade Desk at TheTradeDesk.com