Lead With Your Brand!™

Happy Hispanic Heritage Month! Each week we will be amplifying the voices of Hispanic professionals with amazing career stories and breakthrough moments that we all can learn from. In addition to our weekly guests, be sure to check out the special Hispanic Voices collection in celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month at LeadWithYourBrand.com/latinx

This week Jayzen welcomes Carlos Zapata to the show. Carlos has had an incredible career as a reporter and anchor for several television stations. Starting his career at a small newspaper in Ecuador while still in college, rising to one of the top hispanic language stations in the country. Early in his career, he focused his efforts on meeting the super connectors in his industry and building key relationships, ultimately leading to opportunity.

When thinking about your brand, it is always important to remember that it comes down to the full experience that people have with you, and not just the trimmings. After returning from Japan, Jayzen shares his reflection on the amazing fully branded experiences from his travels and how they can be applied to your brand.

Guest Bio

Carlos Zapata

News Anchor/Reporter Noticias Telemundo Texas

Carlos Zapata, is a native of Colombia who began his journalism career in Ecuador, is an award-winning bilingual journalist. He has spent nine years working at Telemundo-owned stations and returns to KXTX after serving as Reporter and News Anchor for Telemundo 47 / WNJU in New York for nearly two years.  

While at KXTX from 2013 to 2020, he worked his way up from video journalist to News Anchor. While at KXTX, he covered numerous breaking news stories and was dispatched to the Texas-Mexico Border on special assignment to report on the humanitarian crisis. At WNJU, Zapata continued to report on US-Mexico border issues. 

Zapata is the recipient of a 2022 national GLAAD Media Award for his reporting work and contributions to WNJU’s June 2021 special “LGBTQ Pride: 52 years of Struggle and Evolution.” He has received 14 Lone Star Emmy Awards, including two awards in the categories of best “News Anchor” and “News Reporter” and 7 New York Emmy Awards, including best "Live Reporter” and "Features/Human Interest Reporter.” Before joining NBCUniversal, he worked at WUVF-TV and WANA-TV in Ft. Myers-Naples as News Anchor and Reporter, D'Latinos Magazine as Columnist and Contributor, and for several TV and radio stations in Ecuador.

Links 

To learn more about Lead With Your Brand system, please visit: LeadWithyYourBrand.com

To book Jayzen for a speaking engagement or workshop at your company, visit: JayzenPatria.com

Check out UnleashedLGBTQ.com and use the code JAYZEN23 at checkout to save 15%!

One of the key elements of the Lead With Your Brand system is digging to understand your tailwinds and your headwinds - those things that help propel your forward and those that pull you back, creating drag on your brand. Diverse leaders are often faced with additional headwinds that stem from societal bias. We find the tension in balancing authenticity with social constructs in our careers. Both the challenge and opportunity is to take those headwinds and turn them into tailwinds to make your brand uniquely you.

Jayzen welcomes Erin Uritus to the show. After an incredible career in corporate consulting, working both domestically and internationally, Erin is the CEO of Out & Equal Workplace Advocates, the leading organization focused on LGBTQ equality in the workplace globally. Erin brings a wealth of experience and incredible perspective on being authentic in your career.

Guest Bio

Erin Uritus is the CEO of Out & Equal Workplace Advocates, the worlds’ premier organization working exclusively on LGBTQ workplace equality.

Her professional experience also includes work with Booz Allen, the Department of Homeland Security, and work for a major Middle East government in support of its efforts to restructure during the 2007 economic crash and subsequent “Arab Spring” revolutions.

She is the co-author of a book about Change Management in government — published in both Arabic and English.

Erin has a Masters in Organization Development (OD) from American University, and two Masters certificates in Change Management and Performance Management from Johns Hopkins and Georgetown

To learn more about Lead With Your Brand and the Career Breakthrough Mentoring program , please visit : https://www.leadwithyourbrand.com

To book Jayzen for a speaking engagement or workshop at your company, visit : https://www.jayzenpatria.com

Please connect on LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/jayzenpatria

To learn more about our guest, Erin Uritus, visit : https://outandequal.org

This week, we’re bringing back one of our fan favorites from season 3 of the Lead With Your Brand podcast featuring Cynthia Chu.

 As Cynthia puts it, the Chief Financial Officer in any company is one of the most cross functional leaders, thus she describes her role as “the dot connector.” Cynthia Chu has built an amazing career stretching across several industries and reaching to every corner of the globe, always expanding her toolkit to drive her career forward. She shares fantastic stories and valuable insights that have helped her achieve her career goals.

 While at NBC Universal, she was the CFO of USA Network and previously the CFO of Oxygen, overseeing the finances of some of the most successful content in the portfolio. Now as CFO and Growth Officer at Audible, her role also encompasses marketing functions for the successful and ever-expanding company.

 Guest Bio

Cynthia Chu

Chief Financial Officer and Growth Officer

Audible

 Cynthia Chu joined Audible in 2015 as Chief Financial Officer. Adding oversight of marketing in 2021, her role has since expanded to CFO and Growth Officer. She most recently served as CFO for the USA Network division of Comcast NBC Universal, which followed her first divisional CFO appointment overseeing NBC's newly acquired Oxygen Media. Prior to her long career with NBC, Cynthia worked at GE, where she earned a Six Sigma black belt qualification. A native of Hong Kong, Cynthia is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin.

Links 

To learn more about Lead With Your Brand system, please visit: LeadWithyYourBrand.com

 To book Jayzen for a speaking engagement or workshop at your company, visit: JayzenPatria.com

Some folks seem to be the ones who are always trying to do what hasn’t been done before.  Trying to push the envelope, make it more interesting, create a new experience…and if you get the chance to meet Wesley Smoot, you’ll know immediately that’s who he is.  However, Wesley’s success isn’t just in being a visionary, it is rooted in his core beliefs of doing the work, getting things done and finishing what you start.  Growing up in rural Texas, he learned first hand the power of hard work and the relationships that can be formed through it.  Wesley is the founder of Unleased LGBTQ, described as “a SXSW-inspired, technology-infused, entertainment-festival-meets-business-conference and brand-activation space to connect, educate, entertain, and inspire LGBTQ+ and allied professionals and businesses nationwide.”

After an incredible week of meeting people at the NGLCC Business Conference, Jayzen dives into the critical skill of amplifying your brand by networking with impact. For many of us, the world of business mixers, conferences and in-person events is back in full swing.  However, our ability to maximize those opportunities may be a little rusty.  Tune in this week for some amazing tips on how to build your exposure and make sure that your superfans are there to promote you. 

Guest Bio

Wesley Smoot

Founder & Marketing Director

Unleashed LGBTQ, LLC

Wesley Smooth is creating the first-ever business conference and entertainment festival for LGBTQ+ and allied professionals, premiering in Dallas, Texas, on September 22-24, 2023. In addition to being a reporter, book author, artistic director, and entrepreneur, he is a passionate advocate for inclusive LGBTQ+ culture. Hailing from blue-collar multicultural roots in rural Central Texas, Wesley has established himself as a cross-industry connector, experiential marketing maverick, and event production professional with an unwavering commitment to impactful innovation while uplifting marginalized communities. 

Noted by longtime friends as always having “swag” and a trendsetting presence, Wesley’s foundational entrepreneurship demonstrated his exceptional grasp of how to harness emerging social and visual technology platforms. 

In 2012, he launched Weslo Publishing, LLC, specializing in artistic features, where Wesley soon authored, designed, produced, and published his own hit visual book. The cheekily titled ‘Weslo’s Home-O-Erotic Cookbook’ (2015) featured scantily clad men cooking delicious dishes, described with comedic flair in innuendo-infused chapters like “Afternoon Delight” and “A Sweet Finish.” The eye-grabbing cookbook generated media coverage and extensive sales, gathering crowds at book fairs across the country, and building belonging and new opportunities among the mobilized talent. These early career ventures crystallized Wesley’s entrepreneurial reputation with his visionary marketing strategies, production coordination, community leadership, and creative direction.

This September 22-24th in Dallas, Texas – with iHeartMedia, equalpride (Out, The Advocate, Advocate Channel, Pride, Plus, Out Traveler), Dallas Voice, Gilead Sciences, Freeman event production services, Cisco’s Webex mobile event app, the International Gay & Lesbian Travel Association, Dallas Public Improvement District, Visit Dallas, and North Texas’ own alternative investments lesbian powerhouse, Kelly Ann Winget – Wesley Smoot is proud to present Unleashed LGBTQ 2023: a SXSW-inspired, technology-infused, entertainment-festival-meets-business-conference and brand-activation space to connect, educate, entertain, and inspire LGBTQ+ and allied professionals and businesses nationwide.

Links 

To learn more about Lead With Your Brand system, please visit: LeadWithyYourBrand.com

To book Jayzen for a speaking engagement or workshop at your company, visit: JayzenPatria.com

Check out UnleashedLGBTQ.com and use the code JAYZEN23 at checkout to save 15%!

Having a clear vision of your north star is key to success in anything you do, whether that’s leading a team, running a project or just doing your daily work. It’s all about knowing your purpose and the common goal that binds the team together.  For Sebastian Westerby, that north star is to democratize access to justice. He has built his career on using technology to bridge that gap between the attorneys and the potential claimants. Ultimately,  it is the people in need of legal representation that are the driving force of the company.

The speed of technology is moving faster than ever, and impacting most people’s careers. Tune in to hear Jayzen’s key message on understanding and maximizing the value that you bring to your company and role. Moving beyond technical skills and job function, what is the unique value that you want to be known for?

Guest Bio

Sebastian Westerby

Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder

Tort Experts

Sebastian Westerby, the Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of Tort Experts, is a renowned legal marketing expert. He is dedicated to disrupting the status quo by leveraging technology, data, and transparency.

With his innovative lead and case acquisition techniques, Sebastian has consistently delivered exceptional return on investments for his clients. His fresh perspective has revolutionized the landscape of legal marketing, earning him recognition in esteemed legal publications like "AI, Machine Learning & Big Data Laws and Regulation."

Sebastian's expertise spans across a wide range of legal marketing domains, including social media marketing, telemarketing, offline and online marketing, intake services, medical record retrieval, and case management.

As a legal counsel specialized in litigation finance, Sebastian combines his marketing proficiency with a deep understanding of Tort and class action law. This unique blend allows him to offer invaluable insights and significant value to those involved in the field.

Links 

To learn more about Lead With Your Brand system, please visit: LeadWithyYourBrand.com

To book Jayzen for a speaking engagement or workshop at your company, visit: JayzenPatria.com

We’ve all had setbacks in our careers, and John Diggs is no exception. In fact, through his career story he shares some of the most remarkable setbacks that necessitated complete shifts in his career and life, always coming out stronger on the other side.  He was a star college football player who went on to the professional ranks playing for the LA Raiders. After being forced to give up his career because of reconstructive knee surgery, he became a successful leader in the mortgage industry. Fast forward, John was forced to pivot again when the mortgage meltdown erased all he had built. Now, building on all of his experience, he has mastered the art of mind mapping as a tool to unlock the best in people.  Truly an inspirational career story!

This week, Jayzen answers the question, how do you remain true to your brand while still flexing to your audience? Your brand isn’t really about you. It is about the SuperFans that you serve and create value for in your career audience. Your unique brand is multifaceted. You should have a collection of 4 – 8 SuperSized brand attributes that serve as your tailwinds. Having these allows you to show up in different environments and different contexts. At the end of the day, it is all about the right behavior, at the right time, with the right level of intensity. You may put more volume into certain brand attributes and less into others to strategically serve your audience and build winning outcomes.

Guest Bio

John Diggs

Mind Mapping Master

John Diggs is a former pro football player and successful mortgage executive who, after experiencing a major setback, successfully pivoted his career and carved out a niche and built a need. Diggs’ story is one of resilience, hard work, and dedication to his passions.

He has experienced major setbacks and after being forced to give up a successful career as a pro football player because of reconstructive knee surgery, he became a successful leader in the mortgage industry.

During his successful career in the mortgage industry, he would face another setback—a market downturn and the mortgage meltdown. He lost everything, including his business, his home, his car, and his family. Rather than giving up, he dove deep into his passions and explored new opportunities. After nine months of hard work and research, he emerged as an expert in his field. Actually, many fields.

Diggs is now a Mind Mapping Master, combining his experience as a certified Life Coach and certified NLP Practitioner to help people live their best lives.

Links 

To learn more about Lead With Your Brand system, please visit: LeadWithyYourBrand.com

To book Jayzen for a speaking engagement or workshop at your company, visit: JayzenPatria.com

If you ever ask Jayzen for his best career advice, he’ll say “find a hole and fill it.”  That is, find where the need is in your organization or industry that matches your skills and talent and be the solution that everyone is looking for.  Jen Brown has built an incredible career doing just that. She is a 16-year veteran of NBCUniversal, where she most recently helped launch its streaming service, Peacock. While at NBCUniversal, she  never held a role that existed before she did it.  Tune in to hear her amazing career and personal brand story and career advice we can all learn from.

Plus, Jayzen talks about the importance of your core belief or mission statement that drives you and your brand forward regardless of the job you hold or the work you do. He shares his inspiration as the new Chair of the American Red Cross’ National Diversity Council and what you can learn about mission-delivery from America’s most-trusted non-profit brand. Plus, he shares the sage advice he received from a recent meeting with Dr. Bernice A. King, the CEO of the Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Non-Violence.

Guest Bio

Jen Brown

SVP of Programming and Content Strategy, Global Digital News & Streaming

BBC Studios

In her role, Jen  is responsible for the content strategy for BBC Studios’ digital news and factual platforms outside of the UK as the company doubles down to meet the increasing demand for its content in North America and around the world.

Jen Brown is a 16-year veteran of NBCUniversal, where she most recently helped launch its streaming service, Peacock. As Senior Vice President of Program Planning and Content Partnerships, she led planning across news, sports, TV, film and FAST channels. While at Peacock, she won an Emmy for Peacock’s coverage of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Previously, Jen Brown served as SVP, Strategic Initiatives, at NBCUniversal Digital Enterprises, a team tasked with accelerating digital growth across the company and overseeing NBCU’s digital investments. Jen Brown started her NBCUniversal career at NBC News where she led the digital transformation of the TODAY show as its General Manager and developed the role of SVP, Strategic content, which brought together brand, content and commercial programming for the NBC News Group.

Fun fact: While at NBCUniversal, Jen Brown is proud to have never held a role that existed before she did it.

Jen Brown is a graduate of Emory University, where she majored in International Studies and Journalism. She was a member of the Emory University Swimming and Diving Team as well as a member of Phi Beta Kappa. Jen Brown received a master’s degree in digital journalism from Columbia University. She started her professional career as a sports writer at the Asbury Park Press in New Jersey and worked at ABC News.

To bury the lead: Jen Brown is the mother of two daughters and married to Gust Hookanson. They live in Montclair, NJ, and spend as much of the summer as possible on her native Jersey Shore.

Links 

To learn more about Lead With Your Brand system, please visit: LeadWithyYourBrand.com

To book Jayzen for a speaking engagement or workshop at your company, visit: JayzenPatria.com

Building strong relationships has been the cornerstone of Johnny Collins’ success as a business leader in the title industry, and Jayzen is excited to share his message with the audience this week.  As a pioneer in his field, Collins made  history as the first Black person to land a seat on Texas Land and Title Association’s board, where he serves as Agent At-Large Director.  Johnny shares his wisdom and observations on the importance of creating space for feedback and much more.  

Be sure to listen to Jayzen’s personal branding insights this week through the eyes of Barbie!

Guest Bio

Johnny Collins

President

Community National Title

Successful business leader and philanthropist Johnny Collins, II is the president of Community National title, a successful full-service title agency in Dallas Fort Worth, TX. A forward thinking and passionate disruptor, and the son of a prominent real estate broker, he grew up in the business and carved his path in the title insurance industry.

Cultivating strong relationships afforded Collins to make history as the first Black person to land a seat on Texas Land and Title Association’s board, where he serves as Agent At-Large Director. “On one hand, I’m saddened to be the first. However, I’m also aware of the responsibility before me and I’m super excited about the opportunity to contribute to the industry on this level.” Besides developing relationships, putting people first and the power of legacy is important to Collins. He believes that when knowledge is shared and paid forward, the better off the title industry will be.

Although the title business has proven to be exciting and rewarding for Collins, he emphasizes, “Don’t make this walk by yourself, because the title business can be lonely if you don’t have internal relationships to help you along the way.”

An avid traveler, golfer and proud family man, Collins has been married to Grammy® nominated Toni Estes for 18 years. Both were driven and focused early, which explains their success. Estes’ career in entertainment started at three years old landing TV commercials. Collins was an excellent student, a successful collegiate athlete in track and field, and earned a spot in Texas Christian University’s (TCU) Hall of Fame. They have two children and live in Dallas Fort Worth, TX.

Links 

To learn more about Lead With Your Brand system, please visit: LeadWithyYourBrand.com

To book Jayzen for a speaking engagement or workshop at your company, visit: JayzenPatria.com

Jayzen is excited to welcome his friend, Jessica Abo, to the show.  With a 20 year career as a journalist working at some of the top outlets, Jessica now uses her talent to help physicians, experts, entrepreneurs, C-Suite executives, authors, and celebrities share their stories with the world.  She works with clients to prepare for an on-air interview, pitch new business, or deliver a keynote, helping each person to help them develop the confidence they need to be their best selves in front of the audience.  Most of us dread public speaking, and Jessica has the tips for all of us to move beyond the fear, even how we show up on zoom everyday.

Tune in to hear Jayzen’s insights on the importance of building and maintaining your network.  At the end of the day, your brand is really in service of the relationships and connections that you foster.  Continuing to nurture your network creates an army of advocates in your corner and can have a massive impact on your career.   

Guest Bio

Jessica Abo

Media Trainer and PR Expert

Jessica Abo is a sought-after media trainer and storytelling coach who uses her 20-plus years of journalism experience to help physicians, experts, entrepreneurs, C-Suite executives, authors, and celebrities share their stories with the world. Whether Jessica is helping her clients get ready to nail an on-air interview, pitch new business, or prepare for a keynote, she works with each person to help them develop the confidence they need to no longer fear or dread public speaking.

 Through her 1:1 coaching and workshops, Jessica breaks down the do's and don'ts when it comes to talking in soundbites, setting up your shot, pivoting, and pitching the press. By sharing her marketing tips, Jessica's clients leave her sessions with new ways to reach the masses and maximize their media exposure.

 An award-winning journalist herself, Jessica hosts her own weekly business segment on http://Entrepreneur.com and co-hosts the popular Startups in Stilettos podcast on the Entreprenista Network. Her debut book, Unfiltered: How To Be As Happy As You Look On Social Media, sold out on its first day and empowers readers with tools they can use to avoid falling into the compare-and-despair trap when they scroll online.

 Jessica started her public speaking career when she was 15 years old. Over the years, she has presented around the country including at TEDx, Facebook, Microsoft, Delta Airlines, WW, and the United Nations. Her speaking tours have taken her to hundreds of schools, colleges, universities, and nonprofits. She has been featured on The TODAY Show, Good Morning America, Access Hollywood, KTLA, CBS, FOX, and CNN as well as in Forbes, Fast Company, Women's Health, and more.

Links 

To learn more about Lead With Your Brand system, please visit: LeadWithyYourBrand.com

To book Jayzen for a speaking engagement or workshop at your company, visit: JayzenPatria.com

Jayzen is thrilled to welcome Scott Jefrey Miller to the show.  Scott is a Wall Street Journal best selling author and host of the FranklinCovey-sponsored podcast, On Leadership with Scott Miller. After twenty-five years with FranklinCovey as chief marketing officer and executive vice president, he currently serves as FranklinCovey's special advisor on thought leadership, leading the strategy, development, and publication of the firm’s bestselling books and thought leadership. 

Scott is a wealth of knowledge on how best to manage your career, mentorship and leadership with stories and insights we can all learn from.

Tune in to hear Jayzen’s key advice on how co-branding can help you make smart career decisions.  That is, does your brand fit with the company, department, team or boss that you want to work with?  Knowing your brand and being able to assess what fits or not is critical to career success.  

Guest Bio

Scott Jeffrey Miller

Bestselling Author & Host of the World’s Largest Weekly Leadership Podcast

Capping a twenty-five-year career in which he served as chief marketing officer and executive vice president, Scott Miller currently serves as FranklinCovey's special advisor on thought leadership, leading the strategy, development, and publication of the firm’s bestselling books and thought leadership. 

Miller hosts the FranklinCovey-sponsored On Leadership with Scott Miller, the world’s largest and fastest-growing weekly leadership podcast, reaching more than six million people. Miller also authors a leadership column for Inc.com, hosted the weekly iHeartRadio show Great Life, Great Career with Scott Miller, and hosts and moderates FranklinCovey’s Bookclub.com series with world-renowned authors. 

Miller is the author of the multivolume Mess to Success series, including Management Mess to Leadership Success: 30 Challenges to Become the Leader You Would Follow, Marketing Mess to Brand Success: 30 Challenges to Transform Your Organization’s Brand (and Your Own). He is the coauthor of the Wall Street Journal bestseller Everyone Deserves a Great Manager: The 6 Critical Practices for Leading a Team and the author of the Amazon #1 Bestseller Master Mentors: 30 Transformative Insights from Our Greatest Business Minds, which features insights from his interviews with the leading thinkers of our time, including Seth Godin, Susan Cain, General Stanley McChrystal, and many others. 

In addition to supporting FranklinCovey’s global thought leadership efforts, Miller has developed the ignite your genius™ coaching series to help leaders take their careers from accidental to deliberate. 

Prior to his roles as chief marketing officer and executive vice president of business development, Scott served as general manager and client partner in FranklinCovey’s Chicago and UK offices. As a highly sought-after speaker and podcast guest, he has presented to hundreds of audiences across every industry and loves to share his unique journey as an unfiltered leader thriving in today’s highly filtered corporate culture. 

Miller began his professional career in 1992 with the Disney Development Company (the real estate development division of Walt Disney Company) as a founding member of the development team that designed the town of Celebration, Florida. Miller and his wife live in Salt Lake City, Utah, with their three sons.

Links 

To learn more about Lead With Your Brand system, please visit: LeadWithyYourBrand.com

To book Jayzen for a speaking engagement or workshop at your company, visit: JayzenPatria.com