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Declan Edwards is widely known as that happiness guy and as a thought leader in the space of positive psychology, employee experience, and personal development. As the founder of BU Happiness College, a social enterprise dedicated to helping individuals and organisations build the skills of happiness, Declan has built a strong personal brand by standing at the intersection of science, storytelling, and social impact.

With a Master’s degree in Applied Positive Psychology and a background in health, Declan has grown his influence as a trusted voice in the personal development space; speaking on stages including TEDx, consulting with leading organisations, and amassing a loyal online following of purpose-driven professionals. His work has shown that happiness is not a fluffy ideal, but a measurable and learnable skill that drives meaningful results in both life and leadership.

Through intentional personal branding, Declan has not only elevated his voice but also used it to amplify a movement that is changing the way we think about success, leadership, and happiness in the modern world.

In this wildly refreshing episode, we sit down with Declan Edwards — a.k.a. The Happiness Guy, founder of BU Happiness College, TEDx speaker, and passionate fruit hater. You need to listen to what fruit it is.

We unpack everything from emotional branding to joy, with a detour into vegetable trauma, and why "happiness" desperately needs a better PR team.

✨ Who should listen:

• Brand builders, creatives, and business owners looking for a new emotional lens
• People in culture and hr
• Anyone obsessed with how psychology meets marketing
• Tomato lovers (consider this a warning)

Links:

- Subscribe to Declan's Podcast "How to Be Happy" on SPOTIFY: https://open.spotify.com/show/0zriwga04Rl0pbjFuDF6Hl?si=1361a39f296e4b60

- Subscribe to Declan's Podcast "How to Be Happy" on APPLE PODCASTS: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/how-to-be-happy/id1361238593

- Join the waitlist for Declan's upcoming book: https://s.pointerpro.com/bookwaitlist

Website: www.declanjedwards.com

BU Happiness College: buhappinesscollege.com

LinkedIn: @declanjedwards

Hit play to find out why building a happier brand might be the most strategic thing you do!

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Kerri-Ann Hooper on Building Smarter: Contracts, Cash Flow & Calling BS on Industry Norms

This episode is for anyone who's ever looked at a building contract and thought: Wait, where did that charge come from?
I’m joined by Kerri-Ann Hooper — straight-talker, industry shaker, and founder of a building company doing things differently.

We get into:

• The sneaky stuff hidden in building contracts (and how to spot it)
• Why COVID didn’t just shake up timelines — it reshaped trust
• What real estate taught her about branding, perception, and backing yourself
• How social media actually works for builders (hint: it’s not just before-and-after shots)
• And why building a brand with intention matters just as much as bricks and mortar

Kerri-Ann’s story is packed with real-life lessons — from overcoming financial hits to navigating unrealistic design expectations and championing transparency in an industry that’s not known for it.

Whether you’re in the game or on the tools, this convo is a blueprint for building better — businesses, brands, and homes.

Episode Highlights:
00:00 – Office Christmas Party Recap
00:57 – Meet Kerri-Ann: A Disruptor with Purpose
01:40 – Making Waves at a Networking Event
02:23 – Branding That’s Built to Last
07:44 – Real Talk on Industry Challenges
13:12 – The COVID Fallout
16:05 – Resilience in Action
22:01 – The Block vs. Reality
24:30 – Champagne Tastes on a Bunnings Budget
24:50 – Picking Colours That Rent, Not Just Impress
26:02 – How TV Trends Skew Real Life
27:43 – What’s Next for the Aussie Building Scene
28:50 – Energy Efficiency & Government Red Tape
29:48 – Prefab Homes and Smarter Living
30:29 – Why the Housing Crisis Isn’t Just About Houses
35:59 – Relationship-Driven Business
41:24 – How to Nail Social Media When You’re in the Trade
45:25 – Wrap-Up & Takeaways

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In this conversation, Martin Sully addresses the question of how to maintain a unified brand identity and consistent message for a two-sided marketplace with two target markets. He suggests creating personas for each target market and gathering information about their demographics, interests, and problems. By integrating this information with the brand values and message, it is possible to create content that resonates with both target markets. The key is to use language that is simple and free of jargon. The brand identity should remain consistent, but specific pages or landing pages can be created to address the different needs of each target market.

Key Takeaways

• Create personas for each target market to gather information about their demographics, interests, and problems.
• Integrate the gathered information with the brand values and message to create content that resonates with both target markets.
• Use language that is simple and free of jargon to ensure the message is understood by both target markets.
• Maintain a consistent brand identity while creating specific pages or landing pages to address the different needs of each target market.

Need to better understand your target audience? Read our blog post: Attracting Dream Customers and Repelling Customers

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Brand guidelines are the most important document for a business, as they control and maintain consistency in branding. They can go deep and include strategy, tone of voice, and messaging. Even small businesses should have brand guidelines to guide their brand identity. Not having brand guidelines can lead to issues like inconsistent colors and messaging. Brand guidelines help document and communicate shifts in target markets and prevent confusion. While it's not necessary to outline every detail initially, the minimum for brand guidelines is logos, fonts, and colours.

Key Takeaways

• Brand guidelines are essential for maintaining consistency in branding.
• They can include strategy, tone of voice, and messaging.
• Even small businesses should have brand guidelines.
• Not having brand guidelines can lead to issues like inconsistent colors and messaging.
• Brand guidelines help document and communicate shifts in target markets.
• The minimum for brand guidelines is logos, fonts, and colours.

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In this episode, Martin Sully discusses how to maintain a brand's tone of voice. He explains the difference between brand voice and tone of voice, and emphasizes the importance of aligning the brand voice with the company's mission, values, and target audience. Martin also suggests creating a written style guide to maintain consistency in communication. He advises auditing past content to ensure it aligns with the brand's tone of voice and highlights the significance of authenticity in influencing purchase decisions.

Key Takeaways

• Brand voice and tone of voice are two separate things, with brand voice being consistent and tone adjusting based on the audience's emotional state.
• Align the brand voice with the company's mission, values, and target audience.
• Create a written style guide to provide guidance on communication.
• Audit past content to ensure consistency in tone of voice.
• Authenticity influences purchase decisions and builds stronger connections with customers.

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The conversation revolves around the importance of paying attention to the little details in business, particularly when it comes to aligning values with execution. The host shares a personal anecdote about a company he met that focused on renewable energy but had plastic-coated business cards, highlighting the disconnect between their values and their actions. The main takeaway is that every little detail matters, especially when trying to achieve sustainability goals or B Corp registration.

Key Takeaways

• Paying attention to the little details is crucial in business
• Aligning values with execution is important
• Every little detail matters, especially when it comes to sustainability
• B Corp registration requires attention to detail

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Martin Sully discusses the importance of networking and building a personal brand. He emphasizes the need to connect with people both online and offline, and highlights the value of real-life conversations. He also shares his experience with starting a networking group called Chatterbox and the benefits it brings to businesses. He encourages small wins and offers advice on creating content and building a personal brand.


Key Takeaways

• Networking is crucial for building a personal brand and expanding your reach.
• Engaging in real-life conversations with people can provide valuable insights and help in building relationships.
• Starting a networking group can be beneficial for businesses of all sizes.
• Creating content and building a personal brand requires consistency and finding a balance between polished and behind-the-scenes content.

Visit the Snapper Studio Branding Agency website

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• Personal branding on LinkedIn involves creating a clear and compelling profile that addresses the pain points of your target audience.
• Listening to customers and understanding their needs is crucial for creating effective marketing content.
• AI can be a useful tool for brainstorming and generating new ideas, but it should not replace the human touch in content creation.
• Living and working in different countries can be challenging but also rewarding, providing opportunities for personal and professional growth.
• Running a business and managing stress can be challenging, especially with young children.
• A LinkedIn profile should be iconic, clear, and focused on the target audience's pain points.
• Using documents and carousels on LinkedIn can showcase expertise and engage viewers.
• Branding encompasses the long-term strategy of a business, while marketing focuses on spreading brand awareness and making sales.
• Creating scalable offerings can help diversify and expand a business.

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We're back from Christmas with a proper guest – Rebecca McCutcheon is the Managing Director of Fit Test Australia (FTA), a company that specialises in respiratory safety.

We dcusses her business's growth and how vital it is to learn from mistakes, uphold strong values, and maintain authenticity in both personal and business branding.

FTA have a mission to enhance people's health, and have just added new services such as spirometry, audiometry, and ear fit testing.

Bek emphasises the importance of ongoing employee development, adherence to core company values, and overcoming obstacles in business.

If you want to connect up with her – jump on her website – Fit Test Australia or reach out to her on LinkedIn.

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In this episode, we discuss the importance of Search Engine Optimization (SEO) in brand building. 

And, although SEO can be confusing and expensive, it offers long-term benefits that outshine short-term marketing strategies like influencer marketing, which can be unpredictable and less controllable. 

SEO should be a key component of any brand's website/marketing strategy and recommends integrating it with brand building to foster trust among consumers and eventually increase sales. 

I have Remy Audette, from Sunday Best lined up to go into more detail on mixing brand strategy and SEO together to help grow your business.

00:00 Introduction and Rekindling Love for Website

00:48 Introduction to the Level Up Podcast

01:20 Understanding SEO and Its Importance

03:09 The Role of Luck in SEO Success

04:08 The Value of SEO vs Influencer Marketing

05:21 The Risks of Relying on Social Media Platforms

06:07 Integrating SEO into Your Brand Strategy

06:48 Building Trust and Confidence through SEO