The Story of a Brand Show

In this special "Brand Communication" episode we interview communication expert and Founder & President of The Silver Telegram, Ronjini Joshua.  Ramon Vela and Ronjini some of the most pressing communication/public relations challenges facing brands, startups, and tech companies. 

  Together they discuss: How should brands communicate to their audiences, Creating your overall brand voice, Can you control the customers perception of the brand, Is there a wrong time to us Public Relations, PR mistakes that brands make, Why you need a Crisis plan, Consider your community's feedback and sensibilities, why building community is the Holy Grail for brands, Mistakes that brands make when crowdfunding, Why you should build community before you crowdfund,  and much much more.  Join us as we interview Ronjini Joshua in Part 1 of this episode and hear her share the inside story of a brand.  For more on The Silver Telegram visit: https://thesilvertelegram.com/   Visit our advertiser: https://www.privy.com/cf Visit our advertiser: https://churnbuster.io/pod Visit our Sponsor: https://www.retentionscience.com

In Part 2 of this feature, Chris Raih, Founder & President of Zambezi, continues the conversation about entrepreneurship, building brand that emotionally connects with its customers, and what are the common "super" power traits that successful brands. Ramon Vela and Chris discuss the moments in an entrepreneur's life that can change the direction of the future, how to maintain sanity while building your business, a recipe you can use to build a successful brand, how to brands lose direction in their values, how brands build love with how they communicate, challenger brands that are doing it right such as Third Love, and how to make your "Why" the core of brand message and company direction.  Join us while Ramon Vela interviews Chris Raih in Part 1 of this episode and hear him share the inside story of a brand.  For more on Zambezi visit: https://zambezi-la.com/ Visit our advertiser: Privy https://www.privy.com/cf Visit our advertiser: Churn Buster https://churnbuster.io/pod Visit our Sponsor: Retention Science https://www.retentionscience.com

For Chris Raih, Founder & President of Zambezi, the financial disaster of 2008 changed things for brands. Not only did it cause a recession of trust with institutions, banks, politicians, etc., but it changed what people expect from Brands. As he puts it, “Brands are the New Elected Officials”.   In Part 1 of this feature, Chris shares with us the concepts and ideas that have made Zambezi successful. We cover: What is the Super Power of Brands and how should they use that power, How customer loyalty can transcend reason, Why community is the secret sauce, Why a brand is either be a Pimp or a Patron (and why being a pimp is no good) and examples of each including Venmo vs. Neo-Nazis case study, Auto Trader and the Environment case study, Why Brands are the New Elected Officials where customers vote every day at the cash register and why brands have and must stand for something. Lastly, he shares some insider stories on how the Nike "Just Do It" slogan was developed and the most classic "Entrepreneur-near-disaster" story that anyone who has ever run a business will relate to and understand.   Join us while Ramon Vela interviews Chris Raih in Part 1 of this episode and hear him share the inside story of a brand.  For more on Zambezi visit: https://zambezi-la.com/   Visit our advertiser: https://www.privy.com/cf Visit our advertiser: https://churnbuster.io/pod Visit our Sponsor: https://www.retentionscience.com

In Part 2 of this feature, Gigi Goldman, Co-Founder of Kopari Beauty continue the conversation about entrepreneurship, the consumer, and Kopari. Ramon Vela and Gigi discuss: why consumers deserve trust, why Kopari wants to be where the customer is, her 360 degree approach to her brand marketing, Her vision, Kopari Popups - when & where, Why you should always stick to your brand pillars, why there is room for both premium brands and Amazon, what questions you should always ask the consumer, why selling products through retailers is a good idea, Kopari partnerships, what are her best selling products & why, and what keeps her up at night. Listen while Ramon Vela interviews Gigi Goldman in Part 2 of this episode and hear Gigi share the inside story of a brand.  For more on Kopari Beauty visit:  https://koparibeauty.com/ Visit our advertiser: https://www.holidaycbd.com/ Visit our advertiser: https://www.privy.com/cf Visit our Sponsor: https://www.retentionscience.com/

When Gigi Goldman, Co-Founder of Kopari Beauty, started the business with her co-founders, they planted a flag. They decided that the core of the business was going to be about two things: planting their flag on using coconuts as their essential ingredient and two, making products that were clean or "clean beauty". However, what really made them successful was that Kopari is not just about products, it's so much more. 

In Part 1 of this feature, Gigi takes us from how they started Kopari, the challenges along the way and so much more. Gigi shares how they give back by helping to build houses for the farmers who grow their coconuts, why it's important for them to give people a transportive experience, why their products spa demographics and generations, why people connected to their brand via their content, packaging, and the simplicity & cleanness of the product, and how it's really about wellness from the inside and out. Gigi also shares entrepreneurial insights such as 'had they known" the challenges they may not have started Kopari, how being adaptable and flexible is key to success, the role gratefulness, mindfulness and meditation play in her life, and how being married to your co-founder, raising your kids, and running Kopari is challenging and the tools she uses to make it work.

  Listen while Ramon Vela interviews Gigi Goldman in Part 1 of this 2 Part episode and hear Gigi share the inside story of a brand.  For more on Kopari Beauty visit:  https://koparibeauty.com/ Visit our advertiser: https://www.holidaycbd.com/ Visit our advertiser: https://www.privy.com/cf Visit our Sponsor: https://www.retentionscience.com/

In Part 2 of this 2 part episode, Gary Penn, Global Vice President of Digital & e-Commerce for Nixon, continues the conversation about the present and future of e-commerce.  Ramon Vela and Gary discuss: the high expectations of consumers and how Amazon ruined it for us, Layaway payment concept, like Klarna, and why they may be a game-changer in e-commerce, the Nixon goal of creating a great customer experience, trends in e-commerce including mobile, biometrics AR, VR, the 3 barriers for online vs. retail store, Consumer research, the Future of e-commerce, the Adobe/Magento strategy and will it work?, Gary on AI and creating the 360 view of the customer and what is necessary to make it work. 

Listen while Ramon Vela interviews Gary Penn and hear Gary share the inside story of a brand.  For more on Nixon, Inc. visit:  https://www.nixon.com/us/en Visit our advertiser: https://www.holidaycbd.com/ Visit our advertiser: https://www.privy.com/cf Visit our Sponsor: https://www.retentionscience.com/

In today's episode, Gary Penn, Global Vice President of Digital & e-Commerce for Nixon, join's us for a lively conversation about all things e-commerce & digital as well as giving us some insight on Nixon's products, partnerships, Collabs, and digital direction.  In Part 1 of this feature, Gary is going to share their collab with Metallica, their influencer strategy and why they prefer real authentic fans, how their brand message is not based on demographics, why they prefer that the message is driven by customers and fans, Social & mobile commerce, dealing with Global e-commerce and marketing across the globe, the benefits that Amazon has brought to retail & e-commerce industry, and why Amazon reviews and service features are scary and what premium brands can do about it.  Listen while Ramon Vela interviews Gary Penn in Part 1 of this 2 Part episode and hear Gary share the inside story of a brand.  For more on Nixon, Inc. visit:  https://www.nixon.com/us/en

  Visit our advertiser: https://www.holidaycbd.com/ Visit our advertiser: https://www.privy.com/cf Visit our Sponsor: https://www.retentionscience.com/

When working with her team to develop new products, there are two questions that Rose Fernandez, CEO of Algenist ask, "How is this product going to change the customer's life and How is it going to be compelling to the customer"? These are the types of questions any business should be asking. However, for Algenist, answering those questions with performance-based products is the #1 reason customer's buy and that reason is Trust. As Rose says it, "promise and then deliver on that promise, is the surest way to build trust with your customer". Do that and they will buy again and again and again. In Part 2 of this feature, Rose shares with us the questions and philosophy around building trust with a customer and why it has made Algenist who it is today. She also shares why "being zen and staying connected and present" helps with your leadership (and stress), how to find positive influence everywhere around you, why her two children and four boxers are the best leadership training, and what new product categories are in store for Algenist.  Listen while Ramon Vela interviews Rose Fernandez in Part 2 of this 2 Part episode and hear Rose share the inside story of a brand.  For more on Algenist visit:  https://www.algenist.com/story Visit our advertiser: https://www.holidaycbd.com/ Visit our advertiser: https://www.privy.com/cf Visit our Sponsor: https://www.retentionscience.com/

For Rose Fernandez, her journey from working the counter at a department store to CEO of Algenist is a classic success story. However, if you would have asked her as a little girl if she wanted to grow up to be a CEO the answer would have been "NO".  At the time, she simply didn't have any role models. That changed as she rose through the ranks of different brands within the beauty industry, noticing that many of the leadership were strong women. These many years later, she's now doing the inspiring at Algenist, an innovative, performance-driven skincare company. In Part 1 of this feature, Rose shares with us why Algenist is different from other Skin Care companies and the origins of its now-famous "10-day claim".  She also shares her experiences growing up in Whittier, California to a single mother and a working-class family and her advice to others in the beauty industry.  Listen while Ramon Vela interviews Rose Fernandez in Part 1 of this 2 Part episode and hear Rose share the inside story of a brand.  Get a 20% Discount, visit:  https://www.algenist.com/story   Visit our advertiser: https://www.holidaycbd.com/ Visit our advertiser: https://www.privy.com/cf Visit our Sponsor: https://www.retentionscience.com/

For Divya Gugnani, CEO & Co-Founder of Wander Beauty, growing up in a traditional family, she wasn't expected to go to college or have a job or live on her own outside of marriage or even take risks of any sort. Like many young girls and women, who still confront these same cultural barriers, she did not have any role models to emulate. But that didn't stop her. Instead, she used the lack of role models as an inspiration to reach for more. 

In Part 2 of this feature, Divya shares how she overcame cultural barriers, how she creatively landed her investment banking job out of college, how to overcome the barriers that women face when raising capital in a male-dominated VC environment, how mindset is 90% of the battle to success, how you have to create your future and own the goals and dreams that you want and how real everyday women inspired her to co-found Wander and how they continually inspire her to bring new products and new concepts to market.  Listen while Ramon Vela interviews Divya Gugnani in Part 2 of this 2 Part episode and hear Divya share the inside story of a brand.  For more on Wander Beauty visit:  https://www.wanderbeauty.com Visit our advertiser: https://www.holidaycbd.com/ Visit our advertiser: https://www.privy.com/cf Visit our Sponsor: https://www.retentionscience.com/