This week, Tara welcomes the multi-talented Rachael Kay Albers. Rachael is not just a creative director and brand strategist, but also a comedian, actor, self-described "brand strategist gone wild" and the host of the podcast "Marketing Muckraking.”

Rachael's approach to branding is playful, experimental, and deeply insightful. She's interested in understanding the effects of brand culture and marketing on society and humanity. Rachael explains that a brand is more than just a logo or a tagline. It's a memory that lives in the minds of its audience, consisting of expectations, experiences, memories, and reputation. She emphasizes that consistency and predictability are key to curating a specific memory in the audience's mind.

Rachael delves into the concept of personal branding, which has exploded in recent years, especially on social media platforms like Instagram, TikTok and even LinkedIn. She discusses the two extremes of personal branding - the pressure to present oneself as a curated, predictable, and dependable person, and the trend of embracing vulnerability and authenticity by sharing one's deepest pain and imperfections. According to her, true authenticity lies somewhere in the middle, where individuals can be themselves without manufacturing pain or presenting a perfect persona.

The conversation also touches on the influence of personal brands on children, particularly with the rise of youth influencers and unboxing videos. Rachael expresses concern about the blurred lines between entertainment and advertising for children on YouTube and the need for parents to help their kids navigate this new age of personal branding.

She encourages us to step back into our own reality and reclaim our humanness instead of getting caught up in the illusion of the branded world.

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