My guest today is the one and only Mark Graham; Founder & CEO of commonsku - a software company specifically designed for the promotional products industry.  During our fun conversation Mark and I discuss everything from building communities to building connections. Other topics we cover include: The value of story telling How to give people a reason to buy from you When to incorporate a mascot into your branding And so much more! I really enjoyed this conversation and I hope you do...

My guest today is Seth Godin - THE branding guru and renown author of 21 international bestsellers. His books have been translated into 38 languages and include Tribes, Purple Cow (one of my favourites) Linchpin, The Dip and This Is Marketing, just to name a few. His latest book “The Song Of Significance - a new manifesto for teams” is out now. Seth also writes one of the most popular marketing blogs in the world, and two of his Ted Talks are the most popular of all time! During our fun...

My guest today is Irina Sidorina; Head of Creativity at CANVA - a 3 billion dollar company that has disrupted the design industry as we know it. During our conversation we cover everything from creating a brand to creating magic. Other topics include: The importance of having a strong cultureHow CANVA gives you simple tools to be more creativeWhy consistency builds trust with your brandI hope you enjoy our conversation as much as I did, and hopefully you learn a few things to help you with...

My guest today is Jeremy Picker, Founder and Creative Director of AMB3R Creative - a fashion-forward business focused on bringing fashion to the people.   Jeremy's also the co-founder of ÉSTAINE, a company that designs luxurious accessories and apparel to help raise funds and awareness for cancer research. Which you'll discover, is a cause near and dear to Jeremy's heart. Most recently, Jeremy was ranked #1 on PPAI’s Online 18 for 2023 - The Best Promo Pros on Social Media.  During our...

My guest today is Darren Bondar, Founder of Spiritleaf - Canada's largest recreational cannabis brand, which he sold in May of 2021 for $131 million dollars. Not one to sit still, it didn't take long for Darren to start a new company called HEMPALTA - an agricultural technology company focused on innovative hemp processing and product creation.  During our fun conversation, we cover everything from building brands to building exit strategies. Other topics we cover include: Why it's so...

My guest today is Kevin Maney - a bestselling author, award-winning columnist and Founding Partner at CTA- a consultancy that helps investors, startups and Fortune 500s become category leaders. Kevin’s critically-acclaimed book Play Bigger, introduces business to the idea of category design and has sold more than 150,000 copies worldwide. During our conversation we discuss everything from creating a new brand to creating a new business category. Other topics include: The value of dominant...

My guest today is Diane Young, the CEO and Co-founder of The Drum - a leading global publisher for the marketing and media industries. During our conversation we cover everything from learning about good marketing to learning from your mother. Other topics include: The difference between branding and marketing Things you can do to  become a better leader How to sell value to your clients Why self-promotion is important for building your brand I hope you enjoy our conversation and...

My guest today is Jessica Janzen, the Co-Founder of The Love for Lewiston Foundation - a charity focused on treatments and finding a cure for Spinal Muscular Atrophy. Jessica is an advocate for rare diseases, mental health, women empowerment and most of all joy. She’s also a Keynote Speaker, Author and Coach. During our conversation we cover everything from pity parties to policy changes. Other topics include: How to use pain as rocket fuel for change The importance of grit when creating a...

My guest today is Megan Golightly, the CEO & Founder of GoSimplified - a professional organizing business that changes lives by changing environments. During our fun conversation we cover everything from building a brand to building connections with celebrity clients. Other topics include: Why it’s great to reinvent yourself How fear cripples us Why it’s important to ask lots of questions The value of brand advocates How to make your clients the hero in your story What it takes to rise...

My guest today is Dr. April Elliott  - an award-winning medical doctor, executive coach, consultant, writer, and speaker.  Dr. Elliott has been the Section Head (and program founder) of Adolescent and Emerging Adult health in a leading Canadian hospital for the past 21 years. And last, but definitely not least, I am proud to say she is one of my oldest (in years not age) and dearest friends. During our conversation we cover everything from working with adolescents to working on your...

On today’s episode of Branding Matters I’m sitting down with world-renowned comedien Kevin Bozeman.  You might recognize the name, as Kevin was a semi-finalist on NBC’s “Last Comic Standing”.  He has also appeared on Comedy Central, NBC, CBS and FOX. During our fun conversation we cover everything from parenthood to cancel culture. Other topics we discuss include: How speaking your truth makes you more relatable Why it’s important to be be flexible  The value of pushing boundaries  How to...

My guest today is Lavender Morantz - Bestselling author, international TEDx speaker, successful business woman and proud mama to two spirited daughters.  During her 20 year career, Lavender has founded multiple start-ups. She’s also a certified nutrition and wellness specialist who educates children and families about the importance of the mind, body, and soul connection. One way she does this is through her latest project which is a collection of children’s books she wrote and illustrated,...

My guest today is Adam Rodricks - an award winning keynote speaker & bestselling author who is known as Canada's top expert at growing brands through digital marketing & social media.  Adam is also the best-selling author of Trigger Fingers (#1 on Amazon in 5 categories) And his work as a social media influencer has been featured on CBC, CTV, Yahoo, BNN, and nintendo.ca just to name a few. I invited Adam to be a guest on my show to talk about branding on social - specifically...

On today's show we talk about what it means to get NAKED. That is, Emotionally naked! My guest is William Branum - a Navy SEAL veteran who shares how the challenges of military training helped him change his life by changing his mindset and how he has turned this mindset into a business.  William talks about why is it important to have a purpose when building a brand, and how exposing your fears is one of the best ways to conquer them. We also touch on the importance of branded merchandise in...

In celebration of Giving Tuesday I'm taking this opportunity to ask for your help! Last month I entered the International Fab Over 40 competition and I'm excited to share I've made it to the 1/4 finals! If I win, I’m donating $10,000 to GEMS FOR GEMS - a charity I’m involved with that helps victims of domestic abuse get back on their feet. And recently, I found out that through the Gem’s scholarship program, the Esthetic Institute will match my donation - making it $𝟐𝟎,𝟎𝟎𝟎! This would mean...

Today we are talking about Instagram and Reels! The transition to video-focused content on social media platforms has been a big change for a lot of brands. My guest has all the tips on how to keep your brand authentic through this content transition. Meet Stephanie Rose, Creative Director & Founder of Westrose Media - a photography/videography company that helps entrepreneurs and business owners revolutionize their brand. Genumark 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗼𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗼𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝗕𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗠𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀. From...

In this episode of Branding Matters, I sit down with 2 people I used to watch every morning on TV. They are Dave Kelly & Tara McCool, and the shows I’m referring are ‘The Big Breakfast’ and ‘Breakfast Television’. Today Tara is the Chief People Officer at Foundation Auto. She’s also the co-host of Calgary Next - a popular podcast that discusses the exciting and forward-looking programs and initiatives in Calgary. Dave is a writer, producer, MC and the co-founder of Kelly Brothers...

My guest today is Suzie Yorke - the Founder and CEO of Love Good Fats  - the #1 Top Growing company in Canada in 2021 in Globe & Mail Report on Business. A former triathlete, Suzie created this delicious line of snacks so North Americans could eat and enjoy "good fats" on the go.  And in just over 3 years, her rocket ship food start-up exceeded $100mil in revenue. I invited Suzie to be a guest on my show to talk about her mission. I wanted to learn why a single mom with a well-paying...

My guest today is Paddy Gilmore - the Founder of Studio Gilmore. Paddy is known around the world as “The Humour Consultant” because he helps brands use humour as a way to become more profitable. With more than 20 years experience in advertising, and a Master’s degree investigating humour, Paddy has worked with numerous brands including Barclays, Three, Epson and Getty Images just to name a few. I invited Paddy to be a guest in my show to talk about the role humour plays in branding. I wanted...

My guest today is Shama Hyder, the CEO of Zen Media – a global marketing and digital PR firm.  Shama is known around the world as  “a visionary strategist for the digital age”.  She’s a web and TV personality, a bestselling author, and has been named the “Zen Master of Marketing” by Entrepreneur Magazine and the “Millennial Master of the Universe” by FastCompany.com. And as if that’s not impressive enough, Shama has also been honoured at both the White House and The United Nations as one of...

My guest today is Margaret Glover Campbell, COO of Virtual Gurus - the largest and most trusted virtual assistant marketplace in North America. What began as a small start-up in 2016, has skyrocketed into an award-winning business that puts diversity and inclusion at the forefront of everything they do. A self-confessed science and ‘technology-geek’, Margaret has built some of North America’s most phenomenal, high-performing teams, and has worked closely with development groups to build...

My guest today is Alan Weiss - one of the world's most highly sought-after consultancy experts. Alan's impressive list of clients include such well-known brands as Mercedes-Benz, Merck, Hewlett-Packard, New York Times and over 200 others.  Alan is also a best-selling author of 64 books. One his most famous books - “Million Dollar Consulting” - has been through five editions and appears in 12 languages around the world. I invited Alan to be a guest on my show to discuss how to build a thriving...

My guest today is Carrie Schiffler - the author of the new book “From The Corner of Bad And Ass”. As an actor who writes and a writer who acts, Carrie is best known for her critically acclaimed, one women show called Tabitha; A Girl and Her Box, which was produced by Ground Zero Theatre in Calgary, Alberta Canada. Carrie received an honourable mention for ‘Lemon Opera’ in Lorian Hemingway’s short story contest. And her first collection of poetry, Umbilicus - earned myriad positive reviews as...

My guest today is Bobby Lehew the Chief Content Officer at commonsku. As an industry leader, Bobby has won multiple PPAI - Promotional Products Association International awards.  And, as a former distributor, he ranked three times on Inc. Magazine’s fastest growing private companies in the U.S. Bobby has also appeared on Dale Denham’s #Online18 - a list of the promo industry’s most Influential Social Media Voices. Bobby also co-hosts a podcast with Mark Graham called skucast - the  #1...

My guest today is Amanda Russell, an award-winning brand strategist, author, keynote speaker, Olympic-level runner and former model. She’s a PhD who has taught at some of the top schools in the world, including Northwestern University - Kellogg School of Management, London Business School, Harvard Business School, The Wharton School and Stockholm Business School. Amanda is also an advisor to top global brands including Automobili Lamborghini S.p.A.  Cedars-Sinai International and Lionsgate...