So the question becomes,” What is actually getting in your way?”

For many of us, it’s not the market, the role, or the timing. It’s the self-limiting beliefs we’ve built over time the ones that helped us succeed early on, but may now be holding us back.

Jayzen shares a personal story about how his belief that he needed to “be the best” helped him stand out and accelerate early in his career. But as he moved into leadership, that same belief created friction, driving competition over collaboration and limiting his ability to lead effectively.

The breakthrough came from shifting that belief, from needing to be the best to focusing on being excellent and helping others be excellent too. Because the mindset that helps you survive one stage of your career is not always the one that will help you thrive in the next.

Key Takeaways from Jayzen’s Teach:

• Your mindset drives your career strategy, not the other way around
• The beliefs that helped you succeed early in your career can become barriers later
• Self-limiting beliefs often show up as habits or patterns you don’t question
• Growth requires identifying those beliefs and intentionally rewriting them

In this episode, Jayzen sits down with Anya Cheng, Founder and CEO of Taelor, an AI-powered styling platform helping professionals show up with confidence without the time, effort, or stress of managing their wardrobe.

Anya’s journey is a powerful example of building a career by creating opportunities instead of waiting for them. After moving to the United States from Taiwan and graduating during the 2008 recession, she had no network and no clear path forward. Instead, she built one, reaching out to hundreds of people, finding ways into rooms she wasn’t invited to, and consistently asking for opportunities.

That persistence led her to leadership roles across major brands, including Target, eBay, McDonald’s, and Meta, where she helped launch Facebook and Instagram Shopping. Today, she is a venture-backed founder building at the intersection of AI, personal branding, and how people show up in their daily lives.

This episode is a reminder that your next breakthrough doesn’t come from trying to be everything to everyone. It comes from understanding what makes you distinct and building from there.

Guest Bio

Anya Cheng,  Founder and CEO of Taelor

Anya Cheng is the Founder & CEO of Taelor, an AI-powered men's clothing subscription service promoting sustainable fashion. A Silicon Valley entrepreneur, she has been recognized among "Girls in Tech 40 Under 40" for her expertise in tech product management and marketing.

Anya played a pivotal role in launching Facebook and Instagram Shopping at Meta, led new business expansion at eBay, and helped grow McDonald’s global food delivery. She also shaped Target’s mobile commerce and has led teams in AI, eCommerce product management, and marketing across Fortune 500 companies.

Anya’s award-winning venture, Taelor AI, was named one of the Bay Area’s Most Innovative Startups to Watch by Business Journal and is backed by early investors in NVIDIA, TikTok, Facebook, Lyft, and Spotify. 

Anya’s work has earned her 30+ prestigious tech and marketing awards. A best-selling author and two-time TEDx speaker, she teaches at Northwestern University and is a popular keynote speaker worldwide. She holds a Master’s in Integrated Marketing Communications from Northwestern University and an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.

Links 

To book Jayzen for a speaking engagement or workshop, visit Jayzenpatria.com

Check out Taelor with these deals!

Taelor: Get 25% OFF your first month of men's clothing subscription.

Use code: PODCAST25

Sign up at: https://taelor.style/pages/membership

Armoire: Get 50% OFF your first month of women's clothing subscription.

Use code: ArmoirexTaelor

Sign up at: https://www.armoire.style/refer/ArmoirexTaelor

Taelor Gift Cards: Get 10% OFF

Use code: PODCASTGIFT

Purchase at: https://taelor.style/products/menswear-rental-gift-card

He introduces one of his most practical pieces of career advice: “Find a hole and fill it.” Instead of chasing the perfect job or waiting for the right moment, Jayzen encourages you to focus on where you can create value right now. By identifying the real needs of your organization, your clients, and your industry and aligning them with your strengths and passions, you position yourself for your next breakthrough. He also reinforces that your career is not about perfection, but about a series of intentional choices, trade-offs, and moves that build momentum over time.

Tune in to learn how to navigate uncertainty with confidence, take ownership of your career direction, and ensure your brand is defined by the value you deliver, not just the work you do.

Key Takeaways:

• Don’t wait for the storm to pass. Moments of uncertainty are where breakthroughs happen.
• “Find a hole and fill it.” Focus on solving meaningful problems that create real value.
• Your brand is not about you—it’s about the value and service you provide to others.
• There is no perfect job. Focus on the right next step that moves your career forward.
• The strongest opportunities sit at the intersection of your talents, passions, and organizational needs.
• Readiness matters. Being prepared allows you to act when opportunity shows up.
• Career growth is a series of choices and trade-offs—be intentional about each move.

The episode then transitions into an inspiring conversation with Christine Escribano, Founder and Chief Design Officer of Cherry Home Designs. After a 30-year career in media, including leadership roles at NBCUniversal, Christine shares how she made a bold pivot from corporate executive to creative entrepreneur. What started as a side hustle evolved into a thriving business rooted in storytelling, design, and personal expression.

Christine’s journey brings Jayzen’s message to life—demonstrating how small, intentional moves, continuous learning, and a willingness to follow both passion and opportunity can lead to meaningful reinvention. From embracing her authentic, “edgy” brand to learning how to balance fearlessness with compassion, her story is a powerful reminder that your next chapter doesn’t require a perfect plan—just the courage to take the next step.

Guest Bio

Christine Escribano

Founder & Chief Design Officer

Cherry Home Designs LLC 

Christine is an award-winning marketer, writer, and interior designer whose work is rooted in storytelling. Before launching Cherry Home Designs, Christine spent over 30 years shaping some of the most recognizable media brands in the world. She began her career at McCann Erickson as a media buyer,

before transitioning into marketing at Time Inc., where she worked across the iconic People portfolio—including Teen People, People, and People en Español. She later joined Telemundo as Head of Integrated and B2B Marketing, and went on to serve most recently, as SVP at NBCUniversal, where she built and led a 60-person integrated marketing team across a dynamic portfolio of brands.

After decades of building stories for others, a COVID-era reset sparked a pivotal shift—one that led Christine to pursue her lifelong creative calling in furniture artistry and interior design. Today, she is known for her ability to translate a client’s life into a deeply personal design experience—creating spaces that reflect not just how people live, but who they are. Christine believes personalized design is an art—one that should feel collected, meaningful, and livable, never overdone or untouchable. Her work centers around helping clients reimagine their homes to reflect a life well-lived. With a passion for sensory design, she thoughtfully weaves together sight, sound, touch, taste, and smell to create immersive, layered environments. At the heart of her work is a simple intention: to create spaces that feel like a warm hug—welcoming, comforting, and deeply personal.

With an eye toward customization, she often incorporates vintage and sentimental pieces, honoring the history behind each home while elevating its future. Her work has been featured on Freeform and Hulu’s That Thrifting Show with Lara Spencer, Magnolia Network’s Beachfront Bargain Hunt Renovation, and NBC’s George to the Rescue. Cherry Home Designs has also been recognized as a Best of Houzz winner for customer service.

Christine’s partner in life and in business, her husband John Pizzi of Casa Construction & Development, brings nearly four decades of experience in construction, architectural design, and project management. Together, they offer a seamless design-build experience, guiding clients from concept through completion. Their shared mission is simple: to inspire others to live their story.

Links 

To book Jayzen for a speaking engagement or workshop, visit Jayzenpatria.com

Check Cherry Home Designs: https://cherryhomedesigns.com/

Jayzen explains that great work alone isn’t enough. If no one knows about it, it doesn’t move your career forward! Drawing from classic marketing principles, he outlines the three key ways to promote your brand: advertising (what you say about yourself), influencers (what others say about you), and word of mouth (what’s said when you’re not in the room). He introduces concepts to emphasize the importance of repetition and consistency, and challenges listeners to take ownership of how they show up, especially on platforms like LinkedIn and in everyday professional interactions.

Tune in to learn how to step into the role of your own CMO, build visibility with intention, and ensure your brand is consistently communicated across every touchpoint in your career.

Key Takeaways:

• You are the chief marketing officer of your career. No one will promote you better than you.
• Visibility matters. Great work without exposure limits your opportunities.
• The “rule of seven” shows that repetition is required before people even notice your brand.
• LinkedIn is your digital billboard. Optimize it or risk being invisible.
• A clear elevator pitch helps you communicate your value quickly and effectively.
• Consistency in how you show up builds recognition and trust over time.

The episode then transitions into a compelling conversation with Matt Brooks, Vice President of Enterprise Data Tech and Solutions at Nationwide. With over two decades of experience across GE, Bank of America, and Nationwide, Matt shares how he built a career at the intersection of data, technology, and human impact. He offers a fresh perspective on AI, not as a replacement for thinking, but as a thought partner, and explains how using real data, curiosity, and intentional questioning can unlock better insights and outcomes. From leading high-performing teams to redefining how technology serves people, Matt’s story highlights the power of aligning your career with purpose, staying adaptable, and raising your hand when opportunity calls.

Guest Bio

Matt Brooks

VP and Head of Enterprise Data and Technology Solutions 

Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company 

With over 20 years of experience in leading data and analytics teams, Matt is a trailblazing Technology Executive at Nationwide, where he drives digital transformation across the enterprise. 

Matt has led teams across technology, learning and development and audit in three different mega corporations spanning the energy, aerospace, digital, financial services, and insurance industries. Matt is highly adaptable and can make strategic connections across domains in a way that inspires and motivates his business and tech partners. His personal mission is to build technology solutions powered by data to better the lives of clients, especially in their times of greatest need.

Matt is a technical trailblazer and talent maximizer. He brings the best out in teams and colleagues using his dynamic energy and infectious, problem-solving mindset. He’s strategic, but also a maverick, ready to try new solutions that nobody has successfully tried before. 

In his free time, he loves experiencing new cultures, creative writing, and learning new languages...while he’s not building new GPT agents. 

Links 

To book Jayzen for a speaking engagement or workshop, visit Jayzenpatria.com

Check out Matt’s substack : daitapoints.brooksny.net

Shaping Your Signature Style. Jayzen explains that powerful personal brands are not just defined, they are designed. Your signature style is your “formula” or “recipe card”: a set of repeatable behaviors, visual cues, and execution patterns that make your work unmistakably yours. Drawing on examples from Hollywood storytelling and media brands like Bravo, he shows how the most successful brands apply a clear filter to everything they create, ensuring consistency, clarity, and connection with their audience.

Tune in to hear how defining your personal “secret sauce” can eliminate inconsistency, strengthen your presence, and ensure that no matter where you show up—or what role you’re in—you are always delivering work that feels distinctly and memorably you.

Key Takeaways:

• Your signature style is your brand in action—a repeatable formula, not a one-time statement
• Consistency across your work is what makes your brand recognizable and trusted
• You can succeed in any role or industry if you apply your unique brand filter to everything you do
• Your visual presence (appearance, environment, presentation) must align with your brand—or risk creating a disconnect
• Your best past projects hold clues to your “secret sauce”—study them to define your formula
• Strong brands rely on repeatable actions and behaviors that can be applied across any project
• You are not meant to blend in—you are meant to build a signature that stands out

The episode then transitions into a dynamic conversation with Melinda Sanna, CEO and Founder of LookLook, a global consumer insights platform serving luxury brands. With a career spanning Coca-Cola, top advertising agencies, and entrepreneurship, Melinda shares how she built a seven-figure business by identifying gaps in traditional market research and creating a more human, high-touch approach. From her “white-glove” philosophy to building curated communities like the Luxuryverse and Beautyverse, she offers powerful insights on brand as a belief system, the importance of curiosity and authenticity in leadership, and how solving real problems can become the foundation for long-term success.

Guest Bio

Malinda Sanna

Founder and CEO

LookLook

Malinda Sanna is the founder and CEO of LookLook, a 7-figure proprietary consumer insights platform she's built over 15 years with a team of 16, specializing in luxury market research through what she calls "Cultivated Communities", recruiting participants one relationship at a time rather than relying on third-party panels. She created the Beautyverse (1,000+ high-net-worth women focused on luxury beauty) and Luxuryverse, two proprietary communities for luxury studies. With a global team of executives in New York, Paris, Dubai, São Paulo, Beijing, and Shanghai, she's conducted over 900 studies with 30,000+ research participants, serving clients including Shiseido, BMW, LVMH, Google, Mondelez, and Nestlé, while also running a Substack newsletter with ~600 subscribers including major luxury brand executives from around the world. 

As a bootstrapper who built profitable software without venture capital and a former singer who studied classical music and English literature at Goshen College, Malinda has been featured in The New York Times, CNN, CNBC, HuffPost, Forbes, Bloomberg, Business Insider, The Washington Post, AdWeek, and Inc.

Links 

To book Jayzen for a speaking engagement or workshop, visit Jayzenpatria.com

Emily currently serves as Chief Commercial Officer of CHAGEE, a leading international tea beverage company guided by the vision of connecting people through a great cup of tea. Founded in 2017 in Yunnan, China—the historic home of tea—CHAGEE has rapidly expanded to more than 6,000 stores globally, redefining the modern tea experience. Emily is also the best-selling author of The Spare Room, a powerful book about purpose, leadership, and the impact we can make when we choose to open our lives to others.

Jayzen starts the show with a deep dive into Step 1 of the Lead With Your Brand! System: Define Your Audience.

Many people think their personal brand is about what they do. In reality, the strongest brands are built around who they serve and the value they create. One of the biggest mistakes professionals make is trying to appeal to everyone. When you try to be everything to everyone, you become generic—something to everyone, but meaningful to no one.

The most successful brands take the opposite approach: they identify their core audience and super serve their super fans. Jayzen shares how networks like Bravo and Telemundo grew by focusing on the audiences that mattered most and delivering exactly what those viewers wanted.

The same principle applies to your career. Understanding your audience helps you show up with intention—and deliver the greatest value where it matters most.

Because your brand isn’t about promoting yourself—it’s about helping others succeed.

Key Takeaways:

• Don’t try to serve everyone. Focus on the audience you serve best.
• Look beyond titles. Understand motivations, needs, and values.
• Identify your super fans. These are the people who champion your work.
• Deliver value intentionally. Tailor how you show up to serve them best.

Jayzen then welcomes Emily Chang to the show.  Emily shares her incredible career journey that has spanned senior leadership roles at P&G, the first executive for Apple in China overseeing retail marketing, CMO of Starbucks China and more.  Her insights and practical advice on how to be a leader on any level and move your career forward are invaluable.  

Guest Bio

Emily Chang

Chief Commercial Officer, CHAGEE and Best Selling Author of The Spare Room

Emily is CCO of CHAGEE, a leading international tea beverage company guided by the vision to connect everyone through a good cup of tea. The brand first started in 2017 in the hometown of tea, Yunnan, China, and has since expanded to over 6,000+ stores globally.  Emily has over 25 years of experience spanning QSR, Retail, Hospitality, Creative, Tech, and FMCG industries. She holds an exceptional track record of accelerating global brands which began at P and G. Over 11 years, she worked across all three business units spanning upstream design, retail, and digital marketing, and based in Cincinnati, Fayetteville, and Guangzhou.

She then moved to Apple as the first executive in China overseeing Retail Marketing for APAC, opening new stores and developing the Apple Asia retail operating model. Later, she joined IHG as the Chief Commercial Officer for Greater China where she led a team of 5,400, launching a new brand and crafting new partnerships to become the #1 hotel brand in China.

Drawn to the best of CX and CRM, Emily joined Starbucks in 2017 as CMO of China, where she oversaw all commercial functions and led the teams that brought digital experiences to life like the Shanghai Roastery Augmented Reality, Starbucks Delivery, and Digital Gifting. Five years ago, Emily became CEO of McCann Worldgroup in China, where she transformed a 450-member team across four agencies in three offices to deliver five-year highs in record revenue and OIBI.

Emily believes passionately in living with intention and leading with authenticity. She published a best-selling book called “The Spare Room,” and speaks at industry-leading events like TEDx and Fortune Most Powerful Women. Emily is a member of YPO and has also served on non-profit boards, including most recently with SOS Children’s Villages.

Links 

To book Jayzen for a speaking engagement or workshop, visit Jayzenpatria.com

Building Your Brand Foundation. Moving beyond adjectives, Jayzen explains that powerful personal brands are rooted in three core elements: your belief, your promise, and your positioning. It’s not enough to say you are “collaborative” or “strategic.” SuperPremium professionals articulate the emotional belief that drives them, the value-driven promise they make to their audience, and the competitive edge that differentiates them from others with similar skills.

Tune in to hear how moving from generic descriptors to clear declarations can sharpen your narrative, attract the right opportunities, and clarify when you are — and are not — the right fit.

Key Takeaways:

• Your brand foundation is built on three pillars: belief, promise, and position
• Declarative statements are more powerful than generic descriptors
• Your core belief should be emotional and enduring — not tied to a job title
• A strong brand promise builds trust with your career audience
• Positioning clarifies your competitive edge and differentiates you from others
• You are not meant to be a corporate clone — you are meant to be distinct

The episode then transitions into an energizing and candid conversation with Kalia Waits-Smith, Vice President of Employee Communications and Engagement at Freshworks, exploring storytelling, authenticity, reinvention, and what it truly means to fill your career toolbox. With more than 15 years of experience across television, nonprofit operations, tech, and executive leadership, Kalia shares how uncovering her identity as a storyteller transformed the way she shows up as a leader.

Guest Bio

Kalia Waits-Smith

VP, Employee Communications and Engagement

Freshworks

With over 15 years of leadership experience in tech, Kalia combines expertise in change management and employee comms/engagement to shape how employees feel at work and drive businesses forward. A writer and storyteller at heart, she blends empathy and operations to build teams, partnerships, and systems to co-create change and bring company strategy and culture to life.

In her most recent role at Zuora, Kalia led a team of communicators that launched their first-ever company values, steered employee comms for multiple M&A transactions, and stood up an Employee Experience cohort of cross-functional leads that scaled engagement globally. Prior to Zuora, she held similar roles at Visa and Cornerstone OnDemand, partnering with leaders to build cultures of communication as they navigated times of change.

Kalia grew up in Southern California, but has lived in the Bay Area since 2018. She's living her best snack-filled life in Oakland with her husband, four-year-old daughter, mom, and mom's dog, Buddy. Whenever she's not writing on LinkedIn, which she does A LOT, she's taking Orange Theory classes and trying new wines, cheeses and champagnes.

Links 

To book Jayzen for a speaking engagement or workshop, visit Jayzenpatria.com

The episode then transitions into a powerful conversation with Cliff Holtz, President and CEO of the American Red Cross, exploring leadership, trust, authenticity, and what it means to steward one of the most trusted brands in the world.

Supersizing Your Superpowers. Supersizing your brand means turning up the volume on what already makes you strong, unique, and effective.

Using real-world examples from brands like the Los Angeles LGBT Center, Oxygen Network, and Bravo, Jayzen shows how powerful brands clearly define not only what they are, but also what they are not, creating consistency, trust, and memorability.

Tune in to hear how Jayzen SuperSized his own descriptors from being described as a “good presenter” to clearly owning his identity as a storyteller, showman, and super-connector…a combination that is unmistakably his.

Key Takeaways:

• Most people stop at generic traits; SuperPremium brands SuperSize what makes them different
• Clustering similar traits helps uncover your true brand superpowers
• Strong brands define clear boundaries, including how they never want to show up
• SuperSizing isn’t about changing who you are; it’s about calibrating how you show up, like a DJ mixing the right tracks for the moment

Jayzen sits down with Cliff Holtz for his first-ever podcast appearance, offering an intimate look at leadership behind one of America’s most trusted organizations. Cliff reflects on his journey from COO to CEO, the influence of legendary leader Gail McGovern, and the lessons learned about earning trust, choosing words carefully, and leading with humanity. He shares how authenticity doesn’t mean showing up the same way in every moment, but rather understanding when to shift gears while staying true to your values.

Guest Bio

Cliff Holtz

President & Chief Executive Officer

American Red Cross

Cliff Holtz serves as the president and chief executive officer of the American Red Cross, the nation’s largest provider of lifesaving blood products and leading emergency response organization. Holtz joined the Red Cross in 2011 and assumed his role as president and CEO on July 1, 2024, following the retirement of president and CEO Gail McGovern.  

Prior to his current role, Holtz held the position of chief operating officer for seven years where he oversaw the execution of all mission delivery and operations comprising Biomedical Services, Disaster Services, International Services, Training Services and Service to the Armed Forces. During his tenure as COO, Holtz worked closely with his predecessor, Gail McGovern, in leading the Red Cross to achieve financial stability while also growing critical investments in mission, people and infrastructure. 

As part of his vision for the Red Cross, Holtz is building on the organization’s strong foundation to adapt to the growing frequency and intensity of disasters and develop sustainability efforts with a focus on underserved communities across all mission delivery. His commitment to humanitarian efforts and operational excellence has been instrumental in the organization’s service to millions of people in need.

 Before joining the Red Cross in 2011, Holtz held executive leadership positions at for-profit companies including Pelco (a Division of Schneider Electric), Nortel Networks Corp, Deloitte Consulting LLP, Qwest Communications and Gateway Corporation. He also spent 16 years at AT&T working in sales, marketing, new business development, operations and engineering, and human resources. His tenure culminated with his role as the president of Metro Markets, a $4.5 billion unit. 

Holtz earned a Bachelor of Science from the State University of New York at Albany and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Chicago. He has served on the boards of LHC Group (recently sold to United Health Care), the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce and the National Jewish Hospital.

Links 

To book Jayzen for a speaking engagement or workshop, visit Jayzenpatria.com

In a workplace defined by constant disruption, visibility without clarity is noise. If you don’t define what you stand for, others will define it for you — and not always in your favor.

Your personal brand isn’t what you say about yourself.  It’s how you operate.  It’s what people see you do.  It’s what people hear you say — consistently, over time.

In this episode, Jayzen breaks down why brand clarity is the key to being in demand, rather than being overlooked. When thinking about your brand, Jayzen highlights:

 • Why trying to copy other leaders is the fastest way to dilute your brand

• Why degrees, titles, and credentials are no longer differentiators

• How your daily behaviors define your reputation more than your résumé

• Why “authenticity” isn’t a personality trait — it’s disciplined consistency

Key takeaways include:

• There is only one you — and that’s your advantage. You don’t need to be Oprah, your CEO, or a famous leader. Your power comes from being unmistakably you.
• Your brand is defined by how you operate. What you deliver, how you respond under pressure, and how people experience working with you is your brand.
• Brand DNA drives everything. Just like Nike doesn’t sell shoes — it sells performance and belief — your brand DNA should guide every decision, interaction, and opportunity.
• Tailwinds accelerate careers. When people consistently describe you with the same strengths, your career gains momentum. Clarity creates shortcuts.
• Headwinds create drag. Unmanaged behaviors under stress can erase your strongest brand equity. Awareness is non-negotiable.
• Words aren’t enough — behaviors matter. If someone followed you with a camera for two weeks, what would they actually see? Your brand lives in observable actions.

In celebration of the Oscars, Jayzen is joined by Dave Karger, award-winning television host, entertainment commentator, and one of the most trusted voices in film and awards-season coverage.

Dave is a longtime host on Turner Classic Movies (TCM) and has appeared on The Today Show more than 215 times over the past 25 years. He is also the author of 50 Oscar Nights and the upcoming 50 Movie Nights. Dave’s career is a masterclass in brand clarity, consistency, and credibility. 

Dave’s career is a clear example of brand clarity in action. He didn’t wait to be promoted — he consistently operated at the next level until advancement became the obvious next step. Over time, his reputation was built on three behaviors: being respectful, reliable, and prepared. Not as buzzwords, but as lived habits.

Dave also made career decisions with a long-term mindset, understanding that every choice either raised or lowered his reputational “credit score.” That trust compounded, creating leverage and opportunity.

By becoming deeply known for the Oscars and classic film, Dave built lasting demand. His journey proves Jayzen’s core belief: strong personal brands don’t need to be loud — they’re trusted.

To book Jayzen for a keynote, workshop, or leadership program :  JayzenPatria.com

Guest Bio

Dave Karger

TCM Host & Author

Dave Karger is an award-winning television host, interviewer, and entertainment commentator. Since 2018 he’s been a host on Turner Classic Movies, where he introduces classic films and conducts interviews with stars and filmmakers of the past and present. He has also made over 200 live appearances on NBC’s Today show over the past 25 years. He has been called “this generation’s mass-media cinematic ambassador” by The Wrap and a “beloved entertainment guru” by The Hollywood Reporter. His first book, “50 Oscar Nights,” from TCM and Running Press, was published in 2024. His second book, “50 Movie Nights: Your Favorite Stars’ Favorite Classic Films,” will be released in 2026.

In 2015 Dave received the Publicists Guild Press Award honoring the year’s outstanding entertainment journalist. In 2014 he was named one of OUT Magazine’s “OUT 100,” acknowledging the most influential people in the LGBTQ+ community. 

From 2012 to 2016 Dave served as Chief Correspondent at Fandango, where he created and hosted the original video series “The Frontrunners,” which received a Webby Award nomination for Best Variety Series. Before that, Dave spent 17 years at Entertainment Weekly, working his way up from intern to senior writer and eventually writing over 50 cover stories for the magazine, on subjects including George Clooney, Angelina Jolie, Elton John, Taylor Swift, Denzel Washington, Julianne Moore, Paul Rudd, and Kelly Clarkson. 

In 2018 Dave co-hosted ABC’s Live from the Red Carpet on Oscar night. In 2012 he was named the Academy’s official red-carpet greeter, only the third person ever to hold that post. He also co-hosted the 2011 Oscars Digital Experience (produced by The Academy and ABC), which won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Creative Achievement in Interactive Entertainment. 

Dave has served on the juries of the TriBeCa, South by Southwest, Florida, Napa Valley, and Los Angeles film festivals. He is a graduate of Duke University.

Links 

To book Jayzen for a speaking engagement or workshop, visit Jayzenpatria.com

In a crowded, fast-changing workplace, professionals who try to appeal to everyone become interchangeable. Momentum comes from focus. Jayzen reminds listeners that opportunities don’t flow through resumes—they flow through relationships, and relationships are built when people feel deeply understood. Great brands grow by being intentional about who they serve. Careers work the same way.

By identifying the people who already trust, advocate for, and champion you—and understanding what they want, need, and care about—you create clarity around how your brand shows up and why it matters.

This step sets the foundation for becoming a super-premium brand, not a commodity.

Key Takeaways:

• If you try to be everything to everyone, you become nothing to no one

Focus creates differentiation and demand.

• SuperFans drive opportunity

Promotions, referrals, and influence come from people who trust and advocate for you.

• Career Audience Avatars are about mindset, not demographics

Your most powerful supporters share values and behaviors, not necessarily titles or industries.

• Knowing your audience sharpens your brand

Clarity allows you to show up with confidence, consistency, and relevance.

• Super-serving the right people attracts others

When you focus on your core audience, broader opportunity follows.

This week, Jayzen is thrilled to continue the conversation with one of his personal heroes, Disney legend and former Disney Imagineer, Bob Gurr. Originally trained as an industrial designer with a love of cars, mechanics, and motion, Bob’s career changed forever when Walt Disney invited him to help build Disneyland. What started as a small design assignment quickly grew into a defining role.

As Bob famously says, “If it moves on wheels at Disneyland, I probably designed it.”

He’s the creative force behind some of the most iconic attractions in theme park history, including Autopia, the Disneyland Monorail, Matterhorn Bobsleds, and the Haunted Mansion Doom Buggies. Over his Disney career, Bob completed more than 100 projects directly for Walt Disney, becoming known for his fearlessness, curiosity, and ability to say yes to challenges no one else wanted.

After leaving Disney, Bob didn’t slow down—he expanded. He went on to design 150+ major projects for other clients worldwide. Now 94 years young, Bob remains an active speaker, creator, and cultural icon. His story is a living example of what Jayzen teaches: competence, curiosity, persistence, and fearlessness build a brand that lasts decades—not job titles.

Guest Bio

Bob Gurr

Legendary Disney Imagineer

Imagineer Bob Gurr has always been a man on the move. And for nearly 40 years, he’s helped move many a happy Disney theme park guests aboard vehicles and ride conveyances of his own design. As he has often quipped, “If it moves on wheels at Disneyland, I probably designed it.” And he certainly has, developing more than 100 designs for attractions ranging from Autopia to the Matterhorn Bobsleds to the Disneyland and Walt Disney World Monorails, and more. 

For nearly five decades, Bob worked transportation magic developing the Disneyland Monorail Trains, the memorable Flying Saucers attraction in Tomorrowland, as well as the antique cars and double-decker buses of Main Street, Ford Motor Company’s Magic Skyway, which premiered at the 1964-65 New York World’s Fair, and more. Bob also designed the mechanical workings of Disney’s first AudioAnimatronics figure – Abraham Lincoln featured in Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln. 

In 1981, Bob retired early from Imagineering in order to launch GurrDesign, Inc., and three years later, joined creative forces with two former Imagineers to form Sequoia Creative, Inc. The firm, which specialized in “leisure-time spectaculars” and “fantastical beasts,” developed King Kong and Conan’s serpent featured at Universal Studios, Hollywood. Among his other mechanical feats, Bob was instrumental in creating the mysterious UFO that soared over the closing ceremonies of the 1984 Los Angeles Summer Olympics. He also consulted on the T-Rex animated figure featured in Steven Spielberg’s motion picture Jurassic Park.   

Bob Gurr practices a favorite life philosophy as quoted in the words of Malcolm Forbes: “While alive, live!”

Links 

To book Jayzen for a speaking engagement or workshop, visit Jayzenpatria.com

Jayzen Patria kicks off the new season with a clear and urgent message: the rules of career success have changed—and your personal brand is non-negotiable in 2026.

Economic uncertainty, rapid AI adoption, shifting corporate priorities, and nonstop disruption have created a perfect storm in today’s workplace. In this environment, companies are no longer looking for interchangeable workers. They are looking for standout talent with a clear, trusted, super-premium personal brand.

Your personal brand is no longer about self-promotion. It’s about career ownership, relevance, and long-term opportunity.

In this episode, Jayzen breaks down why your brand determines:

• Who gets a seat at the table

• Who gets trusted with new opportunities

• Who gets paid more—and why

Key Takeaways:

• Are you coffee or are you Starbucks?

Commodity professionals are interchangeable. Super-premium brands are sought out, trusted, and paid more.

• Great work alone isn’t enough anymore

If people don’t know your value, they can’t advocate for you, sponsor you, or amplify your impact.

• Your brand earns you a seat at the table

Opportunities flow through relationships. A strong brand expands your network and builds an army of champions.

• Your brand future-proofs you in an AI world

Roles will change—or disappear—but a trusted brand allows people to follow you into new, undefined opportunities.

• Compensation is brand feedback

Salary, bonuses, and promotions directly reflect how valuable your brand is perceived to be.

• A brand is not a logo, outfit, or tagline

Your brand is your unique DNA—the sum of experiences, behaviors, and expectations others associate with you.

Jayzen grounds it all in one core truth: Your brand is the expectations people have of you—and expectations drive opportunity.

To start the year, Jayzen is thrilled to welcome one of his personal heroes: Disney Legend and former Disney Imagineer Bob Gurr.

Originally trained as an industrial designer with a love of cars, mechanics, and motion, Bob’s career changed forever when Walt Disney invited him to help build Disneyland. What began as a small assignment quickly evolved into a defining role in theme park history.

As Bob famously says, “If it moves on wheels at Disneyland, I probably designed it.”

Bob is the creative force behind iconic attractions including Autopia, the Disneyland Monorail, Matterhorn Bobsleds, and the Haunted Mansion Doom Buggies. He completed 100+ projects directly for Walt Disney, becoming known for fearlessness, curiosity, and saying yes to challenges others avoided.

After Disney, Bob went on to design 150+ major projects worldwide. Now 94 years young, he remains an active speaker, creator, and cultural icon.

His story perfectly reinforces Jayzen’s message: competence, curiosity, persistence, and fearlessness build a brand that lasts decades—not job titles.

To book Jayzen for a keynote or workshop: JayzenPatria.com

If you’re looking to pause, reflect, and reset your career strategy for the year ahead, this episode is your playbook.

Jayzen’s Core Career Advice for 2026

“Find a hole and fill it.”

In a year defined by economic shifts, AI disruption, return-to-work changes, and constant uncertainty, Jayzen challenges listeners to:

• Take stock of your towering strengths
• Reconnect with your passions
• Identify the needs of your boss, company, and industry
• Tailor your current role—like tailoring clothes—to better fit who you are and the value you bring

Your brand isn’t about you. It’s about the value you deliver to others.

Career advice for 2026 from past guests includes:

John Pagano — VP of Editorial, Nickelodeon Digital Studios

Don’t be afraid of the future. Stay resilient and keep moving forward, even when the path isn’t clear.

Gina Woods — Co-Founder/Owner, Donna’s Recipe by Tabitha Brown

Be ready to pivot. Embrace change and learn to enjoy the ride.

Liz Randall — Head of Operations, Strategic Development, CAA

Stay curious. Curiosity keeps you current and relevant.

Tina Shaw — Creative Director, Activision

Protect your curiosity. Your brand travels faster than your résumé—don’t wait for permission to lead.

Jennifer Kaplan — Founder & CEO, Evolve Public Relations and Marketing

Focus on your niche and remember: perception is reality.

Victoria Boston — EVP & Chief Customer Experience Officer, Tech Network Inc.

Know your worth. Ask for what you want—no apologies.

Brett Lemick — Creative Studio Manager, Ryanair

Every room needs your version of “you.” Find the tables where you truly fit.

Iva Chen — CEO, IOC Design & Consulting

Do work you love. Passion fuels energy, excellence, and fulfillment.

Emily Chang — Bestselling Author & Executive Leader

Define your own winning formula and don’t follow someone else’s version of success.

Be sure to follow for the latest shows in 2026 with some incredible guests, including:

• Disney Imagineer Bob Gurr
• Entertainment insider Dave Karger
• CEO of the American Red Cross, Cliff Holtz
• 
  

Links 

To book Jayzen for a speaking engagement or workshop, visit Jayzenpatria.com

Jayzen then bridges this insight directly to leadership and career growth. Just as we decorate our homes, we are constantly “decorating” our professional spaces—through meetings, emails, visibility, energy, and presence. Whether intentional or not, we are always sending signals. For ambitious professionals and leaders, leaving those signals to chance is risky. Autopilot is the enemy of leadership.

Key Takeaways 

• Everything Is a Choice: Your brand is shaped by the decisions you make daily—what you amplify, what you edit, and what you ignore.
• Experience Beats Intention: What matters is not what you intend people to experience, but what they actually walk away remembering about you.
• Edit With Purpose: Over-decorating can dilute impact. The strongest brands know when to dial it up—and when to pull it back.
• Context Is King: The “right behavior at the right time” matters more than being loud or safe all the time.
• Know What’s Missing: Growth comes from identifying what you want to be known for next—strategic thinking, advocacy, executive presence, visibility, or new skills.
• Lead Intentionally: Choose one moment—one meeting, one conversation—where you consciously show up as the leader you want to be, not the one you inherited.
• Design, Don’t Drift: Your career, like your home, is something you get to design intentionally—not perfectly or performatively, but with purpose.

Jayzen is joined by Georgia Fort, an independent journalist, founder of Black Press, and president of the Center for Broadcast Journalism. Georgia shares her journey from traditional media into pioneering independent journalism, sparked by industry disruption, personal adversity, and a deep commitment to changing how stories about Black communities are told.

Through Black Press and the Center for Broadcast Journalism, Georgia is not only telling underreported stories but also building sustainable infrastructure and cultivating the next generation of journalists. Her story is a masterclass in aligning mission, brand, and impact—especially during times of disruption.

Guest Bio

Georgia Fort

Founder of BLCK Press & 

President of the Center for Broadcast Journalism.

Georgia Fort is leading the necessary movement to reclaim media's power. As the founder of BLCK Press, a social enterprise newsroom, she’s connecting journalism to Black culture. She has a dynamic vision of mobilizing the next generation of media starting at home in Minnesota, the 12th largest state, and the 22nd most populous with about 6 million residents, in which less than 3% of journalists are Black. As a graduate of the University of Saint Thomas, Fort’s work bridges frontline reporting and executive-level strategy to rebuild media infrastructure from the ground up.

As the President of the Center for Broadcast Journalism (501c3), she’s developing the next generation of reporting. Georgia's nonprofit was created to educate and coach the future of news. From editorial to fundraising to marketing, Georgia’s hands-on leadership is proving what’s possible when we build for ourselves—and build to last.

Links 

To book Jayzen for a speaking engagement or workshop, visit Jayzenpatria.com

Jayzen offers three actionable ways to be generous with your brand:

1. Share Your Superpowers Freely.
2. Mentor someone, help a colleague sharpen their work, or lend your creativity to someone who needs it.
3. Make High-Value Connections.
4. Become the connective tissue that brings people together with no expectation of return.
5. Spotlight Someone Else’s Greatness.
6. Use your platform—meetings, team stand-ups, or social media—to amplify someone else’s win.

As you move into the holiday season, Jayzen challenges you to choose one generosity practice to deepen your brand and expand the world around you.

This week, Jayzen sits down with Jennifer Kaplan, Founder and CEO of Evolve PR & Marketing, now Arizona’s largest public relations firm. Jennifer shares her remarkable 20-year entrepreneurial journey—one rooted in authenticity, resilience, and an unwavering commitment to telling powerful stories.

Jennifer reflects on what it means to “own your brand,” emphasizing that perception is reality and authenticity creates a genuine connection. She opens up about pivotal career moments: leaving a successful sales role to pursue her true calling in PR, navigating a major life transition in her early 30s, and ultimately building Evolve into a 27-person powerhouse representing more than 140 clients. Her candid stories—from “faking it till she made it” to landing game-changing clients like Sprinkles Cupcakes and Waymo—illustrate how confidence, boldness, and relationship-building fuel long-term success.

Guest Bio

Jennifer Kaplan

Founder & CEO

Evolve Public Relations and Marketing

Jennifer Kaplan is the founder and CEO of Evolve Public Relations and Marketing, a premier PR agency she established in 2010 to help businesses and professionals authentically tell their stories. With a communications degree from Arizona State University and an entrepreneurial spirit, Jennifer has dedicated her career to elevating brands, building trust, and fostering meaningful connections.

Jennifer comes from a family of entrepreneurs, so forging her own path was a no-brainer! As a young professional, she left her steady sales job to take on her first client, boldly launching herself into the rest of her career. In 2005 she co-founded her first PR start-up, PRIME 3, LLC, but later sold her share to branch out and start Evolve! Now, her team works across industries to provide media coverage, influencer engagement, reputation management, and crisis communications.

Jennifer’s work has garnered widespread acclaim. She’s been honored as one of “The Most Influential Women in Arizona Business” by AZ Business Magazine, a “40 Under 40” by Phoenix Business Journal, a “Woman of Achievement” by InBusiness Magazine, and the inaugural Hugh Downs School of Human Communication Alumni of the Year.

When Jennifer isn’t running her agency, she fills her cup with yoga, cheering on the ASU Sun Devils, and of course, spending time with her family.

Links 

To book Jayzen for a speaking engagement or workshop, visit Jayzenpatria.com

Jayzen’s key points include:

• Be intentional and proactive: Don’t wait until the last minute to write your self-review. Use it to market your accomplishments and showcase your value.
• Use brand language: Infuse your self-assessment with the tone and energy of your personal brand while aligning it to your company’s core values.
• Reflect deeply: Highlight three areas—what you’re most proud of, what you’ve learned, and what you need to develop to be a “rock star” in 2026.
• Be your own CMO: Your self-assessment is your “advertising”—a message you fully control. Show up on-brand and make it easy for your manager to advocate for you.

Jayzen ties this back to his signature question: Are you Coffee or are you Starbucks?—reminding us that successful professionals aren’t generic commodities. They’re super-premium brands that people line up for because of the unique experience and value they deliver.

Jayzen is thrilled to welcome Iva Chen to the show. Her story is one of vision, grit, and transformation. From her early days working as a high school cashier at San Francisco International Airport to becoming the independent owner and operator of the first Panda Express at SFO, Iva has truly come full circle.

Iva’s career has included corporate finance as a CPA at Deloitte and leadership roles at Nestlé, CBS Paramount, and The Capital Group. Tune in to hear lessons from her father’s pioneering work forming the Starbucks–HMS Host airport partnership, a story that perfectly embodies the Lead With Your Brand philosophy—transforming everyday “coffee” into a globally recognized experience.

Guest Bio

Iva Chen

CEO

IOC Design and Consulting

Iva Chen is a dynamic entrepreneur, operator, and community advocate whose career spans finance, hospitality, and brand development. A UC Santa Barbara graduate and licensed CPA, she began her career at Deloitte before holding leadership roles at Nestlé, CBS Paramount, and The Capital Group.

She’s now the CEO of IOC Design and Consulting and Chief Development Officer of Lady Luck Gourmet — and most recently became the independent owner and operator of the first-ever Panda Express at San Francisco International Airport.

Her entrepreneurial path has taken her from building a chain of pizzerias in China to producing experiential marketing campaigns for brands like Taco Bell, Hyundai, and Herbalife.

Iva also serves as Vice President of Public Relations for the AMAC Los Angeles Chapter, sits on the Board of Directors for Pretend City Children’s Museum, and co-founded the Association of Asians in Aviation. She’s deeply passionate about mentorship, women’s empowerment, and helping the next generation of diverse leaders take flight.

Links 

To book Jayzen for a speaking engagement or workshop, visit Jayzenpatria.com

Jayzen explores how your personal brand is built — and perceived — every single day. Drawing inspiration from the chaos and brilliance of Times Square, he outlines three key marketing pillars for your career:

1. Advertising: Your online presence is your billboard. Make it intentional, inviting, and aligned with your brand story.  “If your LinkedIn photo is blank, it’s like an empty Times Square billboard.”
2. Endorsers: Your network is your team of influencers. Surround yourself with advocates who elevate and expand your visibility.
3. Word of Mouth: Your reputation is your real brand. Every interaction, even casual moments, tells your story.  “There is no off stage. You’re always visible to people who can impact your career.”

Key Takeaways:

• Take control of your message — you own your advertising.
• Cultivate connections who will endorse and amplify you.
• Manage your reputation intentionally — people are always watching.
• Authenticity is your strongest marketing strategy.
• Be your own CMO and turn up the volume on your personal brand.
• 
  

Then, Jayzen sits down with Suezette Yasmin Robotham, visionary tech executive and author of Beyond Titles: Fearlessly Leading as Your Authentic Self. Suzette shares her incredible career journey from education reform to Silicon Valley, her fight against “covering” at work, and her lessons on leading boldly, bravely, and with purpose.

Suezette Yasmin Robotham is a tech executive, leadership strategist, and author with nearly 20 years of experience driving transformation across industries. She’s held senior roles at Google, Meta, Salesforce, Gartner, and Teach for America, helping organizations scale with equity, access, and purpose.

Guest Bio

Suezette Yasmin Robotham

Tech Executive and Author

Suezette Yasmin Robotham is a visionary tech executive with nearly twenty years of experience driving transformative change at the intersection of passion and purpose, creating equitable access and opportunity for historically underrepresented groups. She honed her leadership acumen in the education reform sector, shaping human capital strategies for influential organizations Teach For America and The New Teacher Project. 

Her career trajectory has since elevated her to global leadership roles at industry giants such as Google, Meta (Facebook), Gartner, and Salesforce, where she has led high-impact teams and initiatives.

He reminds listeners that your brand only matters as much as you can amplify it. That means using every interaction to put deposits into your relationship bank by engaging others authentically. Jayzen breaks down great networking into three essential actions:

Telling – Share a bit about yourself to build rapport. Use your observations to connect naturally — for instance, mention someone’s city, company, or even an interesting pin or accessory on their badge.

Asking – Transition quickly into curiosity. Ask thoughtful, open-ended questions that invite people to share their experiences, opinions, and passions.

Listening – The hardest and most powerful part. Go beyond “active listening” — listen to reflect. Summarize what you hear, and follow up later to deepen the relationship.

Jayzen emphasizes being a “guide on the side” rather than a “sage on the stage.” The goal isn’t to pitch yourself or collect LinkedIn connections — it’s to build trust and genuine connections that last.

Key Takeaways

• Your brand is built in the room, not just online. Conferences are your chance to amplify who you are and what you stand for.
• Engage through curiosity. Spend more time asking questions than talking about yourself.
• Build rapport before pitching. Skip the elevator speech and start with an authentic conversation.
• Listen to reflect, not to reply. True networking happens when people feel seen and heard.
• Follow up thoughtfully. Personal touches — like remembering someone’s vacation or interest — make you memorable.

Jayzen is also excited to welcome his old friend, Brett Lemick to the show.  Brett, is a creative executive and media strategist who has built a remarkable career helping global brands tell stories that engage, entertain, and inspire. Based at Ryanair’s Dublin headquarters, Brett leads the airline’s in-house video and design studio, shaping the creative identity of Europe’s largest airline group.

With more than 15 years of experience spanning entertainment, digital media, and corporate storytelling, Brett’s career includes leadership roles at Disney, Snap, and Rainbow Media Company, as well as collaborations with Netflix, Hulu, and Paramount. His journey from YouTuber to Disney Channel producer to Ryanair creative leader reflects a career defined by adaptability, storytelling, and authenticity.

Guest Bio

Brett Lemick

Creative Studio Manager

Ryanair

Brett is a creative executive and media strategist who has built his career helping brands tell stories that engage, entertain, and inspire. Originally from the U.S., he now works at Ryanair’s Dublin headquarters as Creative Studio Manager, where he leads an in-house video and design team shaping the identity of Europe’s largest airline group.

His path to Ryanair spans more than 15 years at the intersection of entertainment, digital, and corporate media. A veteran of Disney and Snap, Brett was recruited by Elisabeth Murdoch as VP of Programming & Development at Vertical Networks, where he developed the Snapchat Discover brand Brother. He later drove content strategy and production at Rainbow Media Co., building one of the world’s most engaged LGBTQ+ media networks with clients including Netflix, Hulu, Paramount, and AT&T.

Brett went on to serve as Chief Content Officer at FlyrTV, collaborating with Condé Nast and Mashable to merge proprietary tech with creative storytelling. He also held roles at Gameshow Network, Maker Studios, and The Walt Disney Company. Across every role, he has combined creative vision with process-driven leadership to deliver stories that resonate, amplify diverse voices, and build lasting cultural impact. Above all, Brett aims to "make great stuff with great people.”

Links 

To book Jayzen for a speaking engagement or workshop, visit Jayzenpatria.com

When the context changes, you must change with it. That doesn’t mean abandoning your values or pretending to be someone you’re not. It means leaning deeper into your brand superpowers and clearly demonstrating the unique value only you can bring.

Key Takeaways:

• Acknowledge the shift: The balance of power in the workplace has changed; ignoring it puts your career at risk.
• Control what you can: Like Jayzen’s former leader Larry Kurzweil taught during major corporate mergers, don’t dwell on what you can’t control—focus on how you show up during times of change.
• Lean into your superpowers: Identify what sets you apart—whether it’s simplifying complexity, building community, or sparking creativity—and put those strengths on full display.
• SuperServe your career audience: Anticipate the needs of your boss, stakeholders, and clients. Go beyond meeting expectations—deliver solutions and value that help them thrive.
• Stay off of autopilot: When the market shifts, you need to be in the driver’s seat of your career, steering with purpose and confidence.

Jayzen challenges listeners to step forward with clarity, authenticity, and confidence. In times of uncertainty, those who adapt and boldly show their value won’t just survive—they’ll thrive.

This week’s guest is Matt Behrend, CEO of Agility, a precision brand advertising platform. Matt is a serial SaaS entrepreneur and revenue leader who has scaled multiple companies to acquisition. In his conversation with Jayzen, Matt shares his inspiring personal journey—from overcoming early struggles to becoming a resilient leader—along with his insights on customer obsession, building strong company cultures, and redefining how brand advertising is measured. His story is filled with lessons on grit, service, and the power of relentless learning.

Guest Bio

Matt Behrend

CEO

Agility

Matt Behrend is a serial SaaS entrepreneur and revenue leader, currently serving as CEO of Agility, a precision brand advertising platform. Agility’s mission is to make brand advertising a predictable growth engine for all companies. The platform has helped customers achieve significant gains, including an average 250% increase in high-intent traffic and a 2.2x improvement in conversion rates. 

With over 15 years of experience building and scaling marketing and sales organizations at venture-backed SaaS companies, three of which ended in acquisitions, Matt has a proven track record of driving growth. He attributes success to two core principles: an unrelenting focus on creating customer value and a commitment to investing in team and culture. 

Key Takeaways

• Treat Fall Like a Fresh Start - Back-to-school season isn’t just for kids—it’s your cue to recharge your brand, reset your goals, and show up with fresh energy at work.
• Refresh, Don’t Reinvent - Successful brands evolve without abandoning their roots. In your career, that means updating your approach while staying true to what makes you uniquely valuable.
• Don’t Chase Trends - From Cracker Barrel to Lifetime TV, Jayzen shows how copying others or chasing “what’s cool” can backfire. The same is true in your career—lean into what your audience already counts on you for.
• Super-Serve Your Super Fans - Identify the bosses, peers, and clients who rely on you most and focus on consistently delivering for them.
• Know Your Brand DNA - Define the few words that describe who you are today—not who you were years ago. Anchor your brand in your authentic value and let that guide how you evolve.
• Be Premium, Not Generic - The biggest risk is blending in. Don’t let your career brand become “ a commodity like coffee.” 

Jayzen is thrilled to welcome Gina Woods to the show.  She is the dynamic co-founder of Donna’s Recipe, who turned a fun nickname for Tabitha Brown’s hair into a multimillion-dollar beauty brand that’s now carried in Ulta and Target nationwide. Gina shares her entrepreneurial journey, how she scaled a self-funded brand, and why leaning into curiosity and community fueled their success.

Guest Bio

Gina Woods

Co-Founder/Owner

Donna’s Recipe by Tabitha Brown

Gina Woods is a social entrepreneur, investor, and business advisor with a 15-year track record of creating and developing successful beauty brands that prioritize community reinvestment. 

As a business mentor, Woods leads a business mastermind program empowering women to kickstart and expand their ventures. She has advised multiple businesses to multi-million dollar companies. Additionally, Woods established the LA Kids Entrepreneur Camp, an in-person hands-on educational program for young minds to engage with accomplished entrepreneurs and delve into the essentials of entrepreneurship. Find Gina on Instagram: @ginalosangeles

Links 

To book Jayzen for a speaking engagement or workshop, visit Jayzenpatria.com

Follow Jayzen on his book journey at LeadWithYourBrand.com/book

Drawing on a story from Nike’s brand strategy, Jayzen shows how being crystal clear on your brand DNA means making bold decisions—even saying “no” to opportunities that don’t align. By setting boundaries and refusing activities that dilute your identity, you ensure your brand remains consistent, authentic, and impactful.

Jayzen challenges listeners to take a closer look at their own professional lives: what activities, habits, or commitments might be pulling you away from the brand you want to be known for? How can you more consciously choose to focus only on the actions that build and reinforce your unique value?

Key Takeaways

• Your brand is built by choice. It’s not defined by your title, employer, or manager—it’s defined by the deliberate actions you take.
• Defining what you don’t do is as important as defining what you do. Clear boundaries help your brand stay strong and recognizable.
• Stop running on autopilot. Evaluate the tasks and commitments that may be easy but don’t actually support your brand.
• Stay aligned with your brand DNA. Every decision should reinforce who you want to be known as, not distract from it.

This episode features Javier Constante, President of Dow Brazil & Latin America. With more than 30 years at Dow, Javier shares his career journey, leadership philosophy, and his passion for authenticity and advocacy in the workplace. Recognized globally as a leading LGBTQ+ executive and inclusion advocate, he emphasizes the importance of showing up fully and creating space for others to thrive.

Javier reflects on how authenticity, adaptability, and advocacy have shaped his leadership path. He opens up about pivotal career moves, the challenges of leading across cultures, overcoming imposter syndrome, and the liberating moment of coming out to his team. Above all, he highlights that true leadership is about facilitating an environment where people can succeed and grow.

Guest Bio

Javier Constante

President

Dow Brasil & América Latina

Javier Constante has been President of Dow in Brazil and Latin America since late 2019. In this role, he is responsible for developing and overseeing Dow’s regional strategy and financial performance in the region with the goal of making Dow the most customer-centric, innovative, sustainable and inclusive materials science company in the world. As part of his current role, Constante drives increased focus and action around ESG parameters, including moving to a low-carbon and circular economy, building a more transparent, authentic and safe work environment for employees, and moving toward a more equitable society.

Constante joined Dow in 1989 in Buenos Aires, Argentina as a Sales Representative and moved through various marketing and commercial positions in Latin America and across Europe. In November 2019, he took on his current position as President of Dow in Brazil and Latin America. Constante is Vice President of the Board of the Brazil Chemical Association (ABIQUIM), is a member of the Council of Presidents of Amcham (American Chamber of Commerce) and is part of the global Executive Board of the Out & Equal organization for the fight for the rights of the LGBTQIA+ community in the corporate environment. He previously served as a board member of Equate/TKOC and EMC (Equate Marketing Company) and was Vice President of Plastics Europe.

In 2022, Javier Constante received the Outie Awards trophy for the first time in the category "Global LGBTQ+ Advocate of the Year" for his leadership in initiatives to include LGBTQIA+ people in the labor market. The executive also made it once again to the TOP 100 LGBT+ executives recognized by the 2022 OUTstanding LGBT+ Role Model List, which he is listed for the third consecutive time.

Constante holds a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from Universidad de La Plata, Argentina, and an MBA from Instituto Altos Estudio Empresariales - IESE, Argentina. He is married and lives in São Paulo, Brasil.

Links 

To book Jayzen for a speaking engagement or workshop, visit Jayzenpatria.com

Follow Jayzen on his book journey at LeadWithYourBrand.com/book

He reflects on pivotal moments in his own career—like the chaotic merger between Universal Studios and GE—and how choosing to embrace change rather than resist it opened doors he never imagined. Instead of waiting for things to settle, he leaned into the storm, raised his hand, and became the bridge between corporate and creative cultures. Years later, during the 2009 financial crisis, Jayzen faced another turning point. With travel banned and training budgets slashed, he didn’t retreat—he got on planes himself, showed up in person, and found a new way to lead.

The message is clear: This is not the moment to coast. It’s the moment to grab the wheel. When you spot a problem, that’s your invitation to solve it—using your unique mix of skills, experiences, and passions.

So what’s your next turn? What opportunity is hiding inside the chaos?

After Jayzen’s powerful open, he’s joined by the vibrant and fearless Pamela Zapata—founder and CEO of Society18, a multicultural influencer marketing agency that’s shaking up the industry. Pamela’s journey from behind-the-scenes roles at E! and Ryan Seacrest Productions to launching a seven-figure business is both bold and deeply human.

She shares how she built Society18 from a side hustle into a full-fledged agency, not because she wanted to build an empire, but because she saw a problem worth solving: creators of color were underrepresented, underpaid, and undervalued. With heart, hustle, and a whole lot of spreadsheets, Pamela took the leap. Her first year in business? She hit seven figures.

Pamela opens up about the realities of entrepreneurship—the burnout, the mindset shifts, and the pressure of scaling fast without a business degree. But through it all, she remained grounded in her purpose: to create impact, amplify diverse voices, and pave the way for others like her.

Whether you're navigating layoffs, contemplating your next move, or building something from the ground up, this episode is your reminder that the bend in the road might just lead you to your breakthrough—if you're brave enough to turn.

Guest Bio

Pamela Zapata

Founder & CEO

Society 18

Society 18 is a bicoastal agency specializing in influencer management and marketing, with a focus on multicultural and multiethnic content creators. Based in Los Angeles, Pamela has spent the past 15 years building a successful career in influencer strategy, integrated marketing, talent relations, casting, and production. Over the course of her career, Pamela has worked with some of the most prominent networks, brands, and agencies in the industry. Before launching Society 18, she served as Senior Director of Influencer Marketing at Starpower, where she led influencer campaigns for high-profile beauty brands including Estée Lauder, Bobbi Brown, MAC, Aveda, and La Mer. In this role, she was instrumental in developing and executing campaign strategies, managing client relationships, and building impactful talent partnerships. Prior to that, Pamela was the Director of Influencer Marketing at United Entertainment Group, where she spearheaded influencer strategy and partnerships for major Unilever brands such as Dove, Suave, Axe, and Popsicle. Her earlier roles at E! Entertainment, Ryan Seacrest Productions, and StyleHaul further shaped her expertise, with a focus on integrated marketing, talent development, and production. Over the years, she has cultivated a robust network of industry relationships, leveraging talent and influencers to drive digital campaigns, brand partnerships, and on-air programming that deliver measurable results and fuel business growth. A proud first-generation Dominican-American and bilingual Latina, Pamela is deeply committed to amplifying diverse voices in the digital space. Her impact and leadership have been recognized by top industry outlets including Forbes, Business Insider, WWD, Yahoo! Finance, Ad Age, Success Magazine, and GirlBoss. 

Links 

To book Jayzen for a speaking engagement or workshop, visit Jayzenpatria.com

Follow Jayzen on his book journey at LeadWithYourBrand.com/book

Listen now to hear Jayzen’s three essential questions to help you own the conversation, elevate your brand, and position yourself as the go-to person for what’s next:

• What are you most proud of accomplishing in the first half of the year? Go beyond the task list—highlight impact. What moved the business forward, inspired your team, or made a real difference?
• What did you learn? Wins and setbacks alike are learning moments. Showcase how you’ve evolved in your thinking, skills, or leadership approach. Growth is part of your brand story.
• What do you want to sharpen or focus on next? Set the vision. Demonstrate where you're headed and how you plan to get there. This isn’t about fixing weaknesses—it’s about leveling up your strengths and closing visibility gaps.

Whether you're an individual contributor or managing a team, Jayzen challenges you to use these questions as a framework not just for self-reflection, but also to coach and develop others. Bottom line: Your personal brand is built through consistent behavior—but it’s powered by intentional reflection. Don’t wait for the perfect moment. Lead with your brand now.

This week, Jayzen sits down with award-winning creative leader Tina Shaw, Creative Director at Activision, for a rich conversation about evolution, resilience, and the power of showing up as your full self—especially when starting over in a new industry. From building digital campaigns for major entertainment brands like NBCUniversal and Netflix to redefining her creative voice in the world of gaming, Tina shares a powerful journey of career reinvention.

Tina gets candid about her leap from comfort into challenge, walking away from success at NBCUniversal to join the gaming industry where she had to start fresh and rebuild her reputation. She opens up about the importance of staying curious, embracing humility, and betting on yourself—even when it’s scary.

Guest Bio

Tina Shaw

Creative Director

Activision

A multiple award-winning creative, Tina is a Creative Director for Activision, leading a diverse team in innovative gaming content across Marketing, UA Mobile Growth & Emerging Franchises for players around the world on Call of Duty: Mobile, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3+4, Warzone: Mobile, and Crash Team Rumble.

Prior to that, she was a Group Creative Director driving strategic creative campaigns across digital, experiential, interactive & AR/VR for entertainment brands NBCUniversal, Netflix, HBOMax, Hulu, TNT, Showtime and FaZe Clan (eSports).

Links 

To book Jayzen for a speaking engagement or workshop, visit Jayzenpatria.com

Follow Jayzen on his book journey at LeadWithYourBrand.com/book

In this episode, Jayzen shares his ideas on a critical element of your personal brand development: how you make people feel. That is, when people interact with you and experience your brand, what feeling are they left with and are you beginning to be intentional about what you want that to be? It is important to focus on your SuperSized brand words and make sure that they reflect the feeling that you want people to have - and you are delivering on that with every interaction.

Jayzen is excited to welcome Ed Soo Hoo to the show. Ed is a fascinating person who has had many careers over the years, from warehouseman to a union truck driver and now as CTO for one of the top global technology companies. His secret? As he says, “you have to ask for it, even if you’re not qualified.” Ed is a storyteller and brings volumes of career wisdom that everyone can learn from.

Guest Bio

Ed Soo Hoo

Worldwide CTO - Global Accounts

Lenovo

Ed Soo Hoo is an asymmetrical thinker, crossing the intellectual and practical boundaries of enterprise and technology. Ed is known for stretching-the-box strategic thinking allowing companies to expand from “Now, New and Next.” Ed connects the dots of technology and turns that capability into business-altering solutions for any organization. His Tetris-like talent for enabling, leveraging, and enhancing existing operational models and ecosystems is truly transformational.

An Industry Fellow at the Center for Entrepreneurship and Technology at UC Berkeley and executive coach, Ed brings unique insights coming from a diverse, eclectic set of rich experiences through a career that includes blue-collar teamster, global company leader, and eight-time startup exec (seed to IPO to buyout). 

A sought-after executive and keynote speaker on business leadership, Ed presents his theories on entrepreneurial spirit, vision, and drive through a multidisciplinary perspective of the world.

“The way we work has forever changed, so it’s time that the way we lead follows suit. In order to meet the challenges of a post-pandemic world and workforce, we must explore the ways in which we can build, inspire, and lead a team.”

Links 

To book Jayzen for a speaking engagement or workshop, visit Jayzenpatria.com

Follow Jayzen on his book journey at LeadWithYourBrand.com/book

You'll learn why your brand isn’t just about what you do—it’s about the value you create for others. Whether you're just starting out, pivoting into a new chapter, or leading from the top, this episode challenges you to ask: Who are you serving, and how are you showing up with purpose and presence?

Key Takeaways:

• Why context matters in how you express your brand
• How to adapt your style without changing your core
• Why the best brands serve others and solve problems
• How to use your personal brand to write your next career chapter

Jayzen is thrilled to welcome Jethro Rothe-Kushel, a visionary media executive, storyteller, and founder of Ritual Ads—a company revolutionizing TV commercials using AI. With a career spanning film, technology, and advocacy, Jethro shares how he built a future-focused career by blending creativity, impact, and innovation. From producing for the Oscars to representing over 8,700 top producers in the PGA, his story is a masterclass in brand leadership at the intersection of tech and storytelling.

Guest Bio

Jethro Rothe-Kushel

Founder & CEO

Ritual Ads

Jethro Rothe-Kushel is a visionary media executive, storyteller, and founder of Ritual Ads, a groundbreaking company using AI to transform the way television commercials are made. With a background that spans film, tech, and advocacy, Jethro’s work empowers brands, creators, and communities to tell unforgettable stories. He’s produced for the Oscars, advised Fortune 500 companies, and leads cutting-edge conversations at the intersection of technology and humanity. Jethro was the youngest Vice President ever elected to the Producers Guild of America, representing over 8,700 of the top film, television, and media producers. He was also a Presidential Research Scholar at Dartmouth for his pioneering work at the intersection of AI and image sciences. 

Links 

To book Jayzen for a speaking engagement or workshop, visit Jayzenpatria.com

Follow Jayzen on his book journey at LeadWithYourBrand.com/book

Why? Because the experience Universal crafted is more than entertainment—it’s a masterclass in branding. And your career should be, too.

It’s time to stop thinking of your work as a collection of disconnected tasks. Instead, ask “What’s the full experience people have when they interact with you—on Zoom, over email, in meetings, or across teams?”

Key takeaways include:

• Brand is experience. It’s not just what you do—it’s how others feel when they work with you. Your brand should be intentional, immersive, and memorable.
• Use your own language. Just like Universal has “portals” instead of lands and Starbucks has “baristas” instead of employees, you can craft a vocabulary that reflects your unique value and personality.
• Surprise and delight. Think about how you can go the extra mile—offer help before it’s asked for, share insights, or simply create moments that make people smile.
• Create emotional resonance. The most successful brands—and careers—are about more than results. They’re about storytelling, connection, and leaving a lasting impression.
• Be consistent across touchpoints. Whether it’s a quick text, a project presentation, or a hallway conversation, everything you do should feel like it’s part of the same “epic universe.”

Then, stay tuned for this week’s guest Stephanie Luros-Gilbert, who shares their own story of leading with their brand and creating a professional journey that’s anything but ordinary. As the Chief Commercial Officer at BSI and Food Service Holdings, she leads with a focus on innovation and impact across the foodservice space.  She’s passionate about opening up non-traditional career paths in hospitality and tackling issues like food insecurity. Stephanie also serves in leadership roles with NAFEM and IFMA, helping shape the future of the industry.

Guest Bio

Stephanie Luros-Gilbert

Chief Commercial Officer

BSI and Food Service Holdings

In her role, Stephanie leads all commercially facing initiatives with a focus on driving growth and positioning best-in-class solutions providers to effect meaningful change across the foodservice landscape. A strategic business development and operational executive, Stephanie brings over 20 years of experience in the commercial foodservice equipment and manufacturing sectors.

Throughout her career, Stephanie has built a reputation for fostering industry collaboration and innovation. She is a dedicated advocate for elevating non-traditional career pathways within hospitality and is especially passionate about cross-industry efforts to combat food insecurity. A committed leader beyond her corporate role, Stephanie currently serves on the NAFEM Board of Directors, the IFMA Food Away From Home Association Board of Directors, amongst a multitude of other volunteer leadership roles. Stephanie’s breadth of experience and her tireless commitment to advancing the industry make her a respected voice and influential leader in foodservice and hospitality.

Links 

To book Jayzen for a speaking engagement or workshop visit Jayzenpatria.com

Follow Jayzen on his book journey at LeadWithYourBrand.com/book

To learn more about opportunities at BSI, click www.bsidesigns.com

Jayzen unpacks why a logo change isn’t the same as a rebrand—and how true brand evolution stays rooted in what made you great in the first place. Drawing lessons from the bold branding moves of household names, Jayzen challenges you to reflect on your brand DNA, your super-premium positioning, and how your “packaging”—from your Zoom background to your energy—either supports or confuses your message.

Through stories, insights, and even a charming personal moment at Starbucks, Jayzen reminds us that great brands don’t chase trends. They evolve with purpose.

Key Takeaways:

• Why most “rebrands” are really just repackaging
• The difference between updating your look vs. evolving your brand
• How HBO Max’s brand journey reflects strategic realignment—not reinvention
• How your personal “packaging” (attire, background, tone) supports—or sabotages—your professional image
• The importance of staying grounded in your core strengths while adapting to new roles and environments

Your brand is not just what you do—it's how you make people feel. Your packaging should amplify your brand, not create confusion. Don’t be a commodity like coffee—be a super-premium brand like Starbucks. Stay true to your brand DNA, and evolve with intention.

In addition, Jayzen welcomes Janella Lacson to the show.  Janella serves as the Producer for the Las Vegas Raiders - yes, that Raiders!    When she started with the organization, she knew little about football, and now in her role, she produces all of the video content for the famous NFL team.  This includes all of their highlight reels, sizzles, player features, and more.  Janella has an amazing career story to share, evolving from film directing to advertising, to local news…ultimately, fulfilling her desire to learn all aspects of the business to make herself the best storyteller possible.

Guest Bio

Janella Lacson

Producer

Las Vegas Raiders

Producer, director, writer, editor - Janella Lacson is a sports creative who does it all. With an extensive background in directing for commercials and film, Janella’s passion for storytelling never wavered, growing up in Los Angeles and while attending college at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts. Janella has won 7 regional Emmys for her work at the Las Vegas Raiders for her work as a producer and editor. Aside from her work, Janella enjoys spending time with her wife and 2 cats, baking sourdough, and cooking. 

Links 

To book Jayzen for a speaking engagement or workshop visit Jayzenpatria.com

Follow Jayzen on his book journey at LeadWithYourBrand.com/book

Check out Janella's fabulous work on Instagram @janellalacson

Listen as Jayzen opens up about his own transformative journey from Disneyland performer to NBCUniversal executive. With a rich blend of storytelling and strategy, he walks through how each unconventional move (and even a few steps “back”) led him to greater alignment with his passions, strengths, and career purpose.

Whether you’re climbing, swinging, or pausing for perspective, this episode is a masterclass in how to evolve your personal brand to match your evolving career.

Key Takeaways:

• Why the career ladder is an outdated model—and how the jungle gym offers a better path for today’s professionals
• How to evaluate opportunities through the intersection of your strengths, passions, and market needs
• Why some “backward” or “lateral” moves are actually your greatest opportunities for growth
• How your brand should evolve in sync with your career—but always return to your core
• The power of defining your brand belief, promise, and position as you move through your journey

In addition, Jayzen has an inspiring conversation with Victoria Boston, EVP & Chief Customer Experience Officer at Tech Network Inc., who shares her incredible rise through telecom, her mission-driven leadership style, and how a single speaking engagement in South Africa changed her life—and launched a movement.

Guest Bio

Victoria Boston

Executive Vice President & Chief Customer Experience Officer

Tech Network Inc,

Victoria Boston serves as Executive Vice President and Chief Customer Experience Officer at Tech Network Inc, to help drive best in class employee and customer experiences.  Most recently, she led engineering, network maintenance, and construction in the northeast area of Comcast, supporting over 3000 employees, more than 2 million customers and expanding the network to help grow over 5 billion in annual revenues.  She began her illustrious career with Verizon Communications in numerous roles and functions with increasing responsibility, ultimately landing as the Northeast area vice president of customer service and global tech support for over 6500 employees and 10.5M customers.

Often sought after for her ability to energize, she’s enjoyed speaking engagements with audiences as large as 20,000 in attendance.  Boston leads with integrity and trust while remaining authentic and relatable to diverse audiences.  She’s a third-generation writer and published author of an international bestselling book, 3 Slow Nickels, a chronicle of her journey from humble beginnings to renowned executive and public figure.

Boston’s contributions have been publicly recognized and is the recipient of esteemed awards and honors.

Links 

To book Jayzen for a speaking engagement or workshop visit Jayzenpatria.com

Follow Jayzen on his book journey at LeadWithYourBrand.com/book

Learn more about Victoria’s key project at gofundme.com/f/periodpanties

Check out her bestselling book on Amazon, 3 Slow Nickels

In this empowering episode, Jayzen invites you to reframe uncertainty as an inflection point. Drawing from his personal journey and early days leading change at Universal Studios, he shares how what feels like a low moment can actually be the start of your next breakthrough. Jayzen breaks down how to reconnect with your passion, identify your top skills, and realign with what your company truly needs—so you can build a stronger, more meaningful career trajectory.

Plus, he dives into the often-overlooked art of managing up: helping your boss succeed as a pathway to your own advancement. You'll also learn why your personal brand matters most when times are toughest—and how to shine when skies are gray.

Whether you're leading a team, trying to inspire one, or just looking for clarity on your own path, this episode will give you the tools and mindset to lead with your brand—even in the most disruptive of times.

In addition, Jayzen welcomes Brice Jaggars to the show. He is a distinguished technology executive and thought leader in digital transformation and is Head of Technology for North America at Avanade, a joint venture between Microsoft and Accenture. With an incredible career journey to share, he is a leading authority on role alignment and workplace behaviors and author of "Two Fish and the Tree, “ an Amazon bestseller.

Guest Bio

Brice Jaggars

Head of Technology for the Americas

Avanade Inc. (JV between Microsoft and Accenture)

Brice Jaggars is a distinguished technology executive and thought leader in digital transformation. As Head of Technology for North America at Avanade, he manages a $1.6B+ portfolio driving innovative solutions in cloud computing, artificial intelligence, and digital platforms. His transformative insights on workforce development and role alignment have made him a compelling voice in organizational effectiveness.

He is the author of the groundbreaking Amazon #1 Best Seller Two Fish and the Tree and is most passionate about mentoring and helping employees grow their overall skill set and achieve their career goals.

Links 

To book Jayzen for a speaking engagement or workshop visit Jayzenpatria.com

Follow Jayzen on his book journey at LeadWithYourBrand.com/book

Last week, we focused on controlling your own message through your personal “advertising”—your elevator pitch, resume, LinkedIn profile, and self-assessments. This week, Jayzen expands the conversation by showing how your brand is also shaped by what others say about you.

Jayzen reveals how great careers are boosted not just by what you say about yourself, but by who knows you and what they say about you. Learn how to spot and cultivate relationships with super-connectors and build a diverse network that champions your success.

Tune in for practical tools like building a "Contact Map" and real-world strategies for strengthening meaningful connections, challenging you to go beyond your comfort zone and make lasting deposits in your “relationship bank.”

Whether you’re climbing the corporate ladder or pivoting careers, this episode is your guide to ensuring that your brand isn’t just seen—but endorsed, amplified, and remembered.

This week, Jayzen welcomes Paula Bruno, CEO of Intuition Media Group and a true pioneer in the influencer marketing industry. With over 15 years of experience and more than 750 brand campaigns under her belt, Paula shares how she helped shape the landscape of influencer collaborations with tips on how to apply the same concepts to your brand.

Guest Bio

Paula Bruno

CEO

Intuition Media Group

Paula Bruno is the CEO of Intuition Media Group, a full-service influencer marketing agency established in 2008. With over 15 years of experience in the industry, Paula has been at the forefront of influencer marketing since its inception, helping shape the framework for influencer compensation and collaborations. Prior to founding Intuition Media Group, she helped build and take public a company in the equipment rental space through acquisitions. Her agency has worked with major brands like Canon USA, Hyundai, TikTok, GoDaddy, and has managed over 750 brand projects resulting in over 3B impressions.

Links 

To book Jayzen for a speaking engagement or workshop visit Jayzenpatria.com

Follow Jayzen on his book journey at LeadWithYourBrand.com/book

1. Define Your Audience
2. Know What You Stand For Today
3. Refine Who You Want To Be
4. Keep Up Your Image!

This week, we’re on to Step 5…Be Your Own Chief Marketing Officer.  It’s time to showcase your super premium brand, because at the end of the day, you've got to promote yourself. For many of us, there is a common theme of consistently doing great work, going above and beyond, and an assumption that your work will speak for itself. The reality is…it won’t. You can have amazing performance, but if nobody knows about it, how are they going to amplify you? Your work is not going to speak for itself. You've got to follow Step 5 and  Be Your Own Chief Marketing Officer.

Tune in for practical takeaways on how to market yourself and your accomplishments to help you achieve your next big career breakthrough!  Jayzen breaks it down with amazing examples and lessons on how to promote yourself most effectively.

Jayzen is thrilled to welcome Liz Randall to the show.  Liz has one of those super cool jobs where she is at the forefront of technology, AI and talent for one of the world's most noted talent agencies in Los Angeles.  Throughout her career, innovation has led the way, allowing her to spearhead industry-changing initiatives.

Guest Bio

Liz Randall

Head of Operations, Strategic Development

CAA

Liz Randall is Head of Operations, Strategic Development at leading entertainment and sports agency Creative Artists Agency (CAA). Randall is based in the Los Angeles office and is responsible for the execution of enterprise growth initiatives, including theCAAvault, an in-house, talent-focused service that scans, captures, and securely stores Talent’s digital likeness.

Randall began her career at Time Warner, where she held various roles in strategy and innovation, and led the digital transformation of MotorTrend Group. Prior to joining CAA in 2023, she led enterprise-wide initiatives in new technology development, cybersecurity, and IPv6 migration at Apple.

Randall graduated from Georgia State University with a Bachelor of Business in Marketing and Operations and obtained an MBA from Emory University.

Links 

To book Jayzen for a speaking engagement or workshop visit Jayzenpatria.com

Follow Jayzen on his book journey at LeadWithYourBrand.com/book

1. Define Your Audience
2. Know What You Stand For Today
3. Refine Who You Want To Be

And then, on to step four…Keep Up Your Image!

Now that you have created your five to eight SuperSized brand attributes, you have to live them every single day. The bottom line is a Brand isn’t about words that you put on paper. It’s about the actions and the choices you make every single day. Take those brand attributes and peel the layers back.

Great brands think about their brand filter. Create your formula that determines the way that you dress, the way that you maintain your office space, and most importantly, the way you create your signature projects. No matter how boring a project or task is that you’ve been given, you can do it in a way that brings your brand attributes to life and really promotes you.

This week, Jayzen welcomes Jamie Schwartzman to the show. He is the Chief Creative Strategist and founder of Flux Branding, a premier branding agency. Listen in for a great discussion about how to apply the amazing system that he has developed for some of the top brands on your own personal brand.

Guest Bio

Jamie Schwartzman

Chief Creative Strategist & Founder

Flux Branding

Jamie Schwartzman is the Chief Creative Strategist and founder of Flux Branding, a premier branding agency with over 25 years of experience transforming businesses. An expert in corporate rebranding, Jamie developed the IDEA Method—a proprietary four-step branding process that reduces risk, reveals a brand’s true identity, and guides it to success.

Under his leadership, Flux Branding has revitalized public and private companies, including helping Motor Car Parts of America boost their stock price from $2 to $38 per share through strategic rebranding. Jamie’s expertise was featured on Gordon Ramsay’s TV show “Food Stars,” where he appeared as an Expert Brand Strategist, coaching the winning contestant for the grand prize. For over a decade, he has shared industry insights through his “First Tuesday” newsletter, which includes monthly essays with branding insights.

Passionate about crafting authentic brand stories that achieve growth, Jamie believes that change is the only constant. He and his team at Flux Branding continue to inspire and lead brands to embrace change, think strategically, and communicate boldly. He’s known for his wit, wisdom, and ingenuity— making him a seasoned advisor to business leaders who demand performance.

Links 

To book Jayzen for a speaking engagement or workshop visit Jayzenpatria.com

Follow Jayzen on his book journey at LeadWithYourBrand.com/book

What is that you believe?

What is your brand promise?

What is your brand position?

Tune in to hear Jayzen’s incredible lesson on how to think about your Brand Foundation through some fantastic real-life brand examples. Ultimately, your Brand Foundation becomes part of your brand language that will help you with everything from interviewing to your LinkedIn profile and more importantly, how people see and talk about you.

This week, Jayzen talks with Ron Szekely, the founder of BOS360 Growth Systems. After an amazing career working with top global brands, Ron has taken the best business systems and created brand-focused growth system to help companies and teams unlock their potential.

Guest Bio

Ron Szekely

Co-Founder

BOS360 Growth Systems

Ron is a business coach, ex-corporate leader, unconventional thinker, and founder of BOS360 Growth Systems—a transformative methodology blending the art and science of business to help founder-led companies grow. BOS360 simplifies operations and accelerates success by uniting strategy, brand, and team into a cohesive system, fostering high-performing, purpose-driven organizations.

With over 25 years of leadership experience at global enterprises like L’Oréal, Sanofi, and Keurig—where he earned recognition as Marketing Magazine’s Marketer of the Year—Ron developed a unique perspective on balancing creativity and commerce.

His passion for entrepreneurship and scaling startups inspired the creation of BOS360, designed to unlock growth and help leaders build businesses with meaningful impact. Known for his unconventional coaching style, Ron poses bold questions, turns challenges into opportunities, and uses optimism as a strategic tool to guide leaders in navigating complexity and achieving sustainable growth.

Links 

To book Jayzen for a speaking engagement or workshop visit Jayzenpatria.com

Follow Jayzen on his book journey at LeadWithYourBrand.com/book

Now you can refine who you want to be by turning up the volume to be the best you that you can be. Take those five to eight brand attributes you came up with in the last step. Go through the McDonald’s drive-through and SUPERSIZE your words. Or, be a Marvel superhero and define those attributes as your SUPERPOWERS. Take those words and switch them from commodity descriptors everyone uses to make them uniquely you.

Don’t just say, “I’m a good presenter.” Say, “I’m a showman!” It’s not  “I’m well networked and have great relationships with people,” say, “I’m a super connector!” Why just be analytical when you can be a Data Guru? If you are organized, are you really a Precision Executor? If you are innovative, are you really a First-Mover who is the first to jump onto new ideas and trends?

Each one of your SuperSized words can have related sub-words or synonyms, all of which become your personal word bank, which is pure gold. These are the words you use to describe yourself or when interviewing for a new role.  Use them to re-tool your LinkedIn profile, when completing your annual review and more.  These are the words that you want to use so that others start to describe you in the same way.

This week, Jayzen welcomes Jessica Embree to the show.  In addition to helping her clients build brand credibility through both print and digital media, she is co-author of the Amazon bestseller, Double Sales / Zero Salespeople: Optimize Your Sales and Marketing Into One Business Development StrategyThat Works!  In the book, she lays out the system that they developed to grow the agency and cut their cost of acquisition from $40,000 to $4,000!

Guest Bio

Jessica Embree

Creative Director

Tulip Media Group

Jessica Embree has been the Creative Director at Tulip Media Group for over eight years. She works with Client-Partners to craft their brand identities into compelling stories with clear and consistent marketing messaging. Jessica is also Google Ad Certified and takes the lead on all of Tulip Media’s print and digital marketing programs for Client-Partners. 

Jessica is the co-author of the Amazon bestseller, Double Sales / Zero Salespeople: Optimize Your Sales and Marketing Into One Business Development StrategyThat Works!

Links 

To book Jayzen for a speaking engagement or workshop visit Jayzenpatria.com

Follow Jayzen on his book journey at LeadWithYourBrand.com/book

Here is the dirty little secret. We can all smell inauthenticity from a mile away and it reeks! If you’re thinking, “I want to be Steve Jobs” or “I want to be Sheryl Sandberg” or “I want to have Oprah Winfrey‘s brand,” the truth is, you are not Oprah, and you’re never going to be her! Who you are is you. What you can be is THE BEST you! Start by thinking authentically what your brand authentically is today. What are those words and adjectives that people have used to describe you, sometimes even since you were a little kid? What do people love about you? Find 5 to 8 words that resonate with you. Maybe you are analytical, organized, and innovative. These become your brand attributes that you lead with all the time and are truly authentically you.

This week, Jayzen is excited to welcome his friend, John Pagano to the show.  John has had an incredible career in the entertainment industry working with some of the most iconic titles including SpongeBob, iCarly, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and more.  As Vice President of Nickelodeon Digital Studios, John oversees 53 Nickelodeon YouTube channels worldwide, producing over 1,000 videos monthly and has launched a breakthrough video editing system using AI technology.

Guest Bio

John Pagano

Vice President of Editorial, Nickelodeon Digital Studio

John Pagano is a seasoned media professional with nearly two decades of experience. Starting at Nickelodeon’s Brand Creative department, he crafted promos for shows like Degrassi, SpongeBob, and iCarly, swiftly rising from Production Assistant to Executive Producer. Leading a large creative team, John directed branding for Nickelodeon’s top live events and digital channels, including TeenNick, NickToons, Nick Music, and Nick Sports.

In 2018, John pivoted to digital media, playing a key role in launching Nickelodeon’s Digital Studio. He managed content for high-profile YouTube channels like SpongeBob, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and Avatar: The Last Airbender, driving these channels to millions of subscribers and billions of watch time minutes.

By 2024, John globalized the department, overseeing 53 Nickelodeon YouTube channels worldwide, producing over 1,000 videos monthly. An early adopter of AI, he launched an innovative video editing system using ML and AI technology. John also served as Executive Producer for on-air and streaming specials like SpongeBob’s Super Bowl Party and the documentary Behind the Dangerverse. His work has earned accolades from ProMax, Kid Screen, and The Shorty Awards.

Links 

To book Jayzen for a speaking engagement or workshop visit Jayzenpatria.com

Follow Jayzen on his book journey at LeadWithYourBrand.com/book

As we jump into the new year, Jayzen is ready to make 2025 your year to achieve your next career breakthrough!  over the next couple of months, Jayzen will take a deep dive into each of the Five Steps to Lead With Your Brand.  This week.. Step 1: DEFINE YOUR AUDIENCE.

I know what you are thinking. You can work on any team. You can work for anybody. You can work for any company. And you can serve any customer. While that may be true because you have amazing expertise, here is what we know about brands - when you are trying to be everything to everybody, you are really being nothing to no one! You have got to find your target audience. Let’s make it really simple. Think about the people who love you. Who are your raving fans today? Who buys your services? Who promotes you? Who asks you to be on their team? Now, what is the secret sauce between that group of people that you can define as your tribe that your brand can SuperServe.

This week, Jayzen is thrilled to welcome Emily Chang to the show.  Emily shares her incredible career journey that has spanned senior leadership roles at P&G, the first executive for Apple in China overseeing retail marketing, CMO of Starbucks China and more.  Her insights and practical advice on how to be a leader on any level and move your career forward are invaluable.  She is also a best-selling author and the current CEO West for VML. 

Guest Bio

Emily Chang

CEO West, VML and Best Selling Author of The Spare Room

Emily is CEO of the NA West for VML, coming from 25 years of experience spanning QSR, Retail, Hospitality, Creative, Tech, and FMCG industries. She holds an exceptional track record of accelerating global brands which began at P and G. Over 11 years, she worked across all three business units spanning upstream design, retail, and digital marketing, and based in Cincinnati, Fayetteville, and Guangzhou.

She then moved to Apple as the first executive in China overseeing Retail Marketing for APAC, opening new stores and developing the Apple Asia retail operating model. Later, she joined IHG as the Chief Commercial Officer for Greater China where she led a team of 5,400, launching a new brand and crafting new partnerships to become the #1 hotel brand in China.

Drawn to the best of CX and CRM, Emily joined Starbucks in 2017 as CMO of China, where she oversaw all commercial functions and led the teams that brought digital experiences to life like the Shanghai Roastery Augmented Reality, Starbucks Delivery, and Digital Gifting. Five years ago, Emily became CEO of McCann Worldgroup in China, where she transformed a 450-member team across four agencies in three offices to deliver five-year highs in record revenue and OIBI.

Emily believes passionately in living with intention and leading with authenticity. She published a best-selling book called “The Spare Room,” and speaks at industry-leading events like TEDx and Fortune Most Powerful Women. Emily is a member of YPO and has also served on non-profit boards, including most recently with SOS Children’s Villages.

Links 

To book Jayzen for a speaking engagement or workshop visit Jayzenpatria.com

Start your year off right with this very special episode and make 2025 the year for your next career breakthrough!  Jayzen dives into the foundational elements of what a brand is, and more importantly, where to start with your personal brand.  A brand is about the sum of all of the experiences, thoughts and emotions that you have with a product or service.  Your brand is much the same. Tune in to hear an overview of the Five Steps To Lead With Your Brand and much more!

To start the year, we’re taking a look back and sharing some of the best career advice that his guests had to offer, including:

• Brooke Sopelsa, NBC Out Editorial Director, NBC News
• Nicole Haase, Co-Founder and CEO, Modern Prairie
• Ed Soo Hoo, Worldwide CTO - Global Accounts, Lenovo
• Mark Bertolini Chief Executive Officer, Oscar Health
• Andrew Howlett, CEO, Struck 
• Beck Bailey, Managing Director and Global Chief Diversity Officer, Accenture
• Laura Hertz, CEO and Co-Founder, Gifts for Good
• Cassie Petrey, CEO and Co-Founder, Crowd Surf
• Jai Khanna, Co-Founder and CEO, Victory Media Group
• Marion Hargett, Vice President of Business Development, The Trade Desk
• Dr.Timbrala Marshall, Medical Operations Lead, Urgent Care Hospital Group, VCA Animal Hospital
• Javier Constante, President, Dow Brasil and América Latina

Happy New Year and here’s to an incredible 2025!

Links 

To book Jayzen for a speaking engagement or workshop visit Jayzenpatria.com

Now, of course, we still need to talk about work and your career. For most of us, there are only a couple of weeks left in the office before we all head out for the holidays.  Remember, just like in Hollywood, you’re only as good as your last picture! So find ways to end the year on a high note. How can you put a shiny bow on top of those year-end projects?  Now is not the time to dial it in. Listen now for more and get ready to make 2025 the year for your next big career breakthrough!

This week, Jayzen welcomes Jane McCarthy to the show. After working as a brand strategist on some of the most successful brands in the world, Jane noticed a gap in powerful feminine archetypes in the traditional marketing canon and so, decided to explore these. Jane utilized her personal passion for, and study in, mythology, astrology, the Enneagram and the tarot to craft the expression of the goddess archetypes included in her book, The Goddess Guide to Branding. Working with her sister, Jane launched Goddess Office, a new platform for elevating women and the archetypal feminine in business in 2024.

Guest Bio

Jane McCarthy 

Brand Strategist and Author of The Goddess Guide to Branding

Jane McCarthy is a brand strategist with over a decade of experience in advertising. She has collaborated with both global and local brands in a variety of categories, from energy to confections, serving brands like SweeTarts, Southern California Edison, Boys & Girls Clubs of America and Dole. She graduated from the University of St. Andrews in Scotland with an MA in International Relations & Business.

As a strategist, Jane’s emphasis is on leveraging archetypes to unlock a brand’s true essence and power. She noticed a lack of powerful feminine archetypes in the traditional marketing canon and so, decided to explore these. Jane utilized her personal passion for, and study in, mythology, astrology, the Enneagram and the tarot to craft the expression of the goddess archetypes included in The Goddess Guide to Branding.

Along with her sister Kate McAndrew, a venture capitalist passionate about investing in female-led startups, Jane wrote The Goddess Guide to Branding in order to empower women entrepreneurs to build the businesses and brands they’re called to. In August 2024, the sisters launched the Goddess Office, a new platform for elevating women and the archetypal feminine in business.

Links 

To book Jayzen for a speaking engagement or workshop visit Jayzenpatria.com

Learn more about Jane and The Goddess Office at goddessoffice.substack.com

The holidays are upon us, and we all know that as exciting as the season is, it can be equally as stressful.  It is critical to remember that your brand shines even brighter in times of gray skies or when you’re in difficult situations.  Tune in to this week’s show to hear Jayzen’s tips on how to Lead With Your Brand this season to make sure you’re showing the best of yourself as we celebrate the holidays and close out the year.

This week, Jayzen is excited to welcome his longtime friend Marion Hargett to the show. Marion has built an incredible career helping top brands reach their target audience by providing cross-screen digital, video, and programmatic advertising solutions. Her amazing career advice about embracing discomfort in your career can be applied to anyone in any industry.

Guest Bio

Marion Hargett

Vice President of Business Development

The Trade Desk

As Vice President of Business Development at The Trade Desk, Marion Hargett leads the team responsible for driving revenue generation and strategic partnerships for the East Coast and Canada. Hargett is a proven leader known for creating highly effective teams, leading essential change, driving top line revenue growth, and providing audience and cross-screen solutions to Fortune 500 companies. Throughout her career, she has also developed a keen understanding of addressable video, digital, and programmatic and shares her knowledge of industry dynamics regularly with The Trade Desk clients and via speaking engagements at various industry events. Prior to her role at The Trade Desk, Hargett spent over 20 years in leadership roles at companies including NBCUniversal, Ampersand and iHeart Media where she has served as a change agent, driving innovation across traditional business models.

Links 

To book Jayzen for a speaking engagement or workshop visit Jayzenpatria.com

Learn more about The Trade Desk at TheTradeDesk.com

Go Vote!

Guest Bio

Mark Takano, Congressman for the 41st District of California

For more than twenty years, Mark Takano has worked to improve the lives of Riverside County residents, both as an elected official and as a teacher at Rialto High School.

Born and raised in Riverside, Mark's commitment to public service began at an early age. His family roots in Riverside go back to his grandparents who, along with his parents, were removed from their respective homes and sent to Japanese American Internment camps during World War II. After the war, these two families settled in Riverside County to rebuild their lives.

Mark attended La Sierra High School in the Alvord Unified School District, and in 1979 he graduated as the school's valedictorian. Mark attended Harvard College and received his bachelor's degree in Government in 1983. As a student, he bussed tables to help make ends meet. During his senior year, he organized a transcontinental bicycle ride to benefit the international development agency Oxfam America.

Upon graduation, Mark returned home to Riverside and began teaching in the Rialto Unified School District in 1988. As a classroom teacher, Mark confronted the challenges in our public education system daily.

In 1990, Mark was elected to the Riverside Community College District's Board of Trustees. At RCC, Mark worked with Republicans and Democrats to improve higher education for young people and job training opportunities for adults seeking to learn a new skill or start a new career. He was elected Board President in 1991 and helped the Board and the District gain stability and direction amid serious fiscal challenges.

In 2012, Mark became the first openly gay person of color to be elected to Congress.

Mark Takano represents the people of Riverside, Moreno Valley, Jurupa Valley and Perris in the United States House of Representatives. He serves as Chairman of the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs, and as a member of the Education and Labor Committee.

Links 

To book Jayzen for a speaking engagement or workshop visit Jayzenpatria.com

Tune in to this week’s show to hear Jayzen’s top three steps to make the most of your performance review. First, focus on your top accomplishments from the year.  What did you do that you are proud of?  What moved the needle?  Then, with two or three in mind, use the S.T.A.R. model to highlight your success and tell your story most compellingly.  Finally, you have to determine what your towering brand superpowers are and the skills that are going to help you achieve your next career breakthrough.  Jayzen breaks it all down and gives you the info that will count!

This show, Jayzen welcomes Francesco Clark, the CEO & Founder of Clark’s Botanicals.  After suffering a paralyzing spinal cord injury at the age of 24, Francesco started Clark’s botanicals in his kitchen with his father.  As a side effect to the injury, he developed rosacea, eczema, and a hypersensitivity to ingredients.  Literally, nothing helped his skin feel and look normal. Through an unexpected outcome of a social meeting with his former boss, the editor-in-chief of Harper’s Bazaar, the brand was born and quickly moved from his kitchen to being sold at Saks Fifth Avenue and around the world. A truly remarkable and inspirational story.

Guest Bio

Francesco Clark

CEO & Founder

Clark’s Botanicals

Francesco is the author of Walking Papers (2010, Hachette publishing), and CEO/Founder of Clark’s Botanicals skincare, which has been featured in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, ALLURE, PBS, CNN, CBS, Harper’s Bazaar, Vogue, and many other publications. His company has won Fashion Group International’s Rising Star Award, Allure’s Best of Beauty Award (6 time winner), Oprah’s Best of Beauty, WWD Best Beauty Products of All Time, Town & Country Best of Beauty, Cosmetic Executive Women’s Indie Brand of the Year, as well as Wallpaper’s design award. 

Recently, Francesco purchased Clark's Botanicals back from Warburg Pincus, reclaiming his independence as the sole investor and CEO. His steadfast leadership reflects his unwavering commitment to excellence and his entrepreneurial spirit. Since acquiring the brand back, Clark’s Botanicals has reaffirmed its place in luxury skincare, recently launching in: Goop, Saks Fifth Avenue, and most recently signed a distribution agreement launched the skincare line as the highest revenue Cache Program launch to date in 25 Bluemercury doors in February 2024.

Francesco's involvement as an active board member with organizations such as the Johns Hopkins Institute for Bioethics and NYSCF (The New York Stem Cell Foundation) reflects his deep commitment to giving back to the scientific community to help better the lives of others. He is honored to be an ambassador for the Reeve Foundation, which strives to improve the lives of people with spinal cord injuries and their families.

Links 

To book Jayzen for a speaking engagement or workshop visit Jayzenpatria.com

Jayzen is excited to welcome an old friend to the show, Christel Miller.  She has been responsible for and worked on some of the top shows on television that we all know and love, including Jury Duty, Superstore, Dexter and the upcoming Cruel Intentions series on Amazon Prime.  Starting her career in the medical profession, she realized that she’d rather tell the stories of working in a hospital instead of actually doing so and quickly shifted gears. She has an incredible career story to share with fantastic advice we all can appreciate.

Guest Bio

Christel S. Miller

Head of Scripted Hybrid

Amazon MGM Studios

In her role, Christel oversees series through their entire lifecycle from pitch to launch, and was responsible for building original content on Freevee from the ground up including JURY DUTY (Emmy Nominated), PRIMO, BOSCH: LEGACY, SPRUNG, HIGH SCHOOL, along with the upcoming Prime Video launches CRUEL INTENTIONS, CLEAN SLATE, PRADEEPS, MOTORHEADS, and DICK WOLF’s ON CALL. Miller previously worked at NBC as VP of Current Programming on numerous series including New Amsterdam, Superstore, Parenthood, Good Girls, Blindspot, and Grimm, and at Showtime Networks during the Dexter and  Nurse Jackie era. 

She is alum of Rice University and UCLA’s Film and Television Producing Program. She has been honored as one of Glamour’s 2004 Top Ten College Women, Outsmart’s 2005 Top 12 GLBT Houstonians, Producers Guild’s 2006 Diversity Award Winner, NBCU’s 2011 Entertainment Associates Program Participant, NBCU‘s 2012 Going The Extra Mile Award, Power Up’s 2012 Rising Star LGBTQ Award, GO Magazine’s 2019 One Hundred LGBTQ Women We Love Award, and Rice University’s CSWGS 2023 Distinguished Alumni Award. Christel is a member of ColourTV, the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, and has been serving on the Board of Directors for GLAAD since 2017, which received the Emmy’s Governor’s Award in 2024.

Links 

To book Jayzen for a speaking engagement or workshop visit Jayzenpatria.com

Jayzen is thrilled to welcome Nicole Hasse to the show.  In 2022 Nicole teamed up with Melissa Gilbert, known to many as Laura Ingalls Wilder from the famous Little House on the Prarie television series.  Together, they co-founded Modern Prairie. The brand is centered on women aged 50 and beyond, offering them a source of inspiration, engagement, validation, and connection. Built on the idea of community, Modern Prairie offers heirloom quality products and creates a space for women to come together and share stories of embracing change and finding power in it.   She has had an incredible career working for some of the most notable retail brands and shares a wealth of success insights.

Guest Bio

Nicole Haase

Co-Founder and CEO

Modern Prairie

Nicole Haase is a dynamic executive and brand builder with over 20 years of experience creating innovative product concepts, leading ambitious teams, and facilitating profitable growth. She has been building high performing brands for over two decades, serving in leadership positions at companies such as Williams-Sonoma, Lucky Brand Jeans and ModCloth. As an executive, she is known for her unique ability to combine both creativity and financial insight to deliver extraordinary results.

Recognizing a significant gap in the market, in 2022 she teamed up with Melissa Gilbert to co-found Modern Prairie. The brand is centered on women aged 50 and beyond, offering them a source of inspiration, engagement, validation, and connection. Built on the idea of community, Modern Prairie offers heirloom quality products and creates a space for women to come together and share stories of embracing change and finding power in it. Since its launch, the brand has organically grown to nearly 500,000 followers on social media and 30,000 on its dedicated app.

Born in Boston, Massachusetts, Haase’s upbringing was steeped in the entrepreneurial spirit instilled by her parents. Embracing their ethos, she champions the message of limitless possibilities and firmly believes in the transformative power of opportunity. Her academic pursuits include studying at Boston College and obtaining her master’s at the Carroll School of Management where she honed her skills and shaped her vision for the future.

Haase currently resides in Huntington Beach, CA and believes that talent, teamwork, and tenacity will always lead to success.

Links 

To book Jayzen for a speaking engagement or workshop visit Jayzenpatria.com

Check out Modern Prarie at Modernprairie.com

Jayzen is excited to welcome Rachel Hernandez to the show. Rachel is the Director of Brand Strategy at Next Net Media. In this role, she spearheads the world’s largest global network of trusted media outlets, link partners, and global news websites, catapulting clients to online retailing success with high-authority backlinks and targeted organic visitors. With a decade-long career in digital content creation and strategy, Rachel initiated Next Net Media’s content department in 2016, overseeing in-house teams and a vast network of 700+ freelancers, generating thousands of premium content pieces weekly. Recognized as a finalist for Woman in Content Marketing of the Year, Rachel is a sought-after guest on marketing podcasts and an esteemed speaker at international events, sharing her expertise in content marketing, brand strategy, and SEO. Rachel shares how you can use the tools that she uses for clients in your own career.

Guest Bio

Rachel Hernandez

Director of Brand Strategy, Next Net Media

Rachel Hernandez is the Director of Brand Strategy for Next Net Media, the largest global network of trusted media outlets, link partners, and global news websites, providing clients with a steady influx of high-authority backlinks and targeted organic visitors – making them the world’s largest and most successful online retailer of optimization products and services.

With a rich decade-long history as a digital content creator and strategist, Rachel stands as a beacon of innovation. In 2016, she launched Next Net Media’s content department, ingeniously leading both in-house teams and 700+ freelancers, culminating in the creation of thousands of top-tier content pieces every week.

Notably, Rachel’s success extends beyond her professional endeavors. She earned a coveted finalist spot for the Woman in Content Marketing of the Year by Masthead Media and Content Marketing Institute. An authority in her field, she’s a sought-after guest on marketing podcasts and a revered speaker on the international circuit, where she imparts wisdom on the pivotal intersections of content marketing, brand strategy, and SEO.

Links 

To book Jayzen for a speaking engagement or workshop visit Jayzenpatria.com

So the question to you is, “what do the Olympics by you look and feel like?”  How would they be uniquely you? Of course, you’re never going to host an Olympics personally, but when you think about it, your career is a series of Olympics…every assignment, every project, even every task is something that many people could do. The real question is what is your signature style? What is your brand filter? What are the things that you do that leave your calling card or how are your fingerprints all over it?  How do you execute things in a way that says quite simply that no one else could have done that and reminds people that you are the go-to person who can execute in your unique way?

Jayzen is thrilled to welcome Monika Krimendahl to the show.  In addition to her role as BlitzBe, Monika is COO of Click Riot (a software company leveraging technology to build, grow and scale) and the Co-Executive Producer of The Gold Rush Summit 1.0,  The Gold Rush Summit 2.0,  The Gold Rush Crypto Summit, and The Gold Rush Pride Summit.  She is an International Bestselling Author and enjoyed the collaborative process of writing “Action Takers Who Get Sh** Done.”  Her career has spanned from teaching school, being a massage therapist to now running marketing agencies, all with an incredible through line that makes perfect sense.

Guest Bio

Monika Krimendahl

COO, BlitzBe Marketing

Monika Krimendahl is the COO of BlitzBe Marketing, Click Riot (a software company leveraging technology to build, grow and scale) and the Co-Executive Producer of The Gold Rush Summit 1.0,  The Gold Rush Summit 2.0,  The Gold Rush Crypto Summit, and The Gold Rush Pride Summit.

She works with her team to develop strategies for Business Development, Online Audits, Producing Virtual Summits, and Training Entrepreneurs to grow to 6 and 7 Figures with Online Marketing strategies.  As a teacher and educator for 25 years, Monika enjoys educating entrepreneurs about Marketing, Mindset and Creative Strategies to grow their businesses. 

Monika is an International Bestselling Author and enjoyed the collaborative process of writing “Action Takers Who Get Sh** Done.”

With a background in healing, transformational work, Massage Therapy, Meditation and Yoga, Monika believes in the power of transformation!  Team meetings begin with, “We have a world to change!”  The foundation of everything she does is about helping people who help people grounded in the acknowledgment that “a rising tide raises all ships.”  

Monika is a member of several networking groups and enjoys meeting new entrepreneurs all over the world!  She believes in multiple streams of income and working with other fabulous entrepreneurs to create win-win-win relationships.

Links 

To book Jayzen for a speaking engagement or workshop visit Jayzenpatria.com

To learn more about the GOLD RUSH PRIDE SUMMIT visit  thegoldrushsummit.com/pride-summit

Jayzen is excited to talk with Jai Khanna this week. Jai’s company is a top content producer telling amazing stories rooted in sports. Among others, they are known for their 2023 Emmy-nominated TNT documentary 'The Great Debate with Charles Barkley.' Upcoming projects include a documentary focusing on worldwide legend Kobe Bryant as well as a documentary profiling golf prodigy Michelle Wie exclusively set for Peacock. 

Guest Bio

Jai Khanna

Co-Founder and CEO, Victory Media Group

Jai Khanna is the Co-Founder and CEO of Victory Media Group, a global producer and financier of premium content across film, television and digital media– telling the stories of the journey to victory. Khanna guides the strategy and vision for the company’s three content brands- Victory Sports, Victory Women and Victory Film.

Victory Media Group has quickly produced a critically acclaimed slate of programming since its inception in 2023, garnering an Emmy nomination for the TNT documentary 'The Great Debate with Charles Barkley.' Upcoming projects include a documentary focusing on worldwide legend Kobe Bryant as well as a documentary profiling golf prodigy Michelle Wie exclusively set for Peacock. Additionally, in collaboration with Will Ferrell, a captivating feature film following the Seattle Seahawks. Plus a docu-series that dives deep into the intriguing true crime saga surrounding FIFA's stolen and un-recovered World Cup trophy.

Prior to launching Victory Media Group, Khanna served as a strategic leader at the preeminent management and production firm Brillstein, where he worked for over 22 years. Throughout his tenure at Brillstein, Khanna held various strategic roles, including Talent Manager, Producer and Packaging Agent. He played a pivotal role in assisting top-tier clients in launching multiple ventures across film, television and technology. Clients over the years included talent such as Eva Mendes, Sarah Silverman,Tiffani Thiessen, Ike Barinholtz, Larenz Tate among others. His credits include over 25 films, where he served as Producer or Executive Producer. Additionally, Khanna was responsible for securing over $300 million in capital for client projects. 

A veteran entertainment executive, Khanna started his career as a Talent Agent at Writers & Artists Agency. While there, he represented notable actors such as James Gandolfini, William H. Macy and Eva Mendes.

Khanna was named by The Hollywood Reporter as one of the 'top 35 executives in Hollywood.' He has been profiled in The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal. Business Insider recognized him as one of the '100 influential Indian American leaders in the US' and he was celebrated as one of the "Outstanding 50 Asian Americans in Business" by the Asian American Business Development Center.

Khanna graduated from the University of California at Davis as a student-athlete.

Links 

To book Jayzen for a speaking engagement or workshop visit Jayzenpatria.com

Jayzen is excited to welcome Amy Shoenthal to the show. She is a journalist, marketing consultant and the author of The Setback Cycle, a book about how today’s prominent founders and leaders overcome obstacles to find success. Everyone experiences setbacks at some point. Amy shares some of her incredible insights into how to take challenges and turn them into the catalyst for success.

Guest Bio

Amy Shoenthal

USA Today Bestselling Author of The Setback Cycle.

Amy Shoenthal is a journalist, marketing consultant and the author of The Setback Cycle, a book about how today’s prominent founders and leaders overcome obstacles to find success. In her years spent profiling these leaders for outlets like Forbes and Harvard Business Review, nearly every discussion revealed a common theme: what they learned during their biggest setbacks led them to their most successful ventures. Setbacks are an unavoidable aspect of life—and while uncomfortable, they provide an opportunity to redefine success and gain a renewed perspective. But why does this happen? That’s the answer Amy searched for as she researched this phenomenon, speaking with executive coaches, neuroscientists and psychologists to come up with a framework that helps people identify setbacks and work through them.

Told through the stories of leaders like Robin Arzón, Reshma Saujani, Norma Kamali, Stacy London and others, Amy takes people through this common experience in a way that enables them to understand it, address it, and come out the other side with a renewed sense of growth and a clear vision.

Amy also boasts a two-decade marketing career, working with some of the world's largest brands, from Procter & Gamble to Google. Now, through her consulting firm, Visionaries Collective, she works with Founders, corporations, nonprofits and small businesses to shape their brand narratives and captivate audiences through strategic storytelling.

After completing The Setback Cycle, she began working with organizations to help their employees and managers confidently lead through tumultuous times, offering the tools to help their teams navigate their own inevitable setbacks together.

Amy previously wrote a local children’s book about the independent-owned businesses in her own beloved neighborhood of Sunnyside, Queens, where she lives with her husband and daughter.

Links 

To book Jayzen for a speaking engagement or workshop visit Jayzenpatria.com

The Lead With Your Brand Podcast is celebrating LGBTQ+ Pride Month in June. We're not just celebrating the LGBTQ+ community; we're amplifying it with an incredible lineup of guests who are leading with their brands and truly embodying the spirit of their uniqueness and excellence. Along with new episodes will check out our  "LGBTQ+ Pride on Brand" collection of top episodes with some of the best leaders from the past four seasons, all identifying as members of the LGBTQ+ community. Visit LeadWithYourBrand.com/pride

This week, Jayzen answers the question he gets at nearly every presentation…”what is your best career advice?” Quite simply, as he tells people all of the time, “find a hole and fill it!”  That is, look out on your career universe and spot the potholes in the road that need to be filled.   What needs exist in your company or industry and how can you meet them?  How can you make the road smoother for yourself, your boss and your colleagues and turn them into success?  Tune in to hear Jayzen’s best advice.

Jayzen is thrilled to welcome Tay & Val to the show. After both having careers in media and production, Tay & Val embarked on a two-and-a-half-year bike tour that took them across three continents and twelve countries simply to ask people one question, “what is your dream?”  Armed with the inspiration to build their dream, they went on to found Modern Mind Labs, a global practice to create and implement wellness-based, EDI-informed, and culture-coherent leadership and team development initiatives. 

So, as we celebrate Pride Month, let's create, support, and thrive in workplaces that truly value each and every one of us. Here's to a month—and a lifetime—of pride, progress, and power!

Guest Bio

Tay & Val

Co-Founders, MODERN MIND LABS

Tay & Val are business and life partners who co-founded MODERN MIND LABS: a global practice that supports companies like Amazon, Booking.com, VMLY&R, and many more around the world, to create and implement wellness-based, EDI-informed, and culture-coherent leadership and team development initiatives. 

Known for facilitating powerful and inclusive learning experiences, Tay & Val teach in an accessible and approachable manner - through science and storytelling; and make sure that everything you learn can be applied #IRL (in-real-life). To date, more than 100,000 people across diverse communities have experienced their work. Tay & Val are two-time TEDx speakers and have presented at international conferences such as Out & Equal Summit, Women In Cloud Summit, Seattle Interactive Conference, and more.

As lifelong practitioners with 12,000+ (and counting!) hours in their meditation practice, Tay & Val are seasoned certified teachers with the globally sought-after Search Inside Yourself Global (SIYG) for mindfulness-based emotional intelligence and leadership training. Through their partnership with SIYLI, they’ve facilitated programs for audiences in the Americas, Asia, Middle-East, and Europe. 

Fiercely committed to realizing the fullest potential of people and organizations — especially those in underrepresented and underestimated communities — Tay & Val completed the train-the-trainer program for Neurology of Equity & Inclusion At Work so they can bring the lens of EDI to all the work they do.

Fun Fact: In 2010, Tay and Val set off to travel the world by bicycle to ask as many people as possible one question: “What is your dream?” This project brought them across three continents, twelve countries, and fifty-five cities. In three years, they spoke to diverse communities of all identities; and collected tens and thousands of dreams, hopes and aspirations.

Links 

To book Jayzen for a speaking engagement or workshop visit Jayzenpatria.com

The Lead With Your Brand Podcast is celebrating LGBTQ+ Pride Month in June. We're not just celebrating the LGBTQ+ community; we're amplifying it with an incredible lineup of guests who are leading with their brands and truly embodying the spirit of their uniqueness and excellence. Along with new episodes will check out our  "LGBTQ+ Pride on Brand" collection of top episodes with some of the best leaders from the past four seasons, all identifying as members of the LGBTQ+ community. Visit LeadWithYourBrand.com/pride

Tune in to hear Jayzen talk about one of the most important points to remember when developing your brand….What you choose not to do is as important as what you choose to do.  Remember, your brand is about making strategic consciously competent decisions to show up and lead with the brand that you want.  Now is the time to think about those things that you do because they are easy or on autopilot, but in reality, may be pulling you away from the brand that you want to be.

This week, Jayzen is thrilled to welcome Javier Constante to the show.  He is the President of Dow in Brazil and Latin America and as an out senior executive at a global company, Javier stands as an advocate and role model for bringing your full, authentic self to work.  A true inspiration with an amazing career story!

So, as we celebrate Pride Month, let's create, support, and thrive in workplaces that truly value each and every one of us. Here's to a month—and a lifetime—of pride, progress, and power!

Guest Bio

Javier Constante

President

Dow Brasil & América Latina

Javier Constante has been President of Dow in Brazil and Latin America since late 2019. In this role, he is responsible for developing and overseeing Dow’s regional strategy and financial performance in the region with the goal of making Dow the most customer-centric, innovative, sustainable and inclusive materials science company in the world. As part of his current role, Constante drives increased focus and action around ESG parameters, including moving to a low-carbon and circular economy, building a more transparent, authentic and safe work environment for employees, and moving toward a more equitable society.

Constante joined Dow in 1989 in Buenos Aires, Argentina as a Sales Representative and moved through various marketing and commercial positions in Latin America and across Europe. In November 2019, he took on his current position as President of Dow in Brazil and Latin America. Constante is Vice President of the Board of the Brazil Chemical Association (ABIQUIM), is a member of the Council of Presidents of Amcham (American Chamber of Commerce) and is part of the global Executive Board of the Out & Equal organization for the fight for the rights of the LGBTQIA+ community in the corporate environment. He previously served as a board member of Equate/TKOC and EMC (Equate Marketing Company) and was Vice President of Plastics Europe.

In 2022, Javier Constante received the Outie Awards trophy for the first time in the category "Global LGBTQ+ Advocate of the Year" for his leadership in initiatives to include LGBTQIA+ people in the labor market. The executive also made it once again to the TOP 100 LGBT+ executives recognized by the 2022 OUTstanding LGBT+ Role Model List, which he is listed for the third consecutive time.

Constante holds a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from Universidad de La Plata, Argentina, and an MBA from Instituto Altos Estudio Empresariales - IESE, Argentina. He is married and lives in São Paulo, Brasil.

Links 

To book Jayzen for a speaking engagement or workshop visit Jayzenpatria.com

The Lead With Your Brand Podcast is celebrating LGBTQ+ Pride Month in June. We're not just celebrating the LGBTQ+ community; we're amplifying it with an incredible lineup of guests who are leading with their brands and truly embodying the spirit of their uniqueness and excellence. Along with new episodes will check out our  "LGBTQ+ Pride on Brand" collection of top episodes with some of the best leaders from the past four seasons, all identifying as members of the LGBTQ+ community. Visit LeadWithYourBrand.com/pride

 With all of the summer activities in full swing, now is the perfect time to focus on the final step of the Lead With Your Brand system, Promote Yourself.  That’s right, it is all about being your own Chief Marketing Officer and leveraging the power of your network.  Tune in to hear Jayzen’s top tips on how to build genuine connections so that you can harness the power of your network and build a team of people who are amplifying your great work and advocating for your career advancement. 

This week, Jayzen is excited to welcome Brooke Soplesa to the show.  She is the editorial director of NBC Out, the LGBTQ digital destination of NBC News.  In addition to the dedicated NBCOUT.com site, the work of Brooke and her team is woven into the entire NBC News organization with content about and of interest to the LGBTQ community. 

So, as we celebrate Pride Month, let's create, support, and thrive in workplaces that truly value each and every one of us. Here's to a month—and a lifetime—of pride, progress, and power!

Guest Bio

Brooke Sopelsa

NBC Out Editorial Director

NBC News

Brooke Sopelsa is the editorial director of NBC Out, the LGBTQ digital destination launched by NBC News in June 2016. Under Brooke’s leadership, nbcout.com seeks to both enlighten and entertain by showcasing enterprise reporting, original videos and other unique content about and of interest to the LGBTQ community.

In addition to assigning and editing LGBTQ breaking news stories, feature articles and video reports, Brooke has also spearheaded a number of franchises and special projects, including the annual #Pride30 list and the digital docu-series “Stonewall 50: The Revolution.” Since 2016, Brooke and NBC Out have been recognized with numerous awards, including a GLAAD Media Award, NLGJA Excellence in Journalism Award, Digital Diversity Network Impact Award and Out & Equal Champion Award.

Prior to her return to the NBC family, Brooke was a producer at the Huffington Post, where she developed and produced live news and lifestyle segments. During her time at HuffPost, she created content ranging from business news segments to celebrity interviews — and was awarded a 2015 RTDNA Kaleidoscope Award for her LGBTQ Coverage.

Before joining HuffPost, Brooke spent six years at NBC — first as a writer/producer for CNBC.com and then as a producer for MSNBC.com, where she earned a GLAAD Media Award nomination for her multimedia report on the contemporary voguing scene.

In addition to digital media, Brooke has worked in both documentary film production and television news. She co-produced, shot and edited the documentary "Queer Streets," a film about LGBTQ homeless youth, which aired on MTV’s LOGO channel from 2008-2011. Brooke started her career in journalism as a production assistant and shortly thereafter an on-air reporter at Time Warner Cable Channel 10 News in Bergen County, N.J.

Brooke holds a B.A. in Economics from Bucknell University, M.A. in Journalism from Columbia University and M.B.A. from New York University's Stern School of Business.

Links 

To book Jayzen for a speaking engagement or workshop visit Jayzenpatria.com

Get all of your LGBTQ news at NBCOUT.com

The Lead With Your Brand Podcast is celebrating LGBTQ+ Pride Month in June. We're not just celebrating the LGBTQ+ community; we're amplifying it with an incredible lineup of guests who are leading with their brands and truly embodying the spirit of their uniqueness and excellence. Along with new episodes will check out our "LGBTQ+ Pride on Brand" collection of top episodes with some of the best leaders from the past four seasons, all identifying as members of the LGBTQ+ community. Visit LeadWithYourBrand.com/pride

Pride Month is the perfect time to think about your brand, however you identify. Being authentic is about being true to who you are, but being your best authentic self is about presenting the most polished and impactful version of you. Tune in for Jayzen’s three top tips to turn up the volume to bring your BEST authentic self to work.  

1. Know Your Value: Understand and embrace the unique perspectives and strengths you bring to the table. Celebrate your identity and let it inform your work in a way that sets you apart. Your diversity is your superpower 
2. Create Inclusive Spaces: For allies and managers, it’s crucial to foster environments where everyone feels safe and valued. 
3. Network In a Real Way: No one wants to be part of your business card collection or quest to have the most connections on LinkedIn. Build relationships based on mutual respect and shared values.  

This week, Jayzen is thrilled to welcome Beck Bailey to the show. Beck Bailey is the Global Chief Diversity Officer for Accenture, responsible for building a culture of equality in the workplace for over 740,000 people in 49 countries. 

So, as we celebrate Pride Month, let's create, support, and thrive in workplaces that truly value each and every one of us. Here's to a month—and a lifetime—of pride, progress, and power!

Guest Bio

Beck Bailey

Managing Director, Global Chief Diversity Officer

Accenture

Beck Bailey is the Global Chief Diversity Officer for Accenture, responsible for building a culture of equality in the workplace for over 740,000 people in 49 countries. Beck leads a global team that is dedicated to ensuring all of Accenture’s people feel they belong and can thrive. His leadership also sets the firm’s Inclusion & Diversity (I&D) strategy and enables stakeholders to embed inclusive practices in all aspects of the organization to deliver 360 Value for our clients and enable business results.

Before joining Accenture, Beck was director of the Workplace Equality Program at the Human Rights Campaign where he advised hundreds of Fortune-ranked firms on the adoption of policies, practices, and benefits critical to LGBTIQ+ inclusion. Beck regularly coached C-Suite and other senior executives on understanding the business imperative for LGBTIQ+ inclusion and in developing their own inclusion strategies to advance equality. A recognized expert in LGBTIQ+ workplace inclusion, Beck has been interviewed by NPR, CNN, BBC, the New York Times and more. Beck remains a trusted advisor for many business leaders and now shares Accenture’s insights and best practices with clients, peers and C-Suite executives. 

A longtime advocate and out transgender man, Beck is passionate about driving belonging for all people at work. He co-chairs the steering committee for the Partnership for Global LGBTIQ+ Equality (PGLE), a coalition of companies and civil society organizations in collaboration with the United Nations and the World Economic Forum committed to leveraging the individual and collective advocacy of its members to accelerate LGBTIQ+ equality and inclusion. Beck currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Human Rights Campaign Foundation and Reaching Out MBA (ROMBA).

Beck received his BS in Management from Virginia Tech and his MBA from UMass Amherst. He lives in Los Angeles with his partner Margaux, two cats, and two yellow labs.

Links 

To book Jayzen for a speaking engagement or workshop visit Jayzenpatria.com

After speaking at the Streaming Media NYC Summit in NYC, Jayzen shares his advice on navigating the rate of change in your industry and career. Above all else, disruption is now the operating system our ecosystem. Change is not coming, it’s here. next is not around the corner, it’s now.  While we can’t predict the future, we can take control of our careers and our choices with Jayzen’s three-step process:

1. Identify your response to change in the industry and understand what roadblocks are in your way to seize opportunities.   
2. Create an inventory of your talents and passions, and where the intersection can meet marketplace needs - and get paid for it!  Learn tools to adapt current strengths to meet potential career opportunities that may have been previously overlooked.
3. Learn how to leverage the power of your network, ask for help when needed and practical actions you can take to show up “on brand” with industry and career influencers.

Jayzen is excited to welcome Silivia Li to the show. Starting her sales career at age 10 while a child in Hong Kong at her father’s export business, Silvia has gone on to create an incredible sales effectiveness and revenue growth advisory firm.  Rooted in building bridges and using brain-based insights, she and her team at BrainSells empower clients to cultivate habits and skills that propel them to new heights, both personally and professionally.

Guest Bio

Silvia Li

Founder

BrainSells Global

Silvia Li is the founder of BrainSells Global, a B2B sales effectiveness and revenue growth advisory firm based in Chicago. At the core, her personal mission is to elevate the respectability and diversity of the B2B sales profession. Using brain-based insights, she and her team at BrainSells empower clients to cultivate habits and skills that propel them to new heights, both personally and professionally.

With a remarkable career spanning 15 years in corporate sales leadership, Silvia founded BrainSells Global in 2018, which has since impacted over 5,000 business leaders and sales professionals globally across diverse sectors, including professional services, medical devices, financial services, and technology.

As a DE&I advocate, she co-authored “The FACE of Bias” body of work in 2019 with Dr. C.K.Bray of The Adaption Institute, which has since been presented at various organizations across the globe to help time-starved leaders make better decisions and forge more effective collaboration among colleagues.

A native of British Hong Kong, Silvia is a frequent content contributor on leadership and personal development, sales and client success, as well as revenue and business growth. Beyond her professional pursuits, Silvia is a passionate world traveler, prolific home cook, certified Japanese sake professional, dedicated racquet sports player, and aspiring aviator.

Links 

To book Jayzen for a speaking engagement or workshop visit Jayzenpatria.com

This week, Jayzen shares his ideas on a critical element of your personal brand development, how you make people feel.  That is, when people interact with you and experience your brand, what feeling are they left with and are you beginning intentional about what you want that to be?  It is important to focus on your SuperSized brand words and make sure that they reflect the feeling that you want people to have - and are you delivering on that with every interaction.

Jayzen is excited to welcome Ed Soo Hoo to the show. Ed is a fascinating person who has had many careers over the years, from warehouseman, to a union truck driver and now as CTO for one of the top global technology companies. His secret? As he says, “you have to ask for it, even if you’re not qualified.” Ed is a storyteller and brings volumes of career wisdom that everyone can learn from.

Guest Bio

Ed Soo Hoo

Worldwide CTO - Global Accounts

Lenovo

Ed Soo Hoo is an asymmetrical thinker, crossing the intellectual and practical boundaries of enterprise and technology. Ed is known for stretching-the-box strategic thinking allowing companies expand from “Now, New and Next.” Ed connects the dots of technology and turns that capability into business-altering solutions for any organization. His Tetris-like talent for enabling, leveraging, and enhancing existing operational models and ecosystems is truly transformational.

An Industry Fellow at the Center for Entrepreneurship and Technology at UC Berkeley and executive coach, Ed brings unique insights coming from a diverse, eclectic set of rich experiences through a career that includes blue-collar teamster, global company leader, and eight-time startup exec (seed to IPO to buyout). 

A sought-after executive and keynote speaker on business leadership, Ed presents his theories on entrepreneurial spirit, vision, and drive through a multidisciplinary perspective of the world.

“The way we work has forever changed, so it’s time that the way we lead follows suit. In order to meet the challenges of a post-pandemic world and workforce, we must explore the ways in which we can build, inspire, and lead a team.”

Links 

To book Jayzen for a speaking engagement or workshop visit Jayzenpatria.com

First: Reflect on your unique throughlines and core values. These are the threads that have woven through your life experiences, shaping who you are today. Think about the moments, activities, or values that have consistently resonated with you. What principles do you hold dear? What drives you? 

Next: Identify your unique strengths and desired perception. What are you naturally good at, and what sets you apart from others? How do you want others to see you? Your brand words should reflect both your strengths and the impression you want to leave.

Finally: Test for resonance. Is it going to stick? Once you've identified potential brand words, bounce them off trusted friends, colleagues, or mentors. Do these words accurately capture who you are? Do they resonate with others?

Jayzen is thrilled to welcome his long time friend and colleague, Jon Dakss to the show.  Jon is a talented technologist and was one of  the the original pioneers in interactive video and inventor of nearly 40 video-related patents. Working in television for years, Jon and his team created the software that would allow you as the viewer to play at home with “Deal or No Deal,” and many other innovative and interactive experiences.  He has now gone on to create Palladium Consulting to help clients through their technology challenges. .

Guest Bio

Jon Dakss 

Founder and CEO, Palladium Consulting

An early Internet and Interactive Video pioneer and inventor of nearly 40 video-related patents, Jon has spent his 20-year career leading product and engineering teams to build innovative and award-winning digital experiences at large scale. Jon runs Palladium Consulting, a Fractional CTO/CPO and Executive Advisory practice, supporting clients ranging from early-stage startups to global media powerhouses with data, product and technology leadership as well as partnerships. Jon was EVP & Chief Digital Officer at EPIX (An MGM Company) where he led the development and launch of EPIX NOW, the highly-rated Direct-to-Consumer SVOD platform, awarded two Webby honors for Best Streaming Service. At NBCUniversal Jon led numerous company wide technology, product and innovation teams in the Office of the CTO, partnering with all NBCU divisions and brands to launch new digital businesses and hundreds of industry-first experiences ranging from Streaming Video, to Mobile Apps and Messaging, to Interactive Synch-to-TV Experiences to Virtual Reality and beyond. Jon lives in Livingston New Jersey with his wife, three children and a crazy dog.

Links 

To book Jayzen for a speaking engagement or workshop visit Jayzenpatria.com

Jayzen is thrilled to welcome Amy DuBois Barnett to the show.  Amy has had an amazing career in publishing and media, taking her first role as editor-in-chief for a major magazine at just thirty years old.  She has been an executive at top media companies including Paramount where she had P&L responsibility for BET’s digital platforms. She was an adjunct professor at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management and a noted author.

Guest Bio

Amy DuBois Barnett

Senior Advisor, Bravo Mondo

Media Executive/Private Equity Investor/Author

An award-winning media executive and author, Amy DuBois Barnett has held senior leadership roles at Time Inc, Hearst and Disney, and has also successfully grown several independently owned media brands. She is currently a Senior Advisor for the newly formed growth capital firm, Bravo Mondo. Barnett joined Bravo Mondo from Outside Interactive, Inc., the world’s leading platform for active and healthy lifestyle content and experiences, where she oversaw the company’s 16 media brands and Outside Studios as their first-ever Chief Content Officer.

Formerly, Barnett was an SVP and General Manager at Paramount where she had P&L responsibility for BET’s digital platforms. In 2021, she grew BET Digital’s following to 62 million, generated 2 billion annual video views, and drove an unprecedented 10x increase in operating income. In her prior years as EVP, Digital of Entertainment Studios and theGrio, Barnett increased monthly video views by 600% and the social footprint by 250%. She was also a senior executive at ESPN where she led the development and launch of ESPN’s critically acclaimed digital brand, The Undefeated. Before ESPN, Barnett was Editor-in-Chief of Ebony where she redesigned and modernized the magazine and website to critical acclaim. Under her leadership, Ebony won a record-breaking 28 awards from the National Association of Black Journalists and was listed as one of the 25 Fastest Growing Magazines in the Country by Ad Age. Prior to Ebony, Barnett was the Deputy Editor-in-Chief of Harper’s Bazaar where she oversaw their digital relaunch. As Chief Editor, Barnett grew Teen People’s print and digital audience to category leadership. As Editor-in-Chief of Honey magazine, she doubled the rate base and earned national recognition for the young brand. Barnett has a B.A. from Brown University and an M.F.A. from Columbia University.

In 2014, she served as an Adjunct Professor at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management. Barnett is also the author of the NAACP Image Award-nominated book, Get Yours: How to Have Everything You Ever Dreamed of and More.

Links 

To book Jayzen for a speaking engagement or workshop visit Jayzenpatria.com

Here at the Lead With Your Brand! podcast, we are amplifying the voices of women during Women’s History Month, and beyond. In addition, be sure to check out LeadWithYourBrand.com/womenonbrand to listen to our collection of shows featuring amazing executives, business leaders and innovators who continue to share their wisdom and move their industries forward. So, celebrate women's achievement, raise awareness against bias and take action for equality. And, to all of the women who lead with their brand everyday, we salute you.

This week, Jayzen shares his best lessons on something that's crucial for advancing your career: being bold and putting yourself out there!  It’s about extending myself to others and being open to possibilities that you may not even know are out  there.  Tune in to learn Jayzen’s three actionable steps you can take to be bold and put yourself out there and take advantage of the opportunities that come your way.

Step one: Embrace Your Uniqueness. Your unique blend of skills, experiences, and personality traits is what sets you apart from the crowd. So, instead of trying to fit into a mold and be someone you are not - embrace what makes you different and use it to your advantage.

Step two: Network Like a Pro. Start by reaching out to people in your industry who inspire you or who you admire. Connect with them on LinkedIn, send them a thoughtful message, and ask if they'd be open to grabbing a virtual coffee or hopping on a quick call. 

Step three: Take Calculated Risks. Boldness often requires taking risks, but that doesn't mean you should throw caution to the wind. Instead, take calculated risks that have the potential to pay off big time. 

Jayzen is thrilled to welcome his long time client and amazing marketer, Sydney Seiger, to the show.   Sydney serves as the CMO for Vistra Corp, one of the nation's leading energy companies.  Sydney’s career has taken her from academia as a university professor to the marketing world, now leading the charge across all of the brands in the Vista portfolio.  Her approach of being bold and trusting your gut have helped her build a truly remarkable career.

Guest Bio

Sydney Seiger

Chief Marketing Officer, Vistra Corp.

Dr. Sydney Seiger leads Vistra’s retail brand marketing, consumer experience and brand strategies, new product development, advertising, digital marketing, direct sales and consumer insights.  Her approach to building and maintaining a culture of data-driven decision making drives long growth across consumer and business segments in the most competitive deregulated energy markets in the U.S.

In her current role, Seiger leads a large and diverse team of professionals across fifteen functional areas of marketing to conceive and champion award winning customer acquisition and retention campaigns and multiple first-to-market products and services - all centered on powering more possibilities for the customer

Seiger holds a PhD in Applied Social Psychology with an emphasis in quantitative research and advanced analytics from Baylor University.

Links 

To book Jayzen for a speaking engagement or workshop visit Jayzenpatria.com

Imagine you're a film studio gearing up for the Oscars – the grand stage where the best of the best are celebrated. Your film, in this case, is YOU. Yes, you are the lead actor, the director, and the producer of your own life's blockbuster. Just like the meticulous planning and strategic campaigns that surround a potential Oscar-winning film, your personal brand deserves the same level of attention. 

So, listen in as Jayzen breaks it down using the"Lead with Your Brand" system!

This week, Jayzen welcomes Chase Harmer to the show.  Chase has had an incredible career in FinTech, as a pioneer in virtual credit card technology. He’s built multi-million dollar companies and holds seven patents.  Now, after a life tragedy, he has pivoted his goals and aims to help a billion people through his new Wishes Inc platform that delivers financial support to those in need in a fully transparent manner.

Guest Bio

Chase Harmer 

Founder, Wishes Inc & FinTech Innovator

Chase Harmer spent 25+ years as a payments entrepreneur, he is a pioneer in virtual credit card technology with 7 patents since 2013. Founder of ProfitPay, acquired by PayCertify in 2021 with a valuation > $500M. Chase knows how to build enterprise value and process for scale. Chase uses his experience as a Lecturer and Mentor at the Founders Institute. Now, as the Founder of Wishes, Inc, he and his team have built proprietary technology to revolutionize fundraising. Wishes delivers the resources and financial support needed quicker than any other platform in the market.

Links 

To book Jayzen for a speaking engagement or workshop visit Jayzenpatria.com

I’m sure you’ve all thought about how to “climb the ladder” in your career. The reality is that thinking about the career in a linear fashion, like a ladder, is really not reflective of how most companies work in today’s world. The speed of business and advancements in technology now allow us to experience our careers much more like climbing a jungle gym from our childhood playground. You can go up the ladder, move sideways, go diagonally…or even jump off and start over. Your career is made up of the collection of opportunities, choices and tradeoffs.  

Jayzen has coached and trained over 10,000 professionals in his career. Tune in this week for his best advice on how to maximize every opportunity that comes your way so that the choices and tradeoffs you make will help you achieve your next career breakthrough.

Jayzen is excited to welcome his friend, Dr. Timbrala Marshall to the show. Dr. Marshall has had an esteemed career as a veterinarian and also served as VCA’s first Director of Equity, Inclusion and Diversity.

Guest Bio

Dr. Timbrala Marshall

Medical Operations Lead, Urgent Care Hospital Group

VCA Animal Hospital

Dr. Timbrala Marshall is VCA Animal Hospital’s Medical Operations Lead for the Urgent Care Hospital group. Dr. Marshall has been with VCA since 2014 and began her career as an Associate veterinarian before becoming Medical Director in a primary care practice just outside of Atlanta, GA. Dr. Marshall practiced as a companion animal primary care veterinarian for over a decade and served as VCA’s first Director of Equity, Inclusion and Diversity for two years, before stepping into this role in 2023.

Currently, Dr. Marshall is responsible for overseeing the medical quality of care and standards of Urgent care hospitals and is supporting the medical implementation of our new, innovative urgent care model.

Dr. Marshall attended Tuskegee University for her undergraduate studies and graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Animal and Poultry Sciences. Following graduation, she went to Michigan State University, College of Veterinary Medicine, where she earned her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree. Dr. Marshall currently lives in Atlanta, GA. She and her spouse have three lovely daughters and two Great Danes.

Links 

To book Jayzen for a speaking engagement or workshop visit Jayzenpatria.com

Are you ready for a big slice of PIE in your career?!?  Tune in Jayzen’s lesson rooted in Harvey Coleman’s P.I.E. model that shares his “secret sauce” of how to advance your career. Mr. Coleman was a Black executive in the early 1980’s who often found himself as “the only” in his career and went on to author the book “Empowering Yourself, The Organizational Game Revealed.”  It starts with your PERFORMANCE, which is your ticket to play.  Then to your IMAGE, the message you send with your brand before you even speak, and finally EXPOSURE.  That is, if you put the work into developing your brand, but no one knows about it and all of the value you bring, then how you’re missing both internal and external opportunities. A model that Jayzen teaches around the world and can be easily applied to your own career.

This week, Jayzen is thrilled to welcome Cassie Petrey to the show.  She is the co-founder and CEO of Crowd Surf, a leading marketing and music management firm working with some of the world's most recognizable entertainers and brands including Backstreet Boys, Camila Cabello, Paramore, Nickelback, and many more. Crowd Surf brand clients include tech giants Apple and Google, and labels such as Universal Music Group, Disney Music Group, Sony, Warner, BMG and Hollywood Records. 

Guest Bio

Cassie Petrey

CEO & Co-Founder, Crowd Surf

Cassie Petrey built the company behind the world’s most iconic artists’ social media marketing including Backstreet Boys, Camila Cabello, Paramore, Nickelback, and more. Cassie is the co-founder of Crowd Surf, a leading marketing and music management firm. She is an original fan girl whose admiration for the Backstreet Boys at age 12 led her to create a newsletter that reached fans worldwide — then years later she helped seal the band’s decades-long superstardom by re-introducing them to next-generation fans. At age 17 as a college rep for Warner Music Group, Cassie was among the first in the music industry to recognize the vast marketing potential of nascent mid-2000s platforms Myspace and Facebook. Today, Crowd Surf has evolved into a 50-person team with a presence in Nashville, L.A. and New York, and a revolving roster of accounts featuring some of the most successful artists, comedians and companies in the industry including tech giants Apple and Google, and labels such as Universal, Disney, Sony, Warner and more. Crowd Surf boasts a collective social footprint of approximately one billion followers. Cassie is a Forbes 30 Under 30 and Billboard 30 Under 30 recipient, and she is a leading social media and artist management Hollywood powerhouse.

Links 

To book Jayzen for a speaking engagement or workshop visit Jayzenpatria.com

Step Five : Promote Yourself

You have heard the old saying, “if a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it really make a sound?” The same thing is true about your brand. You can do all of the work to put it down on paper and be thoughtful about your actions and your choices. But, if no one is hearing about it, nobody knows about you.

There are three ways to really think about this. One is your advertisement. This is what you say about yourself. You control this message. What is your elevator pitch? How do you show up on brand and what do you say in a meeting or on a conference call.

Second, is all about your influencers – your SuperFans.  Who are the people that are your brand ambassadors? These SuperFans love you and talk about you when you’re not in the room. What have you done lately to make sure that you are top of their mind?

The final element is word-of-mouth. There is no easy solution to this. You must show up on-brand with your actions and behaviors every single day. This is what people say about you when you’re not in the room. This should be an amazing tailwind that helps your brand move further and faster in the right direction. Without self-management, it could wind up being a headwind that is causing drag on your brand.

This week, Jayzen is excited to welcome Laura Hertz to the show.  She is the co-founder and CEO of Gifts for Good: an innovative startup whose mission is to disrupt the world of business gifting. Gifts for Good’s digital platform is the only resource in the $100 billion corporate gifting industry that curates premium and purposeful gifts that give back.

Guest Bio

Lura Hertz

Co-Founder & Chief Executive Officer

Gifts for Good

Millennial entrepreneur, Laura Hertz, is the co-founder and CEO of Gifts for Good: an innovative, millennial-driven, and socially conscious startup whose mission is to disrupt the world of business gifting. As an agent of change for both large corporations and smaller companies alike, Gifts for Good’s digital platform is the only resource in the $100 billion corporate gifting industry that curates premium and purposeful gifts that give back.

Prior to co-founding Gifts for Good, Laura served as the Creative Director of Cultural Outreach where she helped mortgage and real estate professionals better reach and serve the next generation of  homebuyers through cutting-edge training, marketing, and diversity recruitment solutions. She also served as an Audit Senior Associate at Deloitte, where she helped to mitigate potential risks within client accounting, internal control and operating procedures for leading financial institutions.

Laura studied Business Administration at UC Berkeley's Haas School of Business and later earned her Master’s in Social Entrepreneurship at the University of Southern California Marshall School of Business. She is a frequent speaker on social enterprise, cause marketing, and the role of innovation and corporate social responsibility in philanthropy.

Her work has been featured in Inc., U.S. News & World Report, CNBC, and the TODAY Show. In2020, Laura was named a Forbes Magazine ‘30 Under 30’ in the Social Entrepreneur category.

Links 

To book Jayzen for a speaking engagement or workshop visit Jayzenpatria.com

Learn more about Gifts for Good at giftsforgood.com

Step Four: Keep Up Your Image

Now that you have created your five to eight SuperSized brand attributes, you have to live them every single day. The bottom line is a Brand isn’t about words that you put on paper. It’s about the actions and the choices you make every single day. Take those brand attributes and peel the layers back. Imagine that you are on a reality show. We have had a film crew follow you all last week. We are playing the tape back and watching. What are the things that we would see do? What would we hear you say and how would you say it? What are the things you do that we would label as your brand attributes? Ultimately, leading with your brand is about observable actions and behaviors that you must demonstrate every day. Document a list of these behaviors and start emulating them in a consciously, competent way.

Great brands think about their brand filter. Create your formula that determines the way that you dress, the way that you maintain your office space, and most importantly, the way you create your signature projects. No matter how boring a project or task you’ve been given, you can do it in a way that brings your brand attributes to life and really promotes you.

Jayzen is thrilled to welcome Andrew Howlett, the CEO of Struck, to the show. Strategically boosting brand awareness, engagement, and growth and with expertise in rebranding, repositioning, and preparing for fundraising, Struck is at the forefront of brand transformation. As Struck’s CEO, Andrew is a visionary leader, dedicated to reshaping brands in destination marketing, outdoor recreation, and biotech. With a penchant for big-picture thinking, he’s constantly ahead of the curve, anticipating industry shifts and client needs, pushing Struck to excel.

Guest Bio

Andrew Howlett

CEO

Struck

Andrew Howlett, CEO of Struck, is a visionary leader with a passion for transforming brands across diverse industries, including destination marketing, outdoor recreation, and biotech. Andrew revels in big-picture thinking. He constantly strategizes, thinking and working a few steps ahead to anticipate our industry’s direction, our clients’ needs, and all the ways we can become a better Struck. Andrew spent his early career in finance and tech, before finding his biggest professional passion in agency work. He founded a successful agency here in Utah and a software development company in Nicaragua before landing at the helm of Struck, where his kaleidoscopic skillset steers us to greater heights.

With a hard working yet easy going manner, Andrew guides our agency’s strategic arc and hones our ability to knock client success metrics out of the park. He takes an active role in multiple professional organizations. He serves as board chair for SoDA (the Society of Digital Agencies) and is a member of the Forbes Agency Council as well as YPO, a global community of c-suite leaders. A history major at heart, Andrew finds travel fascinating. Scuba diving trips rank among his favorites, although he finds equal satisfaction in tending the tomato and zucchini plants in his home garden.

Links 

To book Jayzen for a speaking engagement or workshop visit Jayzenpatria.com

Step Three: Refine Who You Want To Be

Now it’s time to turn up the volume to be the best you you can be. Take those 5 to 8 brand attributes that you came up with in the last step. Go through the McDonald’s drive-through and SUPERSIZE your words and define those attributes as your SUPERPOWERS. Take those words and switch them from being commodity descriptors that everyone uses and make them uniquely you.

Don’t just say, “I’m a good presenter.” Say, “I’m a showman!” It’s not, “hey I’m well networked and have great relationships with people.” it’s, “I’m a super connector!” Why just be analytical when you can be a Data Guru? If you are organized, are you really a Precision Executor? If you are innovative, are you really a First-Mover who is the first to jump onto new ideas and trends? These super-charged ownable words now become your word bank for Linkedin, annual reviews, job applications, how you talk about yourself and how you present your ideas.

Jayzen is excited to welcome Mauricio Simbeck to the show. Mauricio is the CEO of Milagros de Mexico, a retail chain that provides health and wellness products to the Latino Community and Milagros Medical, a retail medical concept owned by MdM offering family practice and urgent care services.

Guest Bio

Mauricio Simbeck

CEO

Milagros de Mexico & Milagros Medical.

Mauricio is the co-founder and CEO of Milagros de Mexico (MdM), a retail chain that provides health and wellness products to the Latino Community. MdM currently has six stores in the San Francisco Bay Area, four of which have in-store clinics operated by Milagros Medical, a retail medical concept owned by MdM offering family practice and urgent care services.

MdM was selected to participate in Goldman Sachs’ 10,000 Small Businesses program, a highly selective initiative to support high-growth companies in the United States. MdM was also one of 12 small companies in the country (out of 35,000 applicants) selected by Chase Bank to receive a 2014 Mission Main Street grant, a $250,000 grant awarded to support MDM’s mission of providing health and wellness to the Latino community. Before co-founding Milagros de Mexico, Mauricio was the CEO of Farmacia Remedios, a bilingual pharmacy chain based in San Francisco serving Hispanic consumers.

Mauricio’s experience in the retail industry also includes a six-year tenure at H.E. Butt Grocery Company (H.E.B.), a multi-billion dollar, privately held supermarket chain with more than 400 stores in Texas and northern Mexico. Mauricio started with H.E.B. as a Management Associate and went on to hold executive positions in store operations, procurement and supply chain in both their U.S. and Mexican divisions. Before moving to the United States, Mauricio was CEO of Grupo Karatt, an import and retail company with 15 resort wear boutiques throughout Mexico.

Mauricio holds a law degree from the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM) in Mexico City, as well as an MBA from Harvard Business School. He served on the board of the San Francisco Bay Area Chapter of Young President’s Organization and is a current member. Mauricio was recognized by the mayor’s office of San Mateo County and the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce for his work as a community leader serving the Hispanic population.

Mauricio was born and raised in Mexico City and currently lives in Portola Valley, CA with his wife.

Links 

To book Jayzen for a speaking engagement or workshop visit Jayzenpatria.com

Welcome to Week 2 of the #LeadWithYourBrandChallenge! Every Tuesday in January, listen to the podcast & learn about the next step to build your personal brand and help you toward your next Career Breakthrough! There are even free downloadable worksheets with each step to help you in the process at jayzenpatria.com/newyear.

What if you were to use a brand marketer’s toolkit to build your own personal brand? What if you thought about yourself as a product? In a world where thousands of people do your exact same job, you must find a way to be more than just a commodity worker. In your career, you must be a Super-Premium Brand that gets people to do more, contribute more, and pay you more – just like they do for great brands that they love. Ask yourself, in your career, are you coffee or are you Starbucks?

Step Two: Know What You Stand For Today

Here is the dirty little secret. We can all smell inauthenticity from a mile away and it reeks! If you’re thinking, “I want to be Steve Jobs” or “I want to be Sheryl Sandberg” or “I want to have Oprah Winfrey‘s brand,” the truth is, you are not Oprah, and you’re never going to be her! Who you are is you. What you can be is THE BEST you! Start by thinking authentically what your brand authentically is today. What are those words and adjectives that people have used to describe you, sometimes even since you were a little kid? What do people love about you? Find 5 to 8 words that resonate with you. Maybe you are analytical, organized, and innovative. These become your brand attributes that you lead with all the time and are truly authentically you.

To jump start 2024, Jayzen is thrilled to welcome Mark Bertolini to the show in a special two part interview.  Mark is one of the most revered CEOs in the country and is known for Aetna’s transition from a traditional health insurance company to a consumer-oriented health care company focused on delivering holistic, integrated care in local communities.

Guest Bio

Mark T. Bertolini

Chief Executive Officer

Oscar Health

Mark T. Bertolini is the Chief Executive Officer of Oscar Health, the first health insurance company built around a full stack technology platform and a relentless focus on serving its members. Oscar’s member-first philosophy and innovative approach to care has earned them the trust of over one million members, across Individual & Family, Small Group and Medicare Advantage plans, and +Oscar, their full stack technology platform offered to others within the provider and payor space.

Prior to joining Oscar, Mark served as the Co-Chief Executive Officer of Bridgewater Associates, the world’s largest and most successful hedge fund. Based in Westport, Connecticut, Bridgewater manages approximately $150 billion in assets for sophisticated institutional investors across the globe, including public and corporate pension funds, university endowments, charitable foundations, supranational agencies, foreign governments, and central banks. Mark currently serves on Bridgewater’s Operating Board of Directors.

Mark is also a national health care thought leader, and the former Chairman and CEO of Aetna Inc. At Aetna, Mark assumed the role of CEO in November 2010, and of Chairman in April 2011. In November 2018, he stepped down as Chairman and CEO and served as a Director of CVS Health Corporation upon completion of CVS Health’s acquisition of Aetna, valued at $69 billion. Throughout Mark’s tenure at Aetna, he led the company’s transition from a traditional health insurance company to a consumer-oriented health care company focused on delivering holistic, integrated care in local communities.

Before joining Aetna, Mark held executive positions at Cigna, NYLCare Health Plans, and SelectCare, Inc., where he was President and Chief Executive Officer. He serves as a director of Verizon Communications Inc, Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company, Thrive Global, and the FIDELCO Guide Dog Foundation.

 Links 

To book Jayzen for a speaking engagement or workshop visit Jayzenpatria.com

As we start 2024, Jayzen is thrilled to announce the #LeadWithYourBrandChallenge! Each week for the next five weeks, Jayzen is breaking down the Lead With Your Brand system into its five steps. Every Tuesday, listen to the podcast & learn about the next step to build your personal brand and help you toward your next Career Breakthrough! There are even free downloadable worksheets with each step to help you in the process.

What if you were to use a brand marketer’s toolkit to build your own personal brand? What if you thought about yourself as a product? In a world where thousands of people do your exact same job, you must find a way to be more than just a commodity worker. In your career, you must be a Super-Premium Brand that gets people to do more, contribute more, and pay you more – just like they do for great brands that they love. Ask yourself, in your career, are you coffee or are you Starbucks?

This week’s episode provides an introduction to the system and Step One: Define Your Audience. Remember, when you try to be something to everyone, you are really nothing to no one. That’s right, you don’t need to be everyone’s cup of tea! You have got to find your target audience. Think about the people who love you. Who are your raving fans today? Who buys your services? Who promotes you? Who asks you to be on their team? Now, what is the secret sauce between that group of people that you can define as your tribe that your brand can super serve.

To jump start 2024, Jayzen is thrilled to welcome Mark Bertolini to the show in a special two part interview. Mark is one of the most revered CEOs in the country and is known for Aetna’s transition from a traditional health insurance company to a consumer-oriented health care company focused on delivering holistic, integrated care in local communities.

Guest Bio

Mark T. Bertolini

Chief Executive Officer

Oscar Health

Mark T. Bertolini is the Chief Executive Officer of Oscar Health, the first health insurance company built around a full stack technology platform and a relentless focus on serving its members. Oscar’s member-first philosophy and innovative approach to care has earned them the trust of over one million members, across Individual & Family, Small Group and Medicare Advantage plans, and +Oscar, their full stack technology platform offered to others within the provider and payor space.

 Prior to joining Oscar, Mark served as the Co-Chief Executive Officer of Bridgewater Associates, the world’s largest and most successful hedge fund. Based in Westport, Connecticut, Bridgewater manages approximately $150 billion in assets for sophisticated institutional investors across the globe, including public and corporate pension funds, university endowments, charitable foundations, supranational agencies, foreign governments, and central banks. Mark currently serves on Bridgewater’s Operating Board of Directors.

Mark is also a national health care thought leader, and the former Chairman and CEO of Aetna Inc. At Aetna, Mark assumed the role of CEO in November 2010, and of Chairman in April 2011. In November 2018, he stepped down as Chairman and CEO and served as a Director of CVS Health Corporation upon completion of CVS Health’s acquisition of Aetna, valued at $69 billion. Throughout Mark’s tenure at Aetna, he led the company’s transition from a traditional health insurance company to a consumer-oriented health care company focused on delivering holistic, integrated care in local communities.

Before joining Aetna, Mark held executive positions at Cigna, NYLCare Health Plans, and SelectCare, Inc., where he was President and Chief Executive Officer. He serves as a director of Verizon Communications Inc, Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company, Thrive Global, and the FIDELCO Guide Dog Foundation.

Links 

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

Plus, we’ve pulled together some of the best career advice from the last season to help each of you move towards your next career breakthrough in 2024. Our guests include:

Chris Mossiah -  Executive Director Consumer & Community Banking, JP Morgan 

Vibol Hou - EVP & Chief Technology Officer, Paramount Streaming  

Malaina Matheus  -  President, Hudson Valley Lighting Group

Delia Garced  - SVP Marketing Health & Wellness, Synchrony

Traci Saulsbery -  Communication Executive, Leadership Coach & Author 

Dr Karent Sierra - Celebrity Dentist, CEO & Founder, Sierra Dentistry & Med Spa

Mirian Arias - Head of Corporate Communications, Harlem Globetrotters 

Jen Brown - SVP Programming & Content Strategy Global Digital News & Streaming, BBC Studios 

Scott Jeffery Miller - Best Selling Author and host of “On Leadership” Podcast 

Lita Richardson - Executive Vice President Content & Brand Strategy, Paramount Global 

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

This holiday season, and all year round, make sure you're bringing your unique brand forward in all of your experiences.  Tune in to hear Jayzen’s advice on how to make all of your everyday tasks uniquely you.

Guest Bio

Jim Pietruszynski

CEO

Soulsight

Jim Pietruszynski is honored to be the CEO of Soulsight, a full service brand design agency, that utilizes an empathic mindset to motivate consumer connections with brands emotionally, keeping brands relevant and evolving with culture. With over 3 decades of experience in iconic brand design, Jim has worked in every category and channel, and is driven not only by creativity, but understanding true human needs, turning brands into artifacts of our culture. He has spent the last 25 years at Soulsight with roles as a Designer, Strategist, Account Manager, and CMO.

Jim’s passion for the creative process begins with the formation of an environment where a strong strategic vision can truly thrive. Collaboration and honesty have been important factors that have fostered breakthrough innovation and game-changing creativity. Jim’s inspiration comes from insights grounded in basic human truths and an empathetic approach. His focus on strategic insight and design allows him to contribute compelling creative thinking for clients and colleagues.

Jim has experience in working with global and iconic companies such as Kraft Heinz, Coca-Cola, Molson Coors, General Mills, Pfizer, Unilever, and Hershey’s, and his work has been recognized by Graphis, How, Print, Communication Arts, Mobius, London International Awards, International Brand Packaging, Creativity Annual Awards, and Pentawards.

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

Visit soulsight.com to learn more.

Tune in to hear Jayzen’s lesson on the importance of failure.  That’s right…failure.  When developing your brand, you can’t wait until everything is perfect, you have to get out there and try.  And, sometimes that means giving yourself the permission to fail, adjust and try again.

Guest Bio

Major General John L. Gronski

U.S. Army (Retired)

Founder and CEO, Leader Grove LLC

Major General John L. Gronski (U.S. Army, Retired) is founder and CEO of Leader Grove LLC, a leadership consulting firm. John is the author of two books, Iron-Sharpened Leadership and The Ride of Our Lives. John is an international and Fortune 500 speaker, leadership trainer, and executive coach. John holds an MBA from Penn State and a Master of Strategic Studies from the US Army War College.

John is a decorated combat Veteran. Key assignments include Deputy Commanding General for National Guard at US Army Europe 2016-2019, Commanding General of the 28 th Infantry Division 2012-2016, and Brigade Commander in Ramadi, Iraq 2005-2006.

General Gronski is a graduate of numerous Army schools including the United States Army War College, the Infantry Officer Advanced Course, Ranger School, and Airborne School. His awards include the Army Distinguished Service Medal with oak leaf cluster, Legion of Merit with oak leaf cluster, Bronze Star, and Iraq Campaign Medal. He has also received awards from the governments of Poland and Lithuania for his work with their armed forces. Learn more about John Gronski at https://johngronski.com/

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

Learn more about John Gronski at johngronski.com

In addition to her dentistry practice, she is a spokesperson, current co-host of BeLatina on Lifetime and one of the Real Housewives of Miami on Bravo.  Her years of hard work and determination have set her apart and allowed her to give back through her foundation, Sharing Smiles.

As we roll into the holiday season, we have to remember that your brand always shows its true colors when you’re under stress…and the holidays can be very stressful.  Listen to Jayzen talk about how to maximize your brand this season and make sure you’re known for all of the incredible brand attributes that you’ve developed.

Guest Bio

Dr. Karent Sierra

Celebrity Dentist, CEO/Founder Sierra Dentistry & Med Spa, TV Host

Often referred to as the "Celebrity Dentist", Dr. Karent Sierra graduated as a Dentist from the prestigious Marquette University School of Dentistry in 1999. Dr. Sierra is a member of the American Implant Association and Implant Continuum; she also trained in Cosmetic Dentistry at the world renowned LVI Global International Las Vegas Institution. Karent has also been a spokesperson for Listerine and Colgate.

With more than 24 years of experience, her expertise ranges from cleanings, teeth whitening, endodontic treatments, extreme smile makeovers with porcelain laminates and crowns to help achieve the perfect smile. Recently branching into the realm of Wellness and Beauty, she now offers treatments such as skin rejuvenation, injectables and laser hair removal. Her passion for designing perfect smiles is what sets her “Dentistry and Med Spa” apart from the rest.

Dr. Karent Sierra also has a passion for helping people that are less fortunate, she is the founder of Sharing Smiles. The foundation is a philanthropic organization that assists underprivileged families by providing dentistry services, medical supplies and hygiene items. She has traveled to Kenya,

India, Guatemala, Colombia and Venezuela on her mission to provide a lifelong road to healthy oral care.

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 on his philosophy that food can change the world, James Tahhan, better known as Chef James, has become one of the most influential Hispanic chefs in America. Born in Venezuela to Syrian parents, he moved to the United States at the age of 13. He is known for being the chef and co-host of Telemundo's morning show Un Nuevo Día for over ten years, as well as a judge for some of the biggest cooking competition shows. In addition to his work in the media, Chef James is a successful entrepreneur and CEO, running restaurants, a popular e-commerce site for all things cooking and a cooking school for home chefs.

Chef James is also the author of the 39-week best-selling book “:Cocina en Casa con Chef James.” He has won three day time National Emmy Awards and hosts the "Ponle Huevos" podcast.

This week, Jayzen reminds us all that our brands are not about us, but rather our career audience and the people we serve. How can you be of service with your brand? What on-brand actions can you take that share your unique gifts and talents that bring value to others? As Jayzen says, “a selfish brand cannot be in service of others.”

Guest Bio

Chef James Tahhan

CEO

Chef James, LLC

James Tahhan, better known as Chef James, is one of the most influential Hispanic chefs in America. Born in Venezuela to Syrian parents, he moved to the United States at the age of 13. He is known for being the chef and co-host of Telemundo's morning show Un Nuevo Día for over ten years, as well as a judge for some of the biggest cooking competition shows, including Master Chef, Chopped, Puro Chef, Top Chef, and Top Chef Middle East, and, most recently, the season finale of Food Network’s Worst Cooks in America.

Chef James is also the author of the 39-week best-selling book Cocina en Casa con Chef James and the winner of three day time National Emmy Awards. James has become a leader in the Gastronomic world thanks to his love for food, both in front and behind the cameras. His philosophy is that Food can change the world.

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 Chef James at chefjames.com

Having never worked in sports before, Jen Kavanaugh successfully made the move from entertainment marketing and consulting to now leading marketing for one of the top professional football teams in the world.  Jen is a mission-focused leader and knows how to drive fandom through passion and authenticity, in the same way that each of us can in our own career.  In addition to leading the strategic and creative development of the Eagles brand, Jen is active in her community of Philadelphia and works to drive equality for women in sports. 

As part of her fifteen year career in television and entertainment, Jen spent six years as Senior Vice President of Digital at Oxygen network. During her tenure with Oxygen, she drove high-profile, award-winning innovation and original streaming content that resulted in the network being recognized as a multi-platform leader within the entertainment landscape.

Guest Bio

Jen Kavanagh

Senior Vice President of Marketing & Media

Philadelphia Eagles

Jen Kavanagh is the Senior Vice President of Marketing & Media and is responsible for leading the strategic and creative development of the team's brand, original content, marketing, digital, media and experiential strategies.

Under her leadership, the Eagles have grown its programming to include multiple streaming series and podcasts as well as new, interactive strategies and experiences designed to engage the team's 9.5 million fans globally across all Eagles platforms.

Kavanagh has spent more than 15 years in media and entertainment. Prior to joining the Eagles in 2018, she founded and headed a strategic advisory firm working with Fortune 500 companies, television networks and high-growth startups.

Previously, as Principal at BRaVe Media Ventures, Kavanagh led advisory work for media and consumer brands, placing an emphasis on brand strategy, sales strategy, marketing strategy, organizational development and OTT strategy. Additionally, she was responsible for the content acquisition and development arm of the business, driving innovation around packaging for co-production partners.

Kavanagh also spent six years at NBC Universal as Senior Vice President of Digital at the company's Oxygen network. During her tenure with Oxygen, she drove high-profile, award-winning innovation and original streaming content that resulted in the network being recognized as a multi-platform leader within the entertainment landscape.

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 all pay a premium for the brands that we love. Great brands stand for something and give you a full brand experience, versus just being a commodity product where the lowest cost is all that matters. The same is true of your personal brand and how your career audience sees you. Are you a super-premium brand that commands a higher price? Are you the go-to person that everyone wants on their project team? Or, do you just blend in as one of the herd. To reach your next career breakthrough, you have to stand out like a super-premium brand.

Val is an award winning producer and currently is the Senior Vice President and Creative Director SummitMedia Corporation. Previously, he has held executive positions at several top media companies. Val is a proud veteran of the US Army and has worked extensively to expand workplace opportunities for vets.

Guest Bio

Val Nicholas

Senior Vice President & Creative Director

SummitMedia Corporation

Val Nicholas is the Senior Vice President and Creative Director at SummitMedia Corporation and co-founder and executive producer of Eyes on Target Productions, a production partner of Blumhouse. He is an seven-time Emmy award-winning television marketing and program production executive and has experience both in front of and behind the camera. He has held management positions at top media companies including NBC News & MSNBC, ABC and KCRA-TV. Val is a proud veteran of the US Army and attended the US Army Leadership Training School. He currently sits on the national board of the USO and Blue Star Families.

Links

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

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

Please connect on Linkedin and all platforms @jayzenpatria

It’s year-end review time!  Tune in to hear Jayzen’s top tips on how to maximize the impact of your year end review with the STAR model (Situation, Task, Action, Results).  This is the perfect time to sell yourself and set the stage for your next career breakthrough in 2024.

Guest Bio

Traci Saulsberry

Communications Executive, Leadership Coach and Author

Traci Saulsberry is a seasoned communications executive, leadership coach and author. At 27 she became one of the youngest Black executives at NBC where she led the publicity team responsible for campaigns across the networks biggest unscripted series such as “The Voice,” “America’s Got Talent,” as well as live events like “Billboard” and “The Golden Globes.”

Most recently, Traci built and led the Originals communications team at Peacock, NBCUniversal’s streaming service, where she served as Senior Vice President, Communications. Under her tenure the streamer launched pop culture hits like “Bel Air,” the dramatic reimagining of “The Fresh Prince of Bel Air,” the zeitgeist series  “Saved by the Bell,” and Tina Fey’s “Girls5eva.” Her strategic awards efforts resulted in more than 120 nominations for the streamer in less than 2 years of eligibility, exceeding competitive streaming milestones. Hyper-focused on driving growth, Traci’s narrative positioning of the streamers content contributed to building Peacock into a 2 billion dollar company in two years, making it one of the fastest growing streaming businesses.

A leadership coach, Traci specializes in coaching early-career, new leaders and established business owners. She currently consults business leaders, ranging from small business to Fortune 500 companies, on foundation setting and developing strategies for growth. Her passion includes an emphasis on helping audiences find and own their voice while navigating spaces where they are of the minority. 

She is currently writing a book called Inside a Black Girls Journal, a guidebook on how she found her voice through life's small moments. 

As a keynote speaker and learning facilitator Traci leads courses focusing on guiding audiences to know and own their voices in order to become effective leaders professionally and personally. 

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

After attending and amazing premier for the new show Fellow Travelers soon to stream on Paramount+, Jayzen was reminded of the power of a fully-branded experience.  Tune in to hear his best advice on how to create fully-branded experiences in your career as you work towards your next career breakthrough.

Guest Bio

Odessa "OJ" Jenkins

CEO, Bonfire Women &

Founder, The Women's National Football Conference

Odessa "OJ" Jenkins is a successful tech/SAAS business executive, CEO of Bonfire Women, and founder of the Women’s National Football Conference (WNFC). An in-demand global speaker/coach, Jenkins is also the founder of multiple nonprofits (Got Her Back). She is a recognized market leader in B2B SAAS tech, DE&I, and Team Dynamics with multiple years of executive leadership experience in privately funded start-ups, and Fortune 1,000 public companies. Jenkins previously served as President of the e-learning company Emtrain and served for several years as an executive leader at YourCause, a start-up that helped to revolutionize the Corporate Social Responsibility industry (exited to Blackbaud).

As a disrupter in sports, Jenkins has built one of the premier sports leagues in the country, creating opportunities, inclusion, and equity in football for women and girls.

She was an inaugural participant in the NFL’s first Women’s Career in Football Forum and is one of the first women to obtain the coveted Bill Walsh Diversity Internship in an on-field position (Running Backs Coach – Atlanta Falcons). Featured on Fox, Sports Illustrated, CBS, ESPN, Yahoo Sports, NFL Network, The Undefeated, and more, Jenkins was recognized as one of the most influential and powerful women in sports by Sports Illustrated (Unrelenting) and voted as Culture in Sports 2022 Sports Leader of the Year and is a 2023 Recipient of The 2023 Leigh Steinberg Denicola Humanitarian Award. 

At 72-2, Jenkins is the winningest Head Coach in women’s tackle football history. She is a Hall of Famer, a 7x National Champion, a 2x USA Football Team captain, and a 3x Team USA Gold Medalist.

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

For the fans of the show, you know that Jayzen always asks his guest “if you were a type of car, what type of car would you be?”  It’s always hard to turn the mirror on yourself and think about what your personal brand words are or how you’d describe your brand.  Using this analogy helps get to the root of your style and get your creativity flowing.  Are you an off-roading Jeep because you like to take on challenges and nothing gets in your way, or are you an all electric SUV because you work efficiently and have the space for several projects at once.  This week Jayzen shares his thoughts and a story taking the analogy even further…asking “what type of shoe would you be?”  Tune in to hear his answer! 

Guest Bio

Malaina Matheus

President

Hudson Valley Lighting Group

Hudson Valley Lighting Group is a worldwide leader in the design, manufacturing, and omnichannel distribution of decorative lighting fixtures, encompassing four brands: Hudson Valley Lighting, Mitzi, Troy, and Corbett.

As the one-stop shop for the most comprehensive selection of lighting, HVLG seeks to inspire and support our customers in their pursuit to achieve a home that perfectly reflects their clients. HVLG takes a designer-forward approach to the light-purchasing process — making the experience more inspiring, exciting, and inviting. At HVLG, we believe that great lighting has the power not to just elevate any space but enrich people's lives — and it’s that guiding philosophy that ties our family of brands together

Malaina is the proud mother of three and enjoys life in the New York’s beautiful Hudson Valley.

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

As you may know, Jayzen loves to talk about personal brand with marketing professionals.  Recently, he had the opportunity to work with a marketing team to step outside of the brands that they represent and spend a day developing their own professional brand.  Even professional marketers don’t often take the time to use their tools to benefit themselves.  One of the key takeaways from the day was how important it is to get feedback from others when working on your brand.  Ask your colleagues…”what are three words you would use to describe me?” 

Guest Bio

Nick Bond

CXO and Founding Partner

Apex Scoring System

Nick Bond is a highly skilled marketer and CX expert renowned for his commitment to understanding customer needs and translating them into successful business strategies. As the CXO and founding partner of Apex, an AI-powered solution that uncovers and quantifies customer desires, Nick empowers brands to align with their customers' needs and enhance their experiences. 

With a decade of experience in market research, including senior leadership roles with Canadian Tire Group and Ipsos, Nick has honed his skills in understanding customer expectations, motivations, and frustrations across various sectors. His unique blend of data-driven insights and a people-centric approach has earned him a reputation for delivering tangible metrics that have a measurable impact on organizations. 

Nick's expertise has made him a trusted advisor to senior marketing, insights and CX professionals, helping them assess their brand identity, increase market share, optimize resource allocation for CX efforts, and measure and communicate the impact of their initiatives. 

Beyond his professional achievements, Nick is known for his engaging personality and ability to captivate audiences as a guest speaker. His in-depth knowledge of CX, passion for problem-solving, and relatable presentation style make him a standout in the industry.

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

Connect with Nick Bond www.linkedin.com/in/nick-bond-9236953/

Learn more about Apex Scoring System at  apexscore.ai

Jayzen is excited to welcome Lucy Bustamante to the show. Lucy is a 4x Emmy award winner and is passionate about serving the Hispanic/Latinx community and military families. She is the former and founding President of the Philadelphia Chapter of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists and has been involved with the Naval Officers Spouses Association as well as the NBC Universal Veterans network. 

Tune in to hear Jayzen talk about one of his personally favorite brands, Apple. Having clarity about your brand and who you serve will have people waiting in line to get you on their team in the same way people wait in line for the latest iPhone.

Guest Bio

Lucy Bustamante

Journalist and Anchor

NBC10 and Telemundo62 Philadelphia

Lucy Bustamante is a 4x time Emmy winning morning news anchor and journalist for NBC10 and breaking news anchor for Telemundo62. Fluent in Spanish, Lucy is the daughter of Cuban refugees who migrated to the U.S. in 1969. She was born and raised in New Orleans in a home that only spoke Spanish. The skills she learned as a child, of translating between Spanish and English as a first generation American, formed her foundation for her vibrant role as a bilingual anchor at NBC10 and Telemundo62.

Lucy in conjunction with our partners at NBC News created the “American Vets” reporting series where she and other journalists around the country are covering issues impacting veterans in the states and abroad. In November 2022, she cohosted and coproduced American Vets: Beyond the Battlefield, an NBCNewsNow Veterans Day streaming special that highlighted the issues our veterans with PTSD face.  

Prior to joining NBC10, Lucy served as the weekday morning and Noon anchor at WVEC-TV in Norfolk, Virginia. At the same time, she also served as a daily weekday morning news anchor for La Selecta 103.3 at WVXX-FM, a Spanish language radio station. Prior to that, she served as an evening anchor for WWL-TV in New Orleans where she and her coworkers worked three months straight covering the devastation post Hurricane Katrina. Lucy is a 4x Emmy award winner and a Telly winner and also has co-hosted LIVE with Regis and Kelly with the late Regis Philbin and Kelly Ripa. 

Lucy earned a bachelor’s degree in Communications from Loyola University. She is passionate about serving the Hispanic/Latinx community and serving military families. She is the former and founding President of the Philadelphia Chapter of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists and has been involved with the Naval Officers Spouses Association as well as the NBC Universal Veterans network. Lucy lives in Havertown with her Navy Veteran husband and four children.

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 Mirian Arias to the show.  As a child, Mirian was always vocal about wanting to work in the entertainment industry, and has built an incredible career doing just that.  Currently, she leads communications for the iconic Harlem Globetrotters.  Throughout her career, she has been able to develop a powerful network of mentors and sponsors that have helped continually breakthrough to the next level.

After returning from an incredible few days with the Comcast MilDev conference, Jayzen shares his thoughts on taking advantage of every opportunity to connect with people in your network and be intentional about building all of those key connections.  When you have a free lunch hour, don’t always just join your co-workers, make it a point to reconnect with an old colleague!

Guest Bio

Mirian Arias

Head of Corporate Communications

Harlem Globetrotters

Mirian Arias serves as Head of Corporate Communications at Harlem Globetrotters & Herschend Entertainment Studios, where she is a member of the executive team reporting directly to the President of the organization.  In her role she leads, creates, and executes all media relations strategies across corporate, consumer, and crisis with focus on global production and development, domestic and international touring, as well as licensing and merchandising. 

Arias brings over 20+ years of communications expertise and has held executive leadership positions at Disney ABC Television Group where she served as the Vice President of Media Relations and Talent Relations, NBCUniversal where she served as Vice President of iVillage and at Nickelodeon where she served as Director of Communications.  

Arias is a graduate of Boston University, where she received her Bachelor of Science from the College of Communication. She resides in Boston, Massachusetts with her husband and two children.

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

This week Jayzen welcomes Delia Garced to the show. Delia has created an incredible career for herself rising through the ranks at GE and several other companies.  She shares her personal experience of participating in her company’s employee resource groups and leveraging them to build her personal network, leading to mentors and sponsors who helped pave the way. Now as a senior leader, she is helping others do the same through the Latinx Executive Alliance.

This week, Jayzen talks about the importance of breaking out of your day to day silos of who you interact with and connect with.  As humans, we are drawn to people who are like us and closest to us, phenomenons called self-similarity bias and proximity bias.  It’s easy to hang out with all of the people in your department or who do the same sort of work that you do and who happen to be nearby.  However, falling into that trap all of the time is not great for your brand.  You need to stand apart and not become known as just one of the pack.

Guest Bio

Delia I Garced

SVP Marketing Health and Wellness

Synchrony

For the past 30+ years, Delia has been leading and building global marketing and sales teams across multiple industries. She is recognized as a motivating, inclusive leader who inspires highly matrixed, cross-functional teams to outpace expectations.

Delia joined Synchrony in 2023, leading Client Marketing for the Health and Wellness platform. In this role, she leads strategies to build awareness, drive client/practice enrollment, new account growth and usage among large, mid-market and smaller client practices. Before joining Synchrony, Delia was at the Senior Director of Demand Generation in the Waters Division of Waters Corporation, a publicly traded analytical laboratory and software company. In her role, Delia oversaw content and communications, creative services, digital strategy, and marketing transformation.

Prior to Waters, Delia worked at General Electric (GE) for 28 years, serving in roles with increased responsibility in sales and marketing roles such as Field Sales, Global Industry Leader, CMO and Global Director Experienced Commercial Leadership Program and VP Commercialization Digital tools. During her tenure at GE, Delia built er sales and marketing skills across multiple industries: Plastics, Security, Energy, Financial Services, and Corporate, with a record of scaling global market growth and driving brand awareness.

Passionate about inclusion and talent development, Delia was the operating leader for GE’s Hispanic Forum and is currently a member of Synchrony’s Hispanic Network Plus and the Strategic Leader for the LatinX Executive Alliance.

Delia earned a B.A. Degree in Political Science from the University of South Florida. She lives in Sarasota, Florida, with her husband, Luis Manuel Ramirez and the puppies, Lola and Cici.

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

This week Jayzen welcomes Joelle  Martinez to the show. After a successful career as a political consultant for New Mexico Governor and diplomat, Bill Richardson, among others, Joelle turned her focus to help develop the next generation of Latino leaders with the launch of the Latino Leadership Institute. The LLI is an influential leadership community connecting Latino professionals, entrepreneurs, and partners across generations and geography. Together, they are advancing across industry sectors and building a strong and vibrant U.S. economy and future.

Tune in to hear Jayzen break down the most common barrier people face when working on their brand to advance their career… YOURSELF!  We all are raised with certain survival skills, which as an adult can become self limiting beliefs.  When left unchecked, these are the believes and behaviors that get in our way of meeting our potential.  Hear Jayzen’s tips and tricks to bust through them and help get you to the next level.

Guest Bio

Joelle L. Martinez

President & CEO

Latino Leadership Institute

Joelle is a highly respected and accomplished executive, strategist, speaker, and facilitator who has earned national recognition. Prior to launching the LLI, she had a 15-year career crafting impactful strategies for communication, business development, and public affairs across private and public sectors. Joelle's areas of expertise include Neuroleadership, Latino identity, civic engagement, demographic shifts, and workplace diversity and inclusion. In recognition of her achievements, Joelle was named one of the most powerful women by the Colorado Women's Chamber of Commerce in 2017. 

Her remarkable contributions to the Latino community were honored with the prestigious NFL Hispanic Heritage Leadership Award in 2019. Notably, Joelle has made significant contributions to various community and business organizations, actively serving on the Hispanic Advisory Council for Coca-Cola, multiple non-profit boards, for-profit advisory committees, and executive committees.

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

Be sure to check out the Latino Leadership Institute at latinoslead.org

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%!

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

 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

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%!

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Lead With Your Brand Podcast is celebrating LGBTQ+ Pride Month in June, shining a spotlight on "LGBTQ+ Pride on Brand" series all month long. We’ll present a brand new episode each week featuring an LGBTQ+ leader or executive making a significant impact in their industries and in the world. Along with new episodes will be a curated collection of top episodes with some of the best leaders from the past four seasons, all of which identify as members of the LGBTQ+ community. Visit LeadWithYourBrand.com/pride

As we close out LGBTQ+ Pride month, Jayzen is excited to welcome  Vicky and Charisse Pasche, co-founders of Dapper Boi, a gender-welcoming, everyday clothing line with smart, down-to-earth vibes for people of all body types.

Tune in to hear Jayzen’s key advice on understanding your values and knowing what you stand for.  Staying on brand is as much about what you choose not to do as it is about what you choose to do. 

Guest Bio

Vicky Pasche, Co-founder + CEO

Charisse Pasche, Co-founder + COO 

Dapper Boi

Dapper Boi is a San Diego-based  body-inclusive apparel line founded in 2015 by married couple Vicky and Charisse Pasche. The Pasche’s are partners in business and life, managing to raise twin preschoolers without going (completely) gray. 

The vision for Dapper Boi was conceived on their honeymoon, born from Vicky’s challenges as a handsome woman with curves searching for clothes that fit her body and authentic expression. With an industry-disrupting commitment to inclusion, affirmation, and quality, their celebrated clothing business went from a crowdfunded passion project to a seven-figure company in five years. 

Dapper Boi is a gender-welcoming, everyday clothing line with smart, down-to-earth vibes for people of all body types. They are proud to make people feel comfortable and confident in their own skin by offering quality, handsomely styled clothes with a unique fit. This summer, they will announce a virtual try-on tech partnership to revolutionize shopping for clothes online! With a couple selfies, customers will precisely see how outfits fit their body for the perfect fit on the first order, protecting the environment, and providing diverse online shoppers the comfort, dignity, and at times safety, that we all deserve.

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 DapperBoi.com

The Lead With Your Brand Podcast is celebrating LGBTQ+ Pride Month in June, shining a spotlight on "LGBTQ+ Pride on Brand" series all month long. We’ll present a brand new episode each week featuring an LGBTQ+ leader or executive making a significant impact in their industries and in the world. Along with new episodes will be a curated collection of top episodes with some of the best leaders from the past four seasons, all of which identify as members of the LGBTQ+ community. Visit LeadWithYourBrand.com/pride

The lineup includes new interviews with Stephen Macias, Octagon Sports and Entertainment Network Worldwide Inclusive Diversity, and President of Multicultural Marketing and Communications at R&CPMK; Cece Asuncion, Founder and Director of Scouting & Development for Slay Model Management, the world's only trans modeling agency; and Vicky and Charisse Pasche, co-founders of Dapper Boi, a gender-welcoming, everyday clothing line with smart, down-to-earth vibes for people of all body types.

This week, Jayzen is thrilled to welcome a true icon in the LGBTQ community, Sarah Kate Ellis.  As President and CEO of GLAAD, Sarah Kate and her team’s work is focused on LGBTQ advocacy and cultural change. GLAAD works to ensure fair, accurate, and inclusive representation and creates national and local programs that advance LGBTQ acceptance.  Sarah Kate has an incredible career story to share, having worked in the magazine industry for many years before taking the helm at GLAAD.  

During a recent Lead With Your Brand keynote to a leadership development cohort at a major bank, Jayzen was asked “how do you know if you’re talking about yourself too much and it feels like bragging?”  It’s a question that we’ve all grappled with at work, as no one wants to be “that person.”  Tune in to hear Jayzen’s advice!

Guest Bio

Sarah Kate Ellis

President and CEO

GLAAD

Sarah Kate Ellis is the President and CEO of LGBTQ advocacy organization GLAAD. During her nine years of leading GLAAD, she has run winning campaigns for marriage equality, representation of LGBTQ people in media, education on transgender people, and more. She has moderated and participated in official panels about global LGBTQ issues at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland. She works directly with CEOs, elected officials, and the most recognizable journalists and celebrities to advance LGBTQ acceptance.

 Sarah Kate is a regular expert on CNN, MSNBC, and across print and online media. She. Prior to GLAAD, Sarah Kate was a media executive. She and her wife Kristen co-authored a new children’s book entitled ‘All Moms’ and they reside in New York with their children.

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

The Lead With Your Brand Podcast is celebrating LGBTQ+ Pride Month in June, shining a spotlight on "LGBTQ+ Pride on Brand" series all month long. We’ll present a brand new episode each week featuring an LGBTQ+ leader or executive making a significant impact in their industries and in the world. Along with new episodes will be a curated collection of top episodes with some of the best leaders from the past four seasons, all of which identify as members of the LGBTQ+ community. Visit LeadWithYourBrand.com/pride

The lineup includes new interviews with Sarah Kate Ellis, President & CEO of GLAAD; Stephen Macias, Octagon Sports and Entertainment Network Worldwide Inclusive Diversity, and President of Multicultural Marketing and Communications at R&CPMK; Cece Asuncion, Founder and Director of Scouting & Development for Slay Model Management, the world's only trans modeling agency; and Vicky and Charisse Pasche, co-founders of Dapper Boi, a gender-welcoming, everyday clothing line with smart, down-to-earth vibes for people of all body types.

This week, Jayzen is excited to welcome his friend, Stephen Macias to the show.  Stephen serves as President Multicultural Marketing & Communications, R&CPMK and Head of Inclusive Diversity, OSEN Worldwide, one of the world’s leading sports and entertainment communications firms. His work focuses on strategies that connect his clients with diverse audiences and has represented many top global brands.

It’s a big birthday month for Jayzen, as he turned 50 this week and he takes a moment to reflect on his own career and brand with the milestone.

Guest Bio

Stephen Macias  

President Multicultural Marketing & Communications, R&CPMK

Head of Inclusive Diversity, OSEN Worldwide

In his role, Macias leads R&CPMK’s Multicultural Marketing & Communications division, focused on creating and executing communications initiatives, marketing partnerships, and programs that further connect the agency’s high-profile brand and talent clients to consumers and organizations in the LGBTQ+ community, communities of color, and female driven initiatives. Additionally, Macias helps drive DE&I strategy, campaigns, and efforts for Octagon’s global collection of athlete, personality, and brand clients. Macias also guides strategy and efforts dedicated to diversity, equity, and inclusion across the full Octagon Sports and Entertainment Network six agency portfolio, including internal and external programming, global initiatives, and partnerships.

Macias has served as President of Multicultural Marketing & Communications, R&CPMK, since January 2022, and assumed his current expanded role in March of 2023. He joined the agency as Executive Vice President Entertainment and Multicultural Practice Lead in 2020. Under Macias’ leadership, R&CPMK’s industry-leading Multicultural Marketing & Communications practice has significantly advanced DE&I efforts and conversations across the entertainment industry, driven millions of dollars in traditional and earned media focused on amplifying important societal conversations, and created progressive integrated content initiatives that have further connected brands and talent with diverse and emerging audiences, communities, and consumers.

Prior to joining R&CPMK, Macias served as Senior Vice President, Diversity and Inclusion Practice Lead at MWWPR. In that role, he was responsible for overseeing LGBTQ+ and multicultural marketing and programming for existing and incoming clients, managing LGBTQ+ and multicultural resources within the firm, and serving as MWWPR’s steward for issues pertaining to public relations associated with diverse communities.

During his career, Macias has worked across the entertainment, sports, CPG, travel and tourism and media landscape with companies like; Comcast, McDonald’s, Hasbro, EOne, TikTok, Major League Baseball, SailGP Focus Features, FX, Netflix, United Artists Releasing, Amazon Studios, Kellogg’s, Frito-Lay, and Hilton Worldwide.    

Prior to joining MWWPR (MikeWorldWide), Macias founded Macias Media Group LLC., where he grew the agency into one of the top boutique PR firms specifically targeting the LGBTQ+ community. Previously, Macias spent eight years as Executive Vice President and GM for Here Media Inc., overseeing iconic media brands, including The Advocate and OUT magazine, and served as Entertainment Media Director for the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD). Macias has spoken at numerous conferences over the years as a subject matter expert from the National Hispanic Leadership Conference to the Public Relations Society of America, was named to PRWeeks inaugural Top LGBTQ PR Professionals of the year and was a 2020 graduate of IPG’s annual Leadership Lab. He has also held a succession of senior leadership positions and worked with numerous leading non-profits and organizations in the LGBTQ+ community, including the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, Outfest, the Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Film Festival, Equality California, the U.N., and the Global Equality Fund.

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

The Lead With Your Brand Podcast is celebrating LGBTQ+ Pride Month in June, shining a spotlight on "LGBTQ+ Pride on Brand" series all month long. We’ll present a brand new episode each week featuring an LGBTQ+ leader or executive making a significant impact in their industries and in the world. Along with new episodes will be a curated collection of top episodes with some of the best leaders from the past four seasons, all of which identify as members of the LGBTQ+ community. Visit LeadWithYourBrand.com/pride

The lineup includes new interviews with Sarah Kate Ellis, President & CEO of GLAAD; Stephen Macias, Octagon Sports and Entertainment Network Worldwide Inclusive Diversity, and President of Multicultural Marketing and Communications at R&CPMK; Cece Asuncion, Founder and Director of Scouting & Development for Slay Model Management, the world's only trans modeling agency; and Vicky and Charisse Pasche, co-founders of Dapper Boi, a gender-welcoming, everyday clothing line with smart, down-to-earth vibes for people of all body types.

This week, Jayzen is thrilled to welcome Chris Mossiah, Co-Chair of the GGIEC (Global Gender Identity and Expression Council) and non-binary executive for JP Morgan Chase to the show. Prior to coming to JP Morgan, Chris was enlisted in the US Navy as an electronic technician and has been in the technology field for over 20 years. Chris holds both a bachelor’s and a master’s degrees in Computer Science

As part of our celebration, the Lead With Your Brand!™ Podcast has partnered with Out & Equal Workplace Advocates, the premier organization working exclusively on LGBTQ+ workplace equality. The team at Out & Equal has created free downloadable “podcast club” discussion guides for Employee Resource Groups. Check out www.leadwithyourbrand.com/pride for more information.

Guest Bio

Chris Mossiah (They/Them)

Executive Director – Consumer & Community Banking

JP Morgan

Chris, based in New York City, is an area product manager for a design system within the Consumer & Community Banking Department. They are also the Co-Chair of the Firmwide GEC (Gender Expansive

Council) as well as co-lead for the Transgender, Gender Nonconforming, and Non-binary subcommittee of PRIDE Tri-State BRG. Chris has worked for JP Morgan for over 5 years while being a member of the Pride leadership team for over 4 years. Chris also serves on the TNI (Transgender, Non-binary, and Intersex) subcommittee of Open Finance (a forum that unites LGBTQ leaders of major financial services organizations across the NY metro area).

Prior to coming to JP Morgan, Chris was enlisted in the US Navy as an electronic technician and has been in the technology field for over 20 years. Chris holds both a bachelor’s and a master’s degrees in Computer Science from The City College of New York and Syracuse University, respectively. They reside in New York City with their 19-year-old son, Carmello and French bulldog, Creed.

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

When you’re thinking about your brand, it can be easy to focus only on the things that you do to showcase your key skills and abilities, that is the things you want to be known for.  However, it is important to remember that your brand is also as much about what you choose not to do.  We all can be a “jack of all trades,” but as Jayzen always teaches, “if you’re trying to be something to everyone, you’re really nothing to no one.”  Focus on the talents that keep your brand moving in the right direction.

To celebrate both AAPI Heritage Month and into LGBTQ Pride month, Jayzen is thrilled to welcome Cece Asuncion to the show.  CeCe is a pioneer in the modeling industry, as the founder and Director of Scouting and Development for Slay Model Management, the world’s only all trans modeling agency.

Guest Bio

Cece Asuncion

Director of Scouting and Development, Slay Model Management

Cece Asuncion is an out and proud gay Filipino producer and director, based in Los Angeles, CA. His journey in the entertainment industry began when he directed and produced What’s The T?, which followed the lives of five transgender women from New York and San Francisco. The documentary screened in prestigious film festivals across the United States and worldwide. What’s The T? Is available on IndieFlix, Hulu, Amazon, and Comcast On Demand. Cece produced STRUT on Oxygen Network under NBC; The People’s Queen on iFlix & ABS/CBN global; What’s The T?; and the documentary, Sayaw, a film that celebrates Philippine folk dance. Cece’s partnership with 44 Blue Productions and Academy Award Winner, Whoopi Goldberg, included Cece as a cast member, following his work as the founder of Slay Model Management, the worlds first transgender model agency.

Cece’s accolades include prestigious awards for exceptional achievement, LGBT advocacy, outstanding leadership and dedication to improving the quality of life for the LGBT community, such as:

- 2017 GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Reality Series, STRUT

- 2013 Outstanding Filipino American Award for LGBT Advocacy

Cece has spoken at several Universities and public events regarding the importance of transgender equality and how to serve as an ally for the community. In addition to ongoing film work and management of Slay Model Management. He recently judged Miss Universe 2017 in Las Vegas and co-hosted the 2018 Miss Teen USA. In 2020, he produced Slay Model Search on HereTV which is the first global Trans-exclusive model search.

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

This week we are thrilled to welcome the Chief Technology Officer of Paramount Streaming, Vibol Hou.  As CTO, Vibol leads a team of thousands to constantly innovate and push the family of Paramount Streaming products forward, including Paramount+ and Pluto.  While at stimTV, Hou's team was awarded a coveted Technology & Engineering Emmy Award®.  He has also authored 11 patents over his twenty years in technology.   His personal life and career journey is remarkable and one we can all be inspired by.

Paramount+ is a truly amazing conglomeration of everything that has made Paramount Studio, CBS and all of the affiliated companies so successful for so many years.  As Jayzen talks about this week, they figured out how to hit the “easy” button for their audience by taking the best of the best and creating a platform for audiences that just makes sense.  The same is true in your career.  It isn’t always about doing something brand new, it's about knowing what you’re great at and making it easy for your career audience to know the value that you bring, and being able to showcase your skills regardless of the project that you're on or position that you have.

Guest Bio

Vibol Hou

EVP, Chief Technology Officer, Paramount Streaming

Vibol Hou is the EVP, Chief Technology Officer at Paramount Streaming where he oversees all Streaming technology and engineering efforts. Previously Hou served as CTO of Pluto TV where he led a diverse and global team charged with architecting, building and operating the technology behind Pluto TV. Hou has authored 11 patents and has two decades of experience working in various technology leadership roles at companies like stimTV, Demand Media and SpinMedia. In 2007, as an architect and engineering leader behind the technology for stimTV, Hou's team was awarded a coveted Technology & Engineering Emmy Award® for Best Use of “On Demand” Technology by the National Technology of Television Arts & Sciences. Hou earned a degree in Cognitive Science from the University of California, San Diego.

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

In celebration of AAPI Heritage Month, this week we are bringing back one of our all time fan favorites, Bill Imada. Bill has an amazing career story to share, as founder of one of the largest PR and marketing firms specializing in the multicultural and multi-generational markets. Bill is the ultimate connector. His ability to connect people, ideas and projects is unparalleled. His work on behalf of his AAPI community is a driving force in elevating those that he serves. A true inspiration.

Your network can have the biggest impact on your career. This week, Jayzen dives into the importance of your personal network, how to diagnose it, cultivate it and leverage it to help you get to your next career breakthrough. He’ll help you discover your own “treasure map” showing you all of the places you can expand your network.

Guest Bio

Bill Imada

Chairman and Chief Connectivity Officer

IW Group

Bill Imada is the Chairman and Chief Connectivity Officer of IW Group, a full-service communication, advertising, and marketing agency specializing in the multicultural and multi-generational markets. For three decades, Bill and his team have served some of the top global and regional companies, including Bank of the West/PNB Paribas, Coca-Cola, Lexus, McDonald’s, Netflix, Northwestern Mutual, Walmart, Walt Disney, Warner Bros, Wells Fargo, Westfield, and many others. Bill’s areas of expertise include community relations, crisis communications, cross-cultural training, and media training.

Bill is active in the community and serves on ten nonprofit boards and advisory councils, including the Advertising Educational Foundation, Center for Asian American Media, Nielsen External Advisory Council, PBS Foundation, and the University of Southern California PR Advisory Council.

Bill co-founded the National Millennial and Gen Z Community, an association devoted to helping companies and organizations connect with young-adult consumers.

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

"You can be whatever you want and do whatever you want, but it is about doing it on-brand"  Jayzen shares his experience of visiting the immersive Barbie World pop-up recently in Los Angeles.  One of the big takeaways…Barbie is always on-brand.  Whether it’s running for President, or being an astronaut or doctor, Barbie does it all…and always on-brand.  Sure she is a doll that is designed that way, but in your career, you can tap into your vast skills and take on new challenges, but it always has to be on-brand for you.

This week, Jayzen is excited to welcome Brian Pang to the show.  He works in the Positive Play department at EA, leading Inclusive Product and Player Experience strategy. Throughout his 19 year tenure with EA, Brian has led studio and brand teams to deliver 40+ AAA game titles across popular franchises such as FIFA, Madden, NBA, NHL, UFC, Star Wars, Need for Speed, Battlefield, Apex Legends, and more, while centering authentic, relatable, accessible, and inclusive player experiences. Through this work, Brian is dedicated to driving equity and uplifting all underrepresented talent, stories, content, art, and audio, across interactive entertainment and media spaces.

Guest Bio

Brian Pang

Product Director

Electronic Arts

Brian Pang (he/him) is a Product Director at Electronic Arts (EA), in the Positive Play department, leading Inclusive Product and Player Experience strategy. Throughout his 19 year tenure with EA, Brian has led studio and brand teams to deliver 40+ AAA game titles across popular franchises such as FIFA, Madden, NBA, NHL, UFC, Star Wars, Need for Speed, Battlefield, Apex Legends, and more, while centering authentic, relatable, accessible, and inclusive player experiences. Through this work, Brian is dedicated to driving equity and uplifting all underrepresented talent, stories, content, art, and audio, across interactive entertainment and media spaces.

Brian also serves as a lead organizer for several community alliances and coalitions, centered on advancing the Asian Canadian / American equity and justice movement. Through his work with Asian Leaders Alliance, Stand with Asian Americans, Asian Justice Movement Coalition, and Ascend Leadership, Brian is devoted to advocacy for marginalized communities, for-justice initiatives, systemic improvements to ensure diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging permeate through all domains and facets of society. Brian has been honored by the 2022 Asian Hustle Network Top 50 Unsung Heroes, and 2022 Ascend Vancouver MVP awards for his efforts in these spaces.

Locally, Brian serves on the Development Board for Canada SCORES, a non-profit organization providing after-school programs for vulnerable youth.

Brian was born and raised in Hong Kong, then immigrated to Canada at the age of 16. He currently resides on the unceded territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations with his wife Tina, daughter Kylie, and golden-doodles Kiki & Koko.

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're just part of the crowd, societal bias jumps in.  Bust through it by being seen for the value that you bring."  This week, Jayzen shares a key tenet of the Lead With Your Brand system, busting bias.  If you are human, you have bias. We all face some level of societal bias, but this is especially true for diverse people or those from marginalized communities.  If you don’t lead with your tailwinds, that is the attributes that you want to be known for, you’re going to be only known for the bias that someone puts on you.  Break through it by showing up everyday with what you want to be known for and the value that you bring, not a stereotype or job title.

To launch AAPI Heritage Month, Jayzen is excited to welcome Senna Bayasgalan to the show.  She has had incredible career success and recently took the role of Managing Director of Marketing & Communications at Global Private Capital Association. Senna is passionate about guiding brands to prioritize purpose over product, and she takes pride in fostering diversity, equity, and inclusion within her company and community. In her volunteer job, she is the Head of Partnerships and Programming at Asians In Advertising.

Guest Bio

Senna Bayasgalan

Managing Director of Marketing & Communications

Global Private Capital Association

Senna Bayasgalan (she/her) is a dynamic marketing leader who is deeply committed to building a more equitable world and helping individuals reach their full potential. Currently serving as Managing Director of Marketing & Communications at Global Private Capital Association and Head of Partnerships and Programming at Asians In Advertising, she is also a highly sought-after speaker, advisor, and mentor.

Senna is passionate about guiding brands to prioritize purpose over product, and she takes pride in fostering diversity, equity, and inclusion within her company and community. Through her involvement within the DE&I community, Senna advocates for social justice, women's empowerment, and inclusive leadership. She is dedicated to promoting and elevating people from underrepresented groups to higher leadership positions and serves as a professional mentor at several organizations, including APIA Scholars, Women Who Create, Asians In Advertising, SheRunsIt, and 3AF. Additionally, she facilitates #IamRemarkable by Google, an initiative that empowers women and underrepresented groups to openly discuss their achievements and overcome modesty norms and glass ceilings.

When she’s not channeling her energy towards causes that move her, Senna enjoys spending time with her beloved dog and traveling to visit family in four different countries. She also stays up-to-date on the latest creative trends, and always seeks new opportunities to make a positive impact in the world.

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

This week, Jayzen is thrilled to welcome Scott Baradell to the show. Scott is the CEO of Idea Grove, one of the top twenty-five tech PR agencies in the United States, and author of Trust Signals: Brand Building in a Post-Truth World. Building your brand is critical to advancing your career, and understanding what your trust signals are and how to manage them on a daily basis is a key element. Scott started to explore Trust Signals through his blog in 2020 and his book is a culmination of his work in the space. 

Scott is a big believer in ongoing personal reinvention and started his career as an overnight reporter for a local newspaper. Before Idea Grove, Scott was the chief communications officer for two billion-dollar companies, the co-founder and CMO of a venture-backed startup, and an award-winning journalist. 

Guest Bio

Scott Baradell

CEO, Idea Grove & Best-Selling Author

Scott Baradell is a writer and entrepreneur who grew his PR agency, Idea Grove, with business generated by its popular blog. Idea Grove is one of the top twenty-five tech PR agencies in the United States, a three-time Inc. 5000 company, and an Inc. Best Workplace in 2021 and 2022. In 2020, Scott started a second blog, Trust Signals, to provide news, analysis, and practical advice on what it takes to build trust with customers and the public in today’s post-truth world. The blog inspired and culminates in this book.

Before Idea Grove, Scott was the chief communications officer for two billion-dollar companies, the co-founder and CMO of a venture-backed startup, and an award-winning journalist. He lives in Dallas, Texas, with his wife, Maria, and children Juliet, Benjamin, Jack, Christopher, and Maggie.

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

“I'm the child of immigrants, I grew up in a very small town in Pennsylvania, I'm queer, I'm South Asian, and I came of age post 9/11. So there were a lot of things that had me be the outsider in the room. Early in life, I realized that I can be the outsider and be not seen and ignored, or you can utilize that outsider status to actually lead…to take charge to be the one at the head of the group versus the one in the back.” And now, as the leader of the nation’s top Asian-American theater company, Snehal Desai is using his successful career as a storyteller and artist to further his community and the world around us. Forging new paths, Snehal has build an incredible career as a director and producer, expanding the reach of the East West Players to critical acclaim, always staying true to his values and personal brand.

He is also on the faculty of USC's graduate program in Arts Leadership where he teaches Executive Arts Leadership. Snehal is a graduate of Emory University and the Yale School of Drama.

Guest Bio

Snehal Desai

Incoming Artistic Director

Center Theater Group

Snehal Desai was recently named artistic director of the famed Center Theatre Group in Los Angeles, making him the first person of color to lead the organization.  

Before this time, Snehal was a freelance director working across the United States and the UK. He is a member of the Asian Pacific American Media Coalition (APAMC) and serves on the boards of the Consortium of Asian American Theaters and Artists (CAATA) and Theater Communications Group (TCG) and National Alliance for Musical Theatre (NAMT). Snehal found a home at East West Players because he found it to uniquely stand at the intersection of artistry and social justice. As an artistic leader, he has sought to raise awareness on social issues that affect Angelenos by personalizing them through storytelling.

A Soros Fellow and the recipient of a Tanne Award, Desai was in the Inaugural Class of Theatre Communications Group’s (TCG) “Spark” Leadership Program. He was also the Inaugural Recipient of the Drama League’s Classical Directing Fellowship. Snehal is on the faculty of USC's graduate program in Arts Leadership where he teaches Executive Arts Leadership. Snehal is a graduate of Emory University and the Yale School of Drama.

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 East West Players at : EastWestPlayers.org

Jamin founded Twofivesix, a strategic consultancy that helps brands engage in the world of gaming. His work helps you reach the right gaming audience on the right platform with the right message. He has an incredible career story to share and has built on his passion for gaming to build a remarkable company.  Prior to founding Twofivesix, Jamin covered arts and entertainment for the Wall Street Journal.

Guest Bio

Jamin Warren

Founder & CEO

Twofivesix

Jamin Warren founded Twofivesix, a strategic consultancy that helps brands engage in the world of gaming. His work helps you reach the right gaming audience on the right platform with the right message. He also served as an advisor for the Museum of Modern Art’s design

department, acted as cluster chair for the Gaming category for the Webbys, and hosted Game/Show for PBS Digital Studios. Prior to founding Twofivesix, Jamin covered arts and entertainment for the Wall Street Journal.

He knows all things interactive from metaverse to esports to gaming communities. As a strategic consultancy Twofivesix’s past and present clients include Intel, SoundCloud, YouTube, Warby Parker, Tribeca Enterprises and more. He’s produced events such as the Versions conference for VR arts and creativity, in partnership with NEW INC. He also programmed the first Tribeca Games Festival, the groundbreaking Arcade at the Museum of Modern Art and the Kill Screen Festival which Mashable called “the TED of video games.”

Links 

To learn more about Lead With Your Brand and the Career Breakthrough Mentoring program , please visit LeadWithYourBrand.com

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

Please connect on Linkedin and all platforms @jayzenpatria

Guest Bio

Dr. Derrick Noble

“America’s Leadership Authority” 

Derrick has been helping business leaders take their leadership and communication skills to the next level of excellence for two decades. His passion has led him to support those from all walks of life to become more influential leaders and more confident communicators.

Throughout his youth, Noble endured years of speech therapy for a severe stutter and speech impediment. Once quoted as stating he was “the least likely person to be a professional speaker,” Dr. Noble has since gone on to become an award-winning TEDx speaker, speech coach, and trainer. He now famously quips “At first, I couldn’t talk, and now they can’t shut me up!”

Noble works directly with leaders, speakers, business owners, CEOs, non-profit organizations, and governmental agencies. His clients throughout the years include The United States Air Force, The United States Navy, The United States Forestry Service, The FBI, the City of Los Angeles, and so many more. 

In 2020, Noble was one of only 12 Black entrepreneurs admitted into the Greater Los Angeles African American Chamber of Commerce’s prestigious Business Evolution Program – an intense 12-month program in which he was personally mentored by some of the most successful Black entrepreneurs in the city. In 2021, he was featured in the Los Angeles Business Journal as an influential African American business leader. He currently serves as the featured Leadership Expert for BizTV, a national broadcast network for entrepreneurs and business owners.

In December 2022, Noble released his highly-anticipated first book, Leadership Launch: Essential Skills for New Leaders. The book includes a foreword by Civil Rights hero Dr. Melba Pattillo Beals, a member of the Little Rock Nine, a group of African-American students who were the first to integrate Little Rock Central High School.

Noble has a Bachelor of Arts degree in English - with a double minor in Speech Communication and Psychology - from Angelo State University (1994), a Master of Divinity degree from Morehouse School of Religion (1997 Class Valedictorian), a Doctor of Ministry degree from Ashland Theological Seminary (2008 Class Valedictorian), and completed Ph.D. coursework in Educational Curriculum at Emory University.

Links 

To learn more about Lead With Your Brand and the Career Breakthrough Mentoring program , please visit LeadWithYourBrand.com

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

Please connect on Linkedin and all platforms @jayzenpatria

Here at the Lead With Your Brand! podcast, we are amplifying the voices of women during Women’s History Month, and beyond.  Each Tuesday in March we’ll be featuring a guest with a fantastic career story to share, and who just happens to be female. In addition, be sure to check out LeadWithYourBrand.com/womenonbrand to listen to our collection of shows featuring amazing executives, business leaders and innovators who continue to share their wisdom and move their industries forward.  So, celebrate women's achievement, raise awareness against bias and take action for equality.  And, to all of the women who lead with their brand everyday, we salute you.

This week, Jayzen is thrilled to welcome Lita Richardson as his guest.  How does one go from wanting to be a judge, to becoming the go to contract lawyer for all of her up and coming friends like Vivica Fox, Regina King and John Singleton, to starting a talent agency with Magic Johnson,to becoming a film and TV producer, to now a senior executive at Paramount?  If you ask Lita Richardson, it is all about having the courage to try something new when the opportunity presents itself and listening to what the universe is telling you.  Lita has an incredible career story to share and, in addition to everything else, has been behind some of the most iconic television shows.

Guest Bio

Lita Richardson, Esq.

Executive Vice President, Content & Brand Strategy, Paramount Global

As Executive Vice President of Content and Brand Strategy for Paramount, Lita expands brand partnership opportunities for Viacom corporation as it relates to syndicated programming for CBS Media Ventures (CMV). Those shows include The Drew Barrymore Show, Dr. Phil, Rachael Ray, Sherri Shepard, Inside Edition, Entertainment Tonight, Wheel of Fortune, and Jeopardy.

Lita works with all CMV productions to create linear and digital integrated marketing campaigns across all CBS brands and platforms and is responsible for creating additional growth opportunities for CMV brands in the digital and social media space. Lita is also involved in the creation and development of original content from CMV brands for distribution across all platforms, including CMV’s Dabl multi-cast network, and the development of the creation of multiplatform content for CMV and our partners. An attorney by trade, prior to joining CBS Lita practiced entertainment law in Beverly Hills, California. She then went on to head a talent management and entertainment company for Magic Johnson. Over the years, she has produced several television and film projects, and has been nominated 4 times for a Daytime Emmy award. Her most recent endeavor was overseeing all integrated content from inception to air for Dr. Phil and The Doctors television shows.

Lita received her undergraduate degree from Rice University and Juris Doctorate from University of Houston Law School.

Links 

To learn more about Lead With Your Brand and the Career Breakthrough Mentoring program , please visit LeadWithYourBrand.com

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

Please connect on Linkedin and all platforms @jayzenpatria

Here at the Lead With Your Brand! podcast, we are amplifying the voices of women during Women’s History Month, and beyond.  Each Tuesday in March we’ll be featuring a guest with a fantastic career story to share, and who just happens to be female. In addition, be sure to check out LeadWithYourBrand.com/womenonbrand to listen to our collection of shows featuring amazing executives, business leaders and innovators who continue to share their wisdom and move their industries forward.  So, celebrate women's achievement, raise awareness against bias and take action for equality.  And, to all of the women who lead with their brand everyday, we salute you.

This week, Jayzen is excited to welcome Marlys Rodgers to the show.  As she likes to say, she “runs the team that knows what to do when you click on that random email that you’re not supposed to.”  Marlys has an incredible career story to share, as she is one of the few women in the information security industry and in the CISO role.  She is a big believer in the power of building your network to advance the level of success in your career, especially with new challenges.  She has won multiple industry awards, including being named Security Executive of the year by the Cyber Security Excellence Awards in 2021.

Guest Bio

Marlys Rodgers 

Chief Information Security Officer, Circle

Marlys is the Chief Information Security Officer at Circle.  Most recently, she held the same position at CSAA Insurance Group and was also responsible for Technology Oversight.  Her path to leading security organizations came via stints leading technology development, compliance, enterprise operational risk and IT/security risk oversight teams at global fintech and financial services firms including PayPal and American Express.

In 2021, she was awarded Security Executive of the year by the Cyber Security Excellence Awards.   She was recently presented the 2022 Gold for Women in Cyber and Info Security by the Globee Cyber Security Global Excellence Awards.

She is currently an advisory member for the Informed Defenders Council for AttackIQ.  Marlys is a passionate champion for diversity in the technology and security fields and is vice president for the Alliance of Women and Technology, Southwest.

Links 

To learn more about Lead With Your Brand and the Career Breakthrough Mentoring program , please visit LeadWithYourBrand.com

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

Please connect on Linkedin and all platforms @jayzenpatria

Here at the Lead With Your Brand! podcast, we are amplifying the voices of women during Women’s History Month, and beyond.  Each Tuesday in March we’ll be featuring a guest with a fantastic career story to share, and who just happens to be female. In addition, be sure to check out LeadWithYourBrand.com/womenonbrand to listen to our collection of shows featuring amazing executives, business leaders and innovators who continue to share their wisdom and move their industries forward.  So, celebrate women's achievement, raise awareness against bias and take action for equality.  And, to all of the women who lead with their brand everyday, we salute you.

This week, Jayzen is thrilled to welcome Lorna Little to the show with a truly remarkable career journey to share, as her background melds an interesting mix of social services leadership and media entertainment.  In addition to running a major social services agency, she is also a media producer and television personality, previously hosting her own local television show with national guests and celebrities…and a published author.

Guest Bio

Lorna Little, MSW  

President and CEO, St. Anne’s Family Services

A driving force behind the organization’s “Thriving Families: Brighter Futures” motto, Lorna Little, MSW serves as the President and CEO of St. Anne’s Family Services where she has developed innovative programs for children and families since 2018. With a focus on underserved communities that often live in the shadows, she has a successful history of leading and developing exceptional programming that addresses the physical, behavioral, and emotional components that lead to an optimal life trajectory. Lorna has extensively worked with parenting youth, youth in foster care, and in all aspects of adoption. Leveraging her Master’s Degree in Social work, licensure as a clinical social worker, and a Post Masters Certificate in Foster and Adoption studies, she creates quantifiable results for those who St. Anne’s serves. Further demonstrating her diverse expertise, she has served as a training professional, adjunct college professor, and cultural diversity program manager, which helps her lead during this time of change and evolution in our world. She continues to advocate to remove systemic barriers to ensure success for children and families. In order to work effectively and have an impact, Lorna believes that you have to care for the children and families wholeheartedly—believing that the work and the resiliency of the program participants can bring about life-changing transformation.

What makes her even more of an exceptional ally is that Lorna’s background melds an interesting mix of social services leadership and media entertainment. She is the author of Mums the Word!, her personal story of late discovery adoption. She is also a media producer and television personality, previously hosting her own local television show with national guests and celebrities. Understanding the power of communication and connection from sharing our stories, Lorna sees the golden thread that connects her media experience, public speaking and her work in the field of social services. With an unwavering belief that we are all connected, her efforts bring about hope, joy, healing and empowerment. She unapologetically uses her purpose and voice to provide “A Little Guidance.” 

A member of the Board of the California Alliance of Child and Family Services, Black Women Leaders of Los Angeles, and the Membership Committee for Association of Community Human Service Agencies, Lorna finds time to give back outside of St. Anne’s. She is also a member of The Links, Inc. and Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated. Lorna proudly utilizes her professional and lived experience to provide the leadership and guidance to carry out vision and strategy for St. Anne’s Family Services. 

Links 

To learn more about Lead With Your Brand and the Career Breakthrough Mentoring program , please visit LeadWithYourBrand.com

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

Please connect on Linkedin and all platforms @jayzenpatria

Here at the Lead With Your Brand! podcast, we are amplifying the voices of women during Women’s History Month, and beyond. Each Tuesday in March we’ll be featuring a guest with a fantastic career story to share, and who just happens to be female. In addition, be sure to check out LeadWithYourBrand.com/womenonbrand to listen to our collection of shows featuring amazing executives, business leaders and innovators who continue to share their wisdom and move their industries forward. So, celebrate women's achievement, raise awareness against bias and take action for equality. And, to all of the women who lead with their brand everyday, we salute you.

To kick off this special month, and in honor of Oscars week, Jayzen is thrilled to welcome Christine Simmons to the show. Christine Simmons is an accomplished President, COO, Business Executive, Entrepreneur, and Board Director. She was the first African American and first woman to serve as Chief Operating Officer for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences where she led 200+ global employees and a $130M budget for this iconic brand. While in the role, she also created the organization’s first Office of Representation, Inclusion, and Equity. She’s managed a championship WNBA team, held senior leadership positions and top entertainment brands and now advises start-up, mid and large size businesses on operational excellence, strategic planning, business development, and representation initiatives.

Guest Bio

Christine Simmons  

Strategist | Impact Maker | Operator | Speaker I Entrepreneur | Creator

Christine Simmons is an accomplished President, COO, Business Executive, Entrepreneur, and Board Director with 20+ years’ experience devising strategy and leading transformational change for iconic B2B/B2C leaders such as: the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Los Angeles Sparks, NBCUniversal, Inc., The Walt Disney Company, and Magic Johnson Enterprises. She has delivered market growth and triple bottom line impact across media, TV, film, sports, shared services, finance, manufacturing, food, and facilities management.

Simmons’ strategic consulting firm, Alis Volat Propriis, LLC (which means “she who flies with her own wings” in Latin), advises start-up, mid and large size businesses on operational excellence, strategic planning, business development, and representation initiatives, among other things. Simmons also speaks globally on these topics as well as leadership and empowerment. Her firm helps bring stories, ideas, and economic impact to life, that empower and inspire.

Christine is formerly the COO of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences, leading 200+ global employees and a $130M budget for this iconic brand with $1B AUM and 10K global members. In this highly strategic role, she facilitated the process with the Board, PwC, and senior leadership to gain buy in on the Academy’s strategic plan while leading daily responsibility for the organization. In her 3.5-year tenure, Christine created the organization’s global strategic plan and led a multi-phased reorganization across all entities and 500 employees. She solidified and communicated the Academy's key annual business priorities and the next phase of the Academy's business strategy. She created the first office of representation, inclusion and equity, and led the Academy’s strategic inclusion initiative, Aperture 2025.

As President and COO of LA Sparks for five seasons, she achieved 66% increase in ticket sales, leading to a #1 ranking in the league’s attendance, and50% increase in viewership in A25-54 ratings. Under her tenure, the Sparks won the championship in 2016. 

Links 

To learn more about Lead With Your Brand and the Career Breakthrough Mentoring program , please visit LeadWithYourBrand.com

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

Please connect on Linkedin and all platforms @jayzenpatria

We are proud to amplify Black Voices on the Lead With Your Brand!™ Podcast by celebrating the powerful voices and career journeys of Black executives, leaders, and innovators. Each Tuesday in February we’ll be featuring a guest with a fantastic career story to share, all who happen to be black.  In addition, be sure to check out LeadWithYourBrand.com/BlackVoices to listen to some of our favorite episodes from past seasons.

Once again, Jayzen is joined by Ingrid Hadley. This week they take on the topic of promoting yourself, which is the fifth step in the Lead With Your Brand! system.  In your career, what “advertising” do you have control over?  Are you maximizing the impact of LinkedIn and other brand builders?  What are influential people saying about you?  Do you have champions in your network to add to your advancement?  Tune in for this insightful conversation.

Jayzen is thrilled to welcome Amy DuBois Barnett to the show.  Amy has had an amazing career in publishing and media, taking her first role as editor-in-chief for a major magazine at just thirty years old.  She has been an executive at top media companies including Paramount where she had P&L responsibility for BET’s digital platforms. She was an adjunct professor at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management and a noted author.

Guest Bio

Amy DuBois Barnett

Senior Advisor

Bravo Mondo

Media Executive/Private Equity Investor/Author

An award-winning media executive and author, Amy DuBois Barnett has held senior leadership roles at Time Inc, Hearst and Disney, and has also successfully grown several independently owned media brands. She is currently a Senior Advisor for the newly formed growth capital firm, Bravo Mondo. Barnett joined Bravo Mondo from Outside Interactive, Inc., the world’s leading platform for active and healthy lifestyle content and experiences, where she oversaw the company’s 16 media brands and Outside Studios as their first-ever Chief Content Officer.

Formerly, Barnett was an SVP and General Manager at Paramount where she had P&L responsibility for BET’s digital platforms. In 2021, she grew BET Digital’s following to 62 million, generated 2 billion annual video views, and drove an unprecedented 10x increase in operating income. In her prior years as EVP, Digital of Entertainment Studios and theGrio, Barnett increased monthly video views by 600% and the social footprint by 250%. She was also a senior executive at ESPN where she led the development and launch of ESPN’s critically acclaimed digital brand, The Undefeated. Before ESPN, Barnett was Editor-in-Chief of Ebony where she redesigned and modernized the magazine and website to critical acclaim. Under her leadership, Ebony won a record-breaking 28 awards from the National Association of Black Journalists and was listed as one of the 25 Fastest Growing Magazines in the Country by Ad Age. Prior to Ebony, Barnett was the Deputy Editor-in-Chief of Harper’s Bazaar where she oversaw their digital relaunch. As Chief Editor, Barnett grew Teen People’s print and digital audience to category leadership. As Editor-in-Chief of Honey magazine, she doubled the rate base and earned national recognition for the young brand. Barnett has a B.A. from Brown University and an M.F.A. from Columbia University.

In 2014, she served as an Adjunct Professor at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management. Barnett is also the author of the NAACP Image Award-nominated book, Get Yours: How to Have Everything You Ever Dreamed of and More.

Links 

To learn more about Lead With Your Brand and the Career Breakthrough Mentoring program , please visit LeadWithYourBrand.com

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

Please connect on Linkedin and all platforms @jayzenpatria

We are proud to amplify Black Voices on the Lead With Your Brand!™ Podcast by celebrating the powerful voices and career journeys of Black executives, leaders, and innovators. Each Tuesday in February we’ll be featuring a guest with a fantastic career story to share, all who happen to be black.  In addition, be sure to check out LeadWithYourBrand.com/BlackVoices to listen to some of our favorite episodes from past seasons.

Once again, Jayzen is joined by Ingrid Hadley in conversation to share her wisdom and insight.  This week, Jayzen and Ingrid discuss the importance of not only bringing your full authentic self to work, but seeking out career opportunities where you are truly celebrated for who you are and the value that you share.

Jayzen’s guest this week is the incomparable Chris Witherspoon.  In addition to interviewing some of the biggest celebrities in the world as an entertainment correspondent, Chris is revolutionizing the business as founder and CEO of PopViewers, the platform that helps you find what to watch next, invites you to react to the TV and movies you’ve watched, and encourages you to share the experience with fellow content-lovers.

Guest Bio

Chris Witherspoon

Entertainment Contributor for NBC News/MSNBC

Founder & CEO of PopViewers

Chris Witherspoon is an entertainment journalist, producer, and entrepreneur with a signature, accessible approach to media and culture. He’s currently an Entertainment Contributor for NBC News/MSNBC. Additionally, Chris is the Founder & CEO of PopViewers, the platform that helps you find what to watch next, invites you to react to the TV and movies you’ve watched, and encourages you to share the experience with fellow content-lovers.

Chris served as an entertainment correspondent for Fandango and CNN and was the Entertainment Editor for NBC’s theGrio.com. He’s interviewed the likes of Meryl Streep, Tom Hanks, Oprah Winfrey, Will Smith, Viola Davis, Hugh Jackman, Denzel Washington, Harrison Ford, and Kerry Washington.

Witherspoon got his first taste of media as an intern with ABC’s Good Morning America and has never looked back. He is an alumnus of the prestigious NBC Page Program and of Ohio University.

Links 

To learn more about Lead With Your Brand and the Career Breakthrough Mentoring program , please visit LeadWithYourBrand.com

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

Please connect on Linkedin and all platforms @jayzenpatria

We are proud to amplify Black Voices on the Lead With Your Brand!™ Podcast by celebrating the powerful voices and career journeys of Black executives, leaders, and innovators. Each Tuesday in February we’ll be featuring a guest with a fantastic career story to share, all who happen to be black. In addition, be sure to check out LeadWithYourBrand.com/BlackVoices to listen to some of our favorite episodes from past seasons.

Again this week, Jayzen is thrilled to welcome Ingrid Hadley in conversation to share her wisdom and insight. This week, Jayzen and Ingrid take on the topic of “imposter syndrome” and talk about how to not only overcome the problem, but leverage it to propel yourself forward.

As a special guest this week, Jayzen is excited to welcome a young woman who has created her career and is forging a path with her own social media empire, which she started when she was just 14 years old. Tiara Willis leads a community of nearly half a million devoted supporters and followers. Her vibrant and well-respected brand empowers and motivates diverse women of color to be their best selves inside and out.

Guest Bio

Tiara Willis

World-Renowned Influencer, Entrepreneur & Culture Expert

Tiara Willis is a world-renowned influencer. Upon graduating high school early with high honors at the age of 16, Tiara had already built a social media empire providing tips, trends, insights, and information to her loyal followers. 

Starting her Influencer career at just 14, now a 21-year-old Gen Z culture expert, Tiara leads a community of nearly half a million devoted supporters and followers. Her vibrant and well-respected brand empowers and motivates diverse women of color to be their best selves inside and out.

Tiara is a diversity, equity and inclusion champion who is committed to supporting all women, especially in terms of entrepreneurship, as she became a business owner as a teenager. Tiara’s brand continues to grow daily, as she’s also known for her dynamic content supporting personal finance and money empowerment. 

Leaning into the new generation’s appetite for economic transparency, Tiara is a trusted Gen Z voice. Whether she's posting product reviews, inspirational messages, or makeup tutorials, Tiara provides diverse women with honest feedback and entrepreneurship expertise. 

As a licensed New York esthetician and beauty and skincare influencer, leading beauty and fashion industry giants continue to tap Tiara to lead compelling and influential digital campaigns. 

To name just a few, Tiara’s brand campaigns have included HSN, Soko Glam, CeraVe, Target x Ulta Beauty Launch, POPSUGAR x Garnier Green Labs, Paula’s Choice, Topicals, Twitter’s The Creator Sessions Blue Jeans Event, Harvard Black Health Matters Conference, Burt’s Bees and multiple collaborations with Twitter which #BeautyTwitter Unfiltered Blue Jeans Event, Twitter Spaces x InStyle and Twitter Beauty x BHM Creator Spotlight. Tiara was nominated for a Shorty Award for her Burt’s Bees campaign, which also led to her being the first ever beauty influencer to host a paid spaces Twitter chat. 

 Tiara has been featured in iconic beauty media outlets, including Vogue, Teen Vogue, Allure, Elle, Yahoo! News, Pop Sugar, I-D, Glossy, Skincare by L’Oréal, In the Know, Stylecaster, ESSENCE, Variety, The Zoe Report and more.  

You can follow and connect with Tiara on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and TikTok @TheTiaraWillis and visit her website at TheTiaraWillis.com.

Links 

To learn more about Lead With Your Brand and the Career Breakthrough Mentoring program , please visit LeadWithYourBrand.com

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

Please connect on Linkedin and all platforms @jayzenpatria

We are proud to amplify Black Voices on the Lead With Your Brand!™ Podcast by celebrating the powerful voices and career journeys of Black executives, leaders, and innovators. Each Tuesday in February we’ll be featuring a guest with a fantastic career story to share, all who happen to be black.  In addition, be sure to check out LeadWithYourBrand.com/BlackVoices to listen to some of our favorite episodes from past seasons.

Extending our celebration of the month, Jayzen is thrilled to welcome Ingrid Hadley as a to the top of each show to share her wisdom and perspective.  This week, Jayzen and Ingrid share their top tips on networking and how to best build and leverage your network.

To kick off Black History Month, Jayzen is excited to speak with the amazing Dr. Nii-Quartelai Quartey.  Dr. Quartay has an incredible career story to share from now returning to his roots as a journalist, to being a professor to his life long work in advancing narrative, culture, and policy change in pursuit of social and economic justice. Dr. Quartey served as Senior Policy Advisor to Biden-Harris Presidential Campaign and was formerly AARP's first Senior Advisor & National LGBTQ Liaison.

Guest Bio

Dr. Nii-Quartelai Quartey

Political Journalist, Professor, and Changemaker

National News Anchor, Fox Soul’s Black Report

Dr. Nii-Quartelai Quartey is a journalist, educator, and trusted community leader who has been featured over the years on programs ranging from the Oprah Winfrey Show to MSNBC’s Sunday Show with Jonathan Capehart. In his most exciting chapter yet Dr. Quartey serves as National News Anchor for Fox Soul’s Black Report, Moderator of "A More Perfect Union" Radio Show and Chief National Political Analyst for the new KBLA Talk 1580. In fall 2022, this double alum returned as an Adjunct Professor in the Social Entrepreneurship and Change program at the Pepperdine University Graduate School of Education and Psychology. This former National Affairs Contributor for theGrio and highly regarded changemaker has dedicated his life and career toward advancing narrative, culture, and policy change in pursuit of social and economic justice. 

Dr. Quartey has honed his expertise in organizational leadership, corporate social responsibility, and street credibility in community engagement, over two decades as an effective advocate and organizer on a wide range of issue campaigns related to racial equity, human rights, and elections. During the 2020 election cycle Dr. Quartey served as Senior Policy Advisor to Biden-Harris Presidential Campaign and prior to this he supercharged AARP's community, state, and national multicultural affairs work as the first AARP Senior Advisor & National LGBTQ Liaison. His commitment to facilitating social change led him to complete his Doctorate in Organizational Leadership and Masters in Social Entrepreneurship and Change at the Pepperdine University Graduate School of Education and Psychology. He earned his Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science and Critical Approaches to Leadership from the University of Southern California.

Until summer 2022, Dr. Quartey served as Chair of Mayor Muriel Bowser’s LGBTQ Advisory Commission.

He currently serves as Board Secretary for the National Foster Youth Institute, and recently joined the

Boards of Outfest and Native Son. This husband of Married at First Sight Executive Producer Montre`

Burton, films Fox Soul’s Black Report in Detroit but maintains a residence in Washington, D.C., and Los

Angeles

Links 

To learn more about Lead With Your Brand and the Career Breakthrough Mentoring program , please visit LeadWithYourBrand.com

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

Please connect on Linkedin and all platforms @jayzenpatria

Step Five : Promote Yourself

You have heard the old saying, “if a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it really make a sound?” The same thing is true about your brand. You can do all of the work to put it down on paper and be thoughtful about your actions and your choices. But, if no one is hearing about it, nobody knows about you.

There are three ways to really think about this. One is your advertisement. This is what you say about yourself. You control this message. What is your elevator pitch? How do you show up on brand and what do you say in a meeting or on a conference call.

Second, is all about your influencers – your SuperFans.  Who are the people that are your brand ambassadors? These SuperFans love you and talk about you when you’re not in the room. What have you done lately to make sure that you are top of their mind?

The final element is word-of-mouth. There is no easy solution to this. You must show up on-brand with your actions and behaviors every single day. This is what people say about you when you’re not in the room. This should be an amazing tailwind that helps your brand moving further and faster in the right direction. Without self-management, it could wind up being a headwind that is causing drag on your brand.

Jayzen is thrilled to welcome Rick Elmore to the show.  A former player in the NFL, Rick has gone on to be the founder and CEO of Simply Noted - one of the coolest new companies in business!  In this digital age, Rick and his team are recapturing the incredible impact of handwritten notes, only now on a massive scale using the latest robotic technology.

Guest Bio

Rick Elmore

Founder and CEO

Simply Noted

Rick Elmore is an entrepreneur, sales and marketing expert, and former college and professional football athlete. As the Founder and CEO of Simply Noted, Rick developed a proprietary technology that puts real pen and ink to paper to scale handwritten communication, helping businesses of all industries scale this unique marketing platform to stand out from their competition and build meaningful relationships with clients, customers, and employees.

Founded in 2018 and based in Tempe, Arizona, Simply Noted has grown into a thriving company with clients of various sizes across the country including in hospitality, real estate, insurance, nonprofit, franchise, B2B, and others. Rick has served as the company’s CEO since its founding, for more than three years, and has over a decade of sales and marketing industry experience.

Links 

To learn more about Lead With Your Brand and the Career Breakthrough Mentoring program , please visit LeadWithYourBrand.com

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

Please connect on Linkedin and all platforms @jayzenpatria

Step Four: Keep Up Your Image

Now that you have created your five to eight SuperSized brand attributes, you have to live them every single day. The bottom line is a Brand isn’t about words that you put on paper. It’s about the actions and the choices you make every single day. Take those brand attributes and peel the layers back. Imagine that you are on a reality show. We have had a film crew follow you all last week. We are playing the tape back and watching. What are the things that we would see do? What would we hear you say and how would you say it? What are the things you do that we would label as your brand attributes? Ultimately, leading with your brand is about observable actions and behaviors that you must demonstrate every day. Document a list of these behaviors and start emulating them in a consciously, competent way.

Great brands think about their brand filter. Create your formula that determines the way that you dress, the way that you maintain your office space, and most importantly, the way you create your signature projects. No matter how boring a project or task you’ve been given, you can do it in a way that brings your brand attributes to life and really promotes you.

Jayzen is excited to welcome Daphne Kwok to the show.  Her work as the Vice President of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion for Asian American & Pacific Islander Audience Strategy at AARP empowers Asian Americans & Pacific Islanders (AAPIs) to choose how they live as they age.  Previously, Ms. Kwok was appointed by President Barack Obama in 2010 to chair his Advisory Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. 

Guest Bio

Daphne Kwok

Vice President, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, Asian American &Pacific Islander Audience Strategy

AARP

Daphne Kwok is the Vice President of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion for Asian American & Pacific Islander Audience Strategy at AARP.  Her work empowers Asian Americans & Pacific Islanders (AAPIs) to choose how they live as they age.  She brings to AARP her experience as a “leader of leaders” through her community service in promoting and empowering the AAPI community.  

Ms. Kwok was appointed by President Barack Obama in 2010 to chair his Advisory Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. The Commission served as the “eyes and ears” of the community advising the President and the federal government about the issues impacting the AAPI community.  As Chair, Ms. Kwok met with AAPI communities throughout the country, connecting them to regional federal agency representatives.  This opened an opportunity for the agencies to learn about these communities and to acquaint them with their programs and services.   Ms. Kwok concluded her term as chair in May 2014 but continued as a commissioner until February 2017.

Previously, Ms. Kwok was Executive Director of Asians & Pacific Islanders with Disabilities of California.  She was also the Executive Director of the Angel Island Immigration Station Foundation in San Francisco.  For 11 years, she was the Executive Director of the Organization of Chinese Americans (OCA), a national membership based civil rights organization, where she addressed:  hate crimes, campaign finance, immigration, Census 2000, English-only, and affirmative action.  She was the first elected Chair of the National Council of Asian Pacific Americans, a network of national APA organizations.  She also served as Executive Director of the Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies.  Daphne is a 1984 graduate of Wesleyan University.

Links 

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

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

Please connect on Linkedin and all platforms @jayzenpatria

 Step Three: Refine Who You Want To Be

Now it’s time to turn up the volume to be the best you you can be. Take those 5 to 8 brand attributes that you came up with in the last step. Go through the McDonald’s drive-through and SUPERSIZE your words and define those attributes as your SUPERPOWERS. Take those words and switch them from being commodity descriptors that everyone uses and make them uniquely you. 

 Don’t just say, “I’m a good presenter.” Say, “I’m a showman!” It’s not, “hey I’m well networked and have great relationships with people.” it’s, “I’m a super connector!”  Why just be analytical when you can be a Data Guru? If you are organized, are you really a Precision Executor? If you are innovative, are you really a First-Mover who is the first to jump onto new ideas and trends?  These super-charged ownable words now become your word bank for Linkedin, annual reviews, job applications, how you talk about yourself and how you present your ideas.

 Jayzen is excited to welcome Robin Singhvi to the show. Robin spent over a decade in the US B2B SaaS space as a sales and solutioning leader, playing the quarterback between sales and product teams to develop and execute the best solutions for customers and key stakeholders and went on to create SmartCue.

Guest Bio

Robin Singhvi

Founder,  SmartCue

Robin Singhvi is the founder of SmartCue, a smart sales effectiveness platform that helps sales teams deliver personalized product demos and close deals faster. Robin spent over a decade in the US B2B SaaS space as a sales and solutioning leader, playing the quarterback between sales and product teams to develop and execute the best solutions for customers and key stakeholders. 

 He built up the muscle memory to identify prospect needs and accelerate deal cycles. Robin has demonstrated success at driving high-value, complex, strategic partnerships with multiple stakeholders and teams in a highly matrixed environment.

 Robin has a computer science degree from here in India (2003) and an MBA from Willamette University in Salem, Oregon (2010). Post his MBA, he spent 10+ years with startups of various sizes, all in the B2B SaaS space selling to Enterprise clients, mostly in the US. His roles at these companies were primarily at the intersection of sales & product.

Links 

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

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

Please connect on Linkedin and all platforms @jayzenpatria

 What if you were to use a brand marketer’s toolkit to build your own personal brand? What if you thought about yourself as a product? In a world where thousands of people do your exact same job, you must find a way to be more than just a commodity worker. In your career, you must be a Super-Premium Brand that gets people to do more, contribute more, and pay you more – just like they do for great brands that they love. Ask yourself, in your career, are you coffee or are you Starbucks?

 Step Two: Know What You Stand For Today

Here is the dirty little secret. We can all smell inauthenticity from a mile away and it reeks! If you’re thinking, “I want to be Steve Jobs” or “I want to be Sheryl Sandberg” or “I want to have Oprah Winfrey‘s brand,” the truth is, you are not Oprah, and you’re never going to be her! Who you are is you. What you can be is THE BEST you! Start by thinking authentically what your brand authentically is today. What are those words and adjectives that people have used to describe you, sometimes even since you were a little kid? What do people love about you? Find 5 to 8 words that resonate with you. Maybe you are analytical, organized, and innovative. These become your brand attributes that you lead with all the time and are truly authentically you.

 Jayzen is thrilled to welcome Galina Cherny to the show. Speaking very little English, Galina and her family emigrated to the US when she was early in her career. She landed a job as a clerk, and went on to become an early computer programmer. Ultimately, leading technology teams as an executive. She is now a leadership coach founding her own boutique firm, The Cherny Group. She also recently published her memoir, The Last Train to Freedom.

Guest Bio

Galina Cherny

Leadership Coach & Author

 Galina was born and raised in the capital of Soviet Ukraine—Kiev (now Kyiv). In 1979, she emigrated to the United States as a Jewish refugee with her husband and their three-year-old son. Galina was twenty-six. 

She began her professional journey in Los Angeles, where the family settled upon arrival. Starting as a simple clerk with very limited English proficiency, she later became a computer programmer and ultimately ascended to technology executive leadership and later became a transformational leadership coach, founding her own boutique firm, The Cherny Group. 

Galina is a gracious hostess who loves bringing people together in her home in Encino, California where she lives with her husband John. Galina and John enjoy travel, dancing, and the outdoors. But most of all, they love spending time with their two sons and their families. They have four grandchildren, who are the light of their lives.  

Galina is a passionate storyteller whose childhood dream of becoming a writer materialized with her memoir, The Last Train to Freedom.

 Links 

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

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

Please connect on Linkedin and all platforms @jayzenpatria

 As we start 2023, Jayzen is thrilled to announce the #LeadWithYourBrandChallenge! Each week for the next five weeks, Jayzen is breaking down the Lead With Your Brand system into its five steps. EveryTuesday, listen to the podcast & learn about the next step to build your personal brand and help you toward your next Career Breakthrough! There are even free downloadable worksheets with each step to help you in the process.

 What if you were to use a brand marketer’s toolkit to build your own personal brand? What if you thought about yourself as a product? In a world where thousands of people do your exact same job, you must find a way to be more than just a commodity worker. In your career, you must be a Super-Premium Brand that gets people to do more, contribute more, and pay you more – just like they do for great brands that they love. Ask yourself, in your career, are you coffee or are you Starbucks?

 This week’s episode provides an introduction to the system and Step One: Define Your Audience. Remember, when you try to be something to everyone, you are really nothing to no one. That’s right, you don’t need to be everyone’s cup of tea! You have got to find your target audience. Think about the people who love you. Who are your raving fans today? Who buys your services? Who promotes you? Who asks you to be on their team? Now, what is the secret sauce between that group of people that you can define as your tribe that your brand can super serve.

 Plus, as always, you’ll hear from amazing leaders in entertainment, tech, media & more starting with this week’s guest, Raman Sehgal, founder and Global President of Ramarketing, an agency looking to raise companies' profile and generate leads in the pharma and biotech sectors. Raman is also the author of The Floundering Founder: 24 Lessons to Refocus Your Business and Better Yourself.

Guest Bio

 Raman Sehgal

Founder and Global President

Ramarketing

–

Having founded ramarketing in 2009, Raman has grown the business (headquartered in the UK’s North East with a presence in Boston, MA) beyond what he ever could have imagined. A $multi-million, PE-backed, international digital, design, and content marketing agency, with over 60 employees and growing, supporting clients in the life science space across the world.

 Today, alongside being an entrepreneur and ramarketing’s Global President, Raman is an international best-selling author, keynote speaker, blogger, guest lecturer, and Forbes Agency Council Member. He is also co-founder of Lead Candidate, a specialist talent acquisition partner for the pharma and biotech outsourcing space, and the host of industry-leading pharmaceutical podcast - Molecule to Market where he takes listeners inside the outsourcing space of the drug development and manufacturing ecosystem.  

 During Raman’s career, he has been privileged to work with 100s of brands across the global life science supply chain, advising on business, comms, digital marketing, and creative strategy. Raman is the host of the Molecule to Market podcast and the author of The Floundering Founder: 24 Lessons to Refocus Your Business and Better Yourself.

 Links 

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

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

 Please connect on Linkedin and all platforms @jayzenpatria

Plus, we’ve pulled together some of the best career advice from the last season to help each of you move towards your next career breakthrough in 2023. Our guests include:

Keesha Boyd - Executive Director of Multicultural Entertainment, Comcast

Jennifer Darling - LinkedIn Guru & Speaker

Bobby Amirhshahi -  SVP and Head of Communications, Macy’s Inc

Maryam Banikarim - Co-foudner of NYC Next

Brad Baumoel - Managing Director, Global Head of LGBT+ Affairs, JPMorgan Chase & Co.

Migdalia Figueroa - General Manager, Telemundo Orlando

Donna Fujimoto Cole - President &  CEO, Cole Chemical & Distributing Inc.

David Ambroz - External Affairs & Community Engagement (West), Amazon

Mike Sington – Entertainment, Pop Culture and Lifestyle Expert

Cynthia Chu - Chief Financial Officer & Growth Officer, Audible

Wilson Cruz - Actor & Activist

Daniella Pierre Bravo - Reporter, MSNBC’s Morning Joe

H Schuster - Founder &  CEO,  HusslUp

Links 

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

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

Please connect on Linkedin and all platforms @jayzenpatria

 Jayzen is happy to welcome Ari Krzyzek to the show.  With a focus on helping women-led brands in FemTech & DTC, she has over 10 years of branding and design experience, is a certified brand strategist, and UX expert. She has transformed business visions into a tangible form that helps set their business apart from their competitors.  In addition, she serves as a design consultant, mentor, and professional peer in support of fellow female entrepreneurs through the #1 ranked private business incubator in the world, 1871 Chicago.

 Guest Bio

Ari Krzyzek

CEO & Head of Strategy of Chykalophia

CEO & Head of Strategy of Chykalophia (read: see-ka-lo-fia), Ari Krzyzek helps Femtech DTC and women-led companies craft a brand that delights their customers beyond a pretty design, delivers no-brainer user experience, and gets them the clarity they need to for their business to thrive online.

She has over 10 years of branding and design experience, is a certified brand strategist, and UX expert. She has transformed business visions into a tangible form that helps set their business apart from their competitors. As her diverse client roster attests, the one constant in her work is spot-on design for major impact every time. She’s the co-host of Halo Femtech Podcast, a podcast that honors disruptive innovators and change-makers advancing women’s health.

Furthermore, she serves as a design consultant, mentor, and professional peer in support of fellow female entrepreneurs through the #1 ranked private business incubator in the world, 1871 Chicago,Interaction Design Foundation, Ms.Tech, and ADPList.

  Links 

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

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

 Please connect on Linkedin and all platforms @jayzenpatria

 In the midst of “the great resignation,” now is the time for a career mindset shift. Think about your career not as a ladder to climb in a linear fashion, but as a lattice to explore. Oftentimes, the best career move you can make is lateral or even a small step back that can ultimately propel you forward. It is about having the curiosity to break out of the box and take on a new challenge, while keeping an eye on the big picture and where you want to go.  

 Gail has had an incredible career by constantly challenging herself to learn new skills and thus, bring more to the table. Starting her career as a computer programmer, her curiosity about all aspects of business and running an organization have been the driving force in her many career breakthroughs.

 Guest Bio

Gail McGovern, president and CEO of the American Red Cross, began her career as a  computer programmer at AT&T. She moved up the ranks to become executive vice  president for the Consumer Markets Division, a $26 billion business with 40,000  employees. In 1998, Gail joined Fidelity Investments where she served as president of  Fidelity Personal Investments, a unit with 10,000 employees and a half trillion dollars of  assets under management. 

Four years later, Gail joined the faculty of Harvard Business School where she taught  marketing. In 2008, she accepted the position of president and CEO of the American  Red Cross, a $3 billion organization devoted to alleviating human suffering in the face of  emergencies. 

Since joining the Red Cross, Gail has helped to transform the 139-year old American  institution into a 21st Century emergency response and blood services organization. Her  transformational initiatives have led to improved fiscal stability, and have expanded the  reach of lifesaving Red Cross services. She has also overseen the enormous growth of  the organization’s social media presence – including the introduction of a series of free  mobile apps for first aid, hurricanes, tornadoes and other emergency scenarios that put lifesaving skills at people’s fingertips. 

Gail is a graduate of Johns Hopkins University, where she received an undergraduate  degree in Quantitative Sciences, and Columbia University where she earned her  MBA. She was awarded alumna of the year from both Universities. Gail was recognized  by Fortune Magazine in both 2000 and 2001 as one of the most powerful women in Corporate America. 

Links 

To learn more about Lead With Your Brand and the Career Breakthrough Mentoring program , please visit :  LeadWithYourBrand dot com

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

To learn more about about the American Red Cross or to make a contribution, visit RedCross dot org

This week, Jayzen welcomes David Rose to the show. As a five-time entrepreneur, David draws on design culture, psychology, and technology to envision future products and businesses enabled by the metaverse. He is known for translating complex technologies into delightfully intuitive new products and consulting with businesses on how to thrive during digital disruption. David’s work has been featured at the New York Museum of Modern Art, covered in The New York Times, WIRED, and The Economist, and parodied on The Colbert Report.

Guest Bio

David Rose

MIT Lecturer, Author & Metaverse Entrepreneur

David Rose, MIT lecturer, inventor, and five-time entrepreneur, draws on design culture, psychology, and technology to envision future products and businesses enabled by the metaverse. In his first book, Enchanted Objects, David focused on the Internet of Things. Since then he founded and sold a healthcare company, a computer vision company, and was VP of Vision Technology at Warby Parker. He is known for translating complex technologies into delightfully intuitive new products and consulting with businesses on how to thrive during digital disruption.  

David’s work has been featured at the New York Museum of Modern Art, covered in The New York Times, WIRED, and The Economist, and parodied on The Colbert Report. His home was featured in a New York Times video “The Internet of Things” about inventions that incorporate magic into everyday objects: a Google Earth coffee table that responds to gestures, Skype cabinetry in the living room, and a doorbell reminiscent of Mrs. Weasley's clock that rings when a family member is on their way home. He even got John Stewart to belly laugh when he was a guest on The Daily Show!

Links 

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

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

Please connect on Linkedin and all platforms @jayzenpatria

This week, Jayzen is excited to welcome Mohammad Anwar to the show. Mohammad started Softway as a technology services company with his family at the age of 20 while pursuing his B.S. in Computer Science with a minor in Mathematics at the University of Houston. As the company grew, there was a time when the company culture at Softway was so toxic that it almost caused the enterprise to fold. He took full responsibility for the problems and knew that, as the leader, he needed to change for the company to survive. After deep introspection, he eventually turned the company around by creating and sustaining a humanity-centered culture at Softway based on the philosophy that love is a business strategy.

Guest Bio

Mohammad Anwar

President and CEO

Softway and Culture+

Mohammad is the President and CEO of Softway and Culture+, co-creator and facilitator of Seneca Leaders, co-host of Love As A Business Strategy podcast, WSJ Best Selling Author of 'Love as a Business Strategy: Resilience, Belonging and Success,' speaker, and a member of Forbes Business Council. He started Softway as a technology services company with his family at the age of 20 while pursuing his B.S. in Computer Science with a minor in Mathematics at the University of Houston. He is celebrated for creating and sustaining a humanity-centered culture at Softway based on the philosophy that love is a business strategy. However, there was a time when the company culture at Softway was so toxic that it almost caused the enterprise to fold. He took full responsibility for the problems at Softway and knew that, as the leader, he needed to change for the company to survive. After deep introspection, he eventually turned the company around. From this experience, he also created a sister company of Softway, Culture+, and co-authored a WSJ bestselling book, Love as a Business Strategy. When Softway began in 2003, it was a small company that created websites for merchants in Houston. Since then, it has grown to a Business-to-Employee solutions company that focuses on bringing technology solutions to others by building high performing teams to build solutions that speak to the human needs of your workforce - and business performance that speaks for itself. In 2021, he formed Culture+ as a standalone organization fully dedicated to our mission: bring humanity back to the workplace. Culture+ provides Culture-as-a-Service to transform behaviors of employees and leaders - creating high-performing teams capable of achieving any business outcome.

Links

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

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

Please connect on Linkedin and all platforms @jayzenpatria

This week, Jayzen is thrilled to welcome Victoria Russell to the show. Victoria is the first Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer of Beam Suntory, a world leader in premium spirits and has an amazing career journey to share. Earlier in her career, she worked in marketing, analytics and compensation across several top companies before moving into D&I. Her philosophy of “saying yes” in her career and leaning into the fear of new positions has allowed her to continue to grow and expand her roles, with wisdom we can all learn from.

She sits on several non-profit boards and her work has been widely recognized, including being named to the Executive Leadership Council, honored as a Daughter of Greatness by the Muhammad Ali Center and featured as Today’s Woman 2020 Most Admired Woman in the Corporate Category.

Guest Bio

Victoria Russell

Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer

Beam Suntory

In January 2021, Victoria Russell was named the first Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer of Beam Suntory, a world leader in premium spirits. In this newly created role, Russell joined the company’s Senior Leadership Team and leads diversity and inclusion across talent acquisition, career development and employee retention, marketing, community relations, and building organizational capability to better recognize bias and further drive inclusive mindset. Russell also supports the development of diversity guidelines for the company’s supplier base and champions Employee Impact Groups and leaders across the business.

Before joining Beam Suntory, Russell had a successful 14-year career at Papa John’s International, ultimately stepping up during difficult times in 2018 to become the first to lead Diversity, Equity & Inclusion. In that role, Russell was credited with step-changing the company’s actions to build a diverse, equitable and inclusive organization comprised of 120,000 team members. She previously held marketing analytics roles of increasing responsibility, providing valuable insights into the business, and the customers and communities they serve. Prior to Papa Johns, Victoria held compensation and marketing roles at Lexmark, Humana, and Brown-Forman and earned a Bachelor of Business Administration and a M.B.A in Marketing from the University of Kentucky.

Victoria serves on several non-profit boards including, Fund for the Arts – Board Chair, Leadership Louisville, and the Chestnut Street YMCA. In 2019, she was named “Woman Making A Difference” by Louisville Business First and selected as one of Louisville’s Forty Under 40. She was also featured in The Business Journals’ Influencers: Rising Stars, a national list of influential young executives. Her other recent accomplishments include Leadership Louisville Class of 2020, University of Kentucky 2019 Lyman T. Johnson Torch of Excellence Award, founding member of the Adweek D&I Council and named of one the Adweek & Adcolor 2020 Champions of Diversity & Inclusion. Victoria was also named to the Executive Leadership Council, honored as a Daughter of Greatness by the Muhammad Ali Center and featured as Today’s Woman 2020 Most Admired Woman in the Corporate Category.

Links

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

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

Please connect on Linkedin and all platforms @jayzenpatria

We all pay a premium for the brands that we love. Great brands stand for something and give you a full brand experience, versus just being a commodity product where the lowest cost is all that matters. The same is true of your personal brand and how your career audience sees you. Are you a super-premium brand that commands a higher price? Are you the go-to person that everyone wants on their project team? Or, do you just blend in as one of the herd. To reach your next career breakthrough, you have to stand out like a super-premium brand.

Val is an award winning producer and currently is the Senior Vice President and Creative Director SummitMedia Corporation. Previously, he has held executive positions at several top media companies. Val is a proud veteran of the US Army and has worked extensively to expand workplace opportunities for vets.

Guest Bio

Val Nicholas is the Senior Vice President and Creative Director at SummitMedia Corporation and co-founder and executive producer of Eyes on Target Productions, a production partner of Blumhouse. He is an seven-time Emmy award-winning television marketing and program production executive and has experience both in front of and behind the camera. He has held management positions at top media companies including NBC News & MSNBC, ABC and KCRA-TV. Val is a proud veteran of the US Army and attended the US Army Leadership Training School. He currently sits on the national board of the USO and Blue Star Families.

Links

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

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

Please connect on Linkedin and all platforms @jayzenpatria

Jayzen is so thrilled to welcome his former colleague and all around amazing person, Susan Jin Davis, to the podcast. Susan has an amazing story to tell that is truly at the intersection of career and life. She has an incredible understanding how intertwined work and life are and need to be. As a self-proclaimed “change agent,” Susan leads with her bold brand to support her community and the world we all share, with a “pay it forward” attitude, constantly trying to open doors for those around her.

Susan has had an incredible career journey, serving as Comcast’s first Chief Sustainability Officer, working as an attorney and many other roles. She has been a pioneer in the field and currently is the Social Impact Officer for Al Roker Entertainment. In addition to her work in sustainability and social impact, She is a tireless advocate for diversity and the AAPI community.

Guest Bio

Susan Jin Davis

Social Impact Officer, Al Roker Entertainment

Susan Jin Davis has 30 years of experience in the telecommunications, media, entertainment, and technology industries. She currently serves as Social Impact Officer for Al Roker Entertainment, a leading producer of TV, digital, branded programming and entertainment. She is also an advisor for ALO Advisors, a firm specializing in areas of sustainability, diversity, and corporate social responsibility.

She is also serving as a Senior Advisor on Social Impact & Sustainability for Philadelphia Soccer 2026, as part of Philadelphia's application team to be a host city for the World Cup games in 2026. Her focus is on human rights such as worker rights, housing, discrimination, safety and security, and grievances.

Most recently, Ms. Jin Davis was a senior executive at Comcast Corporation, where she held a multitude of roles over a 15-year career at the Company, including becoming the company’s first Chief Sustainability Officer, creating the framework for the company’s Environmental, Social, and Governance disclosures, operationalizing its renewable energy and energy efficiency strategy, and contributing to transforming its fleet to low-carbon vehicles.

Ms. Jin Davis is a well-experienced and well-respected executive in the area of diversity, equity, and inclusion (“DEI”). While at Comcast, Ms. Jin Davis negotiated a historic Memorandum of Understanding between Comcast and the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) national community as part of the company’s acquisition of NBCUniversal. This created ground-breaking diversity commitments in the areas of programming, supplier, employment, and community investment that are the foundation for the company’s current DEI strategy.

An advocate for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs) in business and corporate America, she is active in the AAPI community nationally. She serves as the Chair of the Board of the Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies (APAICS) and serves on the Board of the Asian/Pacific Islander American Chamber of Commerce & Entrepreneurship (National ACE). Additionally, Ms. Jin Davis is a past board member of Leadership Education for Asian Pacifics, Inc. (LEAP) and the Asian and Pacific American Scholarship Fund (APIA Scholars). Her other volunteer leadership service includes the Board of Directors of the Juvenile Law Center and the Board of Trustees of her undergraduate alma mater, Bryn Mawr College where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science.

She holds a Juris Doctor degree from the Dickinson School of Law of Penn State University. The active runner, arts lover, and foodie lives in Kennett Square, Pa. with her daughter, Sophia.

Links

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

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

Her career wisdom learned from the hussle of Hollywood and constantly keeping your foundation strong while striving for more, are lessons that apply to any industry.

Guest Bio

April Hernandez Castillo

Actor, Speaker, Author

April Hernandez Castillo's dream became a reality when she booked her first commercial as the “Yo girl” in the Visa Check Card spot starring Yao Ming and Yogi Berra. The commercial would air for the Super Bowl and become a sports classic. She then went on to star in television shows such as; Law & Order: SVU, The following, Person of Interest, and Elementary. April garnered a recurring role on Showtime’s Dexter which she was nominated for a SAG nomination for Best Ensemble cast. April is most noted for her powerful portrayal as “Eva Benitez” in the hit movie Freedom Writers starring Oscar winner Hilary Swank. She also has worked on NBC’s popular show- New Amsterdam, Prodigal Son, and Gossip Girl.

April has also graced a different stage as a public speaker. Her message of resilience, overcoming adversity, and the ability to move beyond trauma has taken April on a journey across the United States and internationally. Reaching an array of audiences from high schools, universities and conferences, she has spoken on some of the most prestigious stages starting from Harvard University, Q Conference to her biggest stage to date, TEDx.

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

H has more than 15 years of experience producing and overseeing high profile hits, including the Kardashian franchises, "The Biggest Loser," "MasterChef," and others. During her career, she has worked closely with top producers like Mark Burnett, Ben Silverman, and Eli Holzman and A-list talent, as well as with numerous FORTUNE 100 companies to integrate their brands into TV and digital content.

Guest Bio

H Schuster

Founder + CEO

HUSSLUP

HUSSLUP Founder and CEO H Schuster is a senior media executive with more than 20 years of experience producing TV and leading divisions at major media companies and startups. She founded HUSSLUP to connect millions of professional creatives around the globe to each other and to the companies that need them in order to democratize access to the industry. As CEO, she leads a diverse, senior-level team of industry veterans with the mission of “transforming Hollywood’s old clique with one click.”

Prior to HUSSLUP, H was Founder and CEO of Morocco Junction Entertainment, a production company financed by All3Media. She built a slate and oversaw creative development and production for projects at Discovery, TLC, Lifetime, History, Spike, MTV and Animal Planet, as well as executive producing “Abby’s Studio Rescue” for Lifetime and creating “Tabatha’s Life Takeover” for Bravo. She also provided strategic and content consulting to major production companies and producers.

Earlier, Schuster headed unscripted television for Ryan Seacrest Productions, Reveille, and Shine America. She also served as the CCO who scaled Detour, a location-aware podcasting company that was one of Apple's top 10 apps of 2016 and sold to Bose.

Schuster has more than 15 years of experience producing and overseeing high profile hits, including the Kardashian franchises, "The Biggest Loser," "MasterChef," and others. During her career, she has worked closely with top producers like Mark Burnett, Ben Silverman, and Eli Holzman and A-list talent, as well as with numerous FORTUNE 100 companies to integrate their brands into TV and digital content. At Detour, she also worked closely with the engineering team to iterate on and ship product.

Schuster earned a PhD in cultural studies at NYU and attended Stanford Law School. She served multiple terms on the Outfest Board of Directors, is a founding member of Chief, and is a member of the Producers Guild of America, the Television Academy, and Women in Film.

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 Luis Sandoval to the show. As a child, Luis always knew he wanted to move to America and work in the media. After graduating from the University of Baja California, Luis landed a part time job at a San Diego radio station. His “say yes” work ethic and “good vibes” attitude helped him move up the ranks at one of Southern California’s top Spanish language radio shows. Soon after, never having worked in television before, he landed an on-air talent position at Univision.

In 2018, Luis came out as gay during a live broadcast of “Despierta America” with the intention of creating awareness of the issues that LGBTQ+ young Latinos face in America, becoming the first and only out Latino TV personality in Spanish media in the US. He is Two time Daytime Emmy Award winner and Three time GLAAD Award recipient.

Guest Bio

Luis Sandoval, Senior Correspondent for Univision’s “Despierta America”

Host of “Buena Vibra” on K-Love 107.5FM in Los Angeles

Luis Sandoval is a one of a kind TV and Radio Host. He currently hosts “Buena Vibra” (Good Vibes) a Radio show on K-Love 107.5FM in Los Angeles and also serves as Senior correspondent for “Despierta America” Univision’s National Syndicated TV morning show. He is Two time Daytime Emmy Award winner and Three time GLAAD Award recipient. Based in Los Angeles, has hosted many Univision Network special shows including the Rose Parade, El Grito celebrating Mexico’s Independence Day, and Teleton.  Sandoval has been part of the Univision family since 2004.

On October 11, 2018 Luis came out as gay during a live broadcast of “Despierta America” with the intention of creating awareness of the issues that LGBTQ+ young Latinos face in America, becoming the first and only out Latino TV personality in Spanish media in the US.

On TV, Sandoval is known for reporting on human-interest stories, parodies and humorous segments. He also has conducted numerous interviews with Hispanic and Hollywood celebrities, which can be seen in his witty entertainment pieces.

Luis Sandoval is a dynamic personality with unparalleled talent, a laugh-out-loud sense of humor and a tremendous ability to transmit positive energy through any platform. His gift for connecting with people on a personal level is the reason audiences across the country have fallen in love with his charm.

From 2012 – 2017 he also served as co-host of LAnzate (I Dare You), the first national show produced in LA for Univision Network. The show featured events, concerts, landmarks, artists, and singers in Los Angeles, Chicago, Miami, Texas, New York, Mexico and more.

Sandoval is an advocate for Orphan kids with the non-profit organization Corazon de Vida since 2012 and currently serves as president for the organization’s chapter in Los Angeles, always looking for way to connect and give back to his community. He is a member of the Frida Kahlo Theatre Group in Los Angeles and fluent in English, Spanish as well as Italian.

As an openly gay celebrity, Luis also is an activist for LGBTQ+ rights and works constantly to normalize the life of same sex couples in the Latino community.

A native of Tepic, Nayarit Mexico. Sandoval received his B.A. in Communications from the University of Baja California.

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 share the stage with Lauren Lopez, SVP of Talent Management for The New York Times. As a proud Nuyorican, her work is directly aligned with her passion for eliminating barriers to entry and growth that continue to exist in today’s workplace.  Rooted in the belief that every person has talents and experience that can benefit others, she brings a wealth of practical information and key tips to help you advance your career, always reminding us to "run our own race."

Guest Bio

Lauren Lopez

Senior Vice President, Talent Management

The New York Times

Lauren Lopez is an HR Leader rooted in the establishment of healthy and productive company culture, with the foundation of all her work starting with an equitable employee experience. From Talent Acquisition and Employee Relations to Inclusion and Talent Development, her 17 years of experience have allowed her to provide innovative and sustainable workforce solutions to organizations in times of great transformation and change.

Lauren’s career has crossed the technology, financial services, digital media, publishing and the sports entertainment industry affording her the opportunity to play the role of a servant leader, strategic advisor and coach. She is a believer in the power of coaching for the advancement of communities, organizations, and leadership. Her work is directly aligned with her passion for eliminating barriers to entry and growth that continue to exist in today’s workplace. Lauren is most fulfilled when she is able to help talent unlock the path to their purpose.

Lauren is a proud Nuyorican raised in Hell’s Kitchen and currently residing in Westchester with her two children - Dahlia and Cyrus, her husband Ozzie and their dog BB.

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

This week, Jayzen welcomes Adrian Whant to the show. As the founder and CEO of TrooVRS, Adrian is on a mission to leverage the power of the metaverse to meet the needs of male audiences in new and meaningful ways. TrooVRS is an immersive media platform for men to engage with practical knowledge and self-care-focused content across virtual editorial environments, experiences, and NFTs.

Adrian’s passionate leadership style has paved the way for his successful media career. Prior to founding TrooVRS, Adrian has over 2O years of experience developing award-winning, revenue-generating advertising marketing solutions for leading media brands, including NBCUniversal/Telemundo and various digital media startup companies across the influencer, original programming and ad network worlds.

Guest Bio

Adrian Whant

Founder & CEO

TrooVRS

Adrian is the founder of TrooVRS, an immersive media platform for men to engage with practical knowledge and self-care-focused content across virtual editorial environments, experiences, and eCommerce/NFTs.

A media veteran turned entrepreneur, Adrian has over 2O years of experience developing award-winning, revenue-generating advertising marketing solutions for leading media brands, including NBCUniversal/Telemundo and various digital media startup companies across the influencer, original programming and ad network worlds.

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 Daniela Pierre-Bravo to the show. Daniela is a New York City-based Reporter for MSNBC’s “Morning Joe". She is also a best-selling author, speaker, contributor and producer for NBC’s “Know Your Value” platform. A former Cosmopolitan magazine columnist, Daniella has written on career advice, mental health, and financial wellness with an emphasis on women of color. Her work has been featured on the Today Show, Telemundo, Forbes, Cosmopolitan, Refinery29, New York Magazine, and more.

She is the co-author of “Earn It” alongside Mika Brzezinski. Her first solo book, “The Other: How to Own Your Power at Work as a Woman of Color” hit bookstores last month. Daniela spent many years undocumented and in the shadows as an immigrant from Chile, working odd jobs to pay her way through school. When Daniela became a DACA recipient, she finally felt that she’d made it, rising through the ranks in her career. But she quickly realized that no matter how much success she achieved, she always felt she had to prove her worth as “the other.”

Guest Bio

Daniela Pierre-Bravo

Reporter

MSNBC's "Morning Joe"

Daniela Pierre-Bravo is a New York City-based Reporter for MSNBC’s “Morning Joe". She is also a best-selling author, speaker, contributor and producer for NBC’s “Know Your Value” platform. A former Cosmopolitan magazine columnist, Daniella has written on career advice, mental health, and financial wellness with an emphasis on women of color. Her work has been featured on the Today Show, Telemundo, Forbes, Cosmopolitan, Refinery29, New York Magazine, and more.

She is the co-author of “Earn It” alongside Mika Brzezinski. Her first solo book, “The Other: How to Own Your Power at Work as a Woman of Color” hit bookstores last month. Daniela spent many years undocumented and in the shadows as an immigrant from Chile, working odd jobs to pay her way through school. Like many other women of color, immigrants, and children of immigrants she became an expert shape shifter in order to chameleon her way around professional environments that felt out of reach. When Daniela became a DACA recipient, she finally felt that she’d made it, rising through the ranks in her career. But she quickly realized that no matter how much success she achieved, she always felt she had to prove her worth as “the other.”

In “The Other,” Daniela shares her journey and those of other women to help you recognize your power through your own eyes instead of the traditional white gaze in the workplace.

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

In her current role, she is the co-founder and COO of trooVRS, a startup set to shake up the growing metaverse world.

Guest Bio

Lisa Cavalli

Co-Founder & COO

trooVRS

Lisa is an entrepreneur who navigates life with unbridled ambition and that ambition has helped her accomplish plenty - from marketing in the Sonoma wine industry to becoming the publisher and founder of two premium multi-cultural driven digital magazines, HipLatina and BELatina.

HipLatina, which is considered one of the leading digital lifestyle platforms for Hispanic women and Latinas, reached more than four million consumers a month before being sold in 2018. Her newest creation, BELatina, unpacks and celebrates the monumental cultural shift marked by women of color, to create even more space for the evolution of Latina/Afro-Latinx empowerment across multiple themes and channels. BELatina recently went through a successful merger with BrandStar to continue to highlight the significance of this growing audience.

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

She has served on many national and regional boards and currently serves as Trustee of the Rockwell Fund, Boards of the Center Asian Pacific American Women, Executive Advisory Board of ISM Houston, The National Veterans Network, the Women’s Home and Capital Campaign forAsian Health Coalition dba Hope Clinic. In 2021, Ms. Cole received the Japanese Imperial Decoration of the Order of the Rising Sun, Silver Rays for her contribution to promote regional exchange and mutual understanding between Japan and the United States.

Guest Bio

Donna Fujimoto Cole

President/CEO Cole Chemical & Distributing, Inc.

After four years in the chemical industry, Donna Fujimoto Cole founded Cole Chemical in 1980 at the age of 27, divorced with a four-year old daughter with $5,000 from savings at the encouragement of the chemical buyers at Exxon, Shell, Monsanto and Dupont to start a certified minority and women owned business to help them meet their government purchasing goals. Ms. Cole not only hires minority and women she pioneered 2nd tier reporting of their own m/wbe purchases to her customers in 1982.

After 42 years, Ms. Cole has started, sold, invested and divested many types of businesses; from civil construction, to drilling loss circulation materials, chemical manufacturing, real estate, promotional advertising, distribution, warehousing, blending and packaging, to provide financing alternatives, back office support and IT integration with supply chain management services.

She has relationships with Fortune 500 global companies on the supply and customer side of business while receiving quality service awards, recognition for leadership and mentoring others with awards from the US Small Business Administration and Department of Commerce’s Minority Business Development Agency.

She has served on many national and regional boards and currently serves as Trustee of the Rockwell Fund, Boards of the Center Asian Pacific American Women, Executive Advisory Board of ISM Houston, The National Veterans Network, the Women’s Home and Capital Campaign for Asian Health Coalition dba Hope Clinic. Autumn 2021 Ms. Cole received the Japanese Imperial Decoration of the Order of the Rising Sun, Silver Rays for her contribution to promote regional exchange and mutual understanding between Japan and the United States.

Ms. Cole attended University of Texas - Pan American and graduated from Manpower Business Training Institute in Computer Operations and Programming in1972.

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

Matt is also the author of the book, Unlock, where he reveals the five key questions that will uncover new insight into your business’ potential—without the need for costly consultants. Through real-life examples, personal stories, and insights from thought leaders and CEOs, Hulett guides you through the steps of taking a deep dive into your company’s pivot potential. He shows you how to take stock of your business, from your company’s alignment to market trends and your supply chain position, to your value proposition for customers, to your ability to raise capital.

Guest Bio

Matt Hulett

CEO & President

PetMed Express

Matt Hulett has driven more than $2 billion in value creation as a four-time public company CEO and president and a two-time private company CEO. He is a seasoned technology executive with more than thirty years of experience building and leading world-class SaaS and consumer companies. He has had multiple turnaround successes in the public and private sectors, including Rosetta Stone, RealNetworks, and Expedia. He is regularly featured in technology and business podcasts and media outlets, such as Recode, Forbes, and Entrepreneur. Matt lives in Seattle with his wife, Anne (CEO of Rock Grace), and their three children.

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

Jennifer has had an incredible career journey that has deeply intertwined her personal experiences, educational goals, creativity and passion to help those around her. As a self proclaimed “child of the golden age of television...the 80’s,” her work as a creative executive has crafted shows like The Good Doctor, The Blacklist and many others.

Guest Bio

Dr. Jennifer E. Turner

EVP TriStar Television

Founder, MAD COOL FITNESS/MAD COOL COMMUNITY

Jennifer is a seasoned media executive who currently serves as the Head of Sony Pictures’ TriStar Television, overseeing creative on hit series such as The Good Doctor, The Boys and The Blacklist. In 2011, Jennifer combined her passion for fitness and desire to help others with her media background to found edutainment brand MAD COOL FITNESS (MCF), an inclusive, edutainment healthy lifestyle brand that helps people to achieve long-term good health through behavior science-based programs. MCF Programs are also based on Jennifer’s personal experience as someone who struggled with weight but has been living healthy for over 20 years.

To support her mission of health, Jennifer went back to school and received her Doctor of Public Health specializing in Health Education and Behavioral Science, from Rutgers School of Public Health. Her dissertation evaluated the Healthy Schools Program implementation at four, New Jersey, K-8 independent charter schools. Her research found factors impacting program implementation were the social determinants of health – access to healthcare, community context, socio-economics – the very same factors that are playing a role in COVID-19’s disproportionate effect on communities of color today. Jennifer also founded non-profit, MAD COOL COMMUNITY, to implement, design, and evaluate wellness programs in underserved communities. MAD COOL COMMUNITY is currently implementing a pilot mental and behavioral health program at a New Jersey charter school to address the wellness needs of parents, teachers, and students during this coronavirus pandemic. The wellness program is based on Jennifer’s dissertation research as well as the school population’s specific needs during this challenging time.

Jennifer holds a Master of Business Administration from Stanford University, a Bachelor of Finance from the Wharton School of Business of the University of Pennsylvania, and a Bachelor of Japanese Language also from the University of Pennsylvania. Jennifer is a New Jersey certified Teacher of Health Education N-12, an American Council on Exercise (ACE) certified Youth Fitness Specialist, Fitness Nutrition Specialist, Health Coach, Behavior Change Specialist, Group Fitness Instructor, and Personal Trainer. She is an avid athlete and runner having completed numerous marathons (including two Boston and three New York City Marathons) and triathlons, (including Ironman Lake Placid).

Links

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

Although Amir is mid-career, the lessons that he has lived, learned and shared are of value to any career stage. He is also the author of “22 Life Lessons By Someone More F*cked Up Than You” and a soon-to-be first time filmmaker.

Guest Bio

Amir Moini

Communications and Employer Brand

Netflix

Growing up in Boston, Massachusetts, Amir Moini decided to move to Los Angeles in 2013 after completing Teach For America in Hawaii from 2011-2013. He began his career in nonprofit development at The Los Angeles LGBT Center, which opened the door for him to work at Netflix, focused on building and leading their Employer Brand.

In addition to his work at Netflix, Amir is a writer and upcoming filmmaker, focused on the horror genre. Some of Amir's hobbies include dance, yoga and travel.

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

In his upcoming book, A Place Called Home, David shares his story of poverty and homelessness as a child, which ultimately became a driving force in his career. A true inspiration for us all.

Guest Bio

David Ambroz

Head of Community Engagement (West)

Amazon

David Ambroz is a national poverty and child welfare expert and advocate. He was recognized by President Obama as an American Champion of Change. He currently serves as the Head of Community Engagement (West) for Amazon, coordinating with non-profits and community leaders for social good. Previously he led Corporate Social Responsibility for Walt Disney Television, and served as the President of the Los Angeles City Planning Commission, and as a California Child Welfare Councilmember. After growing up homeless and then in foster care, he graduated from Vassar and later from UCLA School of Law (J.D.). He is a foster dad and lives in Los Angeles, CA.

About his soon to be released book, “A Place Called Home”

"It's impossible to read A Place Called Home and not want to redouble your efforts to fight the systems of poverty that have plagued America for far too long. In this book, David shares his deeply personal story and issues a rousing call to make this a more humane and compassionate nation."—Hillary Rodham Clinton

"A story destined to end in tragedy that magically rewards an indomitable determination to succeed. Beautifully written."—Ted Koppel, veteran ABC anchor and New York Times bestselling author of Lights Out

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

Mark brings a wealth of experience and creativity to the show sharing his lessons learned across many job functions and industries.

Guest Bio

Mark Stanley

Customer Experience Designer & Author

Genesys

Mark Stanley is a Customer Experience Designer, which he performs as a Healthcare Industry Executive for Genesys and is the author of Experience Design for Customer Service: How to go from mediocre to great! He has worked in and for a variety of customer service-related companies. Following a span of twenty years in the airline industry, he transitioned to contact centers to develop skills around the technology used to connect customers to service staff, as well as the supporting systems like workforce management and quality monitoring. He transitioned into business consulting and project management, with a focus on the relationship and interdependence between business goals, customer service operations and technology. His work is primarily in healthcare, insurance, and financial services.

Prior to joining Genesys, Mark held call center operations and sales management positions with Crestview Consulting Group, Wolfe & Associates, ERS (a leading third-party healthcare services provider), Lufthansa German Airlines and Korean Air. 

He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in History from Loyola Marymount University, is a Certified Experience Economy Expert, a COPC Implementation Leader, and a Project Management Professional (PMP).

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

Starting his career very early in life working in his fathers business to now managing a team of over 300 and 600+ clients, Erik has incredible stories to tell and advice that we all can learn from.

Guest Bio

Erik Huberman

CEO & Founder

Hawke Media

CEO & Founder Erik Huberman launched Hawke Media in 2014. Now valued at over $150 million, Hawke Media is the fastest growing marketing consultancy agency in the United States. Prior to its launch, Erik successfully founded, grew, and sold two e-commerce companies by the age of 26. Erik has since continued to strategically expand his business portfolio inclusive of a handful of company acquisitions, the 2018 launch of Hawke Ventures which reached a closed single fund of $5.6 million, the 2020 launch of his own podcast, HawkeTalk, the 2021 launch of HawkeZ, an agency offering brands the tools needed to tap into GenZ and most recently authored his own book, The Hawke Method, becoming a national bestseller.

As a serial entrepreneur and marketing expert, Erik has been recognized by his industry peers through honors and awards including Forbes Magazine’s 30 Under 30, CSQ’s 40 Under 40, and Inc. Magazine’s Top 25 Marketing Influencers just to name a few.

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

His blunt and bold approach to business combined with an ever-growing wealth of knowledge provides a number of lessons that can be applied to anyone’s career.

Guest Bio

Dominic Monkhouse

Tech Growth Advisor

Dominic is the silent weapon tech companies hire to achieve explosive growth. As managing director at Rackspace, the team grew from 4 to 150, the lifetime value of a client went up from £2000 to £200,000, and annual revenue from £250,000 to £30 million.

At Peer 1, he founded the UK business, scaling it from 0 to £30 million in 5 years, and helped grow the global business from $90 million to $200 million before it was acquired for $685m. While at ITlab he took the business from near bankruptcy to an award winning firm that sold for £26 million.

He has now created a purpose-built management lab where he shares the systems, tools and strategies that enabled him to scale from his quiet farm in Wiltshire. He’s also the host of The Melting Pot show and his weekly newsletter is read by over 6000 of the world’s top leaders.

Dominic is the outlandish author of F**K PLAN B. How to scale your technology business faster and achieve plan A, an exciting blueprint for cultural change and business transformation.

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

Guest Bio

London Lomax

CEO, Innovation Health

Chief Strategic Advisor to the President & CEO of Aetna, a CVS Health Company

London Lomax is the Chief Executive Officer of Innovation Health. He joined Innovation Health’s Leadership team in January 2022. With his strategic health plan and market leadership expertise, London will guide the continued success and expansion of Innovation Health with a focus on member growth and access to quality health coverage for the Washington, D.C. metro area. London has held a variety of strategic roles across diverse industries, from fully funded startups to Fortune 50 companies. In addition to being CEO of Innovation Health, he serves as the Chief Strategic Advisor to the President & CEO of Aetna, a CVS Health Company. London joined Aetna from SmileHealth where he was Vice President, Growth & Distribution Effectiveness. Prior to SmileHealth, he held leadership positions both domestically and internationally in product innovation, data analytics, strategic planning, sales, marketing and change management at EmblemHealth and AIG.

London holds a B.S. from Central Connecticut State University and M.S. in Strategic Organization Leadership from Quinnipiac University. He has also completed Harvard Business School’s Executive Education program where he focused on value-based health care strategy. He is a 2021 Denver Business Journal 40 under 40 award recipient and voted as one of Modern Healthcare’s 25 Emerging Leaders in healthcare for 2021. He is a Houston, Texas native and currently resides in Denver, Colorado.

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

In celebration of Pride Month, the Lead With Your Brand!™ Podcast has partnered with Out & Equal. Each week in June, we’ve featured an out leader each with an amazing career story to share. In addition, we’ve assembled an entire collection of shows with LGBTQ+ guests from the past three seasons, including two special roundtable episodes where we explore issues around the trans experience and intersectionality of race and LGBTQ+ in the workplace. The team at Out & Equal has created free downloadable discussion guides, so we encourage you to use the podcast as a virtual “book club” with your ERG or group of friends. Listen to the episodes, download the discussion guides and schedule your group discussion! Check out www.leadwithyourbrand.com/pride for more information.

Happy Pride!

Guest Bio

Deena Fidas

Managing Director & Chief Program and Partnerships Officer

Out & Equal Workplace Advocates

As Managing Director and Chief Program and Partnerships Officer, Deena oversees Out & Equal’s programs, both domestic and global as well as corporate partnerships, working with global companies and organizations to accomplish the next level of LGBTQ inclusion.

Deena is a leading global workplace advocate. She was at the Human Rights Campaign for 12 years prior to Out & Equal where she led their workplace equality programs and Corporate Equality Index. Deena was behind some of the movement’s largest corporate public policy mobilization efforts, including turning the tide for Corporate America’s support for marriage equality and the Equality Act. Under her leadership, the number of Fortune 500 companies with full LGBTQ protections rose from less than half to a full majority, 90 percent. Deena has led inclusion programs on four continents and pioneered the development of corporate benchmarking tools here in the US and across Latin America and Asia to advance real policy change and impact people’s everyday lives. She holds a Master’s in Sociology from American University and prior to her work on LGBTQ inclusion, she worked in progressive fundraising, philanthropy and research.

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

In celebration of Pride Month, the Lead With Your Brand!™ Podcast has partnered with Out & Equal Workplace Advocates, the premier organization working exclusively on LGBTQ+ workplace equality. Each week in June, we’ll be featuring an out leader each with an amazing career story to share. In addition, we’ve assembled an entire collection of shows with LGBTQ+ guests from the past three seasons, including two special roundtable episodes where we explore issues around the trans experience and intersectionality of race and LGBTQ+ in the workplace. The team at Out & Equal has created free downloadable discussion guides, so we encourage you to use the podcast as a virtual “book club” with your ERG or group of friends. Listen to the episodes, download the discussion guides and schedule your group discussion! Check out www.leadwithyourbrand.com/pride for more information.

Happy Pride!

Guest Bio

Brad Baumoel

Global Head of LGBT+ Affairs

JPMorgan Chase

Brad Baumoel is the Global Head of LGBT+ Affairs for JPMorgan Chase, where his career has spanned the last 30 years,.

At JPMorgan Chase, Brad has held key roles in Corporate Finance, Asset & Wealth Management and Consumer & Community Banking. Brad came out as a Gay Man at work, 10 years into his professional career and has worked hard on leading aspects of the firm’s LGBT+ agenda and their PRIDE Business Resource Group over the last 25 years.

In 2021, Brad established and built-out the Office of LGBT+ Affairs, where he’s merged his day job with his gay job and now leads their unified, global strategy focused on promoting equity and inclusion for LGBT+ Employees, Clients, Business Partners and Communities. Brad, his husband and their son (an 11 year old German Shepherd), live in New York.

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

In celebration of Pride Month, the Lead With Your Brand!™ Podcast has partnered with Out & Equal Workplace Advocates, the premier organization working exclusively on LGBTQ+ workplace equality. Each week in June, we’ll be featuring an out leader each with an amazing career story to share. In addition, we’ve assembled an entire collection of shows with LGBTQ+ guests from the past three seasons, including two special roundtable episodes where we explore issues around the trans experience and intersectionality of race and LGBTQ+ in the workplace. The team at Out & Equal has created free downloadable discussion guides, so we encourage you to use the podcast as a virtual “book club” with your ERG or group of friends. Listen to the episodes, download the discussion guides and schedule your group discussion! Check out www.leadwithyourbrand.com/pride for more information.

Happy Pride!

Guest Bio

Daniel Reynolds

Editor In Chief

Out Magazine

Daniel Reynolds is an award-winning journalist (2021 GLAAD Media Award, 2020 Planned Parenthood Federation’s Media Excellence Award) who focuses on entertainment, culture, health, and politics. Reynolds joined The Advocate as an intern in 2012. Since then, he rose through the ranks to become the editor in chief of its sister magazine, Out, in 2021.

The West Hollywood resident has written several cover stories for Pride Media publications, among them The Advocate’s 2017 Will & Grace reunion issue and Out’s latest Pride cover featuring the cast of Hacks. Prior to Pride Media, Reynolds worked as a freelance producer for KABC-TV’s On the Red Carpet and as a writer for Guest of a Guest, where he covered the spheres of art, fashion, and society in New York City.

A New Jersey native and avid reader, Reynolds holds an M.A. in English from Fordham University and graduated Phi Beta Kappa with Honors from Lafayette College, where he was the proud president of the student LGBTQ+ group, Quest. Additionally, he is a gay Eagle Scout, a marathon runner, and a hopeless Francophile.

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

Sharon has remarkable career story to share and works tirelessly to create space for her community and make the world a more equitable place for trans and gender non-conforming people. As Chief Impact Officer for the largest organization in the world serving the LGBTQ+ community, she is responsible for providing strategic leadership, management, guidance to programs and Human Resources for a staff of nearly 800 employees as well as impact efforts through grantmaking, and community engagement.

In celebration of Pride Month, the Lead With Your Brand!™ Podcast has partnered with Out & Equal Workplace Advocates, the premier organization working exclusively on LGBTQ+ workplace equality. Each week in June, we’ll be featuring an out leader each with an amazing career story to share. In addition, we’ve assembled an entire collection of shows with LGBTQ+ guests from the past three seasons, including two special roundtable episodes where we explore issues around the trans experience and intersectionality of race and LGBTQ+ in the workplace. The team at Out & Equal has created free downloadable discussion guides, so we encourage you to use the podcast as a virtual “book club” with your ERG or group of friends. Listen to the episodes, download the discussion guides and schedule your group discussion! Check out www.leadwithyourbrand.com/pride for more information.

Happy Pride!

Guest Bio

Sharon-Franklin Brown

Chief Impact Officer, Los Angeles LGBT Center

& Board President, LA Pride

Sharon-Franklin Brown is a navigator of change and a recipient of the Leadership Award for her extraordinary contributions by supporting and furthering civil rights in advancing workplace diversity in an exceptional manner on behalf of the Employment Round Table of Southern California and the City of Los Angeles. As Chief Impact Officer for the Los Angeles LGBT Center, she is responsible for providing strategic leadership, management, guidance to programs and Human Resources for a staff of nearly 800 employees as well as impact efforts through grantmaking, and community engagement. She is celebrating 15 years with the Center and currently serves as the President of the Board of Directors for Christopher Street West Association/LA Pride.

Sharon became a national speaker on transgender rights after being terminated from Fayetteville State University, a historically black university, for being a trans-woman. Sharon was on the leading edge during her speaking engagements at colleges and universities on the importance of including gender identity and gender expression in their anti-discrimination policies. In 2010, she co-wrote the “ground breaking” recommendations for “Model Protocols – Police Interactions with Transgender Individuals” which was later adopted by the Los Angeles Police Department as policy. Folks who have met Sharon know that her impact is tangible and that her incredible influence has helped to create a more diverse, inclusive, and equitable society.

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

In celebration of Pride Month, the Lead With Your Brand!™ Podcast has partnered with Out & Equal Workplace Advocates, the premier organization working exclusively on LGBTQ+ workplace equality. Each week in June, we’ll be featuring an out leader each with an amazing career story to share. In addition, we’ve assembled an entire collection of shows with LGBTQ+ guests from the past three seasons, including two special roundtable episodes where we explore issues around the trans experience and intersectionality of race and LGBTQ+ in the workplace. The team at Out & Equal has created free downloadable discussion guides, so we encourage you to use the podcast as a virtual “book club” with your ERG or group of friends. Listen to the episodes, download the discussion guides and schedule your group discussion! Check out www.leadwithyourbrand.com/pride for more information.

Happy Pride!

Guest Bio

Wilson Cruz

Award-winning Actor, Activist and Humanitarian

Award-winning Actor, Activist, “Actorvist,” and Humanitarian Wilson Cruz currently stars as Dr. Hugh Culber on the Award-winning CBS All Access series STAR TREK: DISCOVERY, which premieres its 4th Season on November 18th. He appeared on the Netflix series THIRTEEN REASONS WHY and in Hulu’s 2020 GLAAD Award-Winning original animated kids’ series THE BRAVEST KNIGHT. He is also the Executive Producer of the critically acclaimed docuseries called VISIBLE:OUT ON TELEVISION airing on Apple TV+ that investigates the importance of TV as an intimate medium that has shaped the American conscience, and how the LGBTQ movement has shaped television.

Receiving the Emery S. Hetrick Award from the Hetrick- Martin Institute for Outstanding Contributions to LGBTQ Youth, for his role as Rickie Vasquez on the ABC series MY SO CALLED LIFE, Wilson became the first openly Gay actor playing an openly Gay role on series television. Cruz also starred as Angel in the West Coast premiere of the Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award winning musical RENT which earned him both The Ovation and Drama Logue awards before his reprisal of the role on Broadway.

Cruz recently accepted GLAAD’s Vito Russo Award and the Make A Difference Award from the Matthew Shepard Foundation. He has also received the Rand Schrader Distinguished Achievement Award from the Los Angeles LGBTQ Center, the Liberty Award from Lambda Legal, the Visibilidad Award from GLAAD, the Fusion Achievement Award from Outfest, the Latino Spirit Award for Achievement in Entertainment and Advocacy from the California Latino Legislative Caucus, the Harvey Milk Equality Award, the Lincoln Aston Public Service Award, Aston-Brooks Award, and the Advocate Award from AdColor. He served as the Director of Entertainment Industry Partnerships and National Spokesperson for GLAAD, currently serves on the board of GLSEN and devotes considerable time supporting other LBGTQ organizations as well. Wilson is a first generation American of Puerto Rican descent.

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

Snehal is on the faculty of USC's graduate program in Arts Leadership where he teaches Executive Arts Leadership. Snehal is a graduate of Emory University and the Yale School of Drama.

Guest Bio

Snehal Desai

Producing Artistic Director

East West Players

Snehal Desai is the Producing Artistic Director of East West Players, the nation's premier Asian-American theater company and one of the longest running theaters of color in the US.

Before this time, Snehal was a freelance director working across the United States and the UK. He is a member of the Asian Pacific American Media Coalition (APAMC) and serves on the boards of the Consortium of Asian American Theaters and Artists (CAATA) and Theater Communications Group (TCG) and National Alliance for Musical Theatre (NAMT). Snehal found a home at East West Players because he found it to uniquely stand at the intersection of artistry and social justice. As an artistic leader, he has sought to raise awareness on social issues that affect Angelenos by personalizing them through storytelling.

A Soros Fellow and the recipient of a Tanne Award, Desai was in the Inaugural Class of Theatre Communications Group’s (TCG) “Spark” Leadership Program. He was also the Inaugural Recipient of the Drama League’s Classical Directing Fellowship. Snehal is on the faculty of USC's graduate program in Arts Leadership where he teaches Executive Arts Leadership. Snehal is a graduate of Emory University and the Yale School of Drama.

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 East West Players at : EastWestPlayers.org

Now as the EVP and Chief Global Growth Officer for Nu Skin, Connie is responsible for a $2.7 billion business in over 50 markets. Over her career, she has developed a powerful personal brand and she shares some really amazing career lessons and stories that we all can learn from.

Guest Bio

Connie Tang

EVP & Chief Global Growth Officer

Nu Skin

Connie Tang joined Nu Skin as executive vice president and chief global growth & customer experience officer in April 2021. Throughout her career, Connie has established herself as a top business leader by focusing on the needs of the customer first, driving transformative digital customer experiences and leading global growth and expansion.

Connie has extensive experience in both beauty and direct selling, including serving as president and CEO of Princess House, president of the U.S. division of JAFRA Cosmetics, vice president of special markets at BeautiControl and board positions at several other companies.​

She is a strong advocate for initiatives in diversity, equity and inclusion and has served as an inspiration to many women around the world, mentoring women at all professional levels. She was named one of the Top 50 Asian Americans in Business by the Asian American Business Development Center and is a five-time recipient of the Top 100 Women-led Businesses in Massachusetts as well as a four-time honoree as one of The Most Influential Women in Direct Sales by Direct Selling News. Connie was born in Hong Kong, raised in New York City, and is fluent in Cantonese, Spanish and English. ​Connie holds a bachelor’s degree from Brooklyn College.

When she is not working, Connie enjoys traveling with her family and spending time with their dogs. She loves Broadway musicals and is a huge Star Trek and Marvel fan, along with anything related to superhero movies. ​

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

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 emcompases 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

Prior to joining Nextdoor, Maryam was the CMO of Hyatt, Gannett, NBCUniversal, and Univision, leading sweeping transformations at each. At the height of her career, she decided to “take a pause” and gained national attention by sharing her experience in a New York Times essay.

Guest Bio

Maryam Banikarim

Head of Marketing, Community & Global, Nextdoor

Co-founder, NYCNext

Maryam Banikarim captured national attention with her viral New York Times essay on taking a “pause” at the height of her highly successful career. As a chief marketing officer who led four major businesses through sweeping transformations and top-line growth, Maryam has made a name for herself as a purpose-driven change agent who embraces diversity and inclusion and

builds brands that are respected and loved.

Maryam’s passion for community drew her to Nextdoor, the neighborhood network where neighbors go to connect to the neighborhoods that matter to them so they can belong. At Nextdoor, Maryam oversees marketing, community and global.

Prior to Nextdoor, Maryam was global chief marketing officer of Hyatt, Gannett, NBCUniversal, and Univision. Maryam earned a reputation as a bold leader who took on disruption and championed purpose. In each role, she innovatively applied a wide array of marketing tools to move her organization forward, creating value while inspiring employees, customers, and a range of stakeholders. Maryam helped transform Hyatt into the most preferred hospitality brand, driving loyalty and community among high-end travelers. With a portfolio of 13 global brand experiences, she elevated the organization by mobilizing colleagues, launching brands and businesses, reimagining loyalty, and establishing unprecedented partnerships.

Maryam currently serves on the board of One Spa World, Reporters without Borders and the Mobile Marketing Association. She is an advisor to Brand 50, Strawberry Frog, and Cove Hill Partners and a member of Fast Company’s Impact Council, Adweek’s Women Trailblazers, and the Time 100 Advisory board.

At the height of the pandemic, Maryam co-founded NYCNext, a grassroots volunteer movement aimed at supporting New York’s artist community and revitalizing the city. To date the non-profit has produced 14 live pop ups including A Moment for Broadway and convened world-renowned artists for a star-studded rendition of Billy Joel's New York State of Mind to drive civic action in the New York community.

A graduate of Barnard College, Columbia Business School, and Columbia’s School of International Affairs, Maryam has been widely recognized for her achievements. These include Fast Company’s “Top 10 Disrupters,” Advertising Age’s “Women to Watch,” and Forbes’ “Most Influential CMO List”.

In 2019, she was awarded the Columbia Alumni medal ⎯ the highest honor given by the Columbia Alumni Association. And in 2021 she was Columbia Business School’s commencement speaker.

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

As part of her fifteen year career in television and entertainment, Jen spent six years as Senior Vice President of Digital at Oxygen network. During her tenure with Oxygen, she drove high-profile, award-winning innovation and original streaming content that resulted in the network being recognized as a multi-platform leader within the entertainment landscape.

Guest Bio

Jen Kavanagh

Senior Vice President of Marketing & Media

Philadelphia Eagles

Jen Kavanagh is the Senior Vice President of Marketing & Media and is responsible for leading the strategic and creative development of the team's brand, original content, marketing, digital, media and experiential strategies.

Under her leadership, the Eagles have grown its programming to include multiple streaming series and podcasts as well as new, interactive strategies and experiences designed to engage the team's 9.5 million fans globally across all Eagles platforms.

Kavanagh has spent more than 15 years in media and entertainment. Prior to joining the Eagles in 2018, she founded and headed a strategic advisory firm working with Fortune 500 companies, television networks and high-growth startups.

Previously, as Principal at BRaVe Media Ventures, Kavanagh led advisory work for media and consumer brands, placing an emphasis on brand strategy, sales strategy, marketing strategy, organizational development and OTT strategy. Additionally, she was responsible for the content acquisition and development arm of the business, driving innovation around packaging for co-production partners.

Kavanagh also spent six years at NBC Universal as Senior Vice President of Digital at the company's Oxygen network. During her tenure with Oxygen, she drove high-profile, award-winning innovation and original streaming content that resulted in the network being recognized as a multi-platform leader within the entertainment landscape.

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

Comic Relief US’s Red Nose Day campaign has raised $275 million since 2015, positively impacting 30 million children — and now, you can get your very own Red Nose at your nearest Walgreens! Or, head to RedNoseDay.org to lend your support, and help make a difference by donating today. #NosesOn.

Guest Bio

Alison Moore

CEO

Comic Relief US

Alison Moore joined Comic Relief US in 2019 with extensive and diverse experience across the media and tech sectors. Alison came to Comic Relief US to grow the engagement, scale, and impact of its important mission: driving positive change through entertainment.

Through her leadership, Comic Relief US is creating new content campaigns and launching innovative

social impact-led funds, providing more platforms for brands, organizations and communities to make a

greater impact together. The funds raised will support nonprofits, community-led partners and their

programs to tackle the consequences and root causes of intergenerational poverty. Since 2015, Comic

Relief US has partnered closely with Walgreens, NBC, and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation on its

year-round Red Nose Day campaign to end child poverty. In the past 7 years Red Nose Day has raised

over $275 million and positively impacted over 30 million children in the U.S. and around the world.

Alison was previously the Chief Business Officer, Beauty Collection at Condé Nast, overseeing the

Glamour and Allure brands. Prior to Condé Nast, Alison was Chief Revenue Officer at SoundCloud, and

held multiple executive level positions at NBC Universal, DailyCandy and HBO.

Alison is on the Board of Directors for TRACE, the top global media & digital platform for Afro-Urban

cultures & youth empowerment and is on the Board of Directors for Downtown Music Holdings, a global

company that owns, manages, and develops businesses with a vision for a more equitable and

innovative music ecosystem. Alison is an Advisor to several early stage digital start-ups, and is a member

of Chief, the network of senior women leaders.

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

Prior to that, he helped launch TheKelly Clarkson Show to great fanfare, and won a Daytime Emmy for Un Nuevo Día, while at Telemundo. Richard gives great advice on how to build your own brand, leverage your brand attributes to advance your career and when to adjust the volume on your brand for a given audience.

Guest Bio

Richard Borjas

Showrunner & CEO

Bormont Enterprises

Richard Borjas is the Showrunner & CEO of Bormont Enterprises., and was recently responsible for the overall creative and execution of Red Table Talk: The Estefans.

Prior to that, he was the Vice President, Programming and Development, NBCUniversal Domestic Television Distribution. In this role, he developed original programs and formats to help create a robust slate of projects and managed the daily creative affairs for a number of shows, including “The Kelly Clarkson Show,” “Access,” and “Access Live.”

Borjas previously served as VP, Production for Telemundo. He oversaw the development and production of multiple programs for the network, including its morning program “Un Nuevo Día” for which he won a Daytime Emmy Award. In addition, throughout his amazing career, he has worked on a number of other award winning shows including Cristina Show and Good Morning America.

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

Prior to the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, David ran marketing for the iconic LA Philharmonic, leading the charge for the historic Hollywood Bowl and Disney Concert Hall, and drove amazing growth as SVP marketing for Universal Studios Hollywood.

Guest Bio

David Miller

Chief Marketing Officer

San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance

David Miller leads San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance’s marketing department in planning, crafting, and executing communications, sales, membership, licensing and sponsorship initiatives, with the ultimate goal of driving guest engagement and education to further the organization’s mission of saving wildlife and advocating for a world where all life thrives.

Prior to joining San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, Miller served as senior vice president of marketing communications and partnerships at Universal Studios Hollywood. There, he directed content strategy and development for both traditional and digital marketing, managed corporate partnerships with media outlets and sports franchises, and oversaw Universal’s intellectual property relationships and co-branding efforts. Miller also worked as director of marketing communications for the Los Angeles Philharmonic, and led marketing, branding and outreach efforts for performances at the Hollywood Bowl and at Walt Disney Concert Hall; and was director of marketing and sales at the California Health & Longevity Institute.

Miller has proven success in defining creative vision and leading project teams to execute on a global scale. His expertise in engaging audiences and creating memorable experiences makes him well suited to build meaningful and lasting connections between people and wildlife, and grow even greater support in San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance’s commitment to save species worldwide.

Miller holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration and management from Biola University with an emphasis in marketing. He serves on the brand/content committee of Visit California, a nonprofit working in partnership with the state’s travel industry.

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 Jamie Wolf to the show. She is the CEO and President of Million Dollar Story Agency, a global agency working with entrepreneurs and leaders across industries and verticals to build their brand market authority and visibility. Having an incredible career as an entrepreneur, Jamie has created and built multi-million dollar companies across several industries. After writing her first book, she was continually asked for her advice on how to get a book written and published. Eventually, she paused to listen to her career audience and began to see the situation as a potential new business, ultimately founding the Million Dollar Story Agency with the goal of helping other entrepreneurs turn their own personal journeys into million dollar businesses.

Guest Bio

Jamie Wolf

CEO and President

Million Dollar Story Agency

Jamie Wolf, MBA, is the CEO and President of Million Dollar Story Agency, a global agency working with entrepreneurs and leaders across industries and verticals to build their brand market authority and visibility. Specifically, she works with high achievers ready to establish themselves as the go-to expert in their space. She helps them skyrocket their credibility and authority, join the ranks of elite thought leaders, and reach a broader audience by becoming USA Today and Wall Street Journal best sellers in anthologies, done within 120 days, without even writing! She is also the founder of Wolf Tide Publishing. One-hundred percent of the dozens of 6- to 9-figure entrepreneurs who have chosen to work with Million Dollar Story Agency have hit #1 best seller; their books have stayed in the Top 25-Top 100 for 12+ months.

A multiple bestselling author herself, she also hosts the Million Dollar PIVOT podcast. Her purpose is to inspire others to dream big, implement fast, never quit, and stay surrounded by amazing, inspirational humans - always! And to ensure an entrepreneur writes the right book or chapter, one that strategically targets the creation of more clients. When you share your powerful story, you are truly seen as an extraordinary and remarkable leader, one of the elite and passionate difference-makers!

Jamie is mom to 3 adult children, a rescuer of many animals, and lives on the coast in SC.

www.milliondollarstory.co

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 be joined by Migdalia Figueroa, President & General Manager of Telemundo Orlando. Starting as an intern knowing no one in the business, Migdalia has built a truly remarkable career by always being ready to dream big, take a risk and develop the skills needed to succeed in her next role. She is an Emmy award winning producer and was formerly the General Producer of the iconic flagship program, “El Show de Cristina” with Cristina Saralegui, who is often referred to as the Spanish language Oprah.

Guest Bio

Migdalia Figueroa

President & General Manager

Telemundo Orlando

Migdalia Figueroa is the President & General Manager of Telemundo Station Group’s Orlando

Station, WTMO. She previously served as Vice President of News at NBC 6 South Florida, the NBC-owned station serving the Miami/Fort Lauderdale market, where she was responsible for relaunching the station’s news brand and mission, and for redefining and implementing new editorial and production styles and workflows.

Prior to joining NBC 6, Migdalia was Senior Vice President of Content and Brand for the Telemundo Station Group. In that role, she had oversight of local branding and local newscast overall performance at all stations. She was promoted to that position after joining Telemundo in January 2005 as Vice President of News for the Miami station, taking it to the #1 spot in that very competitive market during her tenure, a position it maintains to this day.

Migdalia was recently honored with the coveted Silver Circle Award for her over 30 years of experience, excellency and contributions to the industry. A winner of five individual and one station regional EMMY award, she began her broadcast journalism career as a news producer in her native Puerto Rico. In 1990, she moved to New York City, where she joined the Univision station. Two years later, she moved to Miami to produce Univision Network News, weekend edition, also serving as Executive Producer of WLTV’s newscasts, Executive Producer for Univision Online, and General Producer of the iconic flagship program, “El Show de Cristina,” before moving to Telemundo.

Migdalia graduated from the University of Puerto Rico with a degree in Mass Communications, and a major in Broadcast Journalism. She recently completed a certificate degree in Diversity & Inclusion from eCornell University, and is committed to these values, as well as to the practice of mentoring, believing they all have much to contribute to the whole of the industry. She makes her home between Orlando and Pembroke Pines, Florida, with her family and dogs.

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 Bobby Amirshahi to the show! Bobby is the Senior Vice President of Corporate Communications for Macy’s, Inc and manages all communications for the entire enterprise. After an incredibly successful communications career in cable television and entertainment, Bobby made a complete industry shift when joining Macy’s. He shares a fantastic career story on how he successfully navigated the pivot (and believes that you can too), and as a communications specialist, he knows first hand the power of personal brand, and how to leverage it to advance your career.

Guest Bio

Bobby Amirshahi

Senior Vice President, Corporate Communications

Macy’s, Inc.

Bobby Amirshahi joined Macy’s, Inc. in December 2020 as senior vice president of corporate communications. In this role, Amirshahi leads enterprise-wide communications for the company, including crisis and issues management, media relations, colleague communications, financial communications, corporate giving and thought leadership.

Prior to Macy’s, Amirshahi served as senior vice president of corporate communications for Univision Communications Inc. where he led all external and internal corporate communications for the company, including all business-to business public relations campaigns. Previously, he served as vice president of public relations and communications at Time Warner Cable Inc. where he led communications teams charged with publicizing consumer and business products as well as financial communications and issues management. Before joining TWC, Amirshahi was senior director of public affairs at Cox Enterprises Inc.

Amirshahi began his career working in various public relations and corporate communications roles at Cox’s cable subsidiary, Cox Communications. Amirshahi also led all of West Coast publicity for Viacom’s Comedy Central and Spike TV brands out of Los Angeles.

Amirshahi earned a bachelor’s in History from The College of William & Mary in Virginia.

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

To celebrate International Women’s Day, we are highlighting some of our favorite conversations with three fantastic entertainment and media executives. Our guests include Michelle Alban, Vice President of Communications and Social Impact for Paramount Global Networks Americas, Puja Vohra, Executive Vice President of Marketing and Strategy at Showtime Networks, and Paula Williams Madison, the Chairman and CEO of Madison Media Management LLC and Eight Madison Media Works. These three powerhouses exemplify what it means to #BreakTheBias.

Guest Bios

Michelle Alban

Vice President of Communications and Social Impact for Paramount Global Networks Americas

Michelle leads the development and execution of all internal and external communications strategies, as well as social impact projects for ViacomCBS Networks Americas, which includes Latin America and is based in the Miami office. Alban brings over 15 years of international communications, public affairs and media industry experience to the role and is a proud veteran of the US Air Force.

Puja Vohra

Executive Vice President, Marketing And Strategy, Showtime Networks Inc.

In her role, Vohra oversees the marketing of all SHOWTIME original programming, including award-winning series such as BILLIONS, THE CHI, BLACK MONDAY, YOUR HONOR, THE GOOD LORD BIRD and THE L WORD: GENERATION Q. She also oversees its full-funnel media efforts, promotions, digital strategy and social media, as well as brand strategy and analytics. Vohra is a seasoned leader with over two decades of experience working with leading brands around the world.

Paula Williams Madison

Chairman and CEO of Madison Media Management LLC and 88 Madison Media Works Inc.

In 2011, Madison retired from NBCUniversal, where she had been Executive Vice President of Diversity as well as a Vice President of the General Electric Company (GE), then the parent company of NBCU. During her 22 years with NBCU, she held a number of successful leadership roles, including President and General Manager of NBC4 Los Angeles, Los Angeles Regional General Manager for NBCU’s Telemundo TV stations and Vice President and News Director of NBC4 New York. She was also named one of the “75 Most Powerful African Americans in Corporate America” by Black Enterprise Magazine.

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 Rebecca Norlander to the show! Rebecca is the Global Head and Vice President of Software Engineering for HP’s Personal Systems business group. With her guidance, the Personal Systems Software team is responsible for developing meaningful customer experiences that amaze and delight, across HP personal computing devices.

Rebecca has always had a passion for developing the next generation of technical talent. She has led efforts to advance primary and secondary school STEM education to address the underrepresentation of women and people of color in computer science.

Guest Bio

Rebecca Norlander

Global Head & Vice President, Personal Systems Software Engineering HP Inc

Rebecca Norlander is the Global Head and Vice President of Software Engineering for HP’s Personal Systems business group. She has worldwide responsibility for the PS Software strategy as well as the PS Software Engineering Center of Excellence. With her guidance, the Personal Systems Software team is responsible for developing meaningful customer experiences that amaze and delight, across HP personal computing devices.

Prior to joining HP, Rebecca was CEO and co-founder of Health123, a Seattle-based Healthcare IT company. She previously spent nearly 20 years at Microsoft that culminated in several senior software leadership roles, including Technical Strategist to Microsoft Chief Software Architect Ray Ozzie and General Manager of Windows Security.

Rebecca has always had a passion for developing the next generation of technical talent. She has led efforts to advance primary and secondary school STEM education to address the underrepresentation of women and people of color in computer science. Her contributions include serving on the board of the Technology Access Foundation, the National Board of the American Association of University Women, and the Board of Advisors for the Anita Borg Institute for Women and Technology. She has appeared as a keynote speaker and panelist at various conferences, including the Grace Hopper Women in Computing conference.

Rebecca holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science from Boston University (BU), where she received the 2015 Distinguished Alumna Award from the BU College of Arts and Sciences, the first woman to earn this distinction. She also received the 2008 Distinguished Alumna

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

James has had an incredible career in sales and television advertising across Discovery Networks, ESPN, Comcast and NBCUniversal. Early in his career, he took very deliberate steps to build and hone his personal brand, which has led to career breakthrough after career breakthrough. His experience, tips and advice are full of career wisdom that everyone can learn from.

In celebration of Black History Month, be sure to check out the Lead With Your Brand Black Voices page that showcases the amazing career stories on the show from successful executives who happen to be black. Click over to LeadWithYourBrand.com/blackvoices for all of the insightful shows over our three seasons.

Guest Bio

James Lavallee

Vice President, Global Marketing

The Trade Desk

With more than 20 years of experience in Advertising Sales Marketing, James joined The Trade Desk in September 2021 as the Vice President of Global Marketing. James runs a team responsible for increasing global awareness and for positioning The Trade Desk as the programmatic leader and trusted partner for clients in the advertising ecosystem.

Most recently, James was Vice President of Integrated Marketing Solutions for Effectv (formerly Comcast Spotlight), the advertising sales division of Comcast Cable. In that role, he was responsible for creating and executing best-in-class revenue generating solutions, utilizing Comcast’s creative/technical capabilities to deliver results for local, regional and enterprise clients.

In November of 2020, James was named one of the Executive Leads for the Comcast RISE program. In this role, he developed and launched the overall strategy, branding, workflow and execution of the Comcast RISE program with a heavy focus on the Effectv awards that the program provides to BIPOC SMBs across the Comcast Footprint. In addition to the Comcast RISE program, he joined the Comcast DE&I Executive Council as the representative of the Comcast Advertising Division.

Prior to joining Effectv, he held the position of Vice President, Portfolio Sales Marketing at NBCUniversal, overseeing the ad sales trade marketing efforts for NBC, USA, Syfy, WWE and Chiller networks. He also worked in Advertising Sales Marketing for Discovery Communications, VH1 and ESPN.

James earned a B.A. at Tufts University in Boston and earned certificates in Sports Marketing and Advertising Sales and Marketing from New York University’s School of Professional Studies. James and his family reside in Brooklyn, New York.

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

Guest Bio

Dr. Imani J. Walker

Chief Medical Officer & Psychiatrist

Dr. Imani J. Walker is a physician trained in General Adult Psychiatry. She has had the honor of completing her undergraduate training at Xavier University of Louisiana as well as earning a Master's in Science in Public Health from Tulane University. Dr. Imani later obtained her medical degree from New York College of Osteopathic Medicine and completed her training at esteemed medical institutions, including Temple University and UCLA.

After completing a fellowship in Forensic Psychiatry, she opened a private practice in Southern California. She is currently Chief Medical Officer at Gateways Hospital & Mental Health Center. Her focus is caring for acutely ill psychiatric patients, including those with extensive forensic backgrounds, as well as providing mental health care to the homeless and indigent populations.

Dr. Imani also has experience in coping with the emotional impact of racism against people of color, hailing from a mixed-race Black, Jamaican, and Chinese family. She possesses a bright personality that is relatable to her global audience and not only shines through her medical work but also in her writing. She has penned articles about mental health and holistic wellness and has been featured as a guest commentator on Gawker, The Grio, The Root, KTLA, Fox 5 LA, Essence Magazine, NBCLX, and others. She has also been honored as a member of Essence Magazine’s “Woke 100” in 2019.

Dr. Imani currently lives in Los Angeles and can be found on NBCUniversal’s Bravo Network where she's a cast member of “Married to Medicine: Los Angeles,” and has made past appearances on “Watch What Happens Live” and “Amplify Our Voices”. A strong advocate for breaking mental health stigmas around the world, she’s a proud board member of the Made of Millions Foundation. She’s also the host of the weekly podcast series "Imani State of Mind,” where she keeps it real and shares gems with listeners on surviving today’s turbulent times.

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

Each week since we started 2022, Jayzen has been breaking down the Lead With Your Brandtm system into its five steps. With our final step, the Challenge is focused on Step Five: Promote Yourself.

You have heard the old saying, “if a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it really make a sound?” The same thing is true about your brand. You can do all of the work to put it down on paper and be thoughtful about your actions and your choices. But, if no one is hearing about it, nobody knows about you. Step Five is learning how to market yourself and leveraging what others say about you, even when you’re not in the room!

Log onto LeadWithYourBrand (dot) com and click through for your free downloadable worksheet!

Jayzen is also excited to welcome his guest, Areva Martin to the show. Areva is an award-winning Civil Rights Attorney, Wall Street Journal and USA today best selling author, CNN legal analyst and host of the web based talk show The special Report with ArevaMartin and the radio show Areva Martin Out Loud on KBLA Talk 1580. Her most recent book is Awakening: Ladies, Leadership and the Lies We’ve Been Told.

Guest Bio

Areva Martin

Civil Rights Attorney & Best Selling Author

Passionate, outspoken and insightful, Areva is one of the nation’s leading voices in the media. An award-winning attorney, advocate, legal and social issues commentator, talk show host and producer, Areva is an audience favorite on a long list of shows from Dr. Phil, The Doctors to World News Tonight.

Areva is a CNN Legal Analyst whose television credits include cohosting CBS’ daytime syndicated talk show Face the Truth and The Doctors, an Emmy Award-winning talk and informational show in its 14th season. She is a regular on Good Morning America and ABC News Live Prime and talk and news shows across CNN and HLN.

Areva’s third book, Make It Rain: How to Use the Media to Revolutionize Your Business and Brand (Hachette 2018) was released in March and instantly soared to the top of Amazon, Nielsen, Publishers’ Weekly and Barnes & Noble bestsellers’ lists. In Make It Rain, Areva shares insider’s tips on how to find your authentic voice, amplify it and use it to grow your influence and power. Her fourth book, Ladies, Leadership and the Lies We’ve Been Told (Leadership Press 2021) has received raved reviews

A Harvard Law School graduate, Areva founded the Los Angeles based civil rights firm, Martin & Martin, LLP. As an attorney, she has been involved in high profile cases and has been identified as a Southern California Super Lawyer consecutively for the last five years, a designation reserved for the top 5 percent of attorneys in the state. She has won myriad awards including the L’Oreal Paris’ Women of Worth, Los Angeles County Women of the Year, Ford’s Living Legend Award, the James Irvine Foundation Leadership Award and Union Bank’s Neighborhood Hero Award

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

It’s week 5 of the #LeadWithYourBrandChallenge! Each week, Jayzen is breaking down the Lead With Your Brandtm system into its five steps. This week, the Challenge is focused on Step Four: Keep Up Your Image.

The bottom line is a Brand isn’t about words that you put on paper. It’s about the actions and the choices you make every single day. Take those brand attributes and peel the layers back. Great brands think about their brand filter. Create your formula that determines the way that you dress, the way that you maintain your office space, and most importantly, the way you create you create your signature projects.

Log onto LeadWithYourBrand (dot) com and click through for your free downloadable worksheet!

This week, he is excited to welcome Keesha Boyd to the show. Keesha leads content strategy across all Comcast platforms centering Black, Latino, Asian American and international audiences. Her role involves every facet of the distribution business including content acquisition, editorial, programming, consumer engagement, development, innovation, marketing, partnerships, and production.

Guest Bio

Keesha Boyd

Executive Director for Multicultural Video and Entertainment

Comcast NBCU

Keesha leads content strategy across all Comcast platforms centering Black, Latino, Asian American and international audiences. Her role involves every facet of the distribution business including content acquisition, editorial, programming, consumer engagement, development, innovation, marketing, partnerships, and production.

As a seasoned and culturally-fluent media executive, Keesha does more than balance budgets. She is deeply passionate about providing economic equity for underrepresented content creators and pioneering new ways to amplify stories reflective of communities of color. Keesha is the key player behind several first-of-its-kind content destinations engaging Black viewers, including the launch of two Black-owned linear networks and, most notably, Comcast’s first ad-supported video service known as the Black Experience channel on Xfinity.

Keesha is a proven and purpose-driven leader who has held several progressive roles at notable Fortune 500 companies Ryder Transportation and McDonald's Corporation. She holds a B.A. from Emory University and two Master’s degrees from Columbia University with a focus on organizational behavior as well as race, culture and cultural identity. Her diverse background makes her uniquely-equipped to drive measurable results among the teams she leads and the game-changing work they produce.

When Keesha is not on the corporate stage, she enjoys watching movies, listening to hip-hop, indulging in self-care and healing practices, mentoring young women and coaching professionals on how to navigate corporate America. She is also a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated and co-chairs the Technology Committee of The Links, Incorporated, Philadelphia Chapter, one of the nation’s oldest and largest volunteer service organizations.

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

It’s week 4 of the #LeadWithYourBrandChallenge! Each week, Jayzen is breaking down the Lead With Your Brandtm system into its five steps. This week, the Challenge is focused on Step Three: Refine Who You Want to Be.

Now it is time to take your brand attributes and turn up the volume to be the best you you can be. I don’t just say, “I’m a good presenter.” I say, “I’m a showman!” I don’t just say, “hey I’m well networked and have great relationships with people.” I say, “I’m a super connector!” Why just be analytical when you can be a Data Guru? If you are organized, are you really a Precision Executor? If you are innovative, are you really a First-Mover who is the first to jump onto new ideas and trends?

Log onto LeadWithYourBrand (dot) com and click through for your free downloadable worksheet!

Jayzen is also thrilled to welcome Sepi Shyne to the show. Sepi has had an incredible career as an attorney and in November, 2020, she was elected to the city council of West Hollywood, CA. In doing so, she became the first out LGBTQ Iranian elected anywhere globally and locally became the first woman of color elected to West Hollywood’s City Council.

Guest Bio

Sepi Shyne

Mayor Pro Tempore, City of West Hollywood

Mayor Pro Tempore Sepi Shyne made history in November 2020 when she was elected to the West Hollywood City Council. She became the first out LGBTQ Iranian elected anywhere globally and locally became the first woman of color elected to West Hollywood’s City Council. Her election also ushered in West Hollywood’s first female-majority City Council. Mayor Pro Tempore Shyne’s priorities include advocating for affordable housing, protecting renters and social service programs, social justice, small business revival, and bringing the people’s voices to City Hall.

Mayor Pro Tempore Shyne currently serves on the following City Council Subcommittees: Homelessness Subcommittee, West Hollywood Pride Subcommittee, Finance & Budget Subcommittee, Events Ad Hoc Subcommittee, and the 1343 Laurel Avenue Ad Hoc Subcommittee. She also represents the City of West Hollywood on the Westside Cities Council of Governments and is currently serving as its Chair.

Mayor Pro Tempore Shyne received her Bachelor of Science from San Jose State University with a double concentration in Accounting and Management Information Systems and a Minor in Drama with an emphasis in Directing. She received her Juris Doctorate with a specialization certificate in litigation from Golden Gate University School of Law in San Francisco.

As an LGBTQ+ and civil rights leader for more than 20 years, her leadership has helped secure equal rights for all. Before her election to the West Hollywood City Council, Mayor Pro Tempore Shyne served on the City of West Hollywood’s Lesbian and Gay Advisory Board, on the City of West Hollywood’s Business License Commission, and on the Los Angeles County Assessor’s Advisory Council on which she continues to serve. Additionally, she has led many boards and organizations, including the LGBT Bar Association of Los Angeles and as a Board of Governor and Steering Committee leader with the Human Rights Campaign Los Angeles. Mayor Pro Tempore Shyne is a Co-Organizer of WeHo Neighbors Helping Neighbors, a community group created during the pandemic to help get resources to seniors, people with disabilities, and people in immunosuppressed households via social media and volunteer check-in calls. In every board and organization she has led, she has recruited and elevated women and people of color to leadership positions to create more diversity, inclusion, and equity.

Mayor Pro Tempore Shyne lives in the Mid-City area of the City of West Hollywood with her wife and their fur-babies.

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

It’s week 3 of the #LeadWithYourBrandChallenge! Each week, Jayzen is breaking down the Lead With Your Brandtm system into its five steps. This week, the Challenge is focused on Step Two: Know What You Stand For Today.

Here is the dirty little secret. We can all smell inauthenticity from a mile away and it reeks! If you’re thinking, “I want to be Steve Jobs” or “I want to be Sheryl Sandberg” or “I want to have Oprah Winfrey‘s brand,” the truth is, you are not Oprah, and you’re never going to be her! Who you are is you. What you can be is THE BEST you!

Log onto LeadWithYourBrand (dot) com and click through for your free downloadable worksheet to help you define your career audience!

Are you one of those people who know they need to be on LinkedIn, but are not quite sure how to maximize it? If so, this week’s guest is for you! Jayzen is thrilled to welcome Jennifer Darling to the show. Jennifer has had an incredible career in sales and marketing, and as a “revenue generating machine” she has helped countless people rise to the next level. She is also the author of LinkedIn: 52 Tips for Sales Success.

Guest Bio

Jennifer Darling

Sales & Marketing Expert

Think “force of nature” – in the best possible way. A Revenue Generating Machine, Jennifer Darling has a knack for turning ideas into money-making opportunities.

She teaches audiences to engage innovatively, connect more effectively, and increase their visibility in new and valuable ways that lead to more customers and referrals.

With over 20 years’ experience in advertising sales and sales management for companies such as FOX, NBC, CBS, and Comcast, she knows what works and what doesn’t to boost sales. Even in the most challenging times, she’s led her team to record-breaking results (during the recession, she bought her boss a new Audi, yay him!).

Author of the highly sought-after book, Increase Your Leads with LinkedIn: 52 Tips for Sales Success, Jennifer helps business professionals tackle sales with simple, stress-free strategies.

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

It’s week 2 of the #LeadWithYourBrandChallenge! Each week, Jayzen is breaking down the Lead With Your Brandtm system into its five steps. This week, the Challenge is focused on Step One: Define Your Audience.

You have got to find your target audience. Let’s make it really simple. Think about the people who love you. Who are your raving fans today? Who buys your services? Who promotes you? Who asks you to be on their team? Now, what is the secret sauce between that group of people that you can define as your tribe that your brand can super serve.

Log onto LeadWithYourBrand (dot) com and click through for your free downloadable worksheet to help you define your career audience!

Jayzen is thrilled to welcome Patrick Huey to this week’s show. Patrick has had a fascinating career in the hospitality industry in many roles and is now part of the core leadership team of The Quin House, Boston’s newest private social club. Patrick is a huge believer in not being bound by a pre-written script in your career and taking advantage of every opportunity to connect with people and grow your skills.

Guest Bio

Patrick Huey

Executive Director of Membership, Marketing, Programming & The ‘Quin Impact Fund

The Quin House

Patrick Huey brings his mastery to The Quin House - Boston’s newest private club - overseeing the membership, marketing, and programming divisions as well as philanthropic initiatives through The Quin Impact Fund. Most recently Vice President of Spa & Retail at Montage International, Patrick relocated to Boston from California to join The Quin House where he is dedicated to nurturing The Quin House’s mission in creating a “home away from home” where the regions interesting and interested meet, work and play.

Patrick also serves as Chairman of the Board for the International Spa Association.

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

As we start 2021, Jayzen is thrilled to announce the #LeadWithYourBrandChallenge! Each week for the next five weeks, Jayzen is breaking down the Lead With Your Brandtm system into its five steps. This week’s episode provides an introduction to the system and each week following you’ll learn a new skill and will be able to download a free PDF at leadwithyourbrand(dot)com to help you develop and refine your professional brand and achieve your next career breakthrough in 2022!

Plus, hear from amazing leaders in entertainment, tech, media & more starting with this week’s guest, Mike Sington. After an incredible career rising through the executive ranks at Universal Studios, Mike has amassed a massive social media following and is known as Hollywood’s Ultimate Insider.

During his career at Universal Studios, Mike co-created and produced Universal's world famous Studio Tour. He established and helmed the studio's renowned Tour Guide Program, famous worldwide as the leading launching pad for Hollywood's top Industry power players. Mike also created and developed Universal's ultra exclusive VIP Experience and Tour, specially designed for A-list celebrities, heads of state, and other high profile guests.

Guest Bio

Mike Sington Senior Executive at NBCUniversal (Ret) Entertainment, Pop Culture, and Lifestyle Expert

Mike Sington graduated from college and arrived in Hollywood knowing no one in the Industry, having no job, not even a place to stay. He quickly landed a coveted job as a movie studio tour guide, rising rapidly through the ranks to a senior level executive position. During his career at Universal Studios, Mike co-created and produced Universal's world famous Studio Tour. He established and helmed the studio's renowned Tour Guide Program, famous worldwide as the leading launching pad for Hollywood's top Industry power players. Mike also created and developed Universal's ultra exclusive VIP Experience and Tour, specially designed for A-list celebrities, heads of state, and other high profile guests.

A former senior executive at NBCUniversal, Mike is the ultimate Hollywood insider who takes fans behind the scenes of Hollywood, giving them an insider's view of the entertainment industry and pop culture. He is an entertainment, pop culture, lifestyle, and celebrity expert with worldwide clout, influence, and expertise.

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

To connect with Mike Sington:

mikesington(dot)com

TW, IG, LI/mikesington

Nawal Fakhoury, Director of Employee Experience @ LinkedIn

Congressman Mark Takano

Jill Kargman, Best Selling Author

Kosha Irby, CMO, Professional Bull Riders (PBR)

Louis Vega, President, Dow North America

Jack Rico, Host and Journalist

Paula Madison, Chairman & CEO, Madison Media Management LLC

Cameron Dillavou, Head of Global Brand Strategy, Amazon Prime Video

Puja Vohra, Executive Vice President, Showtime Networks

Susan Feniger, Chef and Culinarian

Katie Soo, Chief Marketing Officer, KiwiCo, Inc.

Michelle Alban, Vice President of Communications and Social Impact, ViacomCBS Networks Americas

Kelly Edwards, Writer, Executive & Diversity Thought Leader

Rita Prosyak Drucker, Head of Marketing Partnerships, Boom Supersonic

Oswald M. Méndez, Co-Founder & CEO, New Majority Ready LLC

Susan Jin Davis, Social Impact Officer, Al Roker Entertainment

Flavio Morales, Executive Vice President, Endemol Shine Latino, U.S. Initiatives

Thank you to all of our listeners. We always appreciate hearing from you and look forward to an incredible lineup of guests for Season 3, starting in January, 2022.

Happy New Year!

Links

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

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

Guest Bio

Renée Baker

Head of Private Client Group Advisor Inclusion Networks

Raymond James

In her role, Renée provides corporate support and leadership for the Women Financial Advisors Network, Black Financial Advisors Network and Pride Financial Advisors Network. Renée and her team are focused on the recruitment, retention and advancement of diverse financial advisors to help them achieve long-term success. She collaborates with the Raymond James PCG Education & Practice Management team to provide solutions, tools and resources to help advisors grow their businesses. Renée also works closely with internal and external partners including the firm’s head of diversity and inclusion in support of the firm’s commitment to diversity and inclusion.

Previously, Renée served as chief marketing officer for Carillon Tower Advisers, a subsidiary of Raymond James. She was responsible for the global marketing strategy for seven affiliate brands, while leading a team of marketing professionals across several departments. Renée is a seasoned marketing executive with extensive experience across various channels and geographies. Before joining Raymond James, she held senior-level marketing roles at several financial services firms, most recently at Aberdeen Standard Investments. She was also an adjunct instructor at the University of South Florida, where she taught advertising management.

Renée is a member of the Raymond James Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Council, having previously served as the firm’s national co-leader for the Mosaic Multicultural Inclusion Network; and serves as a mentor for several Raymond James’ associates programs and American Corporate Partners, which are focused on helping veterans and active-duty spouses find meaningful employment opportunities and develop long-term careers. Active in the community, she is also a trustee for American Stage Theatre Company, where she serves as the co-chair for the equity, diversity and inclusion committee and is a member of the board of directors for the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation.

She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in finance from Rutgers University, a Master of Business Administration degree from The Pennsylvania State University and a doctorate in business administration from Wilmington University. Renée also completed executive education at the Securities Industry Institute, hosted by SIFMA and Wharton, and holds several securities licenses. She has been the recipient of several industry awards and was recognized by The Pennsylvania State University, as the 2021 Smeal Alumni Award Recipient for Diversity Leadership and Financial Planning magazine as one of the “20 People Who Will Change Wealth Management in 2020.”

Links

To learn more about Lead With Your Brand and the Career Breakthrough Mentoring program, 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 old friend and colleague, Matt Atchity to the show. As the self-proclaimed “ultimate film nerd,” Matt has been a pioneer in the world of websites for the entertainment industry. He led the team that brought Rotten Tomatoes and the Tomatometer into the lexicon, making it a household name. He shares a ton of insights into his personal brand and leadership style, all rooted in having fun and having a passion for what you do.

Matt has been seen in local and national media as a movie expert and is currently the General Manager of Moviefone.

Guest Bio

Matt Atchity

General Manager

Moviefone

Matt Atchity has over twenty years of experience managing and building websites that cover a variety of entertainment categories, such as movies, TV, music, celebrities and video games. Matt has been the General Manager of Moviefone since 2018, and prior to that he was Head of Programming at TYT Network. For ten years, Matt led the team at Rotten Tomatoes that made the brand a household name. As Editor in Chief, he was responsible for the overall direction of editorial content and the brand.

As part of that role, Matt’s movie previews were seen and heard by nationwide audiences. He made weekly appearances on Good Day LA, FoxNews.com and Adam Carolla’s podcast. He is an acknowledged expert on movies and TV, and has appeared multiple times on national outlets such as Nightline, ABC News, CBC News, and CNN.

Previously, Matt’s been a Senior Content Producer at Yahoo!, and a producer for Chiat/Day, Warner Bros. Online and America Online.

Links

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

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

Season 2, Episode 46 : Human Doing to Human Being : Nathalie Trouillot- Lubensky, CEO, The Center for Integrated Leadership

Description:

Jayzen is thrilled to welcome Nathalie Trouillot- Lubensky to the show. She has had an incredible career with 20+ years in executive marketing, she has managed $250M P&Ls and developed brand-boosting 360 campaigns. Always leading with her human-centered and people first approach to business, she’s held senior management positions at Edmunds.com. Disney, ESPN and SONY Pictures and shares some of her top career breakthroughs and the wisdom that got her there.

Nathalie is currently the founder and CEO of The Center for Integrated Leadership, a global strategic and operational advisory and coaching practice focused on business and leadership transformation in Entertainment, Video Games, Digital Services and and Non-profits.

Guest Bio

Nathalie Trouillot- Lubensky

CEO

The Center for Integrated Leadership

Nathalie Trouillot-Lubensky is dedicated to global storytelling, reaching and captivating audiences and keeping them forever. Whether it’s entertainment, sports, automotive or gaming they all have one thing in common: impactful brands. She worked her way up to Vice President of Affiliate Marketing at MTV Networks and senior management positions at Disney, ESPN and SONY Pictures, where she ran global marketing and ran two television channels for SONY in Latin America. After SONY Television, she served as CMO at Edmunds.com, where in less than 18 months she revitalized the brand and how car buyers research and buy cars. She most recently made her mark in the $200 billion video game industry as GM & CMO of a video game payments company, Xsolla. Nathalie is currently the founder and CEO of The Center for Integrated Leadership, a global strategic and operational advisory and coaching practice focused on business and leadership transformation in Entertainment, Video Games, Digital Services and and Non-profits.

Nathalie currently serves on the board of Haven Hills, a non-profit providing safety, shelter, and support to all victims of domestic violence and The National Urban Technology Center. As board member, Nathalie advises on all brand, marketing, growth strategies and DEI&B initiatives. She is an International Coaching Federation Certified Coach.

Nathalie lives in Venice, CA with her two children, Luc and Chloe.

Links

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

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

As Vice President for Studio City, he leads the creative for an innovative, respected company producing daily promotion for every major studio: ABC/Disney, CBS, NBC/Universal, Fox Television Stations, Debmar-Mercury and Warner Bros. He is responsible for engaging and motivating a team of 50+ editors, creative directors, and graphic designers and overseeing scripts and production in the promotion of TV's top-rated shows.

Guest Bio

Dudley Beene

Vice President, Client Service

Studio City

Dudley Beene is the VP of Client Service for Studio City, a full-service entertainment marketing agency.

Starting in LA, working for Neilson, he homed in on what audiences respond to and what motivates people to watch content. Over the past 17 years he has worked for Studio City rising from writer to creative director to vice president. From his first account: South Park to Live with Kelly and Ryan, Ellen, Judge Judy, NCIS and more; his promotional background crosses all genres and networks. The constant is his playful and irreverent take on brands combining humor with impact to make viewers take notice.

Links

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

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

In this season of giving and helping others, Jayzen welcomes Gail McGovern to the show. Gail is the president and CEO of the American Red Cross. She brings insightful reflections and wisdom from her amazing career leading billion dollar organizations and transforming the Red Cross into a 21st Century emergency response and blood services organization.

In the midst of “the great resignation,” now is the time for a career mindset shift. Think about your career not as a ladder to climb in a linear fashion, but as a lattice to explore. Oftentimes, the best career move you can make is lateral or even a small step back that can ultimately propel you forward. It is about having the curiosity to break out of the box and take on a new challenge, while keeping an eye on the big picture and where you want to go.

Gail has had an incredible career by constantly challenging herself to learn new skills and thus, bring more to the table. Starting her career as a computer programmer, her curiosity about all aspects of business and running an organization have been the driving force in her many career breakthroughs.

Guest Bio

Gail McGovern, president and CEO of the American Red Cross, began her career as a computer programmer at AT&T. She moved up the ranks to become executive vice president for the Consumer Markets Division, a $26 billion business with 40,000 employees. In 1998, Gail joined Fidelity Investments where she served as president of Fidelity Personal Investments, a unit with 10,000 employees and a half trillion dollars of assets under management.

Four years later, Gail joined the faculty of Harvard Business School where she taught marketing. In 2008, she accepted the position of president and CEO of the American Red Cross, a $3 billion organization devoted to alleviating human suffering in the face of emergencies.

Since joining the Red Cross, Gail has helped to transform the 139-year old American institution into a 21st Century emergency response and blood services organization. Her transformational initiatives have led to improved fiscal stability, and have expanded the reach of lifesaving Red Cross services. She has also overseen the enormous growth of the organization’s social media presence – including the introduction of a series of free mobile apps for first aid, hurricanes, tornadoes and other emergency scenarios that put lifesaving skills at people’s fingertips.

Gail is a graduate of Johns Hopkins University, where she received an undergraduate degree in Quantitative Sciences, and Columbia University where she earned her MBA. She was awarded alumna of the year from both Universities. Gail was recognized by Fortune Magazine in both 2000 and 2001 as one of the most powerful women in Corporate America.

Links

To learn more about Lead With Your Brand and the Career Breakthrough Mentoring program , please visit : LeadWithYourBrand dot com

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

To learn more about about the American Red Cross or to make a contribution, visit RedCross dot org

Serial Entrepreneur, Community Builder and Women in STEM advocate

Description:

Finding purpose in one’s career is a struggle for many people. Jayzen’s guest this week, Jill Tang, has built an incredible career and opened doors for women in tech across Asia by truly understanding her purpose and staying true to it everyday. Based in Shanghai, China, Jill is the co-founder of Ladies Who Tech and works tirelessly for the advancement of women in the tech industry, reaching over 50,000 members in Asia. She is a big believer in the idea that what you do is not who you are and understanding the “why” in your career is what will propel you forward.

Guest Bio

Jill Tang

Serial Entrepreneur, Community Builder and Women in STEM advocate

Jill Tang is the co-founder of Ladies Who Tech, a social enterprise focusing on changing the status quo and promoting gender diversity and inclusion in the STEM industry through offering women digital skilling education, career opportunities and community network. It connects more than 50,000+ members across all social media in greater China and now has presence in 12 cities including Singapore and Kuala Lumpur.

Her work has been covered by Forbes China, the Guardian, BBC, TechNode, Paper, CGTN and CNN. Jill is the finalist for 2016 Australia China Young Alumni of the year and top 100 Gen T in China by Asia Tatler in 2019. In 2020, Jill was awarded the ’Social Impact Award’ at AmCham Future Leaders of the Year Awards.

She holds a Bachelor of Commerce from Latrobe University, Master of Applied Finance from Monash University and MBA from Melbourne Business School.

Links

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

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

She has a great career story to tell, from drama class with Debra Messing to evolving into one of the top researchers in the business and recently launching a new practice for the emerging cannabis market.

Guest Bio

Adriana Waterston

Chief Revenue Officer and Insights & Strategy Lead

Horowitz Research

As Chief Revenue Officer and Insights & Strategy Lead, Adriana oversees Horowitz’s Latinx, BIPOC,millennial, and Gen Z research. She also heads up Green Horizons, Horowitz’s recently-launched division specializing in Cannabis and Holistic Health.

Adriana is a research junkie with a flair for finding the story behind the statistics, teasing meaning out of measurements, and revealing the faces behind the facts. A thought leader in the diversity space, Adriana has consulted for clients in entertainment and news media, technology and telecommunications, travel and hospitality, CPG, toys, and of course, the emerging Cannabis market, among others. On the consumer side, Adriana helps clients reach, serve, and resonate with Latinx and BIPOC consumers and emerging audiences like today’s cannabis consumer. On the DEI side, she helps companies address issues of corporate culture and talent development, particularly for Latinx, BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, and employees with disabilities.

A Puerto Rico native, Adriana was named one of the “Most Influential Minorities in Cable” by Cablefax Magazine. She is frequently quoted in the trade press and has presented at numerous events including the Cultural Insights Forum, NAMIC conference, Hispanic TV Summit, Streaming TV Summit, NAB, Media Insights and Engagement, ARF (Advertising Research Foundation) events, and others. Among other accolades, Adriana received two CTAM TAMI awards and the Agency Executive Award for Research & Measurement for her multicultural work. She co-authored The Practical Guide to Multicultural Marketing, which won the Bronze Global Ebook Awards in the Multicultural Non-Fiction category in 2013.

Links

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

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

Harry holds over fifty patents related to Kargo’s technology and continues to push the company to innovate. Kargo has pioneered unique media formats and data across publishers to help serve the right advertising and creative formats to the right user. Kargo has been recognized with some of the highest honors in the digital advertising industry, including more than 7 Mobi and OMMA awards for creative innovation. Currently, the company has 200 diverse people strong across offices in New York City, Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Auckland, Sydney and Singapore.

Guest Bio

Harry Kargman, Founder & CEO

Kargo

Harry Kargman is the founder and CEO of Kargo, the leading mobile brand advertising marketplace. Harry was named an EY Entrepreneur of the Year in 2016. Under his leadership over the last 15+ years, Harry has transformed Kargo from a small start-up into one of the advertising industry’s fastest- growing and most innovative technology companies — announced as an Inc. 500 winner in 2015. Harry sits on the Advertising Council Board of Directors.

His experience building Kargo from the ground up has given him a deep understanding of the latest trends. He is a frequent speaker and panelist at CES, IAB, Advertising Week, Web Summit, Cannes and other advertising and technology conferences, and has been featured in The NYTimes, The Today Show, AdAge, Bloomberg, Fox Business, The Wall Street Journal, NPR and dozens of other media outlets.

Harry graduated with honors from Harvard College, where he is now an advisor to young entrepreneurs through the Harvard Innovation Lab. He lives in New York City with his wife and three children.

Links

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

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

Liberty is a graduate of the "FBI Citizens Academy" at the FBI San Diego Field Office during Spring 2019. Liberty is currently on the Dean's List at American Military University while pursuing her Master of Arts in Homeland Security with a concentration in Counterterrorism.

Guest Bio

Liberty Zabala

Reporter & Weather Anchor, FOX 5 San Diego

Liberty Zabala is a 4x Emmy-winning Reporter & Weather Anchor for FOX 5 San Diego.

She was awarded the Vada and Colonel Barney Oldfield National Security Reporting Fellowship by the Radio Television Digital News Foundation for her work covering Marines, sailors, active duty service members and veterans in the nation's largest military town, San Diego.

Some of her most memorable stories include leading breaking news coverage of the Central American immigration crisis, covering devastating firestorms that burned across San Diego County, covering the San Bernardino terrorist attacks and most recently, the Las Vegas mass shooting. Her coverage also earned two San Diego Press Club awards.

In November 2016, Liberty was honored as one of 100 Comcast NBCUniversal employees selected from across the country to take part in (Morning Joe) Mika Brzezinski's "Know Your Value" program in association with MSNBC. Prior to that, she was one of four reporter trainees selected from across the country for the NBC Reporter Development Program.

Under the program, she went through intensive multimedia training workshops alongside NBCUniversal's top media executives, talent and coaches at NBC 5 Dallas, NBC 10 Philadelphia, and NBC 4 New York under the direction of The Poynter Institute's Al Tompkins.

She has conducted several high profile interviews including presidential candidates Rand Paul, Ron Paul & Newt Gingrich, Senator Kamala Harris, 37th Commandant of the Marine Corps General Robert B. Neller, world champion boxer Manny Pacquiao, comic creator Stan Lee and media mogul Oprah.

She is a graduate of California State University, Northridge with a degree in journalism and collateral in political science with an emphasis in international relations.

She is a dedicated member of Asian American Journalists Association where she served as a board director for the Los Angeles chapter and currently serves the San Diego chapter as president.

Liberty is a graduate of the "FBI Citizens Academy" at the FBI San Diego Field Office during Spring 2019. Liberty is currently on the Dean's List at American Military University while pursuing her Master of Arts in Homeland Security with a concentration in Counterterrorism.

Links

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

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

Karen has had an amazing career, from getting a job at ABC while in college and working hand in hand with Bob Iger who was an emerging leader at Disney, to an inspirational meeting with Barbara Walters, she shares stories we can all learn from.

As an executive, she has worked across many areas of the entertainment industry, and now at WarnerMedia, she touches iconic brands such as CNN, Turner sports, Cartoon Network, and HBO and HBO, Max and Warner Brothers television, Warner Brothers films, Warner Brothers animation and Adult Swim - all with an eye on empowering diverse creators.

Guest Bio

Karen Horne

Senior Vice President, Equity and Inclusion Programs

WarnerMedia

As a senior executive with over 20 years of experience in the entertainment industry, she has been recognized as a Diversity and Inclusion pioneer and pipeline builder.

Since coming to WarnerMedia in March of 2020, Horne has been involved in creating and implementing multiple pipeline programs that aim to amplify the voices of underrepresented communities. These programs give talented individuals, who would otherwise not have the opportunity, access to the entertainment industry to showcase their talent. She has brought expertise gained from her career to create cohesive programs, ranging from entry-level to mid-career, that service the entire enterprise. These programs support expansion in areas that have not traditionally been serviced (i.e., virtual production, games, news and sports, animation, comedy, etc.).

Before WarnerMedia, Horne was at NBC Entertainment and Universal Television Studios as Senior Vice President, Programming Talent Development and Inclusion where she was responsible for overseeing in-front-of and behind-the-camera primetime diversity efforts for NBC and Universal Television. While there, she started the Late-Night Writers Workshop in 2013 which changed the landscape of the writers’ rooms by increasing the number of women and ethnically diverse men, both of which were lacking. Another extraordinary program she developed was Female Forward, which guaranteed shadowing directors an opportunity to direct an entire episode in addition to the traditional shadowing access.

The programs and initiatives she created and/or developed became the industry’s gold standard and a blueprint for many other companies. Her background in finding and developing new talent allows her great ease in working with the creative world, while her corporate upbringing and work with C-Suite executives allows her equal comfort in any board room.

Horne has always been dedicated to increasing equity and inclusion in the entertainment industry throughout her career. She has been honored with several awards and recognitions for her diversity and inclusion work and her service to underrepresented communities. Horne serves on multiple industry boards and has spoken both nationally and internationally on diversity and inclusion best practices. She serves on the boards of Montclair State University’s School of Communication and Media, USC’s Annenberg Inclusion Initiative, The Alliance of Women Directors, RespectAbility, and The Urban League of the Greater San Francisco Bay Area. She is a member of several entertainment industry organizations.

Links

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

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

Currently, Dr. Shapiro serves as AltaMed’s Medical Director of Health Education and Wellness, helping to create and implement programs and services that expand access to care and improve outcomes for the community.

Early in his career, after graduating as Honorary Valedictorian with his medical degree, he worked for the Mexican Secretary of Health as the liaison between Mexico and the World Health Organization (WHO). Dr. Shapiro was recently recognized by the City of Los Angeles, the California State Assembly and the Los Angeles Times en Español as a one of the Héroes de la Pandemia.

Guest Bio

Ilan Shapiro, MD

Medical Director, Health Education and Wellness, AltaMed

Dr. Shapiro is a tireless advocate for health care equality, with a deep affinity for innovation and public health policy, especially relating to the Latino population.

Currently, Dr. Shapiro serves as AltaMed’s Medical Director of Health Education and Wellness, helping to create and implement programs and services that expand access to care and improve outcomes for the community. One of his biggest accomplishments at AltaMed has been the development of a dedicated AltaMed health and wellness facility. The center uses the latest technology, as well as traditional evidence-based principles and a hands-on approach, to teach members healthy habits relating to nutrition, fitness, and chronic condition management, a reflection of the combination of technology and innovation efforts to bridge new offerings for underserved communities.

As part of his educational efforts, he has been featured on CNN, NBC, Univision, Telemundo and EstrellaTV and other international channels to share critical evidence based information for the community.

After graduating as Honorary Valedictorian with his medical degree, he worked for the Mexican Secretary of Health as the liaison between Mexico and the World Health Organization (WHO). He has created binational public health programs to improve the health of Hispanic communities on both sides of the border. In 2011, he was invited to join the White House Hispanic Policy Group and help educate and raise awareness for the Affordable Care Act and continue serving as an Advisor for the Foreign Affairs and Health Mexican Ministries. Dr. Shapiro is also a recent recipient of the Othli Award, an honor presented by the Consul of Mexico to recognize individuals working to improve the lives of Mexican nationals living in the United States and abroad.

In addition to his work at AltaMed, Dr. Shapiro serves on the Board of Governors at L.A. Care Health Plan. He currently acts as the regional director for the National Hispanic Medical Association.

Links

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

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

He’s currently serving as an executive producer on the second season of LOL: Last One Laughing for Amazon in Mexico and he recently was an associate producer on acclaimed drama series Nicky Jam: El Ganador for Netflix.

Guest Bio

Flavio Morales

Executive Vice President

Endemol Shine Latino, U.S. Initiatives

Flavio Morales has served as Executive Vice President, Endemol Shine Latino, U.S. Initiatives, since November 2015.

Morales, an experienced programming executive and producer, develops unscripted, scripted and digital content aimed at the U.S. Hispanic/English-speaking marketplace.

He’s currently serving as an executive producer on the second season of LOL: Last One Laughing for Amazon in Mexico and he recently was an associate producer on acclaimed drama series Nicky Jam: El Ganador for Netflix.

Prior to joining Endemol Shine Latino, Morales was EVP at BIG VIDA Entertainment, where he oversaw production of the NCLR ALMA Awards, along with executive producer Eva Longoria and he produced the Gerardo Ortiz concert film Como Un Sueno.

Previously, Morales was a top programming executive at NBCUniversal's Telemundo's cable network mun2 (now NBCUniverso), where he spent nearly a decade developing the network's bilingual/millennial programming mix of series including hits like I Love Jenni, Fugitivos de la Ley, and Larrymania. In 2006, Morales won a Peabody Award for his work on the documentary, "For My Country? Latinos in the Military."

Morales, a Los Angeles native, began creating programming for bicultural Latinos in high school when he formed ILLEGAL Interns, a public access show in East LA, which showcased music, film, poetry, comedy and political activism. 

Links

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

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

Margaret Lazo is Chief Human Resources Officer for Univision Communications Inc., the leading media company serving Hispanic America. In this role, she leads all aspects of people strategy including talent development, organizational design, total rewards, employee experience and advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Guest Bio

 Margaret Lazo 

Chief Human Resources Officer 

Univision Communications Inc. 

Margaret Lazo is Chief Human Resources Officer for Univision Communications Inc., the leading media company serving Hispanic America. In this role, she leads all aspects of people strategy including talent development, organizational design, total rewards, employee experience and advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion. Since joining Univision in 2016, Margaret has brought expertise to contemporize the human capital function during a period of significant evolution, transformation and growth for the company as it increases its global reach through new products, services and acquisitions. In addition, she serves as Chair of the Univision Foundation. 

Previously, she served as Human Resources Leader for GE Capital’s Commercial Lending and Leasing businesses for the Americas. While there, she oversaw the sale and disposition of a significant portfolio of assets along with the transition of employees to successor companies. From 2012 to 2013, Margaret was with the global Commercial Real Estate business during a period of turnaround and growth. In addition, she co-led the GE Hispanic Forum employee resource group and served on GE’s Diversity Council.  

Prior to GE Capital, Margaret held several human resources leadership roles at NBC Universal across New York, Miami, and Los Angeles, including EVP of Human Resources for the cable & broadcast entertainment and digital properties, as well as SVP of Human Resources for Telemundo Communications Group and VP of Human Resources for NBC’s owned Television Stations division. Margaret played a critical role during a tenure marked by high growth in cable networks, digital investment and transformation, and the company’s strategic entry into the Hispanic media market. She began her career in human resources management at retailer, Macy’s.  

Lazo holds a B.S. Communications and Business from St. John’s University. She currently serves on the Boards of Hispanic Federation, whose mission is to empower and advance the Hispanic community; and the T. Howard Foundation, advancing diverse careers in media. 

Links

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

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

As a kickoff to Hispanic Heritage Month, Jayzen is so thrilled to welcome Oswald to the podcast. As an openly gay man of Cuban decent, Oswald not only celebrates his own multiculturalism, he continually works to help brands understand and better meet the needs of multicultural consumers in a way that drives business impact.

Starting his career as a receptionist in a major advertising agency to pay for college, he has gone on to a successful career in the agency world and is currently the co-founder and CEO of New Majority Ready LLC, whose mission is to put multicultural audiences front and center in the business planning process for companies to engage meaningfully and authentically in their marketing and growth strategies.

Guest Bio

 Oswald M. Méndez 

Co-Founder & CEO, New Majority Ready LLC

Unconventional thinker who balances creative and analytical approaches to problem-solve. Throughout his career, Oswald has been at the forefront of market trends. His ability to combine analytics and the Zeitgeist has led to his business success by uncovering new and unique growth opportunities.

Oswald’s business trajectory began at the same time he started his studies at NYU. As a recent arrival to the U.S. from Cuba, it was out of financial necessity that he joined Conill Advertising, the largest Hispanic full-service agency at the time, to pay for college. And, it was there that he discovered his passion for companies to understand the importance of being attentive to future market trends while serving untapped audiences that can generate significant growth opportunities. It was at this intersection of culture and commerce that Oswald found his purpose in business.

 Currently, as CEO and Co-Founder of New Majority Ready, Méndez’ career path has come full circle in continuing his passion to super-serve and elevate under-represented audiences that are critical to the future of businesses. New Majority Ready’s mission is to put multicultural audiences front and center in the business planning process for companies to engage meaningfully and authentically in their marketing and growth strategies.

Links

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

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

Jayzen is so thrilled to welcome his former colleague and all around amazing person, Susan Jin Davis, to the podcast. Susan has an amazing story to tell that is truly at the intersection of career and life. She has an incredible understanding how intertwined work and life are and need to be. As a self-proclaimed “change agent,” Susan leads with her bold brand to support her community and the world we all share, with a “pay it forward” attitude, constantly trying to open doors for those around her.

Susan has had an incredible career journey, serving as Comcast’s first Chief Sustainability Officer, working as an attorney and many other roles. She has been a pioneer in the field and currently is the Social Impact Officer for Al Roker Entertainment. In addition to her work in sustainability and social impact, She is a tireless advocate for diversity and the AAPI community.

Guest Bio

Susan Jin Davis

Social Impact Officer, Al Roker Entertainment

Susan Jin Davis has 30 years of experience in the telecommunications, media, entertainment, and technology industries. She currently serves as Social Impact Officer for Al Roker Entertainment, a leading producer of TV, digital, branded programming and entertainment. She is also an advisor for ALO Advisors, a firm specializing in areas of sustainability, diversity, and corporate social responsibility.

She is also serving as a Senior Advisor on Social Impact & Sustainability for Philadelphia Soccer 2026, as part of Philadelphia's application team to be a host city for the World Cup games in 2026. Her focus is on human rights such as worker rights, housing, discrimination, safety and security, and grievances.

Most recently, Ms. Jin Davis was a senior executive at Comcast Corporation, where she held a multitude of roles over a 15-year career at the Company, including becoming the company’s first Chief Sustainability Officer, creating the framework for the company’s Environmental, Social, and Governance disclosures, operationalizing its renewable energy and energy efficiency strategy, and contributing to transforming its fleet to low-carbon vehicles.

Ms. Jin Davis is a well-experienced and well-respected executive in the area of diversity, equity, and inclusion (“DEI”). While at Comcast, Ms. Jin Davis negotiated a historic Memorandum of Understanding between Comcast and the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) national community as part of the company’s acquisition of NBCUniversal. This created ground-breaking diversity commitments in the areas of programming, supplier, employment, and community investment that are the foundation for the company’s current DEI strategy.

An advocate for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs) in business and corporate America, she is active in the AAPI community nationally. She serves as the Chair of the Board of the Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies (APAICS) and serves on the Board of the Asian/Pacific Islander American Chamber of Commerce & Entrepreneurship (National ACE). Additionally, Ms. Jin Davis is a past board member of Leadership Education for Asian Pacifics, Inc. (LEAP) and the Asian and Pacific American Scholarship Fund (APIA Scholars). Her other volunteer leadership service includes the Board of Directors of the Juvenile Law Center and the Board of Trustees of her undergraduate alma mater, Bryn Mawr College where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science.

She holds a Juris Doctor degree from the Dickinson School of Law of Penn State University. The active runner, arts lover, and foodie lives in Kennett Square, Pa. with her daughter, Sophia.

Links

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

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

Every single person has a brand, whether you think you have a brand or not. The real question is, are you consciously competently making strategic choices to show up with the brand that you want? In this premier episode, Jayzen introduces the concept of personal branding and how the Lead With Your Brand™ system can help you develop your own brand using a real brand marketer’s toolkit. Ultimately, answering the question, in your career, “Are you coffee, or you Starbucks?”

 Jayzen welcomes Jackie Hernandez to the show. She is the CEO and Co-Founder of NewMajorityReady, LLC, a marketing and content development firm focused on helping companies rethink multicultural audience reach and engagement. Jackie shares her incredible career story and key breakthrough moments as CMO of NBCUniversal Hispanic Enterprises, COO of Telemundo, Publisher of People en Español and more.

 Guest Bio

Ms. Jackie Hernandez is a strategic and visionary multi-media business leader with expertise in driving commercial revenue growth, transforming business models, building brands, and leading world-renowned companies’ teams. Over her tenure Jackie has turned around negative trends, unlocked business performance, built successful sales and marketing organizations. Her business and cultural fluency in key markets (US Hispanic, North America, Consumer Youth market, and International) have informed all her work and helped her attain industry acclaim for originality and differentiation. 

Currently Ms. Hernandez is CEO and Co-Founder of NewMajorityReady, LLC, a marketing and content development firm focused on helping companies rethink multicultural audience reach and engagement.  

Formerly, Jackie was President of Combate Americas, Chief Marketing Officer of NBCUniversal Hispanic Enterprises, Chief Operating Officer of NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises and Publisher of People en Español and TEEN People. 

Jackie has earned various industry awards, including FORTUNE’s Most Powerful Latinas in 2017.

Links

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

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

 To learn more about our guest, Jackie Hernandez, visit : newmajorityready.com

Since joining LinkedIn in 2014, Nawal has developed the company’s global onboarding experience, redesigned the enterprise-wide people manager training journey, designed their signature program “Culture Camp” in an effort to scale our culture through employee volunteers, and created LinkedIn’s culture social strategy known as #linkedinlife – which allows for the world to peek behind the blue curtain and see their an employee’s experience firsthand and unfiltered.

Guest Bio

Nawal Fakhoury

Director, Employee Experience @ LinkedIn

Nawal Fakhoury serves as LinkedIn’s ultimate “Culture Champion” as the Director of LinkedIn’s Employee Experience team. Nawal and her team are responsible for fueling LinkedIn’s unique company culture by designing and delivering global programs across LinkedIn’s to ensure every one of our employees has an exceptional employee experience.

Since joining LinkedIn in 2014, Nawal has developed the company’s global onboarding experience, redesigned the enterprise-wide people manager training journey, designed our signature program “Culture Camp” in an effort to scale our culture through employee volunteers, and created LinkedIn’s culture social strategy known as #linkedinlife – which allows for the world to peek behind the blue curtain and see our an employee’s experience firsthand and unfiltered. She currently manages a team of five who bring LinkedIn’s culture to life through employee programs in Bangalore, Dublin, New York, San Francisco, and Mountain View, CA.

Before her LinkedIn days, Nawal was first introduced to Talent Development during her time at NBCUniversal where she facilitated learning & development experiences for various employee populations and provided thought leadership on employee engagement initiatives for various brands including CNBC, USA Network, Bravo and Telemundo.

Links

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

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

Rita is a former movie studio executive with nearly two decades of entertainment marketing experience, Drucker often uses movie references as she makes complex ideas sound simple. From working on films like Avatar, X-Men, and Ice Age, to founding Yahoo Storytellers content studio and leading brand integration at Snapchat, Drucker has helped companies across industries grow through collaboration.

Guest Bio

Rita Prosyak Drucker

Head of Marketing Partnerships

Boom Supersonic

“I have a very particular set of skills.” The iconic line delivered by Liam Neeson’s character in the action thriller Taken is how Rita Drucker describes a career that has constantly evolved and allowed her to build a skill arsenal. A former movie studio executive with nearly two decades of entertainment marketing experience, Drucker often uses movie references as she makes complex ideas sound simple. Currently, in the inaugural role of Head of Marketing Partnerships for supersonic manufacturing company Boom.

From working on films like Avatar, X-Men, and Ice Age, to founding Yahoo Storytellers content studio and leading brand integration at Snapchat, Drucker has helped companies across industries grow through collaboration.

After a career spent in theatrical marketing including more than a decade at 20th Century Fox as Senior Vice President, Rita made the leap to tech. In 2013, she joined Yahoo, the grand-daddy of the internet, to launch the marketing partnerships and branded entertainment teams.

Drawn to disruptive ideas, she founded and launched Yahoo Storytellers to leverage its vast 1st party data ecosystem to inform storytelling strategies and optimize performance for advertisers, driving 8-figure revenue growth.

In January 2018, Rita arrived at Snapchat in a newly created post, leading the company’s efforts to bridge content and monetization for its original shows and publisher partnerships as Head of Brand Integrations, and subsequently, as its first Head of Premium Content Solutions.

Drucker is a proud immigrant who came to the US as a refugee from the Ukraine. Raised in Los Angeles, she attended the University of Southern California (Fight On Trojans!), earning a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism.

Links