Brand & Banter

Founders spend a lot of time chasing visibility. KJ Blattenbauer, founder of Hearsay PR and author of the book Pitchworthy , starts somewhere much more uncomfortable: deciding what you want to be known for. After nearly three decades in public relations, KJ has seen talented founders obsess over Forbes features, dream about going viral, and hope one big media hit will finally change everything. Bu...

Welcome back to the BONUS episodes of Brand & Banter! We recently launched The Comma Club, which is a free weekly newsletter. Sign up here → https://carrylovedesigns.myflodesk.com/comma

How a LinkedIn Post Landed Jessica Berger a $1M Check Posting consistently can feel like shouting into the void. Until one day, the right person is listening. For Jessica Berger, founder and CEO of Bundle x Joy, that person turned out to be an investor. After years of documenting her journey on LinkedIn, one post reignited a conversation that eventually led to a seven-figure investment and helped...

Most founders think growth comes from reaching more people. Amanda Reid built a sold-out retreat by doing the exact opposite. Instead of creating an experience for everyone, she created one deeply tailored to a very specific type of creative entrepreneur. The result? A luxury calligrapher retreat that sold out in just three minutes. Amanda is a modern calligrapher, live event engraver, and founder...

What happens when your marketing stops working, but nothing about your business has actually changed? For Tayler Cusick Hollman, founder of Enji , that moment showed up when things started to slow down. After steady growth, the numbers just weren't hitting the same way they used to. Fewer people were starting trials, results required more effort, and the small tweaks that used to make a difference...

Why are some creators landing brand partnerships again and again, while others feel like they are doing everything right and still getting overlooked? For Kahlea Wade, founder of Alora Society , the answer has very little to do with follower count, pitching more, or calling yourself an influencer. After working behind the scenes managing brand partnerships from pitch to payment, Kahlea has a clear...

What happens when you buy a business… and on the very first day, you are already paying for problems you did not expect? For Dr. Kalli Doubleday, that moment came almost immediately after acquiring Wildcatter Ranch. The deal was done, the keys were handed over, and within hours, ownership stopped feeling theoretical and became very real as things started to fall apart.  In this episode, we get int...

Why do some brands feel instantly high-end… while others never quite get there? For Cassie LaMere, founder of Cassie LaMere Events, that difference comes down to details most people overlook. After spending over two decades working inside luxury fashion, hospitality, and high-end event production, she has seen firsthand what actually shapes a client's perception and what quietly signals the opposi...

What if the real reason people trust your brand has nothing to do with your marketing? For Tori Clark, founder of Spa Luxe , community involvement wasn't a business strategy. It was personal. It started with a childhood shaped by the people who showed up. Raised by a single dad, she grew up surrounded by a community that stepped in, supported her family, and helped guide her path. Years later, whe...

How does a business go from chaotic cash flow to spending six figures on marketing?   For Chelle Neff, owner of Urban Betty Salon , it started with eight years of barely surviving, hoping payroll would clear, and realizing that hustle alone was not a strategy. In this episode, we get into how Chelle transformed Urban Betty from booth rental chaos into a three-location, experience-led brand doing $...

After an abrupt end to Season One, I wasn't sure this podcast would come back. It's been almost a year since our last episode aired, and to be honest, I put off recording this opener for a while because I wasn't sure how I wanted to frame this next season. Season 1 didn't end with a big announcement. It ended because something inside the business shifted, and I had to choose where my energy went....

In this bonus episode, I spill how a single, no-agenda coffee chat landed me two speaking gigs with no funnel, no fancy pitch, just showing up as myself. If you need a reminder that the best opportunities don't come from your inbox, but from being in the right room and making genuine connections, this one's for you. Want more behind-the-scenes, high-impact marketing moves? Join my insider email li...

What do you do when you're launching a product in a saturated category with no budget, no team, and zero brand recognition? You get scrappy—and that's exactly what Michael Franco is doing with Carne Shabu, a new Mexican-style beef jerky brand out of Austin, TX. In this episode, Michael shares how he's building buzz with content-first marketing, behind-the-scenes storytelling, and saying yes to eve...

What does a $2 stock price, a brand crisis, and the auto parts industry have to do with brilliant branding? Everything. In this episode of Brand & Banter, Jamie Schwartzman, founder of Flux Branding, unpacks how a rebrand of Motorcar Parts of America (MPA) took them from rock bottom to a $38/share comeback. We go beyond logos and color palettes to talk about the strategy behind brand perception, t...

In this week's bite-sized bonus episode, we're breaking down a fast food launch that looked a lot like an Apple event—and racked up tens of millions of views in the process. Plus, what brands like Will Smith (yes, the actor) are doing with creators that you need to steal. If you're looking for smarter ways to launch, partner, and create buzz without a mega budget, this one's for you. 📅 Want our t...

In this episode, Chloe Makhani of  Casaléna dishes out how she transformed a space into an immersive, character-driven experience that guests want to return to again and again. We talk about experiential hospitality, evolving your marketing with your brand, and why storytelling isn't just a vibe—it's a revenue driver. From streetwear-level fandom to lavender cocktails and personalized postcards, C...

What does it take to build a brand that people don't just buy into but rep like a lifestyle? Lan Ho, founder of Fat Miilk, joins Brand & Banter to break down exactly how she turned a coffee startup into a cultural movement. From guerrilla marketing and pop-ups to launching a rebrand that changed everything, Lan shares the lessons (and hard truths) of scaling a business while staying true to your r...

Today, we're talking about Diet Coke's comeback —how the once-iconic brand is shaking off outdated perceptions, doubling down on marketing dollars, and making waves with a fresh campaign. And of course, I'll share some takeaways for brands of all sizes, including what you can steal from their strategy.   Pick Your Poison: ☠️ DM your thoughts @theamandashuman ☠️ Subscribe to get notified when new e...

In this episode of Brand & Banter , I sit down with Ellen Yin, founder of Cubicle to CEO , to talk about the art of revenue stacking—aka, how to get paid multiple times for the same work. She shares her strategy for turning one revenue stream into three, why licensing your expertise is an untapped goldmine, and how she's leveraged brand partnerships to build a media empire. If you've ever felt stu...

In this episode of The Marketing Brief , we're breaking down why Nike tapped SKIMS, what this says about shifting consumer behaviors. From stock market reactions to the rise of performance-meets-lifestyle branding, this isn't just about selling more leggings—it's about redefining the entire athleisure space. Join the conversation on Instagram ( @theamandashuman ) and let me know your take! Ready t...

What do you do when one of the biggest chocolate companies in the world sends you a cease and desist? If you're Mid-Day Squares, you don't just fight back—you drop a diss track . In this episode, co-founder Nick Saltarelli takes us behind the scenes of Mid-Day Squares' radically transparent , no-BS approach to building a cult-favorite brand in a category dominated by legacy giants. From breaking C...

What if you could pack your grand opening with nearly 300 customers—without spending a dime on ads? Moya McIntyre, owner of Stargazer and Springdale Station, did exactly that. In this episode of Brand & Banter , Moya pulls back the curtain on how influencer marketing fueled Stargazer's launch, making it one of the hottest new spots in Austin. No big ad budgets, no gimmicks—just a smart, strategic...

This week's Marketing Brief is a spicy one. Two brands stole the spotlight—one for all the wrong reasons, and one for doing absolutely nothing (on purpose). Poppi's influencer vending machine stunt sent the internet into a full meltdown. Were the flashy $25K vending machines a brilliant marketing move, or did they scream tone-deaf excess ? We're breaking down both sides of the debate—and how Olipo...

What if a cookie could be as exclusive as a Birkin bag? That's exactly what Last Crumb has done—turning baked goods into a coveted luxury experience that sells out in minutes. In this episode, we sit down with Raphael Farasat , founder of Truffl and the branding genius behind Last Crumb , to break down: How they built a $140-a-box cookie brand that people fight to get their hands on. The psycholog...

The Super Bowl isn't just about football—it's the biggest night for brand storytelling. In this Marketing Brief, I'm breaking down the standout ads of 2025. From Coors Light's  Slow Monday sloth to Liquid Death's Safe for Work genius, these brands went all in. Some made us laugh (Bud Light's backyard bash), some made us cry (Dove's These Legs ), and others had us questioning our bathroom break str...