Brand Retro with Cyberdogz

In this Brand Retro episode, Mike Brevik sits down with Leah Leaves of Alderdaan Operations Solutions to talk about small business operations, systems, and operational efficiency—especially for digital marketing agencies. Leah shares practical ways to bring structure to chaos, build a strong operational foundation, and hire the right team so your business can grow with less friction. Who's the Gue...

In this Brand Retro episode, Mike Brevik talks with Jacob Cass—branding and design expert, founder of Just Creative, and host of the Just Branding Podcast—about building a successful career in branding and design. Jacob shares lessons from working with big brands, collaborating on large-scale projects, finding your niche, and managing client relationships while you grow your influence. Who's the G...

In this Brand Retro episode, Mike Brevik sits down with Josh Sullivan, Executive Creative Director and founder of Fried Design Company. To talk about brand strategy, creative leadership, and building memorable brands. Josh shares lessons from agency life on balancing fun with serious business, strengthening team culture, and using creativity to craft brand stories that resonate. Who's the Guest? J...

In this Brand Retro episode, Mike Brevik talks with Gracie Clemens, CEO and founder of SGC Marketing, about marketing audits and data-driven strategy. Gracie explains how audit processes uncover hidden opportunities in campaigns, why systematic evaluation improves decision-making, and how stronger analysis leads to more effective marketing performance. Who's the Guest? Gracie Clemens is the CEO an...

In this Brand Retro episode, Mike Brevik talks with Dan Englander, founder of Sales Schema, about B2B sales strategy, lead generation, and building a reliable outbound prospecting system for agencies and service businesses. Dan breaks down the sales cycle, shares proven outreach approaches, and explains how a strong sales "schema" creates repeatable growth. Who's the Guest? Dan Englander is the CE...

In this Brand Retro episode, Mike Brevik talks with Chris Troka—entrepreneur, DJ, and founder of Focused-Biz—about the buyer's journey, customer motivation, and the power of transparency in business. Chris shares practical lessons on reducing friction in sales and onboarding, improving communication, and building trust so customer relationships last. Who's the Guest? Chris Troka, entrepreneur, DJ,...

In this Brand Retro episode, Mike Brevik talks with James Martin—founder of Made By James and Baby Giant Design Co., and Creative Partner at Lincoln Design—about graphic design, creativity, and visual storytelling. James shares his design process, how personal interests shape style, and why sketching, experimentation, and inspiration matter for building standout creative work. Who's the Guest? Jam...

In this milestone Brand Retro episode, Mike Brevik celebrates the 100th episode with Spencer Shaw, founder and CEO of PodKick, for a behind-the-scenes conversation on podcast growth and storytelling. They reflect on lessons learned, finding a podcast's voice, and what it takes to build a consistent show over the long haul. Who's the Guest? Spencer Shaw, the Founder and CEO of PodKick Media, is a f...

In this Brand Retro episode, Mike Brevik talks with Emma Donovan, co-founder and brand strategist at Dapper, about authentic branding and building a brand that reflects the people behind it. Emma shares insights on brand identity, values, and storytelling—from concept to execution—and why authenticity creates stronger connection and long-term brand trust. Who's the Guest? Emma Donovan is a dynamic...

In this Brand Retro episode, Mike Brevik sits down with Scott Aaron—LinkedIn expert, podcast host, and bestselling author—to break down how to succeed on LinkedIn. Scott shares actionable strategies for LinkedIn profile optimization, networking, messaging, and building meaningful professional relationships that support personal branding and business growth. Who's the Guest? Scott Aaron is a highly...

In this Brand Retro episode, Mike Brevik talks with Behdad Jamshidi ("Bee"), the marketing leader behind CJAM, about customer insights, consumer behavior, and building smarter marketing strategies. Behdad shares how CJAM helps brands connect with the right marketing partners through a streamlined vetting process—and why understanding market dynamics is key to better customer engagement. Who's the...

In this Brand Retro episode, Mike Brevik sits down with Sacha Awwa, founder of Sacha Awwa Marketing Group, to discuss marketing strategy and how to adapt as the industry changes. Sacha shares practical guidance on staying current with trends, tools, and tactics—so your marketing remains effective, relevant, and ahead of the curve. Who's the Guest? Sacha Awwa stands at the forefront of marketing in...

In this Brand Retro episode, Mike Brevik talks with Jason Berkowitz, SEO Director and founder of Break The Web, about modern SEO strategy and the real dynamics of search today. Jason debunks common SEO myths, explains what matters most in the next 12 months, and shares how SEO should align with branding and marketing to build a cohesive online presence. Who's the Guest? Jason Berkowitz brings a de...

In this Brand Retro episode, Mike Brevik talks with Hannah Balliet of Ugly Mug Marketing about social media strategy and what actually drives results beyond surface-level engagement. Hannah shares how intentional, purpose-driven social media helps brands understand platform dynamics, audience behavior, and build predictable marketing systems that generate leads and sales. Who's the Guest? Hannah B...

In this Brand Retro episode, Mike Brevik talks with Ben Guttmann about simple marketing strategy and how clear messaging strengthens brand connection. Ben shares practical principles from his work "Simply Put," showing how simplifying complex ideas helps brands resonate, communicate value, and stand out with clarity. Who's the Guest? Ben Guttmann is a marketing entrepreneur and educator who has he...

In this Brand Retro episode, Mike Brevik talks with Justine Pogroske of Million Dollar Branders about luxury branding, premium brand perception, and smart positioning—without a million-dollar budget. They share practical strategies for high-end design, clear messaging, and brand strategy that helps startups and established businesses look and feel "premium" without overspending. Who's the Guest? J...

In this Brand Retro episode, Mike Brevik talks with Robert Ingalls, founder of LawPods (LAWPODS), about starting a podcast, authenticity, and building a brand that resonates. They discuss taking the leap, finding your unique voice, crafting a clear value proposition, and connecting with an audience through truth-driven storytelling. Who's the Guest? Robert Ingalls is a recovering attorney, profess...

In this Brand Retro episode, Mike Brevik talks with Joshua Lisec about artificial intelligence (AI) and what it means for marketing strategy, personalization, and business growth. They explore AI's potential to predict market trends, improve customer experiences, and reshape industries—plus ethical considerations and practical ways to leverage AI for competitive advantage. Who's the Guest? Joshua...

In this Brand Retro episode, Mike Brevik and Spencer Shaw break down the 80/20 principle (Pareto Principle) and how it applies to marketing strategy and business decision-making. They discuss focus, tradeoffs, risk vs reward, and how identifying the "20%" that drives results helps brands sharpen strategy and outperform competitors. Highlights 02:05 The distractions brought by the evolution of tech...

In this Brand Retro episode, Mike Brevik talks with Mike Ozan about fearless thinking in marketing and how bold strategy can create better outcomes for clients. They discuss challenging the status quo, clear client communication, storytelling in advertising, and where AI helps (and falls short) in creating effective ad copy. Highlights How Mike's agency approach their own market and clients now TW...

In this Brand Retro episode, Mike Brevik sits down with marketing leader Bob Knorpp to discuss marketing trends, industry shifts, and what's changing in digital strategy. They cover mobile behavior, personalization, balancing creativity with data-driven decisions, and why intentional decision-making matters for modern marketing campaigns. Highlights 01:46 The major shifts in the industry 03:26 Rol...

In this Brand Retro episode, Mike Brevik talks with Sarah Panus of Kindred Speak about data-driven brand storytelling and how empathy makes marketing more effective. Sarah explains her F.E.D. method (focus, empathy, data), how intentional storytelling can drive ROI, and how brands can connect more deeply with audiences using both insight and emotion. Who's The Guest? Sarah Panus helps content mark...

In this Brand Retro episode, Mike Brevik talks with leadership coach Randy Hall of 4th Gear Consulting and Leadership Gym about leadership development and what actually makes someone a great leader. They discuss leadership as a set of tools and repeatable systems, why leading by example matters, and practical ways to help people perform at their best in work and life. Who's The Guest? Randy Hall i...

In this Brand Retro episode, Mike Brevik talks with Khierstyn Ross—founder of LaunchandScale.com—about ecommerce holiday marketing and online retail strategy. Khierstyn shares last-minute holiday marketing tips, how to create personalized shopping experiences, and how brands can use Kickstarter and Shopify (plus lessons from Etsy and Amazon) to launch and scale. Who's The Guest? Khierstyn Ross hel...

In this Brand Retro episode, Mike Brevik sits down with photographer and photojournalist Michael Christopher Brown to discuss war photography and documenting conflict through a lens. Michael shares stories from his career, including his documentation of the 2011 Libyan Civil War and his monograph Libyan Sugar , plus the challenges and unforgettable experiences that shape a photographer's work. Who...