Follow The Brand Podcast with Host Grant McGaugh

Send us Fan Mail A bright dashboard can feel like certainty, but certainty is often the first illusion. We sit down with Dr. Mike Orkin, a seasoned statistician who has advised casinos and Fortune 100 leaders, to explore why smart people make bad calls when the numbers look right—and how to prevent it. From margin of error to the myth of tidy causation, Mike breaks down the difference between patt...

Send us Fan Mail The street sounds different when steel pans ring and feathers rush past the reviewing stand. We’re broadcasting from Freedom City, where the 73rd Crucian Christmas Festival turns St. Croix into a living classroom of culture, pride, and possibility. From the first drumroll to the last cheer, we trace how pageantry, music, and food bind neighbors, inspire kids, and welcome visitors...

Send us Fan Mail What if authority wasn’t about being the best closer, but about creating the safest decision for your buyer? Grant sits down with Doug Brown—CEO of CEO Sales Strategies—to explore how shared context, credible associations, and personal ROI can transform ordinary sales conversations into trust-driven commitments. From New England roots to global brands, Doug shows why familiarity i...

Send us Fan Mail If people can’t read your value, they can’t reward it. We sit down with brand strategist Jen Dalton to turn personal branding from a fuzzy idea into a practical plan you can execute, one small step at a time. Our conversation starts with a simple truth—telepathy isn’t a strategy—and builds toward a reputation roadmap that helps you define your strengths, choose the right words, an...

Send us Fan Mail Ready to stop grinding and start scaling? We dive into a clear, no-fluff blueprint for using agentic AI to grow sales, improve margins, and reclaim your time. Instead of one-off prompts, you’ll learn how autonomous agents perceive context, plan multi-step workflows, make decisions, and execute tasks across your stack—then learn from outcomes to get better week after week. We walk...

Send us Fan Mail Trust is breaking on LinkedIn—and not just because the algorithm got stricter. Grant McGaugh sits down with Richard Vanderblom, the global authority on social selling and LinkedIn strategy, to unpack how AI-driven behaviors, automated outreach, and shifting relevance signals are reshaping what works and what backfires. If you’ve watched your reach drop or felt your DMs fill with s...

Send us Fan Mail Seats aren’t being offered? Let’s build the table—and the toolkit to go with it. We sit down with consultant and AI Accelerator lead Angela Reed James to explore how Black entrepreneurs can turn AI into real capacity, sharper messaging, and faster growth without bloated budgets or big teams. From losing a corporate role to launching a mission-driven practice, Angela shares how AI...

Send us Fan Mail A single Saturday in 1966 changed everything. When a young Ed Rahill paused lawn duty to hear the 24 Hours of Le Mans on the radio, endurance racing planted a seed that would grow into record-setting coast-to-coast drives, a fearless corporate career, and a blueprint for living with grit. We go beyond the spectacle to explore how planning, patience, and partnership carry you throu...

Send us Fan Mail Imagine if your computer could explore a landscape of possibilities all at once, using the same rules that make electrons behave in surprising ways. That’s the mental pivot Farai, a quantum physicist and teacher, helps us make as we break down what quantum computing really is and where it actually wins. We trade hype for clarity, showing how superposition, entanglement, and interf...

Send us Fan Mail Buyers choose the path of least resistance, and that truth can either fuel your growth or quietly stall it. We sit down with Vistage Chair and “No Hassle” advocate Jim Bramlett to break down a four-part framework that makes customers stop hesitating: convenience, price transparency, user experience, and trust. From Amazon and Netflix to Uber and Nebraska Furniture Mart, Jim shows...

Send us Fan Mail What if your money felt calm, clear, and connected to a future you actually want? Grant sits down with Earl Johnson of Lexis Wealth Management to unpack the mindset, systems, and coaching that turn financial stress into durable wealth—and transform inheritance into a springboard, not a stumble. We start with the human side: the quiet shame many people carry about past choices and...

Send us Fan Mail What if a single wake-up call could reorder your entire life—and finally align your work with what you value most? That’s the spark behind this conversation with Peter Delatorre, who turned a prostate cancer diagnosis into a purpose-driven platform centered on authenticity, accountability, and the power of a no-excuses culture. We unpack how ruthless honesty—starting with yourself...

Send us Fan Mail Brand authority doesn’t start with a logo—it begins with a decision about how you want to show up. We sit down with Ann Marie Sorrell, president and CEO of the Mosaic Group, to unpack the strategy, grit, and heart behind a 20‑year journey from West Palm Beach to a growing Caribbean footprint. Ann Marie breaks down positioning that goes beyond aesthetics, showing how message, cultu...

Send us Fan Mail The digital marketing landscape is undergoing a radical transformation. While SEO professionals have spent years mastering Google's algorithm, the rise of AI-powered answer engines like ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini is creating an entirely new paradigm for online visibility. Kevin Roy, founder of Green Banana SEO, reveals a startling statistic: 60% of Google's 405 billion...

Send us Fan Mail What if the secret to women's health lies not in treating symptoms, but in understanding the unique patterns beneath them? Andrea Corleto discovered this truth the hard way, navigating her own chronic illness journey through a healthcare system that often left her questions unanswered. That frustrating experience sparked the creation of Lyv Health – a personalized longevity p...

Send us Fan Mail Thanks for tuning in to this episode of Follow The Brand! We hope you enjoyed learning about the latest trends and strategies in Personal Branding, Business and Career Development, Financial Empowerment, Technology Innovation, and Executive Presence. To keep up with the latest insights and updates, visit 5starbdm.com . And don’t miss Grant McGaugh’s new book, First Light — a power...

Send us Fan Mail Leadership today faces a crisis of trust and engagement. A staggering 70% of employees feel disconnected from their organization's mission, while only 24% trust their leaders—meaning three out of four employees have lost faith in leadership. With 63% of current leaders reporting burnout and likely to leave their positions within two years, we're witnessing unprecedented...

Send us Fan Mail What if buildings could heal communities? In this captivating conversation, architect Davielle Phillips reveals how his journey from Chicago's South Side to Omaha is reshaping urban spaces and mindsets. When young Davielle asked his mother who decides what buildings look like, her simple response—"Google it"—sparked a lifelong mission. Growing up surrounded by board...

Send us Fan Mail Thanks for tuning in to this episode of Follow The Brand! We hope you enjoyed learning about the latest trends and strategies in Personal Branding, Business and Career Development, Financial Empowerment, Technology Innovation, and Executive Presence. To keep up with the latest insights and updates, visit 5starbdm.com . And don’t miss Grant McGaugh’s new book, First Light — a power...

Send us Fan Mail From flipping dosas to flipping the script on who belongs in space, Dr. Srimathy Kesan's journey defies expectations at every turn. After 18 years as a homemaker who could barely remember her English vocabulary, a chance meeting with an old friend led to a Miami conference and an encounter with NASA that would change everything. "Space chooses you," says Dr. Kesan,...

Send us Fan Mail The moment Aaron Plush was pulled from his second-grade classroom to test early Macintosh computers, his path in technology was set. This formative experience sparked a journey that would lead him through global program management roles and transformational leadership positions at major corporations like Citrix. Aaron brings a refreshingly authentic approach to the complex world o...

Send us Fan Mail What if your fitness tracker could revolutionize not just your health habits, but the entire healthcare system? This fascinating conversation with João Bocas, globally recognized as "The Wearable Expert," explores how wearable technology might democratize healthcare and shift power dynamics toward consumers. João shares his remarkable journey from Portuguese immigrant wi...

Send us Fan Mail A chance encounter with Black Enterprise founder Earl Graves forever changed 19-year-old Dexter Bridgeman's life. Standing in Graves' impressive Madison Avenue office, young Bridgeman declared, "One day I'm going to be a publisher." Fast forward to today, and Bridgman has built MIA Media Group into Florida's largest producer of Black-targeted content,...

Send us Fan Mail What if entrepreneurial success didn't have to come at the expense of your health, relationships, and happiness? Michael Erath, founder and CEO of Next Level Growth, challenges conventional business wisdom with a revolutionary approach born from personal experience. After watching his manufacturing business crumble when his partner embezzled half a million dollars in 2008, Er...

Send us Fan Mail Have you ever wondered how the future arrives faster than anyone can predict it? Tech futurist Richie Etwaru joins us to explain why "futurists are out of work" in a world where technology adoption happens so rapidly that five-year predictions are tested within months. Richie breaks down why artificial intelligence has achieved unprecedented adoption rates, outpacing eve...