The Brand Called You

In this episode of The Brand Called You , host Frits Bussemaker speaks with Boris Koprivnikar , former Deputy Prime Minister of Slovenia and a leading SmartGov and SmartCity consultant. Boris shares insights from his diverse journey—from digital sciences and social care to politics and cultural innovation. He explains how following passion and focusing on impact shaped his career. Discover: His wo...

Join us for an in-depth conversation with John L. Hennessy, Chairman of Alphabet and Co-founder of the Knight-Hennessy Scholars Program. This episode explores the rapid progress of artificial intelligence, breakthroughs in chip technology, quantum computing, and the evolution of leadership in the era of complexity. We discuss agentic models, world models, advances in drug discovery, robotics, and...

Join us for this inspiring episode of TBCY as John Swift , Head of Private Capital & Wealth Management at Rockfleet and a CIA-trained chef, shares his extraordinary journey from Wall Street to fighting food insecurity. Hosted by Frits Bussemaker , this conversation explores career pivots, the value of following your passions, the art of coaching vs. managing, and how life's unexpected turn...

Join us for an enlightening episode of TBCY, where host Fritz Bussemacher sits down with Mariella Erkens , an acclaimed tea connoisseur, educator, and former chef. Discover: What it means to be a tea professional The difference between pure teas and herbal infusions Expert tea and food pairing techniques Mariella’s inspiring career journey The importance of cultural awareness in tea traditions

Join Ashutosh Garg as he welcomes Byron McFarland , respected author of The Bankable Buyer , for an insightful conversation on leadership transitions, succession planning, and protecting your business legacy. Byron shares his journey, the inspiration behind his book, and practical advice for founders who want to ensure their management team can successfully buy the business—while allowing the owne...

Join Ashutosh Garg as he speaks with Mel Blackwell , author of Uncommon Sense: The Fight to Fix Your Workplace Culture in the Wild West of Business . In this engaging conversation, Mel shares his journey from humble beginnings to C-suite leadership and unpacks powerful insights on workplace culture, leadership, and organizational health. Why culture often trumps strategy Early warning signs that y...

Welcome to this episode of The Brand Called You , featuring Amanda Spann, America’s leading app educator and author of “I Have an App Idea.” Hosted by Ashutosh Garg , this episode explores Amanda’s journey as a non-technical founder, her mission to empower everyday innovators, and practical insights into building scalable, income-generating apps—even without a coding background. Amanda shares less...

In this episode of The Brand Called You , host Ashutosh Garg speaks with Marc Seitz, Founder of Papermark—an innovative open-source platform transforming secure document sharing and data rooms. Marc shares his journey from studying physics and economics to becoming a tech entrepreneur and explains how Papermark empowers startups, VC firms, and enterprises with modern, analytics-driven document man...

Join us for an insightful episode of “The Brand Called You” as Ashutosh Garg sits down with Tim Vipond, Co-Founder and CEO of the Corporate Finance Institute (CFI). Discover how CFI bridges the gap between theoretical finance education and practical, job-ready skills. Tim shares the story behind building a global, practical finance education platform, the philosophy behind the FMVA certification,...

In this episode of The Brand Called You , we welcome Erez Avramov , a Resilience & Communication Expert with an extraordinary journey of overcoming adversity and transforming lives. From serving in Israel’s elite commando units to founding multiple businesses in Canada, Erez shares powerful insights on resilience, decision-making under pressure, and the art of adaptive leadership . His story i...

In this episode of The Brand Called You (TBCY), host Stephen sits down with Bill Wisotsky, Principal Quantum Systems Architect of R&D at SAS, to uncover the journey behind one of quantum technology’s leading innovators. Bill shares his captivating career path—from an early fascination with law enforcement to a life-changing pivot into neuroscience, and eventually, the frontier of quantum compu...

Welcome to The Brand Called You ! In this episode, Ashutosh Garg speaks with Mo Rousso , author of How to Build an AI-Powered Business Without Losing Control, Trust, or Your Mind . Mo shares his journey as a founder of seven companies, his approach to leadership and clarity, and insights on adopting AI without compromising trust or control. You’ll learn: Why AI acts as a stress test for leadership...

In this inspiring episode of The Brand Called You , host Ashutosh Garg interviews Ann Lopez , Founder and CEO of Studio 790 Interior Design, Miami . Discover how she transitioned from a 20-year luxury hospitality career to launch a multi-seven-figure interior design firm, starting from her dining room table. Ann shares her journey of overcoming imposter syndrome, leading with faith, building high-...

In this episode of The Brand Called You, host Frits Bussemaker sits down with Mark Schuurman, Co-Founder of NGO 3x3 Unites and co-founder of Guts, to dive into the world of 3x3 basketball and its power to unite communities and empower youth. Marc shares his inspiring journey from grassroots development in Dutch basketball to building a sustainable impact through 3x3 Unites. Discover how basketball...

Join us for an insightful episode of The Brand Called You , where Ashutosh Garg hosts Pawan Kumar Marella , former Vice President of Marketing at Unilever, author of Dear Rookie, Don’t Panic , and founder of Learnity Labs. Pawan takes us through his remarkable journey from engineering to global marketing leadership, sharing hard-earned lessons in brand building, leadership, and personal growth acr...

Dr. Stephen Shaya shares his remarkable journey in global healthcare, servant leadership, and creating meaningful impact across multiple sectors. In this conversation, he reflects on the evolution of J&B Medical, his ventures in biotechnology, sports media, and technology, and the guiding philosophy of radical abundance and purposeful action. The discussion is enriched with stories of rare rec...

Join host Stephen Ibaraki in this deeply insightful episode of TBCY as he welcomes back Justin Breen , Co-Founder of Corvia. AI and author of the upcoming book Epic Journey . In this dynamic conversation, Justin shares the wisdom and patterns he has gained over two years of personal growth, spiritual awakening, and creative transformation since their last interview. Explore how Justin views the wo...

Join us for a captivating conversation with Dr. Sabrina Hsueh , AI Enablement and External Innovation Lead at Pfizer, as she shares her journey from being one of the first girls in a gifted program in Taiwan to pioneering AI advancements in healthcare and life sciences at industry leaders like IBM and Pfizer. Hosted by Stephen Ibaraki , this episode dives deep into Dr. Hsueh’s milestones, from her...

Join us for an insightful conversation with Mary Inman , Partner at Whistleblower Partners LLP and Board Member of the nonprofit PSST.org . With over 30 years of experience, Mary shares her journey supporting whistleblowers worldwide and explains the crucial role they play in society as “canaries in the coal mine.” In this episode of The Brand Called You , hosted by Frits Bussemaker , you’ll disco...

How can women break free from family guilt, embrace their inner strength, and lead authentically in both the workplace and at home? In this insightful episode of The Brand Called You , host Ashutosh Garg sits down with Mita Chaudhury , a transformation coach and social entrepreneur, to explore the deep connections between personal values and professional success. Drawing from her extensive experie...

The Brand Called You, featuring Benoy Tamang, President & CEO of Blueriver Direct, hosted by Ashutosh Garg, explores the realities of leadership, coaching, and founder challenges. Benoy shares: Pivotal moments and failures that shaped his leadership philosophy Stories from coaching CEOs and founders How to distinguish real leadership from authority (and why first-time founders often get it wro...

In this episode, host Stephen Ibaraki interviews Florian Kemmerich, Co-Founder & Managing Partner of Human Planet . Florian shares his inspiring journey at the intersection of impact investing, humanitarian work, and AI-driven innovation . He discusses the challenges and opportunities involved in mobilizing capital for purpose-driven initiatives, shares case studies about refugee impact bonds,...

Join us for an enthralling episode of The Brand Called You , where host Ashutosh Garg explores the imaginative world of acclaimed Pennsylvania-based author Richard Spegal . Hear how his military service shaped both his worldview and his writing, why he believes adult fantasy readers are often overlooked, and the profound themes woven into his popular trilogies, Eternal Nights and Wolves and Ravens...

Welcome to another inspiring episode of The Brand Called You! In this conversation, host Ashutosh Garg sits down with Josh Epperson, senior manager of Organizational Development at Amazon and author of "Bacon, Bots and Teamwork: How to Orchestrate Success When Agents Join Your Team." Josh shares the story behind his book’s unique title and dives into the powerful “bacon moment” that tran...

Join us in this insightful episode as Aditi Kumar sits down with Willy Boulter , a globetrotting airline consultant, advisor, and author. With over 40 years of experience, Willy shares candid stories covering military leadership lessons, adapting to the airline industry's unique demands, team building, motivation, global citizenship, and cross-cultural experiences.