The Intangible Brand

Watch this episode on YouTube Architecture is often thought of as the art of designing buildings, but Danny Forster sees it as something much bigger: the art of communicating an experience before it exists. In this episode of The Intangible Brand , Jerry Gennaria and Julie Hammond sit down with architect, Emmy Award-winning television host, and founder of Danny Forster & Architecture to explor...

Watch on YouTube Jeff Sample believes employee experience starts with a simple question: do leaders truly understand what their people go through every day? Jeff joins Jerry Gennaria and Carl Winstead to discuss how organizations can create stronger cultures by focusing less on slogans and more on understanding the realities of work. Drawing on his background in IT, software development, construct...

Watch this episode on YouTube In this episode, Jerry and Carl talk with Jill Davis, Chief Strategy Officer at Cline, about what experience really means inside an AEC firm. Jill’s work sits at the intersection of marketing, strategy, brand, client relationships, and internal culture. She explains why a firm’s brand is not just what it says externally. It is also how people inside the firm work toge...

Watch this episode on YouTube In this episode of The Intangible Brand , Jerry and Carl sit down with Caitlyn Cook , Marketing and Employee Owner Experience Lead at ESS Companies, to explore how employee ownership reshapes culture, accountability, and brand. Caitlyn shares how her role bridges marketing and the employee experience, and how ESS has grown rapidly while maintaining a strong sense of o...

Watch this episode on YouTube In this episode of The Intangible Brand , Jerry and Carl sit down with Brittany Hodak to explore what it really takes to turn satisfied customers into enthusiastic advocates. Drawing from a career that spans entertainment, fan engagement, marketing, and consumer behavior, Brittany brings a sharp perspective on why the brands that win are the ones that create experienc...

Watch this episode on YouTube In this episode, Sharon Toerek joins The Intangible Brand to explore how intellectual property and brand strategy intersect. As an IP attorney working closely with creative firms, Sharon offers a perspective that reframes brand as a form of intellectual capital — one that is often misunderstood, undervalued, and underprotected. Key Takeaways Brand is often treated as...

Watch this episode on YouTube In this episode of The Intangible Brand , Jerry is joined by Jill Davis, Chief Strategy Officer at Cline, for a conversation with Neen James, leadership strategist and author of Exceptional Experiences , to explore what it really takes to create moments that people remember. Neen shares how her work with leaders and luxury brands led her to a simple but powerful idea:...

Watch this episode on YouTube In this episode of The Intangible Brand , Jerry and Carl sit down with Jennifer Sebranek of GBBN to explore what real differentiation looks like in architecture and professional services and why brand extends far beyond logos, taglines, and marketing campaigns. Jennifer shares how firms can create alignment around a clear core message, why consistency across teams mat...

Watch on YouTube In this episode of The Intangible Brand , Jerry and Carl sit down with Pamela Slim to explore what it really takes to scale an expert-led firm without diluting the client experience that made it successful in the first place. Pamela shares insights from her work advising founders and professional service leaders who want to grow into larger, more complex markets. As firms expand,...

Watch this episode on YouTube In this episode of The Intangible Brand , Jerry and Carl sit down with George Ghneim, a veterinarian, restaurateur, and distiller, to explore what brand and experience look like in businesses where emotions run high and the work is deeply human. George shares lessons from veterinary medicine and hospitality, two fields where trust, empathy, and presence are not option...

Watch on YouTube In this episode of The Intangible Brand , Jerry and Carl sit down with Benjamin Sachwald, Senior Vice President of Acoustics, Noise, and Vibration at AKRF, to explore a dimension of employee experience that is often overlooked but deeply felt: sound. Benjamin helps unpack why acoustics is becoming a more visible and strategic part of workplace design, especially as organizations r...

Watch this episode on YouTube In this episode of The Intangible Brand , Jerry and Carl talk with Dr. Will Percy, Executive Vice President at TeamOptix and author of Slaying Zombies: Reimagining Workplace Engagement , about why so many engagement efforts feel busy but ineffective. Will introduces the idea of “engagement zombies” the outdated beliefs, metrics, and programs that continue to walk arou...

Watch this episode on YouTube In this episode of The Intangible Brand , Jerry and Carl sit down with Susan Baier, founder of Audience Audit, to explore how professional service firms can build stronger brands by understanding what their audiences actually believe, not just who they are on paper. Susan explains why demographics and generic personas often fall short, and how attitudinal research hel...

Watch this episode on YouTube In this episode, we talk with Tate Fisher about what it really takes to design service experiences that serve customers, support employees, and work for the business. Tate draws on years of work with multi location and franchise brands to explain why service is always co created and why balance across those three stakeholders matters more than any single tactic. The c...

Watch this episode on YouTube In this episode of The Intangible Brand , Jerry and Carl talk with Brandon Coleman Jr. , a brand strategist, speaker, and author who has spent five decades helping organizations understand what brand really is and how culture shapes it. Brandon shares the stories and lessons that shaped his philosophy, from early mentors who challenged him to define value, to the rebr...

Watch this episode on YouTube In this episode of The Intangible Brand , Jerry and guest host Alec Gleason talk with Shayne De La Force , a marketing strategist and author of Strategic Entanglement , a book that borrows principles from quantum physics to rethink how brand and growth operate together. Shayne shares how global brands can close the gap between marketing and delivery, the cultural insi...

Watch this episode on YouTube In this episode of The Intangible Brand , Jerry and guest host Jill Davis sit down with Eddie Staley , Chief Innovation Officer, and Kristen Herndon , Director of Client Experience at WithersRavenel , an employee-owned engineering and consulting firm built around the idea that when employees think and act like owners, clients feel the difference. Eddie and Kristen sha...

Watch this episode on YouTube In this episode of The Intangible Brand , Jerry and Carl sit down with Darrell Grant , Chief Experience Officer at Hightower Wealth Advisors , a firm redefining what client experience looks like in the wealth management space. Darrell shares how intentional service design — what he calls a “butler mindset” — transforms everyday client interactions into moments of trus...

Watch this episode on YouTube In this episode of The Intangible Brand , Jerry and Carl sit down with Steven Gallo, Vice President, Client Services at Reputation Ink , a B2B marketing and PR agency for professional services firms. Steve shares how PR can be more than an external visibility tool — it can also be a powerful driver of internal culture and employee engagement. Drawing on his work with...

Watch this episode on YouTube In this episode of The Intangible Brand , Jerry and Carl sit down with Eric Anest , Senior Vice President of Marketing and Communications at Salas O’Brien, a rapidly growing engineering and consulting firm. Eric shares his perspective on the connection between employee experience and client experience — and why brand work must start inside the organization. Drawing on...

Watch this episode on YouTube In this episode of The Intangible Brand , Jerry welcomes Dave Minifie, a seasoned leader known for bringing clarity to the relationship between purpose, leadership, and organizational culture. Dave shares his perspective on why understanding the “why” (whether in personal life, family, or within an organization) is essential to achieving long-term success. He explores...

Watch this episode on YouTube. What happens when a brand refresh becomes a catalyst for cultural alignment, recruiting strength, and leadership clarity? In this episode of The Intangible Brand , hosts Jerry Gennaria and Carl Winstead speak with Lindsay Wilson, President and Interior Sector Leader at Corgan, and Elizabeth Pierce, Chief Marketing Officer at Corgan. Together, they share how one of th...

Watch this episode on YouTube Welcome to the premiere episode of The Intangible Brand —a podcast exploring how internal culture and employee experience shape the brands people trust, remember, and return to. We’re starting with co-host Carl Winstead, Partner and Chief Experience Officer at Cline Design Associates. With a background in architecture and a passion for experience design, Carl has dedi...

Watch this episode on YouTube What’s the difference between a logo and a brand? In this episode, The Intangible Brand co-host Jerry Gennaria, President of TOKY, unpacks nearly 30 years of helping firms uncover and articulate their true brand identity. In this Episode Jerry’s path from aspiring artist and self-taught designer to brand strategist. (01:00) How brand evolved from visual identity to ho...

Watch this episode on YouTube How do you lead a total brand transformation without losing what makes your firm… your firm? In this episode, Jeffrey Taub, FSMPS, CPSM, and SVP of Corporate Marketing at AKRF, shares the inside story of rebranding a legacy company. From internal alignment to messaging strategy, Jeff walks us through the belief systems and processes that enabled a values-driven rebran...