The Intangible Brand

Watch the video on YouTube!  Conventional wisdom says a founder who takes her foot off the gas will watch the business fall apart. Elise Mitchell slowed down, built a firm that could thrive without her, and sold it on her own terms. In this episode of The Intangible Brand, Jerry Gennaria sits down with Elise Mitchell, founder and former CEO of Mitchell Communications Group, author of Leading Throu...

Watch this on YouTube! In construction, the unwritten rule is that the lowest bid wins the work. Daniel Wells and Nathan Sievers of Wells & Wells Construction built a multi-state firm on negotiated, repeat business instead. In this episode of The Intangible Brand, Jerry Gennaria and Carl Winstead sit down with Daniel Wells, Owner and President of Wells & Wells Construction, and Nathan Siev...

Watch the video on YouTube! Most young architects dream of buildings that change the world, and casinos rarely make that list. David Nejelski spent 30 years proving that the right casino can transform an entire community. In this episode of The Intangible Brand, Jerry Gennaria and Carl Winstead sit down with David Nejelski, Vice President, Creative Director, and Principal at TBE Architects, to exp...

Watch the video on YouTube For decades, business development in engineering firms played second fiddle to the technical work. Amanda Payne built a career proving that wrong. In this episode of The Intangible Brand, Jerry Gennaria and Carl Winstead sit down with Amanda Payne, Vice President and Business Development Director at Horner & Shifrin, to talk about what happens when a firm treats busi...

Watch the video on YouTube   For decades, the unwritten rule in structural engineering was to stay invisible. Brad Thurman built a career proving that wrong. In this episode of The Intangible Brand, Jerry Gennaria and Julie Hammond sit down with Brad Thurman, Principal and Chief Marketing Officer at Wallace Design Collective, to talk about what happens when an engineer decides the firm's bran...

Watch this episode on YouTube Corey Morris believes marketing isn't a vending machine you shake for quick returns. It's an investment you review and grow on purpose, every single quarter. In this episode of The Intangible Brand, Jerry Gennaria and Carl Winstead sit down with Corey Morris, owner and CEO of Voltage and creator of the START planning process, to explore why so many marketing...

Watch this episode on YouTube! Jamie Shibley believes the strongest businesses aren't built on transactions, they're built on relationships that are cared for on purpose, every single time. In this episode of The Intangible Brand, Jerry Gennaria and Carl Winstead sit down with Jamie Shibley, CEO of The Expressory and best-selling author of Relationship-First Strategic Engagement, to expl...

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...