Lead With Your Brand!™ – Details, episodes & analysis

As Jayzen likes to point out…”It’s the most wonderful time of the year!”  It’s not the holiday season yet, but it is the release of the latest iPhone from Apple - one of his favorite brands!  While waiting in line for his new iPhone 16, it was a reminder that while many stores are struggling to stay open, Apple stores still have a line down the block for the new model.  That is the power of a great brand.  Tune in to hear Jayzen’s best thoughts on how to make sure that your personal brand is one that your SuperFans and those in your career audience are willing to wait in line for, want you on their team and ultimately help you achieve your next career breakthrough.

Jayzen is thrilled to welcome Nicole Hasse to the show.  In 2022 Nicole teamed up with Melissa Gilbert, known to many as Laura Ingalls Wilder from the famous Little House on the Prarie television series.  Together, they co-founded Modern Prairie. The brand is centered on women aged 50 and beyond, offering them a source of inspiration, engagement, validation, and connection. Built on the idea of community, Modern Prairie offers heirloom quality products and creates a space for women to come together and share stories of embracing change and finding power in it.   She has had an incredible career working for some of the most notable retail brands and shares a wealth of success insights.

Guest Bio

Nicole Haase

Co-Founder and CEO

Modern Prairie

Nicole Haase is a dynamic executive and brand builder with over 20 years of experience creating innovative product concepts, leading ambitious teams, and facilitating profitable growth. She has been building high performing brands for over two decades, serving in leadership positions at companies such as Williams-Sonoma, Lucky Brand Jeans and ModCloth. As an executive, she is known for her unique ability to combine both creativity and financial insight to deliver extraordinary results.

Recognizing a significant gap in the market, in 2022 she teamed up with Melissa Gilbert to co-found Modern Prairie. The brand is centered on women aged 50 and beyond, offering them a source of inspiration, engagement, validation, and connection. Built on the idea of community, Modern Prairie offers heirloom quality products and creates a space for women to come together and share stories of embracing change and finding power in it. Since its launch, the brand has organically grown to nearly 500,000 followers on social media and 30,000 on its dedicated app.

Born in Boston, Massachusetts, Haase’s upbringing was steeped in the entrepreneurial spirit instilled by her parents. Embracing their ethos, she champions the message of limitless possibilities and firmly believes in the transformative power of opportunity. Her academic pursuits include studying at Boston College and obtaining her master’s at the Carroll School of Management where she honed her skills and shaped her vision for the future.

Haase currently resides in Huntington Beach, CA and believes that talent, teamwork, and tenacity will always lead to success.

Links 

To book Jayzen for a speaking engagement or workshop visit Jayzenpatria.com

Check out Modern Prarie at Modernprairie.com

For many, The Walt Disney Company is known for creating “The Happiest Place On Earth.” For Jayzen, the company represents the best example of a brand truly knowing and super-serving their super fans. Disney has an amazing ability to identify, understand and tap into everything that is fandom for their brands - and leverage it for sales. That in mind, in your career, your super fans are the people who are your sponsors and supporters. The people who can advocate for you and support your work even when you’re not in the room. Tune into hear Jayzen’s top tips on how to make sure that you have identified and have a plan to super–serve your career super fans as you strive for your next career breakthrough.

Jayzen is excited to welcome Rachel Hernandez to the show. Rachel is the Director of Brand Strategy at Next Net Media. In this role, she spearheads the world’s largest global network of trusted media outlets, link partners, and global news websites, catapulting clients to online retailing success with high-authority backlinks and targeted organic visitors. With a decade-long career in digital content creation and strategy, Rachel initiated Next Net Media’s content department in 2016, overseeing in-house teams and a vast network of 700+ freelancers, generating thousands of premium content pieces weekly. Recognized as a finalist for Woman in Content Marketing of the Year, Rachel is a sought-after guest on marketing podcasts and an esteemed speaker at international events, sharing her expertise in content marketing, brand strategy, and SEO. Rachel shares how you can use the tools that she uses for clients in your own career.

Guest Bio

Rachel Hernandez

Director of Brand Strategy, Next Net Media

Rachel Hernandez is the Director of Brand Strategy for Next Net Media, the largest global network of trusted media outlets, link partners, and global news websites, providing clients with a steady influx of high-authority backlinks and targeted organic visitors – making them the world’s largest and most successful online retailer of optimization products and services.

With a rich decade-long history as a digital content creator and strategist, Rachel stands as a beacon of innovation. In 2016, she launched Next Net Media’s content department, ingeniously leading both in-house teams and 700+ freelancers, culminating in the creation of thousands of top-tier content pieces every week.

Notably, Rachel’s success extends beyond her professional endeavors. She earned a coveted finalist spot for the Woman in Content Marketing of the Year by Masthead Media and Content Marketing Institute. An authority in her field, she’s a sought-after guest on marketing podcasts and a revered speaker on the international circuit, where she imparts wisdom on the pivotal intersections of content marketing, brand strategy, and SEO.

Links 

To book Jayzen for a speaking engagement or workshop visit Jayzenpatria.com

Happy Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month! We are proud to amplify AAPI Voices on the Lead With Your Brand!™ Podcast by celebrating the powerful voices and career journeys of AAPI executives, leaders, and innovators. Throughout the month of May, we’ll be featuring a guest with a fantastic career story to share, all who happen to be of Asian descent. In addition, be sure to check out LeadWithYourBrand.com/aapi to listen to some of our favorite episodes from past seasons.

This week, Jayzen shares his ideas on a critical element of your personal brand development, how you make people feel.  That is, when people interact with you and experience your brand, what feeling are they left with and are you beginning intentional about what you want that to be?  It is important to focus on your SuperSized brand words and make sure that they reflect the feeling that you want people to have - and are you delivering on that with every interaction.

Jayzen is excited to welcome Ed Soo Hoo to the show. Ed is a fascinating person who has had many careers over the years, from warehouseman, to a union truck driver and now as CTO for one of the top global technology companies. His secret? As he says, “you have to ask for it, even if you’re not qualified.” Ed is a storyteller and brings volumes of career wisdom that everyone can learn from.

Guest Bio

Ed Soo Hoo

Worldwide CTO - Global Accounts

Lenovo

Ed Soo Hoo is an asymmetrical thinker, crossing the intellectual and practical boundaries of enterprise and technology. Ed is known for stretching-the-box strategic thinking allowing companies expand from “Now, New and Next.” Ed connects the dots of technology and turns that capability into business-altering solutions for any organization. His Tetris-like talent for enabling, leveraging, and enhancing existing operational models and ecosystems is truly transformational.

An Industry Fellow at the Center for Entrepreneurship and Technology at UC Berkeley and executive coach, Ed brings unique insights coming from a diverse, eclectic set of rich experiences through a career that includes blue-collar teamster, global company leader, and eight-time startup exec (seed to IPO to buyout). 

A sought-after executive and keynote speaker on business leadership, Ed presents his theories on entrepreneurial spirit, vision, and drive through a multidisciplinary perspective of the world.

“The way we work has forever changed, so it’s time that the way we lead follows suit. In order to meet the challenges of a post-pandemic world and workforce, we must explore the ways in which we can build, inspire, and lead a team.”

Links 

To book Jayzen for a speaking engagement or workshop visit Jayzenpatria.com

Happy LGBTQ+ Pride Month! As we enter week 2 of Pride Month, Jayzen is excited to welcome his guest, Sharon-Franklin Brown, Chief Impact Officer of the Los Angeles LGBT Center. Sharon also serves as the Board President for LA Pride, one of the oldest and largest LGBTQ+ Pride festivals in the country.

Sharon has remarkable career story to share and works tirelessly to create space for her community and make the world a more equitable place for trans and gender non-conforming people. As Chief Impact Officer for the largest organization in the world serving the LGBTQ+ community, she is responsible for providing strategic leadership, management, guidance to programs and Human Resources for a staff of nearly 800 employees as well as impact efforts through grantmaking, and community engagement.

In celebration of Pride Month, the Lead With Your Brand!™ Podcast has partnered with Out & Equal Workplace Advocates, the premier organization working exclusively on LGBTQ+ workplace equality. Each week in June, we’ll be featuring an out leader each with an amazing career story to share. In addition, we’ve assembled an entire collection of shows with LGBTQ+ guests from the past three seasons, including two special roundtable episodes where we explore issues around the trans experience and intersectionality of race and LGBTQ+ in the workplace. The team at Out & Equal has created free downloadable discussion guides, so we encourage you to use the podcast as a virtual “book club” with your ERG or group of friends. Listen to the episodes, download the discussion guides and schedule your group discussion! Check out www.leadwithyourbrand.com/pride for more information.

Happy Pride!

Guest Bio

Sharon-Franklin Brown

Chief Impact Officer, Los Angeles LGBT Center

& Board President, LA Pride

Sharon-Franklin Brown is a navigator of change and a recipient of the Leadership Award for her extraordinary contributions by supporting and furthering civil rights in advancing workplace diversity in an exceptional manner on behalf of the Employment Round Table of Southern California and the City of Los Angeles. As Chief Impact Officer for the Los Angeles LGBT Center, she is responsible for providing strategic leadership, management, guidance to programs and Human Resources for a staff of nearly 800 employees as well as impact efforts through grantmaking, and community engagement. She is celebrating 15 years with the Center and currently serves as the President of the Board of Directors for Christopher Street West Association/LA Pride.

Sharon became a national speaker on transgender rights after being terminated from Fayetteville State University, a historically black university, for being a trans-woman. Sharon was on the leading edge during her speaking engagements at colleges and universities on the importance of including gender identity and gender expression in their anti-discrimination policies. In 2010, she co-wrote the “ground breaking” recommendations for “Model Protocols – Police Interactions with Transgender Individuals” which was later adopted by the Los Angeles Police Department as policy. Folks who have met Sharon know that her impact is tangible and that her incredible influence has helped to create a more diverse, inclusive, and equitable society.

Links

To learn more about Lead With Your Brand system, please visit: LeadWithyYourBrand.com

To book Jayzen for a speaking engagement or workshop at your company, visit: JayzenPatria.com

Happy LGBTQ+ Pride Month! Jayzen is thrilled to be launching Pride Month with the incredible Wilson Cruz! Wilson currently stars as Dr. Hugh Culber on Star Trek: Discovery. As the first openly gay actor to play an openly gay character on series television, Wilson first came into our homes as Ricky Vasquez on My So Called Life in 1994. His career has spanned television, film and Broadway - and he continues to be an amazing activist for his community.

In celebration of Pride Month, the Lead With Your Brand!™ Podcast has partnered with Out & Equal Workplace Advocates, the premier organization working exclusively on LGBTQ+ workplace equality. Each week in June, we’ll be featuring an out leader each with an amazing career story to share. In addition, we’ve assembled an entire collection of shows with LGBTQ+ guests from the past three seasons, including two special roundtable episodes where we explore issues around the trans experience and intersectionality of race and LGBTQ+ in the workplace. The team at Out & Equal has created free downloadable discussion guides, so we encourage you to use the podcast as a virtual “book club” with your ERG or group of friends. Listen to the episodes, download the discussion guides and schedule your group discussion! Check out www.leadwithyourbrand.com/pride for more information.

Happy Pride!

Guest Bio

Wilson Cruz

Award-winning Actor, Activist and Humanitarian

Award-winning Actor, Activist, “Actorvist,” and Humanitarian Wilson Cruz currently stars as Dr. Hugh Culber on the Award-winning CBS All Access series STAR TREK: DISCOVERY, which premieres its 4th Season on November 18th. He appeared on the Netflix series THIRTEEN REASONS WHY and in Hulu’s 2020 GLAAD Award-Winning original animated kids’ series THE BRAVEST KNIGHT. He is also the Executive Producer of the critically acclaimed docuseries called VISIBLE:OUT ON TELEVISION airing on Apple TV+ that investigates the importance of TV as an intimate medium that has shaped the American conscience, and how the LGBTQ movement has shaped television.

Receiving the Emery S. Hetrick Award from the Hetrick- Martin Institute for Outstanding Contributions to LGBTQ Youth, for his role as Rickie Vasquez on the ABC series MY SO CALLED LIFE, Wilson became the first openly Gay actor playing an openly Gay role on series television. Cruz also starred as Angel in the West Coast premiere of the Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award winning musical RENT which earned him both The Ovation and Drama Logue awards before his reprisal of the role on Broadway.

Cruz recently accepted GLAAD’s Vito Russo Award and the Make A Difference Award from the Matthew Shepard Foundation. He has also received the Rand Schrader Distinguished Achievement Award from the Los Angeles LGBTQ Center, the Liberty Award from Lambda Legal, the Visibilidad Award from GLAAD, the Fusion Achievement Award from Outfest, the Latino Spirit Award for Achievement in Entertainment and Advocacy from the California Latino Legislative Caucus, the Harvey Milk Equality Award, the Lincoln Aston Public Service Award, Aston-Brooks Award, and the Advocate Award from AdColor. He served as the Director of Entertainment Industry Partnerships and National Spokesperson for GLAAD, currently serves on the board of GLSEN and devotes considerable time supporting other LBGTQ organizations as well. Wilson is a first generation American of Puerto Rican descent.

Links

To learn more about Lead With Your Brand system, please visit: LeadWithyYourBrand.com

To book Jayzen for a speaking engagement or workshop at your company, visit: JayzenPatria.com

“I'm the child of immigrants, I grew up in a very small town in Pennsylvania, I'm queer, I'm South Asian, and I came of age post 9/11. So there were a lot of things that had me be the outsider in the room. Early in life, I realized that I can be the outsider and be not seen and ignored, or you can utilize that outsider status to actually lead…to take charge to be the one at the head of the group versus the one in the back.” And now, as the leader of the nation’s top Asian-American theater company, Snehal Desai is using his successful career as a storyteller and artist to further his community and the world around us. Forging new paths, Snehal has build an incredible career as a director and producer and continues to expand the reach of the East West Players to critical acclaim, always staying true to his values and personal brand.

Snehal is on the faculty of USC's graduate program in Arts Leadership where he teaches Executive Arts Leadership. Snehal is a graduate of Emory University and the Yale School of Drama.

Guest Bio

Snehal Desai

Producing Artistic Director

East West Players

Snehal Desai is the Producing Artistic Director of East West Players, the nation's premier Asian-American theater company and one of the longest running theaters of color in the US.

Before this time, Snehal was a freelance director working across the United States and the UK. He is a member of the Asian Pacific American Media Coalition (APAMC) and serves on the boards of the Consortium of Asian American Theaters and Artists (CAATA) and Theater Communications Group (TCG) and National Alliance for Musical Theatre (NAMT). Snehal found a home at East West Players because he found it to uniquely stand at the intersection of artistry and social justice. As an artistic leader, he has sought to raise awareness on social issues that affect Angelenos by personalizing them through storytelling.

A Soros Fellow and the recipient of a Tanne Award, Desai was in the Inaugural Class of Theatre Communications Group’s (TCG) “Spark” Leadership Program. He was also the Inaugural Recipient of the Drama League’s Classical Directing Fellowship. Snehal is on the faculty of USC's graduate program in Arts Leadership where he teaches Executive Arts Leadership. Snehal is a graduate of Emory University and the Yale School of Drama.

Links

To learn more about Lead With Your Brand system, please visit: LeadWithyYourBrand.com

To book Jayzen for a speaking engagement or workshop at your company, visit: JayzenPatria.com

Check out East West Players at : EastWestPlayers.org

Growing up as an Asian American in the lower east side of Manhattan, Connie’s early experiences shaped what would become her future career as a global business leader. Early in her career, Connie made what she says is one of the best decisions ever…packing everything and moving across country to a city with no job, no connections and an uncertain future. Knowing that her and her husband wanted more, they took the risk on the future and it defined the next several chapters in her career.

Now as the EVP and Chief Global Growth Officer for Nu Skin, Connie is responsible for a $2.7 billion business in over 50 markets. Over her career, she has developed a powerful personal brand and she shares some really amazing career lessons and stories that we all can learn from.

Guest Bio

Connie Tang

EVP & Chief Global Growth Officer

Nu Skin

Connie Tang joined Nu Skin as executive vice president and chief global growth & customer experience officer in April 2021. Throughout her career, Connie has established herself as a top business leader by focusing on the needs of the customer first, driving transformative digital customer experiences and leading global growth and expansion.

Connie has extensive experience in both beauty and direct selling, including serving as president and CEO of Princess House, president of the U.S. division of JAFRA Cosmetics, vice president of special markets at BeautiControl and board positions at several other companies.​

She is a strong advocate for initiatives in diversity, equity and inclusion and has served as an inspiration to many women around the world, mentoring women at all professional levels. She was named one of the Top 50 Asian Americans in Business by the Asian American Business Development Center and is a five-time recipient of the Top 100 Women-led Businesses in Massachusetts as well as a four-time honoree as one of The Most Influential Women in Direct Sales by Direct Selling News. Connie was born in Hong Kong, raised in New York City, and is fluent in Cantonese, Spanish and English. ​Connie holds a bachelor’s degree from Brooklyn College.

When she is not working, Connie enjoys traveling with her family and spending time with their dogs. She loves Broadway musicals and is a huge Star Trek and Marvel fan, along with anything related to superhero movies. ​

Links

To learn more about Lead With Your Brand system, please visit: LeadWithyYourBrand.com

To book Jayzen for a speaking engagement or workshop at your company, visit: JayzenPatria.com

As Cynthia puts it, the Chief Financial Officer in any company is one of the most cross functional leaders, thus she describes her role as “the dot connector.” Cynthia Chu has built an amazing career stretching across several industries and reaching to every corner of the globe, always expanding her toolkit to drive her career forward. She shares fantastic stories and valuable insights that have helped her achieve her career goals.

While at NBC Universal, she was the CFO of USA Network and previously the CFO of Oxygen, overseeing the finances of some of the most successful content in the portfolio. Now as CFO and Growth Officer at Audible, her role also emcompases marketing functions for the successful and ever-expanding company.

Guest Bio

Cynthia Chu

Chief Financial Officer and Growth Officer

Audible

Cynthia Chu joined Audible in 2015 as Chief Financial Officer. Adding oversight of marketing in 2021, her role has since expanded to CFO and Growth Officer. She most recently served as CFO for the USA Network division of Comcast NBC Universal, which followed her first divisional CFO appointment overseeing NBC's newly acquired Oxygen Media. Prior to her long career with NBC, Cynthia worked at GE, where she earned a Six Sigma black belt qualification. A native of Hong Kong, Cynthia is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin.

Links

To learn more about Lead With Your Brand system, please visit: LeadWithyYourBrand.com

To book Jayzen for a speaking engagement or workshop at your company, visit: JayzenPatria.com

As a true creative leader and proclaimed “purpose-driven change agent,” Maryam has an amazing career story that we all can learn from and be inspired by. Without originally setting out to do so, Maryam’s career in marketing has put her at the helm of several top brands. Currently, she is the Head of Marketing, Community & Global at Nextdoor, the popular platform and app that connects communities around the world, ultimately helping people find a sense of belonging.

Prior to joining Nextdoor, Maryam was the CMO of Hyatt, Gannett, NBCUniversal, and Univision, leading sweeping transformations at each. At the height of her career, she decided to “take a pause” and gained national attention by sharing her experience in a New York Times essay.

Guest Bio

Maryam Banikarim

Head of Marketing, Community & Global, Nextdoor

Co-founder, NYCNext

Maryam Banikarim captured national attention with her viral New York Times essay on taking a “pause” at the height of her highly successful career. As a chief marketing officer who led four major businesses through sweeping transformations and top-line growth, Maryam has made a name for herself as a purpose-driven change agent who embraces diversity and inclusion and

builds brands that are respected and loved.

Maryam’s passion for community drew her to Nextdoor, the neighborhood network where neighbors go to connect to the neighborhoods that matter to them so they can belong. At Nextdoor, Maryam oversees marketing, community and global.

Prior to Nextdoor, Maryam was global chief marketing officer of Hyatt, Gannett, NBCUniversal, and Univision. Maryam earned a reputation as a bold leader who took on disruption and championed purpose. In each role, she innovatively applied a wide array of marketing tools to move her organization forward, creating value while inspiring employees, customers, and a range of stakeholders. Maryam helped transform Hyatt into the most preferred hospitality brand, driving loyalty and community among high-end travelers. With a portfolio of 13 global brand experiences, she elevated the organization by mobilizing colleagues, launching brands and businesses, reimagining loyalty, and establishing unprecedented partnerships.

Maryam currently serves on the board of One Spa World, Reporters without Borders and the Mobile Marketing Association. She is an advisor to Brand 50, Strawberry Frog, and Cove Hill Partners and a member of Fast Company’s Impact Council, Adweek’s Women Trailblazers, and the Time 100 Advisory board.

At the height of the pandemic, Maryam co-founded NYCNext, a grassroots volunteer movement aimed at supporting New York’s artist community and revitalizing the city. To date the non-profit has produced 14 live pop ups including A Moment for Broadway and convened world-renowned artists for a star-studded rendition of Billy Joel's New York State of Mind to drive civic action in the New York community.

A graduate of Barnard College, Columbia Business School, and Columbia’s School of International Affairs, Maryam has been widely recognized for her achievements. These include Fast Company’s “Top 10 Disrupters,” Advertising Age’s “Women to Watch,” and Forbes’ “Most Influential CMO List”.

In 2019, she was awarded the Columbia Alumni medal ⎯ the highest honor given by the Columbia Alumni Association. And in 2021 she was Columbia Business School’s commencement speaker.

Links

To learn more about Lead With Your Brand system, please visit: LeadWithyYourBrand.com

To book Jayzen for a speaking engagement or workshop at your company, visit: JayzenPatria.com

Having never worked in sports before, Jen Kavanaugh successfully made the move from entertainment marketing and consulting to now leading marketing for one of the top professional football teams in the world. Jen is a mission-focused leader and knows how to drive fandom through passion and authenticity, in the same way that each of us can in our own career. In addition to leading the strategic and creative development of the Eagles brand, Jen is active in her community of Philadelphia and works to drive equality for women in sports.

As part of her fifteen year career in television and entertainment, Jen spent six years as Senior Vice President of Digital at Oxygen network. During her tenure with Oxygen, she drove high-profile, award-winning innovation and original streaming content that resulted in the network being recognized as a multi-platform leader within the entertainment landscape.

Guest Bio

Jen Kavanagh

Senior Vice President of Marketing & Media

Philadelphia Eagles

Jen Kavanagh is the Senior Vice President of Marketing & Media and is responsible for leading the strategic and creative development of the team's brand, original content, marketing, digital, media and experiential strategies.

Under her leadership, the Eagles have grown its programming to include multiple streaming series and podcasts as well as new, interactive strategies and experiences designed to engage the team's 9.5 million fans globally across all Eagles platforms.

Kavanagh has spent more than 15 years in media and entertainment. Prior to joining the Eagles in 2018, she founded and headed a strategic advisory firm working with Fortune 500 companies, television networks and high-growth startups.

Previously, as Principal at BRaVe Media Ventures, Kavanagh led advisory work for media and consumer brands, placing an emphasis on brand strategy, sales strategy, marketing strategy, organizational development and OTT strategy. Additionally, she was responsible for the content acquisition and development arm of the business, driving innovation around packaging for co-production partners.

Kavanagh also spent six years at NBC Universal as Senior Vice President of Digital at the company's Oxygen network. During her tenure with Oxygen, she drove high-profile, award-winning innovation and original streaming content that resulted in the network being recognized as a multi-platform leader within the entertainment landscape.

Links

To learn more about Lead With Your Brand system, please visit: LeadWithyYourBrand.com

To book Jayzen for a speaking engagement or workshop at your company, visit: JayzenPatria.com