Explore every episode of the podcast Mark It 2 Me: Podcasting about the Business of Creative Work
| Title | Pub. Date | Duration | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 28: Why Design Influencers Get It Wrong | Francisco Reyes Jr. aka Never Made Part 1 | 13 Oct 2026 | 00:39:19 | |
Francisco Reyes Jr. aka Never Made has a problem with design influencers and it is that the shortcut skips the part where you build a point of view. He would know what the long way looks like as he's spent 11 years inside Shepard Fairey's Studio Number One, most of it he was pen-tooling references building a strong vector art library. Before that, four months of unpaid interning. In Part 1 of this conversation we get into the case for gatekeeping, why nobody digs for references anymore, and what being in the room with someone great teaches you that no tutorial can. Plus, the 1000 fan theory, and why he tells every major brand exactly where he stands before he signs anything. It ends with a stranger at demanding to know why his print said her anger was a gift.
Notable Quotes GUEST INFO Website - nevermade.com Host Start with the free Brand Refresh Checklist: brandedbaron.com/rebrand-checklist Every episode of Mark It 2 Me: markit2me.com Part two is next. Sign up for the newsletter to know when it drops. Chapters | |||
| 27: Getting Unstuck: Why Mindset Isn’t Enough | Ryan Roghaar | 06 Oct 2026 | 00:53:06 | |
Most business books tell you to fix your head. Guest Ryan Roghaar printed out a revenue goal, stuck it on his office wall, and read it every morning for a year. He ended the year exactly where he started and that's when he figured out belief was never the thing getting him into the room. Back on Mark It 2 Me for the first time since Episode 2, the author of The Lid and co-host of Eggs! The Podcast breaks down the two halves of what stops people who are already good at what they do: the internal story you carry about who you are, and the structural piece almost nobody talks about (the information, the exposure, and the working model for how the next level actually runs.) He walks through the Threshold Loop, the six-step pattern that quietly returns you to where you started, and he is the example in most of it: a subscription model nobody asked for, version two of a product nobody bought version one of, a website refined instead of a sales call made. He also names the Social Lid (the people who love you and are still wildly accurate about who you used to be) and the Proof Move, the one action that gets you out. Key takeaways
Guest Info - Ryan Roghaar Mark It 2 Me Website | |||
| 26: McLaren’s New Logo and Why Rebrand Outrage Rarely Matters | 29 Sep 2026 | 00:13:13 | |
McLaren changed its logo and the internet reacted like the company was going under. The criticism is fair — but a new logo almost never hurts a brand, unless it erases the thing people recognize you by. In this solo episode, Joe breaks down what McLaren changed and kept, answers a skeptic’s “how?” with five reasons, reveals the line Gap and Cracker Barrel crossed, and shares four lessons for smaller businesses. • Loud isn’t right — outrage doesn’t measure damage. 00:00 McLaren’s new logo and the internet’s reaction Notable quotes “The noise is loud, but the loud isn’t the same as being right.” Brand Refresh Checklist - https://www.brandedbaron.com/rebrand-checklist Mark It 2 Me website — https://markit2me.com/ Instagram — https://www.instagram.com/mark_it_2_me_podcast HOST - Joe Baron Follow on Instagram — https://www.instagram.com/brandedbaron/ Follow on YouTube — https://www.youtube.com/brandedbaron | |||
| 25: What Running a Brand for 19 Years Actually Costs | Matthew Johnson | 22 Sep 2026 | 00:48:03 | |
Matthew Johnson has run Seventh.Ink by himself for nineteen years. Four years ago he moved his inventory into a warehouse. This spring he moved it back out. He breaks down why, what in-person sales actually look like right now, and how a monthly Patreon series became the only deadline on his calendar that cannot slip. Key takeaways— Scaling up is only a good decision if you are willing to reverse it. The warehouse solved a real problem in year fifteen and created a different one by year nineteen. — A subscription is a deadline before it is a revenue stream. The monthly pin and patch series is the only thing that cannot slip, so everything else organizes around it. — Quality is the through line, not the theme. Customers arrive for one series and stay for the blanks and the ink — some of them buying a yellow shirt they swore they would never own. — Convention sales came in at roughly half of last year across his entire vendor network. If your numbers are down, it is worth knowing it is not just you. — Make the call before the math makes it for you. Wait too long and it does not shrink, it implodes. Chapters 00:00Cold Open 00:10Intro 01:26Haunted Collection 17 03:08Portfolio Book Archive 04:58Bringing back old graphics without killing sales 07:19Releasing Halloween in August 09:21The four releases a year 12:19The monthly pin and patch series 13:27Designing for fans vs everyone 16:20Promoting a Patreon page 18:24Magic the Gathering, Lord of the Rings, and more Fantasy 20:04Why pins and patches 23:01DTG vs Screen printing 24:59Color separation and why it matters 28:56Art books, collectibles, and an idea worth stealing 33:35The Warehouse - Having it then Giving it up 37:14The Call with Johnny Cupcakes 38:14Make the call before it makes itself 39:39The Dip in Sales - The economy and convention truth 41:54Wholesale, Retail, and a Brick and Mortar Store 43:09Rapid Fire Questions 47:40The Wrap up Guest bioMatthew Johnson is the artist and designer behind Seventh Ink, a one-man art and clothing brand he has run since 2007. A graduate of the Art Institutes International Minnesota, he is a graphic designer and web developer by trade and still freelances under Seventhfury Studios. Seventh Ink spans apparel, enamel pins, patches, prints, and original art, with an annual Haunted Collection now in its seventeenth year. He works out of Tampa, Florida. Links - https://seventhink.com/ Host - Joe Baron Social media- @brandedbaron Show Website | |||
| 24: Branding vs. Marketing: Why Brand Clarity Comes First | 15 Sep 2026 | 00:08:48 | |
Most companies think they have a marketing problem. What they actually have is a brand clarity problem — and it shows up as fragmented messaging, shifting visuals, and campaigns that never compound. This episode breaks down why brand identity is a decision-making system, not a visual project, and what it costs when it's treated as the latter. Key takeaways
00:00 The Clarity Problem 00:11 Intro 00:38 Doing Everything Right, Still Fragmented 02:18 Systems That Scale Across Channels 03:03 What Consistency Actually Does 03:49 What Weak Brand Identity Costs 05:27 Brand Identity as an Operational Asset 07:04 Four Practical Principles 08:19 Brand First, Marketing Second About the Host
• Episode 15 — Do You Need a Rebrand or Refresh? The Brand Gut-Check | |||
| 23: Why Other Creatives Are the Wrong Audience with Jimmy Bryant of Atomicchild | 08 Sep 2026 | 00:58:56 | |
Jimmy Bryant spent years trying to earn the approval of other designers before he figured out they were never going to be his customers. Now Atomicchild is in hundreds of retailers, he sells art on products for a living, and he just shut down a profitable airport store because it was eating his life. We get into stickers, markets, manufacturing, and what success actually looks like when you stop letting other people define it. Key Takeaways
00:00 Cold open 00:28 Intro 01:38 What an Atomicchild shirt says about you 03:23 They create products, we create art 05:29 Keith Haring vs. Atomic Child 08:54 Graduating into a market with no doors 10:13 Five hundred cold emails a month 11:47 Watching them make his fee in two seconds 12:59 Why the client list stops mattering 13:43 Nalgene and Times Square 15:22 You are not designing for other designers 16:15 Stop trying to appease other creatives 17:22 Conventions versus the internet 19:25 I'm a commercial artist. I make art to sell. 21:42 Why you start with stickers 22:25 Two thousand dollars in stickers in a weekend 23:24 Listening at markets, and why apparel is a trap 24:45 What a booth actually costs 26:53 How he decides what to make 27:54 The bag line he never planned 30:32 Evergreen designs over drops 34:06 Finding your niche festival 35:22 Physical products in an AI world 37:16 Getting your work stolen 39:55 Trademarks and the cost of enforcing them 40:30 Has running a company made him a better artist 44:05 Scaling up, then scaling all the way back 46:15 Is the money worth your time 47:35 Sometimes success is survival 47:52 Five sources of income 52:27 Rapid fire Questions LINKS GUEST - Jimmy Bryant
HOST - Joe Baron
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| 22: How to Tell Your Brand Story (Without Making It Up) | 01 Sep 2026 | 00:08:03 | |
Long summary A ginger ale label sent Joe down a rabbit hole. Hal’s New York names a real person on the front of every bottle — and then describes him with five adjectives that would fit half of Queens. Hard-working. Straight-talking. Life-loving. Nothing you could picture, repeat, or remember. That is not a soda problem. It is the most common branding problem there is, and the founders who have it usually believe their brand story is finished. In this solo episode, Joe makes the case that the failure is almost never a missing story — it is a real one, flattened into description. He lays out the three things a usable story needs, why specificity feels risky and costs you anyway, why comparing your life to someone else’s finished marketing guarantees you lose, and the three questions that pull the real version out. Plus the overcorrection to avoid: invented heritage always reads smooth, and real stories never do. Key takeaways
00:00 Who Is Hal? 01:02 Intro 02:01 The One Line That Gives It Away 03:15 Why Founders Sand It Down 03:42 The Three-Part Test 04:16 Why This, Why You, Why Then 04:47 "My Story Isn’t Interesting" 05:38 Three Questions to Find Yours 06:06 Don’t Invent Heritage 07:31 Go Put It Where People Can See It HOST BIO & LINKS | |||
| 21: Beating Imposter Syndrome as a Creative Entrepreneur | 25 Aug 2026 | 00:08:03 | |
The voice asking “what if this goes wrong” isn’t protecting you — it’s rehearsing failure, and it ends up in the work you ship. In this solo episode, Joe Baron traces the question that shuts it down back to an 8th-grade production of The Music Man, and makes the case that letting fear make your decisions is the only wrong answer. Sometimes the smart move is to swing. Sometimes it’s to leave a good thing alone. The discipline is the same. KEY TAKEAWAYS
00:00 Cold intro 00:23 Main introduction 01:11 The Music Man — trouble with a capital T 02:20 Preparation vs. doom-scrolling worst-case scenarios 03:26 Pitching the safe idea 04:16 You’re not alone in the room 05:27 When your brand stops telling the truth 06:39 Don’t rebrand because you’re bored 07:37 Responding to the voice: what if it goes right?
Joe Baron is the Creative Director and Founder of Branded Baron, a branding and creative agency in New York, and the host of Mark It 2 Me — a show about the business of creative work: how people build a brand, make a living doing it, and what it actually costs to get there.
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| 20: What Should a Founder Post on Social Media? 10 Prompts That Work | 18 Aug 2026 | 00:09:39 | |
Founder-led content is the cheapest brand asset in the building, and most owners either flinch on it or borrow a format they never thought through. In this solo episode, Joe Baron uses one very public bite — and the week of executive one-upmanship that followed it — to draw the line between showing up and being worth following. Committing is the price of entry. Saying something only you could say is the return. From there he lays out the three questions to run any trend through before it becomes an HR conversation, then gives the full list of ten prompts he originally wrote for a coffee shop owner: one post each, ten weeks of content, nothing theoretical. The close makes the actual argument — this is a branding problem, not a content problem. If nobody ever speaks for the company, the voice is a guess, and the market fills that gap with whatever it decides you are. Key Takeaways
About the Host Joe Baron is the Creative Director and Founder of Branded Baron, a New York branding and creative agency working with founders and business owners on brand strategy, visual identity, and content systems. Links: brandedbaron.com · MarkIt2Me.com · Follow on Social Media - @brandedbaron · @mark_it_2_me_podcast Download the PDF Visit the site to grab your prompt pdf - https://www.brandedbaron.com/what-a-founder-shares | |||
| 19: Why AI will NEVER be better than average with Rocky Roark Part 2 | 11 Aug 2026 | 00:46:10 | |
Key Takeaways
Part 2 picks up where the Creative South conversation left off, with stickers, which turns out to be the door into Rocky's other company. Slap Stickers became Slaptastic, ran a subscription model years before subscription models were everywhere, hit four hundred subscribers, never paid anybody including him, and sold in 2018. He gave half the proceeds to his mother and used the rest to clear the credit card debt the business had generated. From there it goes to the thing most senior creatives will not say out loud, which is that the further you get in a career the harder it becomes to make anything for yourself. Rocky's answer when asked if he has found time for personal work is two words: short answer, no. Then the AI segment, and it is the most specific one we have run on this show. Rocky uses AI for hours a day. He has a dedicated machine for it. He built a system for a client that generates on-brand decks to eighty percent before a designer finishes them. He also refuses to use it for design, will not sell an AI-generated logo, and argues that the ceiling is permanent — that a model trained on what already exists can only ever return the average of what already exists, and average is a losing position for anyone trying to raise money or win a category. Plus rapid fire: three books, a fifteen-hundred-movie server, and the client from hell who ghosted for three months and then threatened legal action.
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| 18: The WORST advice any designer can receive with Rocky Roark Part 1 | 04 Aug 2026 | 00:52:07 | |
Rocky Roark is the founder and design director of Blue Cyclops, an Atlanta-based brand studio named after the imaginary friend he created when he was a kid. He is a brand designer who also builds resources for solo creatives who were never taught the business side of the industry. In Part 1, Joe and Rocky break down various topics. The 30 day brand challenge he ran in public. Bird Rock Brewing Company, a fake brewery he built that has since generated somewhere between a quarter and half a million dollars of real work and two full-time jobs. What is the worst advice right now, & what Rocky actually charges. The LinkedIn system he uses to stay present without turning into the guy who DMs everyone asking for work. And how a designer with crippling social anxiety built a referral network by treating conferences like a pilgrimage. Rocky Roark
Joe Baron - Host Branded Baron - https://www.brandedbaron.com/
Mark It 2 Me
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| 17: Why Overproduced Content Doesn't Perform: The Perfectionism Trap | 28 Jul 2026 | 00:14:35 | |
Overview Polish is overrated. In this solo, Joe unpacks the moment every creative knows and never admits — the work is done at version three, but you keep grinding to version ten anyway. That extra polish isn’t for your audience. It’s for you. Drawing on Seth Godin’s The Practice and two of his own past guests, Joe makes the case for what actually builds a brand: clarity, humanity, and showing up again. Key Takeaways
Episode 9 - Biggie Bencomo of Deli Fresh Threads Episode 14 - Mariah MacInnes, the Content Queen Chapters 00:00 -The Moment the Work Is Actually Done 00:28 - Intro 00:57 - Saying It Out Loud 01:38 - The Trap: Polish as the Price of Admission 03:09 - The Practice by 05:51 - We Live in the Frontier: Mastery and Starting Over 06:11 - Failure Is the Practice 07:14 - Nintendo’s Journey 07:47 - The Messy Desk 09:13 - FaceTime Beats Broadcast 10:50 - Consistency Is the Trust Engine 11:55 - Trust Is Built Through Consistency, Not Polish 12:20 - Polish Has a Job 12:30 - Trust Your Gut and Ship Your Work 13:30 - What a Brand Really Is 13:45 - Show the Real, Imperfect Moments to Connect 14:17 - Upcoming Guest and Closing Thoughts Follow Us Joe Baron All social media @brandedbaron | |||
| 16: How Free Content Turns Into Brand Deals | Anderson Bluu | 21 Jul 2026 | 01:05:17 | |
Anderson Bluu returns to Mark It 2 Me for a conversation that covers more ground than most guests manage in a first appearance. We get into the creator economy in real, operational terms: how content has replaced the billboard, what “invisible hours” mean for building a loyal audience, and why the brands that reach out to Anderson usually do it because of a video he posted years earlier without expecting anything from it. Anderson breaks down his new YouTube channel (built specifically for the beginning digital artist) and why he started it in secret, without telling anyone. We dig into his Adobe Fresco partnership, what it looks like when a brand that size shows up in your inbox, and the debate we promised in episode one: Fresco vs. Procreate vs. Illustrator. On the business side: how Anderson tests new art prints at Comic Cons the way a comedian road-tests jokes, why limited edition beats open edition for urgency, and where sports art is heading. Key Takeaways
Find Anderson:
Find the show:
Find Joe:
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| 15: Do You Need a Rebrand or Refresh? The Brand Gut-Check | 14 Jul 2026 | 00:05:45 | |
Most people rebrand because they're bored — the worst reason there is. In this solo episode, Joe gives you the gut-check he runs before touching anyone's brand: six signs, scored honestly, so you stop guessing about whether it's time. Then the line most owners cross — an intentional refresh vs. blowing up equity you spent years building. In this episode • The one job every brand has — and how to tell when it's failing • The six signs: storytelling, positioning, consistency, logo, age, and color • How to score yourself: hold steady, drifting, or rebuild • Refresh vs. reinvention — Gap, Tropicana, Dunkin, and the chameleon rule Chapters 00:00 Intro Notable quotes "A brand has one job. Match the business." "Relics belong in museums, but only if they have value." Links & CTA Score yourself with the free Brand Refresh Checklist: GET THE BRAND CHECKLIST Want a real read on your brand? Let's have a conversation: https://www.brandedbaron.com/contact Read — Your Brand Needs to Evolve and Adapt: https://www.brandedbaron.com/blog/2025/6/25/your-brand-needs-to-evolve Mark It 2 Me website - https://markit2me.com/ Instagram account - https://www.instagram.com/mark_it_2_me_podcast Branded Baron Website - https://www.brandedbaron.com/ Follow on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/brandedbaron/ Follow on Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/brandedbaron | |||
| 14: Why Isn't My Social Media Working? Build a Content Strategy Instead | Mariah MacInnes | 07 Jul 2026 | 01:02:24 | |
Mariah MacInnes journalist turned content strategist, host of 300+ episodes, came on to talk about what most businesses get wrong before they ever hit post. The conversation covered the foundations of a real content strategy, how storytelling and selling can coexist without feeling forced, why she takes a TikTok-first approach even for clients who hate TikTok, and what consistency actually means when we throw the word "authenticity" around like it solves problems. Key Takeaways
CONNECT WITH US MARIAH MACINNES - a.k.a. Content Queen Mariah is a content marketer and strategist based in Australia. She approaches marketing with a storytelling-first lens, focused on organic strategies that build real audience connection without relying on trends or paid traffic. She hosts The Content Queen Podcast, works with clients across industries on full content strategy and execution.
JOE BARON - Founder of the New York creative design agency Branded Baron and the host of Mark It 2 Me.
MARK IT 2 ME -
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| 13: Landing Brand Clients Like the Cleveland Guardians | Lisa Quine | 23 Jun 2026 | 01:01:27 | |
Host Joe Baron sits down with Cleveland muralist and illustrator Lisa Quine for a conversation about how she built a mural business that actually works and what she's doing now to get back to the creative work that fills her up. From landing the Cleveland Guardians to writing a book to designing a Phantom of the Opera cover, Lisa's career has never followed a straight line. That's kind of the point. What we cover:
Timestamps / Chapters
Follow Us Lisa Quine is a Cleveland-based muralist, illustrator, and author known for bringing strategy, joy, and bold design to blank spaces. Named Best Artist in Cleveland in 2024, she's completed over 150 murals across the US and internationally, collaborated with brands including the Cleveland Guardians, Cleveland Cavaliers, DoorDash, Meta, Mercedes-Benz, and the Holiday Inn, and authored Vintage Hand Lettering.
Joe Baron - Creative Director of the design and marketing New York boutique agency Branded Baron and host of Mark It 2 Me
Mark It 2 Me Website | |||
| 12: Leadership Lessons Learned for Creative Business Owners from Jalen Brunson's Championship Run | 21 Jun 2026 | 00:08:24 | |
In this episode, Joe Baron speaks directly to the listener and breaks down eight lessons gathered from Jalen Brunson's postseason, covering how confidence is built, what pressure is really telling you, why sacrifice is the strategy, and the 0-0 mindset that carried the Knicks to a championship. These lessons were there when Jalen Brunson walked into his post-game interview especially after Game 4 in the biggest comeback in NBA Finals history. It wasn't about basketball. It was a leadership philosophy.
Whether you're managing a team, running a creative business, or just trying to grow your career these principles apply. Brunson demonstrated every single one of them under the highest pressure possible. Here's what you can take from it.
Topics covered: — Confidence comes from work ethic, not the moment — Pressure as a signal, not just a feeling — How the best leaders think about worst-case outcomes — Chasing wins over accolades — Sacrifice as a leadership strategy — Work ethic across roles and titles — Why doubters don't deserve your energy — The 0-0 mindset and what it looks like professionally Chapters 0:00 — Intro — A Leadership Manual, Not a Basketball Story 0:33 — Who Is Joe Baron / Branded Baron + Mark It 2 Me 1:13 — Setting the Scene 2:12 — Lesson 1: Confidence Comes From Your Work Ethic 2:35 — Lesson 2: Pressure Means You Stopped Preparing 3:03 — Lesson 3: Think About the Worst Outcome — Then Move On 3:32 — Lesson 4: Stop Chasing Accolades. Chase Wins. 4:00 — Lesson 5: Sacrifice for Your People Pays Off 4:52 — Lesson 6: Your Work Ethic Doesn't Change With Your Role 5:17 — Lesson 7: The Doubters Don't Deserve a Response 5:53 — Lesson 8: You Never Know What's Possible If You Keep Working 6:46 — The 0-0 Mindset 7:29 — Branded Baron Insight + Outro
CONNECT WITH US: Connect with Joe Baron: Sign Up to the Newsletter: Mark It 2 Me Website: Key Takeaways • Confidence is the byproduct of preparation • Pressure that paralyzes you is almost always a preparation problem. • The best leaders absorb friction, pass the credit, and take the blame. That's the job. • The 0-0 mindset means resetting after every win and every loss and only the next task exists. • Most creative careers stall not from lack of talent but from a premature stop. Keep chipping away. | |||
| 11: Is a Design Degree Worth It? What Actually Gets You Hired | Jason Frostholm | 09 Jun 2026 | 00:55:44 | |
Jason Frostholm is a graphic designer, educator, and former podcast host based in Mobile, Alabama. He did his undergrad at the University of South Alabama, went back for his master's during the pandemic, and spent several years teaching design full-time at a local Jesuit institution. His thesis focused on integrating business principles into design education — and it shows in how he structures his courses. He's worked in-house at an engineering firm, run a referral-based freelance practice, and attended Creative South (where he and Joe first crossed paths). He's still designing, still teaching, and still thinking hard about how to set the next generation of creatives up for the real thing. Guest Info & Links Website: jasonfrostholm.com Studio: ildisdesign.com Social: @jfrostholm Chapter Timestamps 00:00 Cold open — production work & the reality of design jobs 00:15 Welcome to Mark It 2 Me + intro of Jason Frostholm 01:13 What made Jason want to teach 03:45 Teaching to each student differently 06:22S ketching — paper vs. digital, and why it still matters 10:44 Students as clients — why that framing is wrong 13:27 Writing creative briefs (and making students write them) 16:4 8What design schools are missing: the business side 21:43 What new designers don't understand about the job 23:59Being proactive, following up, and not waiting for work to appear 29:27 Tools don't make the designer — the Canva debate 33:50 Presenting work: why students hate it and how to fix it 36:44 Production work, in-house reality, and entry-level truth 39:27 Advice for landing your first design job 42:27 Conferences, workshops, and always be learning 43:57Rapid fire Questions Notable Quotes "Most design jobs out there are either production or in-house. Landing a huge client and becoming the next Draplin is few and far between." — Jason Frostholm "My job is to facilitate an environment where they can discover [their process] for themselves. There's no right or wrong process." — Jason Frostholm Find Jason at @jfrostholm on social and jasonfrostholm.com. His studio is at ildisdesign.com. Follow the show, leave a review, and if this episode hit — share it with someone who's still in school or just starting out. | |||
| 10: How Do You Build a Career in Hand Lettering? | Jason Carne | 26 May 2026 | 00:53:32 | |
Overview Jason Carne has been doing lettering professionally for two decades. His client list reads like a mashup of a record store, a sports bar, and a spirits cabinet — and that range isn't accidental. It's the result of staying a student of lettering long after most people would've gotten comfortable. In this conversation, Jason and Joe get into how that career actually gets built: the early days doing hardcore merch, the pivot toward packaging and branding, the Stanley Cup project that came in during COVID and somehow still landed, and the ongoing challenge of positioning yourself without losing what makes your work yours. Key Takeaways
"Give me some guardrails, but trust me enough to do my thing." - Jason Carne 0:00 - Preview Connect with US Jason Carne Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jasoncarne Behance: https://behance.net/jasoncarne Joe Baron Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brandedbaron/ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/brandedbaron | |||
| 9: How Do You Start a Clothing Brand People Actually Care About? | Deli Fresh Threads | 12 May 2026 | 01:32:41 | |
Anthony “Biggie” Bencomo — Owner and CSO (Chief Sandwich Officer) of Deli Fresh Threads — joins Mark It 2 Me to talk about building a concept-driven apparel brand rooted in nostalgia, packaging experience, and real-world community. From launching KnightMare Apparel at the University of Central Florida in 1997 to founding Deli Fresh Threads in 2013, Biggie shares lessons learned from nearly three decades of entrepreneurship. He breaks down how turning a sandwich into a brand universe led to restaurant partnerships, monthly SandwichEatUp events, and a loyal following built through connection — not just content. We dive into: This episode isn’t about sandwiches, it’s about turning a product into a place. CONNECT WITH US Guest Info Anthony "Biggie" Bencomo Website: http://delifreshthreads.com/ Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/delifreshthreads/ Host Info | |||
| 8: The Logo Design Step MOST Designers Skip | Ian Paget Part 2 | 04 May 2026 | 01:06:57 | |
In Part 2 of this conversation, Joe Baron continues his discussion with logo designer, author, and Logo Geek founder Ian Paget. Website: https://logogeek.uk Website: https://www.brandedbaron.com Website: https://www.markit2me.com If you haven’t already, check out Part 1 of this conversation where we discuss:
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| 7: A New Hope for Creatives: The Rise of Logo Geek | 28 Apr 2026 | 01:28:06 | |
What does it actually take to build something meaningful as a creative without burning yourself out in the process? In this episode of Mark It 2 Me, I sit down with logo designer, educator, and founder of Logo Geek, Ian Paget, to break down the early stages of his journey to building a respected platform within the design community. We talk about how he got started in graphic design, the realities of freelancing, and what it takes to stay consistent long enough to see real progress. A major part of this conversation also focuses on mental health. the pressure creatives face, the importance of work-life balance, and why taking care of yourself is just as important as developing your skills. Ian shares insights on overcoming creative block, why it’s often more about mindset than ability, and how building a supportive community can change the trajectory of your career. This isn’t a conversation about shortcuts or overnight success. It’s about the long game, building something sustainable, staying grounded, and creating work that actually lasts. If you’re a designer, freelancer, or creative trying to find clarity in your path while protecting your mental well-being, this episode will resonate. Connect with us:Ian Paget Website: https://logogeek.uk/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ianpaget/ Joe Baron Website: https://www.brandedbaron.com/ Website: https://markit2me.com/ Instagram: instagram.com/markit2me In This Episode, We Cover:
Mark It 2 Me explores how working creatives turn their work into brands, careers, and creative communities. | |||
| 6: Why Isn't My Marketing Working? The Most Common Mistakes | Brianna Calero | 14 Apr 2026 | 01:01:16 | |
In this episode of Mark It 2 Me, I sit down with Brianna Calero, founder of Pastel Creative and Fractional CMO, to unpack what real strategic marketing leadership actually looks like. We talk about the difference between visibility and authority, why most companies chase acquisition instead of retention, and how serving your “super fans” can build stronger revenue than chasing mass audiences. Brianna shares how she transitioned from wanting to be a pastry chef to becoming a growth engine for founders, how she approaches market intelligence before building strategy, and why she believes discernment is more profitable than hype. We also dive into marketing alignment, authenticity in business, and the mindset shift that separates sustainable growth from hustle culture. If you’re a founder, creative, or marketer trying to build authority instead of just traffic this conversation is for you. Guest Info Brianna Calero - https://pastelcreative.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/pastel-creative/ Host Info Joe Baron - https://www.brandedbaron.com/ Mark It 2 Me instagram - https://instagram.com/markit2me | |||
| 5: Attorney by Day, Street Photographer and Musician by Night | Larry Krayn | 31 Mar 2026 | 00:46:19 | |
In this episode of Mark It 2 Me, Joe Baron sits down with New Jersey's Larry Krayn an attorney, street photographer, curator, and rapper known as IL Lusciato. Larry opens up about rediscovering his creative identity after building a legal career, releasing his album Life’s Legacy and A World Not For Everyone, and embracing the idea that none of us are one-dimensional. The conversation explores:
This episode is about confidence, proof of concept, creative resilience, and embracing all dimensions of who you are. Follow Larry Krayn https://www.instagram.com/xquisite_grit/ http://youtube.com/il_lusciato Don't forget to follow Joe Baron https://www.instagram.com/brandedbaron/ Mark It 2 Me Podcast Instagram account - https://instagram.com/markit2me | |||
| 4: How to Build a Creative Community as a Freelancer | Michael Smith | 17 Mar 2026 | 00:43:15 | |
In this episode of Mark It 2 Me, Joe Baron sits down with designer, dad, and community builder Michael Smith, founder of Dadsigner, host of The Dadsigner Podcast, co-owner of R5 CoLab, and creator of two successfully crowdfunded children’s books.
They close with rapid-fire questions (including the official dad sneaker debate) and reflections on what it means to build something sustainable both in business and at home. This episode is about ownership, intention, and creating community that actually feels real. His website: https://www.dadsigner.com/ | |||
| 3: AI Isn't Your Enemy with Iquan Worthington of the Artoholiks | 03 Mar 2026 | 00:53:22 | |
Joe Baron sits down with Creative Director and founder of the Artoholiks, Iquan Worthington, for a real conversation about creativity, leadership, ego, A.I., and long-term sustainability in the creative industry. Iquan breaks down why your full-time job should be treated like your biggest client, how setting boundaries protects your creativity, and why most designers misunderstand agency vs. in-house dynamics. He shares hard-earned lessons from building an agency, working inside a fast-growing Fintech company, and why "take all the work, figure it out later" isn't always what it seems.
Plus the return of the "Rapid Fire Questions" segment. You can follow Iquan Worthington at https://www.everydayimdoodling.com/ On his personal instagram - https://www.instagram.com/iquanw On the Artoholiks instagram - https://www.instagram.com/theartoholiks/ You can follow the Mark It 2 Me Podcast instagram at https://www.instagram.com/markit2me/ Follow Joe Baron on instagram https://www.instagram.com/brandedbaron/ And his creative agency website https://www.brandedbaron.com/ | |||
| 2: Networking for Creatives: The 10-Year Overnight Success | with Ryan Roghaar | 17 Feb 2026 | 00:57:42 | |
In this conversation, Joe Baron and Ryan Roghaar explore the evolution of Ryan's career from agency owner to consultant, emphasizing the importance of building genuine relationships over transactional networking. They discuss the significance of intentionality in networking, the concept of the '10-year overnight success,' and the balance between work and personal life. Ryan shares insights from his experiences in the music industry and the freelance landscape, highlighting how personal connections can lead to opportunities. The discussion wraps up with rapid-fire questions, revealing Ryan's personality and preferences. | |||
| 1: How Do You Pitch a Sneaker Collaboration and Design It for Foot Locker? | Anderson Bluu | 03 Feb 2026 | 00:56:43 | |
In this episode of Mark It 2 Me, I sit down with Anderson Bluu to talk about the unexpected start of his creative career, how an injury during a kids’ game led him into art and design, and eventually to designing multiple sneaker exclusives with Foot Locker. We break down the full process behind the Foot Locker x Diadora Ice Cream Collection, from pitching the idea and designing during the pandemic to creative direction, lifestyle photography, fast timelines, and the in-store release. In this episode of Mark It 2 Me, I sit down with Anderson Bluu to talk about the unexpected start of his creative career, how an injury during a kids’ game led him into art and design, and eventually to designing multiple sneaker exclusives with Foot Locker. | |||