June 5, 2025 • 48 mins
Join Dr. Lewis in a conversation with Anna Brolin, Founder/CEO of Promote Sweden. Anna Brolin is a seasoned brand and marketing expert with international experience, having worked across multiple countries with some of the world’s top global brands. Known for her strategic mindset and innovative approach, she helps businesses build strong brand identities and deliver marketing strategies that drive meaningful growth. Email: anna.brolin@promotesweden.com
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Success 4 Women is broadcast live Thursdays at 2PM ET on W4WN Radio - Women 4 Women Network (www.w4wn.com) part of Talk 4 Radio (www.talk4radio.com) on the Talk 4 Media Network (www.talk4media.com). Success 4 Women TV Show is viewed on Talk 4 TV (www.talk4tv.com).
Success 4 Women Podcast is also available on Talk 4 Media (www.talk4media.com), Talk 4 Podcasting (www.talk4podcasting.com), iHeartRadio, Amazon Music, Pandora, Spotify, Audible, and over 100 other podcast outlets.
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/success-4-women--3126970/support.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
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(00:20):
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Speaker 2 (00:25):
I got them? And did you know women represent just
(00:57):
three percent of Fortune five hundred c in less than
fifteen percent of corporate executives at top companies worldwide? Have
you wondered what the secrets are to getting into the
top ranks, whether in the private or public sector. Do
you want to figure out how to stop being held
back in your career? Are pasted over for promotion? Then
(01:20):
you're in the right place.
Speaker 3 (01:22):
Hi.
Speaker 2 (01:23):
I'm doctor Mattlanann lewis President and CEO of the Executive
Women's Success Institute. I have decades of experience in the military,
the federal government, and corporate America, and my mission is
to help women succeed and tap into their full potential.
I want to reach a million plus women around the
(01:43):
world to become the leaders they are meant to be.
So if you want to move into a management or
executive level position, or maybe you are a female veteran
transitioning out of the military into business entrepreneurship, then reach
out to the Executive Women Success Institute at three zero
one six nine three three two eight four let us
(02:07):
get you.
Speaker 4 (02:08):
On the fast track to success.
Speaker 2 (02:22):
Well, hello, and welcome to the Successful Women's Show, where
you can view us on Talk for TV and listen
to us on the Women for Women Network. I am
doctor Madeline Ann Lewis your host, and my mission is
to help women accelerate the path to success. And today's
(02:46):
topic is brands and Businesses. And my guess is coming
to us from Sweden today and her name is Anna Brolin.
Let me just give you a little bit of background
about Anna. Anna Broland is a season brand and marketing
(03:06):
expert with international experience, having worked across multiple countries with
some of the world's top global brands. Known for her
strategic mindset and innovative approach, she helps businesses build strong
brand identities and deliver marketing strategies that drive meaningful growth.
(03:32):
While her background spans both agency and client side roles,
Anna is passionate about empowering women, entrepreneurs and career driven
women achieve financial freedom and realize their business goals. Through
advisory board roles, mentorship, and purpose led strategy, she guides
(03:57):
women from idea to launch, helping them build thriving, impactful
businesses on their own terms. Today, i'd like to introduce
and present to you, miss Anna Brolin.
Speaker 3 (04:14):
Thank you so much, Doctor Madeleine. It's such a great
honor to be on your show. I've followed you over
a long period of time and it's just can't believe
I'm here. I'm very very honored.
Speaker 2 (04:25):
Well, thank you, and I'm honored to have you here because,
as you said, i've followed you also. So it's amazing
when you see people when they put stuff out, and
you know, the content sometimes that they put out is
just it just strikes you or resonate with you so
much that it's like I gotta meet that person. You know,
hopefully I'll run into them one day. So that's always
(04:48):
my thought. And when I see something like that, it's
like I always want to bring the person on the
show so they could just talk about what they do
and how they do it. And that is what we're
going to get you to do today because just to
share with us what you know, the things that you do.
But before we get started, I usually give the standard
(05:09):
bio on my guests, but I always like to ask
the guests to just tell us about what you want
us to know about Anna Brolin. So tell us what
you want us to know about you.
Speaker 3 (05:22):
So i am Swedish, but I've lived in London for
the past twenty plus years and I'm passionate about I've
worked with all sorts of brands and help them grow,
as you said, but I'm passionate about people's dreams and
therefore working with the real founders, with those who had it,
(05:43):
who we've once had a dream, and helping them put
their dream into the world. That's that's that's my that's
my dream projects, and that's that's what I'm focusing more
and more on.
Speaker 2 (05:56):
And see that you like doing that. I mean, like
I said, just from the things that you put out there,
I could see that you really like doing that. So yeah,
thank you glad. That shows Yeah, it really does. So
tell us now you like you said, you've worked with
some of the world's biggest brands, but you also have
(06:17):
a passion, like you said, for helping women entrepreneurs grow
their dream businesses. So what would you say are the
key ingredients in building a powerful brand that truly connects
with people.
Speaker 3 (06:32):
It is a one million dollar question and it takes
a whole day with the whole team. But I do
have some shortcuts to share with you, and that is
I think all successful brands once saw a problem they
wanted to solve. So I usually say when I start
working with a new client or when I lead a workshop,
(06:53):
I say, it's when we are in business, we don't
choose a product to sell, we choose a problem to all.
And I think that is so important because most successful
founders they once saw they saw something that were missing,
or they saw something that they thought I can do
that better, and and then so they started with a vision,
(07:15):
with with a true mission to put something out in
the world. And that's that's I think it's a starting
point to know really to know your why. It sounds
too simple, but I think many people start with what
am I good at? What do my target audience want?
But if you really start with your why and then
(07:37):
go backwards so to say, So, I have something I
call the elevator pitch again when I when I work
with a new client, I ask them, so, what's define
the problem? And define the problem you're solving. And you
would be surprised how many of my clients can't either
can't even say that within the first few seconds. They
(08:00):
really have to think hard about it. And that's not good,
is it? Or in a group of say eight to
ten people, I get eight to ten different answers, and
that's not good either. So starting with what am I
put on earth to do? What? What is the mission
of this entity, corporation, organization? And then I ask, so,
(08:23):
describe to me what you do. And again many people
don't quite know, Oh what do you mean? What you
do to solve this problem? And you should if you
have a strong strategy or if you know, if you
if you know when you got how you're going to
bring this product or service to the audience, then you
(08:44):
do know the what you do and then how you
do it, and finally then identify who benefits the most
from this. And most people start from from the end
point who benefits the most from what I want to
do instead of instead of asking what is the problem
(09:07):
I solve? So that's that is a sort of a
speedy a speedy way, an elevator pitch. If you can
answer these these particularly three core questions in a in
a well articulated, really inspirational way in within a minute,
then I think you've you've got something strong, a strong
(09:29):
foundation to stand on. Wow.
Speaker 2 (09:31):
Now you mentioned the elevator pitch, which we do hear
about that a lot. Some say that it's supposed to
be where you get on the elevator with someone and
if they ask you what you do, you're supposed to
be able to tell them, you know, in enough time
where you just go from the floor you're on maybe
(09:52):
to the next floor. That's all the time you have
to kind of grab their interest. But you know, and
a lot of people, just like you said, said they
can't answer that question or they don't know how. But
we also know that it's important to know that. So
what what do you think it takes to craft a
(10:15):
great one minute speech? And you say one minute, some
say thirty seconds. So what do you think is it?
Is it just between the thirty seconds to one minute
or and why do you think it's such a critical tool,
especially for women in business to be able to do.
Speaker 3 (10:33):
Firstly, it's a help to yourself. I found when I
when I work with many women, I found that that's
crafting this together makes makes any any woman or man
who works with it's more clear on how also how
to express what they do. Hopefully most people do know
what they do, but sometimes we miss, we miss where
(10:56):
why we started, they think in the first place, and
going back to the roots, going back to why our
why makes it makes us much more authentic as well.
And in communication, authenticity is everything, particularly to day when
AI can create campaigns within one hour and put this
out in any of the media channels, so we are
(11:18):
exposed to more and more and more and more stuff.
And therefore, yeah, and therefore authenticity is key. So when
I so when I work with a woman, it could
be thirty seconds, because if you are at a party,
I usually say it's it's not just in professional circumstance.
If you are at a party and someone also what
(11:39):
you what do you do? You should you should be
able to proudly, confidently and an inspirational way deliver, say
say with thee thirty seconds if it's in a more
informal setting, would you do right? Right?
Speaker 2 (11:55):
Wow? So you also mentioned AI and we know in
today's fast paced AI drive world, content is being created
at you know, warp speeds sort to speak. So how
do you think brands can stand out in what's becoming
a sea of madness?
Speaker 3 (12:17):
I like that you say see your madness, Madeline, because
I think that's exactly what it is. And I think
we've just seen the start of it. It's it's and
and I can totally see why, because it's quite fun.
With all these new techniques and tools that we have.
We can create videos at home, we can, we can
we can change our whole appearance with we can we
can even dress in different outfits and just by sitting
(12:42):
at the laptop. So it's quite fun what we can do.
And I can understand why. It's fun to also put
it out in the world and try try different takes
and different different ways of communicating your brand. But the
way to stand out is again, I will sound like
a broken record by the time we've done you and
(13:02):
I today, but it again, it's back to the roots.
It's back to authenticity. If if you know your why,
you will communicate, maybe not perfect and flawless than a
I can do that, but if you instead communicate from
your heart, and you can you can tell when someone
is communicating from their heart, and you can hear from
(13:26):
the words when when it's when it's true. And that
I think brands that stand out in the future will
be the brands who who who speaks the truth. I
also think simplicity, that the clearer and more simple you
are with your message that will stand out in this
(13:47):
CeAl sameness.
Speaker 2 (13:50):
Wow, you know that when you talk about AI, it's
really amazing some of the things, especially with the videos
I was in. As a matter of fact, earlier this week,
I was in some training to look at how they're
doing these videos using the AI, because you see, like
(14:10):
if you on Facebook. I think one day I was
on Facebook and I was looking at someone I know,
and she's standing there, you know, with this nice outfit on,
and all of a sudden, this big old tiger came
up and just kind of hugged her. I'm like, WHOA,
But I realized that of course that you know, it
(14:33):
was something that was just kind of input in there
by AI. But it's just it just it looked so
real me sitting here looking at it on the screen
like that. It looks so real, and it's just amazing,
like you said, with all the stuff that AI can do,
and when it comes to branding, so many people, you know,
(14:55):
they're using it, especially in their videos and different things
like that, and how they're you know, you're watching these
videos and it's like one person and that same person
turns into another person with a different outfit on, and
you know, all these different things.
Speaker 3 (15:10):
And I'm fascinated by it, and I think.
Speaker 2 (15:12):
I know exactly.
Speaker 3 (15:14):
I usually say it's we are democratizing marketing because before AI,
only they only the rich bands could afford to have
great marketing campaigns and videos. And today you can even
you can even create music to a product video in
in your own web studio.
Speaker 2 (15:34):
Yeah, amazing exactly.
Speaker 3 (15:38):
In a way, I'm very curious.
Speaker 2 (15:40):
And that's why I'm curious about it is because I
always feel like, you know, I don't have to be
an expert in everything, but I kind of like to
know a little bit about how it works, you know.
So that's why I was I was taking that looking
into that training and taking it because I kind of
wanted to figure out, Okay, how are they doing these
videos like that? What platforms are they using it? But
(16:02):
it's so many of them, it's like you then have
to figure out which one of them that you want
to be able to use and to move, you know,
depending on actually depending on what it is you're I
guess you're trying to do, you know. As to all
the stuff that those things can do, it's just amazing.
Speaker 3 (16:22):
It is amazing. And most of them you don't need
to pay a lot for them. There are a Maria
to choose from there that many really high quality and
you and you shouldn't pay.
Speaker 2 (16:35):
Much for them, No, you really shouldn't.
Speaker 3 (16:38):
So my agents we're putting together a an AI package
now where where we where we help women with well
men and women, but I mostly work with women who
you have an idea and want to put this idea
to the world. We just we have just launched our
first website and product, VideA, all with the help of AI.
(17:01):
And it's amazing what it can do, even in video,
and it's it's it shouldn't cost the clients much because
it's it's programs that that that are out there and
they do a fantastic job.
Speaker 2 (17:18):
Okay, okay, So tell us now again, you've had a
unique experience staying in monastery and learning a monastery and
learning about the power of intuition. Now that's different. How
has that shaped your approach to business and also decision making,
(17:38):
especially in contrast to today's data heavy as we said,
AI supported strategies.
Speaker 3 (17:45):
Mhm, yeah, yeah, it's interesting. I hit I hit the
point where I was overwhelmed. I work for for a
research company dealing lots with data, and I just just
felt it wasn't aligned anymore. I was overwhelmed. I also
experienced loss in my life and all this at the
(18:08):
same time, and I decided to although this, this data
company was my biggest client at the time, but I
just decided I have to give them up because it's
it's not what I want to do. I want to
help people put their dream businesses out there. So I
(18:29):
was just overwhelmed and decided to ask the monastery if
I could come and stay for a week. And they'd
never done that before. They welcome pilgrim pilgrimage and they
have women staying for a night or max two, but
they've never had a guest for one week. But I
just knew in my heart I had to stay for
(18:51):
a whole week or it wouldn't it wouldn't be the
calm and the reset that I needed. And they said,
give me twelve hours. The nun who are who took
my call said, please give me twelve hours because we
all need to we all need to agree that it's
a good idea to receive you right. And I called
(19:15):
back the other the next day and they said, we
all got resounding yes from God in our praise this morning,
so you're so welcome. And I stayed a week, and
I learned from the nuns how to in silence, tap
into your own inner voice and your own intuition or
God's voice. If you believe in God, it's it's it's
(19:39):
the only way to tap into intuition is in stillness,
in calm, And I learned over this week. I learned
how to cancel out all the noise and tap into
what's important for me, and secondly to trust it as well.
(20:00):
I got all sorts of really strange messages, but I thought,
I'm going to try this. I'm going to do exactly
as I'm told. And I did, and I could not
see the pattern. I could not see the wise. Some
things were quite quite crazy, but in hindsight it was
the right thing to do to do.
Speaker 2 (20:19):
Wow, that is so interesting that you did that. And
I'm sure that, like you said that, just having to,
you know, get yourself to a point where you were
just still like that and like you said, to get
rid of all the noise. It was. I'm sure it
brought a lot of clarity too, and other things that
(20:42):
you were trying to do or needed to do, or
maybe even wanted to focus on, and you weren't quite
focusing on it because of all the noise. So I'm
sure that that really helped.
Speaker 3 (20:55):
It did help, And now I'm happy to have that
as a part of my mentoring other women. And even
when I work with other brands and women do want
to put their products out, they do they do know.
Sometimes they ask for advice. Sometimes they don't know. But
I say to them, you do know. When it's key decisions,
(21:17):
we struggle and we think we don't know. We usually
do know, but we we are too afraid to take
a step or to hear or to hear the truth.
But most of the time we do know. We do know.
Speaker 2 (21:31):
You're right about that. Yeah, Wow, now I know that
we are also entering a time when more jobs are
being automated. I mean we see that now everywhere we go.
Are there being outsourced again to AI? And what we're
seeing our experienced professionals who are being replaced by junior
(21:54):
staffs and that's supported by technology. So how is this
shift do you think affect in the way we learn
at work? And what role do mentors and human leaderships
still play in helping the next generation grow in their careers.
Speaker 3 (22:11):
That's a very good question. I can hear you think
about the same things as I as I think about
it's it's it's not just seeing new people who are
replaced by juniors. Also juniors are now replaced by machines.
So I think we are entering a period a period
of time that is unprecedented. It's it's I don't think
(22:35):
we even understand what we are heading we're heading towards.
I think the young ones today that we we they
still need someone senior to guide them, to help them
to act as their mentors. So even at companies we
(22:55):
see downscaling, but it is still important that that people
are guiding did and and the more senior people do
have do have the ability to tap into their intuition.
It tends to be they've developed that ability better than
the young ones because it comes with age and experience
(23:18):
and and there and and in this data driven world,
we need we do need to back our decision making
process up with gut feels, intuition and and common sense. Yeah,
and so, so I think the dream team is is
a company where where young and old people work together
(23:43):
with with both with data driven insights but also their
their own experience and knowledge. But I also think I
also think we should look look upon AI and and
how it's going to transform our industries and the way
we work, not only in a negative sense, because I
think we are we are going to have to focus
(24:04):
more on really contributing rather than just doing, because clearly
AI is taking over there doing jobs. Absolutely, so I
think we're going to see high equalities. I think we're
going to we are going to focus on the strategic thinking,
(24:25):
the creative thinking innovations much more because now we will
have the time, so we will simply have the time to.
Speaker 2 (24:35):
To upgrade absolutely, which I guess we just have to
make sure there's still that human touch though that's that's
the only thing when you when you see the AI
taking over. Even when you go in the supermarket now
and you have the all the checkout counters that self
check you know, self checkout, and you're looking around and
(24:58):
there's nobody around. You know, you literally have to go
and find somebody if you if you have a question
or what have you. So I think, I guess you know,
that's the only thing that I think it will.
Speaker 3 (25:12):
I think you're right. I think it would go to
I think it would go too far for sure, And
then we enter a time of recalibrating. But we are
heading towards a period of time where we where we
will go too far, we will miss this human human touch.
And I went to a lunch restaurant last week with
(25:34):
a friend I haven't seen in a long time, and
we were sitting there opposite each other. There were no
human being other than a couple of other guests. It
was a very upmarked, nice restaurant, and I looked around.
I was waiting, waiting for some someone to attend to us,
and we hardly spoke. Worse because we had at one
(25:56):
and a half hour's lunch break to eat, and we
had to scan a barcode with each each hour. Phone
phones it's not unusual, but it is unusual that you
don't have any other option in a very elegant restaurant.
So we both said we hadn't We hadn't met in
half a year, and we were sitting there with one
telephone each with a screen in between us scrawling through
(26:18):
the menu. I don't like that. I want to be
able to discuss the menu, point at it.
Speaker 2 (26:24):
And ask them what do you think? What do you
how do you think? You know, you want to get
their opinion. Have you tried this? What do you think
about it?
Speaker 3 (26:31):
You know? Yeah, So that's so that kind of world.
I think we're heading more and more into that kind
of world. And I agree with you, Madeline, it's not
it's not the ideal human, inspirational world I think we
all want to live in. But unfortunately we will have there,
I think, and and then and then not until there
(26:52):
will be a backlash.
Speaker 2 (26:54):
Now we will have It's it's funny because I remember,
and I don't know if you recall the it was
a uh, a kind of a cartoon that used to
come on called the Jetsons. It was and it was
UH and that's what they were. They everything was. I
(27:16):
guess you can say AI everything was and you know,
whatever they needed, all they had to do was just
say it and it would come to them. Or you know,
they get in these cars look like little spaceships and
zoom off, and you know, if they they had the
robot made to clean the house and all of this
kind of stuff. And when you think about it, this
(27:38):
was back when I you know, when I was growing up,
and they were doing that then, and it's like now
when I think about that, that that cartoon, it's like
it's almost the same the thing that's going on now.
You know.
Speaker 3 (27:55):
It's kind of a George Orwell moment. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (27:58):
Yeah, it's just it's interesting to when you look back
on that and you think about how they had that
set up, Who's thinking was that and if they brought
that thinking from then all the way into now, you know,
because it really is, what you're seeing now is a
lot of what was in that back then. I just
(28:19):
it's just unreal. Yeah, it is.
Speaker 3 (28:21):
It is unreal what we are experiencing. I think it is.
And if you look at what AI could do two
months ago compared to what it can do today, its.
Speaker 2 (28:31):
Now, Gary, it is, it is, and yeah, it is
so now you had an impressive international career, and you
continue to advise on boards, to speak and even to
(28:54):
mentor what has personal growth looked like for you and
how has your journey impact the way you empower other women?
Speaker 3 (29:03):
So I think for me, one of the biggest learnings
for me is that success comes from within. When you
make the decision m M that you really want something,
and then couple that with yeah, I can do that,
then it's it's no stopping it's nothing stopping you. You
(29:25):
can do. You can do much much more than you
think you can. Absolutely, and and I love when I've
worked with women. It's not just the brands I help shape,
but it's it's also the confidence, the the the last
to do even more. I usually come out from from
(29:47):
client workshop or from meetings with why do you stop there?
Why why don't you do this? Why don't you do
it bigger? Or even in that city or even that
product I don't like, I don't think I can do that?
Why not? So it's it's I think the most powerful
thing we can say to ourselves, because I'm very much
(30:10):
into self talk, is I am capable. I am capable.
When you say that to yourself, it's it's no, it's
no limits to what you can do.
Speaker 2 (30:21):
Absolutely, And that's that's actually that's a that's a mindset thing.
You really have to have that type of mindset to
know that you can do anything and believe that, because
that's what we'll really guide, you know, guide you through
the things that you're trying to do.
Speaker 3 (30:42):
Yeah, absolutely true.
Speaker 2 (30:44):
So yeah, that that's always that's one of the things
in the training. Whenever I start training, that's always the
one thing I start with first is the mindset to
find out, you know, exactly where their heads are. How
are they thinking, you know, are they like you said,
are they thinking, you know, I can't do this, I'm
not going to be able to get to this level,
(31:06):
or I'm not going to be able to start this
business or get it up and running or what have you. Always,
you know, I always want to see where the mindset
is before we go any further. So to me, that's
always key. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (31:20):
Absolutely. And if you think of if you think about
the funding the funding landscape, women women get actually less
than three percent of all funding for startups. And I
think I think we have partly little bit to blame
ourselves on that because we don't believe in ourselves exactly.
(31:42):
It's of course also about networks and more and more
women need to get into the game of funding other
businesses as well, exactly. But it's very often we put
in the grit and time and we think that we
can grow organically. We can, but it will take another
three to five years. So when I work with women,
(32:03):
I say, why why don't you ask? Why don't you
speed up this this? Why don't you speed up your growth?
And and ask and and and get funders in and
you you can, you can, you can just fast forward
to two to three years, and it's it's becoming a
little bit easier because there are more and more women
(32:24):
on the other side.
Speaker 2 (32:25):
Receiving the fitting mm hmm exactly.
Speaker 3 (32:29):
It's it it's hard for women to find funding. But
I think we do need to change our own mindset.
I can do this. I'm worth it.
Speaker 2 (32:37):
I'm worth it absolutely, you know. That's that's always the
that's always what I push for. They always think that
you deserve it, You're worthy your value. And I know
someone that says, if you don't value your value, then
your value will not be valuable.
Speaker 3 (32:56):
That's I love that. I'll remember that one. Yeah, very true.
M hmmmm hmmm.
Speaker 2 (33:06):
So now you you've spoken of before about the importance
of personal alignment with your brand. How can women ensure
their businesses reflect not just what they do, but who
they are?
Speaker 3 (33:24):
That's another good question. I think I'd like to I'd
like to ask a different, slightly different question, but but
aligned to your question, and that is who they are,
but rather who are they becoming? Yes, I think. I
think being in business, and particularly if you drive your
own business or if you're or an entrepreneuris so entrepreneur
(33:46):
you are you are. You just have to grow you
can You cannot run a successful business unless you allow growth.
And it's very much about you, the founder, that the
one with the idea how you are going to grow
into setbacks, into doubts, because there will be periods of
(34:10):
doubts when you launched a new product, of course, Yes,
and I think you will. I recently had one of
my mentees had had applied for for funding for so
many funding companies and and got she got her I
think it was about twentieth No, and we did so
(34:32):
believe in it because it was such a close call.
We had. We had presented it in a meeting et
cech As we were, we sort of almost believed we
would have it. So I said, oh, how does that feel?
I was, I was trying to to comfort her, and
she said, absolutely fine, no problem. And I said, what's
your what's your medicine? How do you get to that?
And she said, just get rejected a lot. And I
(34:57):
think that's such a good wo It's a very very
good sentiment. So when you ask me what's my advice
is to women, it is about who are you becoming?
So in this process of the constant notes, because we
will have ninety nine notes and one yes, that is
how that is how business is, and you just you
(35:20):
just you just have to look at yourself how you
have grown since a year ago when you also had
received lots of notes. But during this hope hopefully you
received one or two yeses as well, and you probably
have grown your resilience, You've probably you probably just see
the world differently. And I think we should celebrate who
(35:42):
we are becoming exactly.
Speaker 2 (35:45):
Absolutely that that is so key to not let that
know just say to you because that one person said no,
then you've decided, well, I guess I'm just not going
to do this at all, I'm just gonna go and
and do something else, maybe get a nine to five
now and not start a business at all, you know. So, yeah,
(36:09):
you're absolutely right. They can't just take that know that one. No,
even like you said the ninety nine os. I mean,
if you get one, yes, that's still you know, that's
still encouraging because you still you keep pushing forward until
you get to that Yes. That's just the way it works.
Speaker 3 (36:28):
I think we're all guilty of wanting to give up
sometimes when we have two.
Speaker 2 (36:33):
Absolutely absolutely, but you know, you just have to try
to fight through that, you know, and that's where the
mindset comes in. I think that's where you have to
keep that positive mindset. You can't, you just can't. I
always say, go down that rabbit hole, you know.
Speaker 3 (36:51):
So definitely, definitely and growth, growth only sits on the
other side of the resistance.
Speaker 2 (36:58):
Mm hmmm hm.
Speaker 3 (36:59):
So when you push through that resistance and come out
of the other side, that's when you have grown. And
that that is what I mean with celebration. That is
what you should celebrate. Every time you've had resistance and
you push through, you don't give up. You're coming out
as a slightly elevated person, and I think we don't
(37:20):
celebrate that enough.
Speaker 2 (37:24):
Now I know we had kind of touched on this
a little bit about the human part of the AI.
What do what is your view on entrepreneurs and brand leaders,
What do you think they should be aware of and
how can they use AI without losing that human essence
(37:46):
of their message, especially because you know branding that's all
about the messaging in your business. How can they you know,
do that without losing that human part of it.
Speaker 3 (37:57):
It's another very good question of yours because branding is
I used to say, if those of us who are
in branding, we are in the business, are standing out?
And how can you stand out if you use the
language that everybody else is using, meaning AI your chatbots,
so you need, so you need. Again, it's it's about
being you. It's about being authentic and and staying true
(38:21):
to who you are. And it's not it doesn't have
to be perfect, it doesn't have to be but it
has to be something that you do and not everybody
else does. So that's one aspect of it. The other
aspect is is we are I think we do need
(38:42):
to As we talked about at the beginning of the program,
we do need to add that human touch in our relationships.
So AI, yes, it will come, and it will take
over jobs, and it will take over more and more
of our mundane tasks as well. But I do, I
really do believe in mentorships so much so, even if
(39:02):
it's not within the companies, I believe that we should
have the human connection between us, bridging between people with
more experience. It doesn't have to be that industry, but
in terms of solving those kind of problems, so that
we don't end up only making decisions based on the
chat plots, because that would be a very very boring life.
Speaker 2 (39:26):
Well, yeah, that's true. So tell us if you had
one piece of advice that you would leave to women,
especially that are in business, what would that especially as
it relates to their brand, what would that piece of
advice be?
Speaker 3 (39:48):
Well, I can't I can't resist from saying you can
do it, you can do it. I've helped so many,
so many women who came to me. I have this idea,
but I don't know if it's a good idea, blah
blah blah. But when we start working together, I can
see it's it is usually very good idea and it's
just lacking with self confidence. So so my my finishing
(40:13):
words would be, you can do it if you feel it,
If you feel it in your heart that this is
something that could work, it probably is worth it, probably
is worth trying at least. And and if we this this,
if we work more on our self talk, I am capable.
(40:33):
I am worth of success. And then that that that
that will take you half the way. The other thing
I would say is don't be afraid of of like yourself,
doctor Madeline, try out the AI tools that we have.
It's actually quite fun.
Speaker 2 (40:52):
And it's in a stay, so we.
Speaker 3 (40:56):
Were rid of them.
Speaker 2 (40:58):
Yeah, it's not like it's going anywhere in time soon,
so you may as well kind of get used to
it and learn how to use it or whatever. So
tell us Anna, if someone wanted to reach out to you,
how could they do that?
Speaker 3 (41:16):
So that would be my email is the best one
to reach me on? And that is Annator Brolin. Shall
I write it in the chuck box? Uh?
Speaker 2 (41:26):
That's what I was doing right now, Okay, so that
he will be able to running across and.
Speaker 3 (41:34):
Sweden.
Speaker 2 (41:35):
Did you the promote is that the one you're gonna use?
Speaker 3 (41:40):
Yes, that is the best one.
Speaker 2 (41:43):
Promote Sweden dot com. That is easy, yes, so that
he can run it across the.
Speaker 3 (41:55):
Or my LinkedIn profile which is which is easy to find.
It's Anna Brolin.
Speaker 2 (42:00):
Okay, well, I tell you what, it has been a
great conversation. It's been a pleasure having you on the
show sharing those nuggets with us. We really do appreciate
you taking the time to come on the show and
just kind of letting us know what we can do
(42:22):
about branding in our businesses and also with that AI
portion of it. I tell you what, we definitely have
to stay on top of that.
Speaker 3 (42:31):
Thank you, Madeline for having me. It was a great
honor to be on your show.
Speaker 2 (42:35):
Thank you so much. I am like I said, it
was a pleasure having you here.
Speaker 3 (42:41):
Thank you and have a nice rest of your afternoon.
Speaker 2 (42:44):
You do the same, Okay. So I'm just gonna let
everybody know about upcoming events and some things that I'll
be doing. Just let you know, welcome to another exciting
addition of upcoming events and around town with Doctor Lewis.
And I want to thank everybody first who voted for
(43:06):
me as I was nominated for the twenty twenty five
Veteran of the Year Award. The voting officially ended on
May twenty six, so we're now waiting to see the outcome,
and of course I want to send out kudos and
congratulations to all of those who were nominated and up
for the award along with me. Again, I'm also thrilled
(43:32):
to share that I was shortlisted for the Speaker's Award
that's based out of London as one of the top
five finalists in the Best Virtual Speaker twenty twenty five category.
And out of three hundred and nineteen applicants from around
the world, only eighty were selected across various categories, and
(43:56):
I had the honor of standing among the top five
in my category. So I gotta say pat myself on
the back. Kudos to me and a huge thank you
to the Speaker Awards and to Elliot k for this
amazing recognition and to all the other phenomenal finalists. Congratulations
to you also. It's such a joy to know that
(44:18):
I'm being recognized for doing what I love, uplifting women,
empowering them to embrace their greatness and inspiring them to
step boldly into their calling. I want you to make
sure to tune into the Black Business Olympics, which is
going to be June twenty third through June twenty ninth.
I will be a keynote speaker on Thursday, June twenty
(44:41):
sixth at seven pm. And of course, the Black Business
Olympics is known for raising scholarships and laptops for students
who are heading to college and K through twelve entrepreneurs.
And if you'd like to find out more or to
see how you can collaborate or possibly be a sponsor
(45:02):
or a speaker, you can reach out to me at
info at EXWSI dot com. Don't forget also that my
books show up to Rise Up Explore the Transformative Power
of a Positive Mindset, which achieves bestseller status on Amazon
in the Women and Business category, is now available for purchase,
(45:25):
so if you want to get a copy, you can
go to Amazon dot com. Of course, put my name
in the search box, Doctor Madelanie Lewis and the book
will come right up. Also, if you still have not
viewed my TEDx talk that I did in Vancouver, Canada
in December of twenty twenty one, the topic will show
(45:47):
up to Rise Up. You can still watch it on
YouTube again, put my name in the search box, Doctor
Madeleanie Lewis and it will come up. I'd like you
to check it out because it's still moving out there.
I'm excited because as of today it's at two hundred
and twenty six six hundred and ninety one views, and
(46:09):
as you know, my goal is to reach a million plus.
So keep watching, keep sharing, keep commenting. And I also
want you to know that I am still a contributing
writer for on It magazine, where I shall nuggets and
resources every month for personal and professional and business developments.
(46:32):
So make sure you get your free copy or free subscription,
and to do so, you can contact me and I'll
let you know how. Email me again at info at
exwsi dot com. I want to thank again my guests,
miss Anna Broland for being here today. I also want
(46:53):
to thank my viewers and my listeners. This has been
the successful women's show. I'm doctor Madelanie and Lewis, and
of course if you want to reach out to me,
I'm always on my email which is info at EXWSI
dot com, or even go to my website www dot
exwsi dot com and make sure if you go to
(47:16):
the website download my free three part video series on
three Things every woman should do to position herself for
executive leadership. I'm also on all the other platforms social
media platforms, so you can always DM me on any
of those. Don't forget to subscribe to our channel, like
(47:38):
and share this episode. We would really appreciate it. Again,
this is the success for women's show. We are here
every week. I am your host, doctor Madlin and lewis
helping women to accelerate the path to success. I want
to thank you all for joining us. I love you
(47:58):
all to life and as always, be well and stay
safe out there. I got the time. Thats a dud
and
Speaker 1 (48:15):
And
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We make no recommendations or endorsements for radio show programs, services,
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(00:20):
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Speaker 2 (00:25):
I got them? And did you know women represent just
(00:57):
three percent of Fortune five hundred c in less than
fifteen percent of corporate executives at top companies worldwide? Have
you wondered what the secrets are to getting into the
top ranks, whether in the private or public sector. Do
you want to figure out how to stop being held
back in your career? Are pasted over for promotion? Then
(01:20):
you're in the right place.
Speaker 3 (01:22):
Hi.
Speaker 2 (01:23):
I'm doctor Mattlanann lewis President and CEO of the Executive
Women's Success Institute. I have decades of experience in the military,
the federal government, and corporate America, and my mission is
to help women succeed and tap into their full potential.
I want to reach a million plus women around the
(01:43):
world to become the leaders they are meant to be.
So if you want to move into a management or
executive level position, or maybe you are a female veteran
transitioning out of the military into business entrepreneurship, then reach
out to the Executive Women Success Institute at three zero
one six nine three three two eight four let us
(02:07):
get you.
Speaker 4 (02:08):
On the fast track to success.
Speaker 2 (02:22):
Well, hello, and welcome to the Successful Women's Show, where
you can view us on Talk for TV and listen
to us on the Women for Women Network. I am
doctor Madeline Ann Lewis your host, and my mission is
to help women accelerate the path to success. And today's
(02:46):
topic is brands and Businesses. And my guess is coming
to us from Sweden today and her name is Anna Brolin.
Let me just give you a little bit of background
about Anna. Anna Broland is a season brand and marketing
(03:06):
expert with international experience, having worked across multiple countries with
some of the world's top global brands. Known for her
strategic mindset and innovative approach, she helps businesses build strong
brand identities and deliver marketing strategies that drive meaningful growth.
(03:32):
While her background spans both agency and client side roles,
Anna is passionate about empowering women, entrepreneurs and career driven
women achieve financial freedom and realize their business goals. Through
advisory board roles, mentorship, and purpose led strategy, she guides
(03:57):
women from idea to launch, helping them build thriving, impactful
businesses on their own terms. Today, i'd like to introduce
and present to you, miss Anna Brolin.
Speaker 3 (04:14):
Thank you so much, Doctor Madeleine. It's such a great
honor to be on your show. I've followed you over
a long period of time and it's just can't believe
I'm here. I'm very very honored.
Speaker 2 (04:25):
Well, thank you, and I'm honored to have you here because,
as you said, i've followed you also. So it's amazing
when you see people when they put stuff out, and
you know, the content sometimes that they put out is
just it just strikes you or resonate with you so
much that it's like I gotta meet that person. You know,
hopefully I'll run into them one day. So that's always
(04:48):
my thought. And when I see something like that, it's
like I always want to bring the person on the
show so they could just talk about what they do
and how they do it. And that is what we're
going to get you to do today because just to
share with us what you know, the things that you do.
But before we get started, I usually give the standard
(05:09):
bio on my guests, but I always like to ask
the guests to just tell us about what you want
us to know about Anna Brolin. So tell us what
you want us to know about you.
Speaker 3 (05:22):
So i am Swedish, but I've lived in London for
the past twenty plus years and I'm passionate about I've
worked with all sorts of brands and help them grow,
as you said, but I'm passionate about people's dreams and
therefore working with the real founders, with those who had it,
(05:43):
who we've once had a dream, and helping them put
their dream into the world. That's that's that's my that's
my dream projects, and that's that's what I'm focusing more
and more on.
Speaker 2 (05:56):
And see that you like doing that. I mean, like
I said, just from the things that you put out there,
I could see that you really like doing that. So yeah,
thank you glad. That shows Yeah, it really does. So
tell us now you like you said, you've worked with
some of the world's biggest brands, but you also have
(06:17):
a passion, like you said, for helping women entrepreneurs grow
their dream businesses. So what would you say are the
key ingredients in building a powerful brand that truly connects
with people.
Speaker 3 (06:32):
It is a one million dollar question and it takes
a whole day with the whole team. But I do
have some shortcuts to share with you, and that is
I think all successful brands once saw a problem they
wanted to solve. So I usually say when I start
working with a new client or when I lead a workshop,
(06:53):
I say, it's when we are in business, we don't
choose a product to sell, we choose a problem to all.
And I think that is so important because most successful
founders they once saw they saw something that were missing,
or they saw something that they thought I can do
that better, and and then so they started with a vision,
(07:15):
with with a true mission to put something out in
the world. And that's that's I think it's a starting
point to know really to know your why. It sounds
too simple, but I think many people start with what
am I good at? What do my target audience want?
But if you really start with your why and then
(07:37):
go backwards so to say, So, I have something I
call the elevator pitch again when I when I work
with a new client, I ask them, so, what's define
the problem? And define the problem you're solving. And you
would be surprised how many of my clients can't either
can't even say that within the first few seconds. They
(08:00):
really have to think hard about it. And that's not good,
is it? Or in a group of say eight to
ten people, I get eight to ten different answers, and
that's not good either. So starting with what am I
put on earth to do? What? What is the mission
of this entity, corporation, organization? And then I ask, so,
(08:23):
describe to me what you do. And again many people
don't quite know, Oh what do you mean? What you
do to solve this problem? And you should if you
have a strong strategy or if you know, if you
if you know when you got how you're going to
bring this product or service to the audience, then you
(08:44):
do know the what you do and then how you
do it, and finally then identify who benefits the most
from this. And most people start from from the end
point who benefits the most from what I want to
do instead of instead of asking what is the problem
(09:07):
I solve? So that's that is a sort of a
speedy a speedy way, an elevator pitch. If you can
answer these these particularly three core questions in a in
a well articulated, really inspirational way in within a minute,
then I think you've you've got something strong, a strong
(09:29):
foundation to stand on. Wow.
Speaker 2 (09:31):
Now you mentioned the elevator pitch, which we do hear
about that a lot. Some say that it's supposed to
be where you get on the elevator with someone and
if they ask you what you do, you're supposed to
be able to tell them, you know, in enough time
where you just go from the floor you're on maybe
(09:52):
to the next floor. That's all the time you have
to kind of grab their interest. But you know, and
a lot of people, just like you said, said they
can't answer that question or they don't know how. But
we also know that it's important to know that. So
what what do you think it takes to craft a
(10:15):
great one minute speech? And you say one minute, some
say thirty seconds. So what do you think is it?
Is it just between the thirty seconds to one minute
or and why do you think it's such a critical tool,
especially for women in business to be able to do.
Speaker 3 (10:33):
Firstly, it's a help to yourself. I found when I
when I work with many women, I found that that's
crafting this together makes makes any any woman or man
who works with it's more clear on how also how
to express what they do. Hopefully most people do know
what they do, but sometimes we miss, we miss where
(10:56):
why we started, they think in the first place, and
going back to the roots, going back to why our
why makes it makes us much more authentic as well.
And in communication, authenticity is everything, particularly to day when
AI can create campaigns within one hour and put this
out in any of the media channels, so we are
(11:18):
exposed to more and more and more and more stuff.
And therefore, yeah, and therefore authenticity is key. So when
I so when I work with a woman, it could
be thirty seconds, because if you are at a party,
I usually say it's it's not just in professional circumstance.
If you are at a party and someone also what
(11:39):
you what do you do? You should you should be
able to proudly, confidently and an inspirational way deliver, say
say with thee thirty seconds if it's in a more
informal setting, would you do right? Right?
Speaker 2 (11:55):
Wow? So you also mentioned AI and we know in
today's fast paced AI drive world, content is being created
at you know, warp speeds sort to speak. So how
do you think brands can stand out in what's becoming
a sea of madness?
Speaker 3 (12:17):
I like that you say see your madness, Madeline, because
I think that's exactly what it is. And I think
we've just seen the start of it. It's it's and
and I can totally see why, because it's quite fun.
With all these new techniques and tools that we have.
We can create videos at home, we can, we can
we can change our whole appearance with we can we
can even dress in different outfits and just by sitting
(12:42):
at the laptop. So it's quite fun what we can do.
And I can understand why. It's fun to also put
it out in the world and try try different takes
and different different ways of communicating your brand. But the
way to stand out is again, I will sound like
a broken record by the time we've done you and
(13:02):
I today, but it again, it's back to the roots.
It's back to authenticity. If if you know your why,
you will communicate, maybe not perfect and flawless than a
I can do that, but if you instead communicate from
your heart, and you can you can tell when someone
is communicating from their heart, and you can hear from
(13:26):
the words when when it's when it's true. And that
I think brands that stand out in the future will
be the brands who who who speaks the truth. I
also think simplicity, that the clearer and more simple you
are with your message that will stand out in this
(13:47):
CeAl sameness.
Speaker 2 (13:50):
Wow, you know that when you talk about AI, it's
really amazing some of the things, especially with the videos
I was in. As a matter of fact, earlier this week,
I was in some training to look at how they're
doing these videos using the AI, because you see, like
(14:10):
if you on Facebook. I think one day I was
on Facebook and I was looking at someone I know,
and she's standing there, you know, with this nice outfit on,
and all of a sudden, this big old tiger came
up and just kind of hugged her. I'm like, WHOA,
But I realized that of course that you know, it
(14:33):
was something that was just kind of input in there
by AI. But it's just it just it looked so
real me sitting here looking at it on the screen
like that. It looks so real, and it's just amazing,
like you said, with all the stuff that AI can do,
and when it comes to branding, so many people, you know,
(14:55):
they're using it, especially in their videos and different things
like that, and how they're you know, you're watching these
videos and it's like one person and that same person
turns into another person with a different outfit on, and
you know, all these different things.
Speaker 3 (15:10):
And I'm fascinated by it, and I think.
Speaker 2 (15:12):
I know exactly.
Speaker 3 (15:14):
I usually say it's we are democratizing marketing because before AI,
only they only the rich bands could afford to have
great marketing campaigns and videos. And today you can even
you can even create music to a product video in
in your own web studio.
Speaker 2 (15:34):
Yeah, amazing exactly.
Speaker 3 (15:38):
In a way, I'm very curious.
Speaker 2 (15:40):
And that's why I'm curious about it is because I
always feel like, you know, I don't have to be
an expert in everything, but I kind of like to
know a little bit about how it works, you know.
So that's why I was I was taking that looking
into that training and taking it because I kind of
wanted to figure out, Okay, how are they doing these
videos like that? What platforms are they using it? But
(16:02):
it's so many of them, it's like you then have
to figure out which one of them that you want
to be able to use and to move, you know,
depending on actually depending on what it is you're I
guess you're trying to do, you know. As to all
the stuff that those things can do, it's just amazing.
Speaker 3 (16:22):
It is amazing. And most of them you don't need
to pay a lot for them. There are a Maria
to choose from there that many really high quality and
you and you shouldn't pay.
Speaker 2 (16:35):
Much for them, No, you really shouldn't.
Speaker 3 (16:38):
So my agents we're putting together a an AI package
now where where we where we help women with well
men and women, but I mostly work with women who
you have an idea and want to put this idea
to the world. We just we have just launched our
first website and product, VideA, all with the help of AI.
(17:01):
And it's amazing what it can do, even in video,
and it's it's it shouldn't cost the clients much because
it's it's programs that that that are out there and
they do a fantastic job.
Speaker 2 (17:18):
Okay, okay, So tell us now again, you've had a
unique experience staying in monastery and learning a monastery and
learning about the power of intuition. Now that's different. How
has that shaped your approach to business and also decision making,
(17:38):
especially in contrast to today's data heavy as we said,
AI supported strategies.
Speaker 3 (17:45):
Mhm, yeah, yeah, it's interesting. I hit I hit the
point where I was overwhelmed. I work for for a
research company dealing lots with data, and I just just
felt it wasn't aligned anymore. I was overwhelmed. I also
experienced loss in my life and all this at the
(18:08):
same time, and I decided to although this, this data
company was my biggest client at the time, but I
just decided I have to give them up because it's
it's not what I want to do. I want to
help people put their dream businesses out there. So I
(18:29):
was just overwhelmed and decided to ask the monastery if
I could come and stay for a week. And they'd
never done that before. They welcome pilgrim pilgrimage and they
have women staying for a night or max two, but
they've never had a guest for one week. But I
just knew in my heart I had to stay for
(18:51):
a whole week or it wouldn't it wouldn't be the
calm and the reset that I needed. And they said,
give me twelve hours. The nun who are who took
my call said, please give me twelve hours because we
all need to we all need to agree that it's
a good idea to receive you right. And I called
(19:15):
back the other the next day and they said, we
all got resounding yes from God in our praise this morning,
so you're so welcome. And I stayed a week, and
I learned from the nuns how to in silence, tap
into your own inner voice and your own intuition or
God's voice. If you believe in God, it's it's it's
(19:39):
the only way to tap into intuition is in stillness,
in calm, And I learned over this week. I learned
how to cancel out all the noise and tap into
what's important for me, and secondly to trust it as well.
(20:00):
I got all sorts of really strange messages, but I thought,
I'm going to try this. I'm going to do exactly
as I'm told. And I did, and I could not
see the pattern. I could not see the wise. Some
things were quite quite crazy, but in hindsight it was
the right thing to do to do.
Speaker 2 (20:19):
Wow, that is so interesting that you did that. And
I'm sure that, like you said that, just having to,
you know, get yourself to a point where you were
just still like that and like you said, to get
rid of all the noise. It was. I'm sure it
brought a lot of clarity too, and other things that
(20:42):
you were trying to do or needed to do, or
maybe even wanted to focus on, and you weren't quite
focusing on it because of all the noise. So I'm
sure that that really helped.
Speaker 3 (20:55):
It did help, And now I'm happy to have that
as a part of my mentoring other women. And even
when I work with other brands and women do want
to put their products out, they do they do know.
Sometimes they ask for advice. Sometimes they don't know. But
I say to them, you do know. When it's key decisions,
(21:17):
we struggle and we think we don't know. We usually
do know, but we we are too afraid to take
a step or to hear or to hear the truth.
But most of the time we do know. We do know.
Speaker 2 (21:31):
You're right about that. Yeah, Wow, now I know that
we are also entering a time when more jobs are
being automated. I mean we see that now everywhere we go.
Are there being outsourced again to AI? And what we're
seeing our experienced professionals who are being replaced by junior
(21:54):
staffs and that's supported by technology. So how is this
shift do you think affect in the way we learn
at work? And what role do mentors and human leaderships
still play in helping the next generation grow in their careers.
Speaker 3 (22:11):
That's a very good question. I can hear you think
about the same things as I as I think about
it's it's it's not just seeing new people who are
replaced by juniors. Also juniors are now replaced by machines.
So I think we are entering a period a period
of time that is unprecedented. It's it's I don't think
(22:35):
we even understand what we are heading we're heading towards.
I think the young ones today that we we they
still need someone senior to guide them, to help them
to act as their mentors. So even at companies we
(22:55):
see downscaling, but it is still important that that people
are guiding did and and the more senior people do
have do have the ability to tap into their intuition.
It tends to be they've developed that ability better than
the young ones because it comes with age and experience
(23:18):
and and there and and in this data driven world,
we need we do need to back our decision making
process up with gut feels, intuition and and common sense. Yeah,
and so, so I think the dream team is is
a company where where young and old people work together
(23:43):
with with both with data driven insights but also their
their own experience and knowledge. But I also think I
also think we should look look upon AI and and
how it's going to transform our industries and the way
we work, not only in a negative sense, because I
think we are we are going to have to focus
(24:04):
more on really contributing rather than just doing, because clearly
AI is taking over there doing jobs. Absolutely, so I
think we're going to see high equalities. I think we're
going to we are going to focus on the strategic thinking,
(24:25):
the creative thinking innovations much more because now we will
have the time, so we will simply have the time to.
Speaker 2 (24:35):
To upgrade absolutely, which I guess we just have to
make sure there's still that human touch though that's that's
the only thing when you when you see the AI
taking over. Even when you go in the supermarket now
and you have the all the checkout counters that self
check you know, self checkout, and you're looking around and
(24:58):
there's nobody around. You know, you literally have to go
and find somebody if you if you have a question
or what have you. So I think, I guess you know,
that's the only thing that I think it will.
Speaker 3 (25:12):
I think you're right. I think it would go to
I think it would go too far for sure, And
then we enter a time of recalibrating. But we are
heading towards a period of time where we where we
will go too far, we will miss this human human touch.
And I went to a lunch restaurant last week with
(25:34):
a friend I haven't seen in a long time, and
we were sitting there opposite each other. There were no
human being other than a couple of other guests. It
was a very upmarked, nice restaurant, and I looked around.
I was waiting, waiting for some someone to attend to us,
and we hardly spoke. Worse because we had at one
(25:56):
and a half hour's lunch break to eat, and we
had to scan a barcode with each each hour. Phone
phones it's not unusual, but it is unusual that you
don't have any other option in a very elegant restaurant.
So we both said we hadn't We hadn't met in
half a year, and we were sitting there with one
telephone each with a screen in between us scrawling through
(26:18):
the menu. I don't like that. I want to be
able to discuss the menu, point at it.
Speaker 2 (26:24):
And ask them what do you think? What do you
how do you think? You know, you want to get
their opinion. Have you tried this? What do you think
about it?
Speaker 3 (26:31):
You know? Yeah, So that's so that kind of world.
I think we're heading more and more into that kind
of world. And I agree with you, Madeline, it's not
it's not the ideal human, inspirational world I think we
all want to live in. But unfortunately we will have there,
I think, and and then and then not until there
(26:52):
will be a backlash.
Speaker 2 (26:54):
Now we will have It's it's funny because I remember,
and I don't know if you recall the it was
a uh, a kind of a cartoon that used to
come on called the Jetsons. It was and it was
UH and that's what they were. They everything was. I
(27:16):
guess you can say AI everything was and you know,
whatever they needed, all they had to do was just
say it and it would come to them. Or you know,
they get in these cars look like little spaceships and
zoom off, and you know, if they they had the
robot made to clean the house and all of this
kind of stuff. And when you think about it, this
(27:38):
was back when I you know, when I was growing up,
and they were doing that then, and it's like now
when I think about that, that that cartoon, it's like
it's almost the same the thing that's going on now.
You know.
Speaker 3 (27:55):
It's kind of a George Orwell moment. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (27:58):
Yeah, it's just it's interesting to when you look back
on that and you think about how they had that
set up, Who's thinking was that and if they brought
that thinking from then all the way into now, you know,
because it really is, what you're seeing now is a
lot of what was in that back then. I just
(28:19):
it's just unreal. Yeah, it is.
Speaker 3 (28:21):
It is unreal what we are experiencing. I think it is.
And if you look at what AI could do two
months ago compared to what it can do today, its.
Speaker 2 (28:31):
Now, Gary, it is, it is, and yeah, it is
so now you had an impressive international career, and you
continue to advise on boards, to speak and even to
(28:54):
mentor what has personal growth looked like for you and
how has your journey impact the way you empower other women?
Speaker 3 (29:03):
So I think for me, one of the biggest learnings
for me is that success comes from within. When you
make the decision m M that you really want something,
and then couple that with yeah, I can do that,
then it's it's no stopping it's nothing stopping you. You
(29:25):
can do. You can do much much more than you
think you can. Absolutely, and and I love when I've
worked with women. It's not just the brands I help shape,
but it's it's also the confidence, the the the last
to do even more. I usually come out from from
(29:47):
client workshop or from meetings with why do you stop there?
Why why don't you do this? Why don't you do
it bigger? Or even in that city or even that
product I don't like, I don't think I can do that?
Why not? So it's it's I think the most powerful
thing we can say to ourselves, because I'm very much
(30:10):
into self talk, is I am capable. I am capable.
When you say that to yourself, it's it's no, it's
no limits to what you can do.
Speaker 2 (30:21):
Absolutely, And that's that's actually that's a that's a mindset thing.
You really have to have that type of mindset to
know that you can do anything and believe that, because
that's what we'll really guide, you know, guide you through
the things that you're trying to do.
Speaker 3 (30:42):
Yeah, absolutely true.
Speaker 2 (30:44):
So yeah, that that's always that's one of the things
in the training. Whenever I start training, that's always the
one thing I start with first is the mindset to
find out, you know, exactly where their heads are. How
are they thinking, you know, are they like you said,
are they thinking, you know, I can't do this, I'm
not going to be able to get to this level,
(31:06):
or I'm not going to be able to start this
business or get it up and running or what have you. Always,
you know, I always want to see where the mindset
is before we go any further. So to me, that's
always key. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (31:20):
Absolutely. And if you think of if you think about
the funding the funding landscape, women women get actually less
than three percent of all funding for startups. And I
think I think we have partly little bit to blame
ourselves on that because we don't believe in ourselves exactly.
(31:42):
It's of course also about networks and more and more
women need to get into the game of funding other
businesses as well, exactly. But it's very often we put
in the grit and time and we think that we
can grow organically. We can, but it will take another
three to five years. So when I work with women,
(32:03):
I say, why why don't you ask? Why don't you
speed up this this? Why don't you speed up your growth?
And and ask and and and get funders in and
you you can, you can, you can just fast forward
to two to three years, and it's it's becoming a
little bit easier because there are more and more women
(32:24):
on the other side.
Speaker 2 (32:25):
Receiving the fitting mm hmm exactly.
Speaker 3 (32:29):
It's it it's hard for women to find funding. But
I think we do need to change our own mindset.
I can do this. I'm worth it.
Speaker 2 (32:37):
I'm worth it absolutely, you know. That's that's always the
that's always what I push for. They always think that
you deserve it, You're worthy your value. And I know
someone that says, if you don't value your value, then
your value will not be valuable.
Speaker 3 (32:56):
That's I love that. I'll remember that one. Yeah, very true.
M hmmmm hmmm.
Speaker 2 (33:06):
So now you you've spoken of before about the importance
of personal alignment with your brand. How can women ensure
their businesses reflect not just what they do, but who
they are?
Speaker 3 (33:24):
That's another good question. I think I'd like to I'd
like to ask a different, slightly different question, but but
aligned to your question, and that is who they are,
but rather who are they becoming? Yes, I think. I
think being in business, and particularly if you drive your
own business or if you're or an entrepreneuris so entrepreneur
(33:46):
you are you are. You just have to grow you
can You cannot run a successful business unless you allow growth.
And it's very much about you, the founder, that the
one with the idea how you are going to grow
into setbacks, into doubts, because there will be periods of
(34:10):
doubts when you launched a new product, of course, Yes,
and I think you will. I recently had one of
my mentees had had applied for for funding for so
many funding companies and and got she got her I
think it was about twentieth No, and we did so
(34:32):
believe in it because it was such a close call.
We had. We had presented it in a meeting et
cech As we were, we sort of almost believed we
would have it. So I said, oh, how does that feel?
I was, I was trying to to comfort her, and
she said, absolutely fine, no problem. And I said, what's
your what's your medicine? How do you get to that?
And she said, just get rejected a lot. And I
(34:57):
think that's such a good wo It's a very very
good sentiment. So when you ask me what's my advice
is to women, it is about who are you becoming?
So in this process of the constant notes, because we
will have ninety nine notes and one yes, that is
how that is how business is, and you just you
(35:20):
just you just have to look at yourself how you
have grown since a year ago when you also had
received lots of notes. But during this hope hopefully you
received one or two yeses as well, and you probably
have grown your resilience, You've probably you probably just see
the world differently. And I think we should celebrate who
(35:42):
we are becoming exactly.
Speaker 2 (35:45):
Absolutely that that is so key to not let that
know just say to you because that one person said no,
then you've decided, well, I guess I'm just not going
to do this at all, I'm just gonna go and
and do something else, maybe get a nine to five
now and not start a business at all, you know. So, yeah,
(36:09):
you're absolutely right. They can't just take that know that one. No,
even like you said the ninety nine os. I mean,
if you get one, yes, that's still you know, that's
still encouraging because you still you keep pushing forward until
you get to that Yes. That's just the way it works.
Speaker 3 (36:28):
I think we're all guilty of wanting to give up
sometimes when we have two.
Speaker 2 (36:33):
Absolutely absolutely, but you know, you just have to try
to fight through that, you know, and that's where the
mindset comes in. I think that's where you have to
keep that positive mindset. You can't, you just can't. I
always say, go down that rabbit hole, you know.
Speaker 3 (36:51):
So definitely, definitely and growth, growth only sits on the
other side of the resistance.
Speaker 2 (36:58):
Mm hmmm hm.
Speaker 3 (36:59):
So when you push through that resistance and come out
of the other side, that's when you have grown. And
that that is what I mean with celebration. That is
what you should celebrate. Every time you've had resistance and
you push through, you don't give up. You're coming out
as a slightly elevated person, and I think we don't
(37:20):
celebrate that enough.
Speaker 2 (37:24):
Now I know we had kind of touched on this
a little bit about the human part of the AI.
What do what is your view on entrepreneurs and brand leaders,
What do you think they should be aware of and
how can they use AI without losing that human essence
(37:46):
of their message, especially because you know branding that's all
about the messaging in your business. How can they you know,
do that without losing that human part of it.
Speaker 3 (37:57):
It's another very good question of yours because branding is
I used to say, if those of us who are
in branding, we are in the business, are standing out?
And how can you stand out if you use the
language that everybody else is using, meaning AI your chatbots,
so you need, so you need. Again, it's it's about
being you. It's about being authentic and and staying true
(38:21):
to who you are. And it's not it doesn't have
to be perfect, it doesn't have to be but it
has to be something that you do and not everybody
else does. So that's one aspect of it. The other
aspect is is we are I think we do need
(38:42):
to As we talked about at the beginning of the program,
we do need to add that human touch in our relationships.
So AI, yes, it will come, and it will take
over jobs, and it will take over more and more
of our mundane tasks as well. But I do, I
really do believe in mentorships so much so, even if
(39:02):
it's not within the companies, I believe that we should
have the human connection between us, bridging between people with
more experience. It doesn't have to be that industry, but
in terms of solving those kind of problems, so that
we don't end up only making decisions based on the
chat plots, because that would be a very very boring life.
Speaker 2 (39:26):
Well, yeah, that's true. So tell us if you had
one piece of advice that you would leave to women,
especially that are in business, what would that especially as
it relates to their brand, what would that piece of
advice be?
Speaker 3 (39:48):
Well, I can't I can't resist from saying you can
do it, you can do it. I've helped so many,
so many women who came to me. I have this idea,
but I don't know if it's a good idea, blah
blah blah. But when we start working together, I can
see it's it is usually very good idea and it's
just lacking with self confidence. So so my my finishing
(40:13):
words would be, you can do it if you feel it,
If you feel it in your heart that this is
something that could work, it probably is worth it, probably
is worth trying at least. And and if we this this,
if we work more on our self talk, I am capable.
(40:33):
I am worth of success. And then that that that
that will take you half the way. The other thing
I would say is don't be afraid of of like yourself,
doctor Madeline, try out the AI tools that we have.
It's actually quite fun.
Speaker 2 (40:52):
And it's in a stay, so we.
Speaker 3 (40:56):
Were rid of them.
Speaker 2 (40:58):
Yeah, it's not like it's going anywhere in time soon,
so you may as well kind of get used to
it and learn how to use it or whatever. So
tell us Anna, if someone wanted to reach out to you,
how could they do that?
Speaker 3 (41:16):
So that would be my email is the best one
to reach me on? And that is Annator Brolin. Shall
I write it in the chuck box? Uh?
Speaker 2 (41:26):
That's what I was doing right now, Okay, so that
he will be able to running across and.
Speaker 3 (41:34):
Sweden.
Speaker 2 (41:35):
Did you the promote is that the one you're gonna use?
Speaker 3 (41:40):
Yes, that is the best one.
Speaker 2 (41:43):
Promote Sweden dot com. That is easy, yes, so that
he can run it across the.
Speaker 3 (41:55):
Or my LinkedIn profile which is which is easy to find.
It's Anna Brolin.
Speaker 2 (42:00):
Okay, well, I tell you what, it has been a
great conversation. It's been a pleasure having you on the
show sharing those nuggets with us. We really do appreciate
you taking the time to come on the show and
just kind of letting us know what we can do
(42:22):
about branding in our businesses and also with that AI
portion of it. I tell you what, we definitely have
to stay on top of that.
Speaker 3 (42:31):
Thank you, Madeline for having me. It was a great
honor to be on your show.
Speaker 2 (42:35):
Thank you so much. I am like I said, it
was a pleasure having you here.
Speaker 3 (42:41):
Thank you and have a nice rest of your afternoon.
Speaker 2 (42:44):
You do the same, Okay. So I'm just gonna let
everybody know about upcoming events and some things that I'll
be doing. Just let you know, welcome to another exciting
addition of upcoming events and around town with Doctor Lewis.
And I want to thank everybody first who voted for
(43:06):
me as I was nominated for the twenty twenty five
Veteran of the Year Award. The voting officially ended on
May twenty six, so we're now waiting to see the outcome,
and of course I want to send out kudos and
congratulations to all of those who were nominated and up
for the award along with me. Again, I'm also thrilled
(43:32):
to share that I was shortlisted for the Speaker's Award
that's based out of London as one of the top
five finalists in the Best Virtual Speaker twenty twenty five category.
And out of three hundred and nineteen applicants from around
the world, only eighty were selected across various categories, and
(43:56):
I had the honor of standing among the top five
in my category. So I gotta say pat myself on
the back. Kudos to me and a huge thank you
to the Speaker Awards and to Elliot k for this
amazing recognition and to all the other phenomenal finalists. Congratulations
to you also. It's such a joy to know that
(44:18):
I'm being recognized for doing what I love, uplifting women,
empowering them to embrace their greatness and inspiring them to
step boldly into their calling. I want you to make
sure to tune into the Black Business Olympics, which is
going to be June twenty third through June twenty ninth.
I will be a keynote speaker on Thursday, June twenty
(44:41):
sixth at seven pm. And of course, the Black Business
Olympics is known for raising scholarships and laptops for students
who are heading to college and K through twelve entrepreneurs.
And if you'd like to find out more or to
see how you can collaborate or possibly be a sponsor
(45:02):
or a speaker, you can reach out to me at
info at EXWSI dot com. Don't forget also that my
books show up to Rise Up Explore the Transformative Power
of a Positive Mindset, which achieves bestseller status on Amazon
in the Women and Business category, is now available for purchase,
(45:25):
so if you want to get a copy, you can
go to Amazon dot com. Of course, put my name
in the search box, Doctor Madelanie Lewis and the book
will come right up. Also, if you still have not
viewed my TEDx talk that I did in Vancouver, Canada
in December of twenty twenty one, the topic will show
(45:47):
up to Rise Up. You can still watch it on
YouTube again, put my name in the search box, Doctor
Madeleanie Lewis and it will come up. I'd like you
to check it out because it's still moving out there.
I'm excited because as of today it's at two hundred
and twenty six six hundred and ninety one views, and
(46:09):
as you know, my goal is to reach a million plus.
So keep watching, keep sharing, keep commenting. And I also
want you to know that I am still a contributing
writer for on It magazine, where I shall nuggets and
resources every month for personal and professional and business developments.
(46:32):
So make sure you get your free copy or free subscription,
and to do so, you can contact me and I'll
let you know how. Email me again at info at
exwsi dot com. I want to thank again my guests,
miss Anna Broland for being here today. I also want
(46:53):
to thank my viewers and my listeners. This has been
the successful women's show. I'm doctor Madelanie and Lewis, and
of course if you want to reach out to me,
I'm always on my email which is info at EXWSI
dot com, or even go to my website www dot
exwsi dot com and make sure if you go to
(47:16):
the website download my free three part video series on
three Things every woman should do to position herself for
executive leadership. I'm also on all the other platforms social
media platforms, so you can always DM me on any
of those. Don't forget to subscribe to our channel, like
(47:38):
and share this episode. We would really appreciate it. Again,
this is the success for women's show. We are here
every week. I am your host, doctor Madlin and lewis
helping women to accelerate the path to success. I want
to thank you all for joining us. I love you
(47:58):
all to life and as always, be well and stay
safe out there. I got the time. Thats a dud
and
Speaker 1 (48:15):
And
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