The Branding Laboratory

Welcome to The Branding Laboratory! Host Deevo, Chief Experience Officer for The Brand Storyteller and a master photographer/serial entrepreneur, dives deep with Alane Boyd, co-founder of Workday Ninja and Arvo.

This episode explores the critical shift in modern marketing, demanding a strong personal brand united with the company brand, and the challenges of sales in the post-radio, social-media-saturated era.

Alane, a powerhous...

Welcome to The Branding Laboratory, where host Deevo speaks with Lee Black about building a business driven by genuine purpose, especially within the challenging mental health and substance abuse (SUD) industry.

Lee, who tragically lost loved ones to addiction, realized that many successful businesses "look successful, but somehow they feel hollow" . This drove him to open a substance abuse and mental health facility in Charlotte. W...

The Branding Laboratory: Dr Christiane Schroeter on multiplayer brands, scaling growth, and aligning brand strategy with performance marketing.

Dive into "The Branding Laboratory" with host Deevo and special guest Dr Christiane Schroeter, founder of backstory and creator of the Multiplayer Brand concept.

This episode goes beyond surface-level "better branding" to explore how enterprises can achieve real impact and scalable growth...

Dive into "The Branding Laboratory" with host Deevo and special guest Jed Morley, founder of backstory and creator of the Multiplayer Brand concept. 

This episode goes beyond surface-level "better branding" to explore how enterprises can achieve real impact and scalable growth. Jed shares his journey from marketing leadership to consulting, detailing pivotal moments at BambooHR and Consensus (formerly Demo Chimp). 

The ...

What if the very thing holding you back in business isn’t your offer, your audience, or even your marketing… but your mindset about visibility and value?

In this electrifying conversation, Shayna Rattler Davis, speaker, strategist, and CEO whisperer, joins us to redefine what it really means to be “visible and profitable.” She breaks down why influence is the new currency and how most entrepreneurs are spending it all wrong.

From lan...

In this episode, I sit down with Dan Fisher, EP, editor, and Emmy-winning storyteller behind Bottle Rocket Media, to talk about the real work of building a creative company that lasts. We get into leadership without ego, why listening is the most underrated skill, how to protect the original idea when clients pull you off course, and what it took to rebuild the business after 2020 (including the surprising role SEO played in saving...

Sometimes the best ideas come from the most ordinary places. For David Ask, it was a simple conversation with his brother-in-law that turned into Stat Guard Plus, a little piece of plastic that locks down your thermostat and ended up in Home Depot, Lowe’s, and thousands of stores across the country.

In this episode, David and I talk about what it really takes to bring an idea to life—the mistakes, the late nights, the knockoffs, the...

In this milestone episode, Deevo sits down with Marla Ballard, CEO of You2Shine, to explore the deep work of healing trauma, embracing authenticity, and stepping fully into who you were meant to be.

Marla opens up about her journey from sales and entrepreneurship to becoming a leader in quantum personal development—a path recognized by Forbes in 2024. Together, they dive into:

• Why we carry hidden patterns and blind spots
• The dif...

🔥 Most pitches get ignored. Most PR strategies fail. But what if you could flip the script and turn rejection into recognition?

In this episode of The Branding Laboratory, Deevo sits down with Bryce North, founder of Pitch Pro and a PR disruptor who went from being $100K in debt to building a media empire that gets people noticed for the right reasons.

Bryce shares the raw truth about why traditional PR is broken, how attention ...

How do you build businesses without losing your soul?

This week on The Branding Laboratory, Deevo sits down with Colin Hirdman, serial entrepreneur, Co-Founder of Monkey Island Ventures, and Chief Rainmaker at Rainmaker. From starting his first company right out of college to co-founding multiple ventures with lifelong friends, Colin has launched over a dozen businesses. Many failed, some thrived, and along the way he learned why re...

What if leadership wasn’t about being the loudest voice in the room, but about creating the kind of culture people actually want to be part of?

Brandon Allen has spent years in the trenches with founders and leaders, and he gets real about what it takes to build influence that lasts. From shifting out of “do everything yourself” mode, to leading in a way that pulls the best out of people, Brandon breaks down the mindset and habits t...

She calls herself a visual storyteller, but Emily Schneider is much more than that. In this episode, we dive into the art of presence, clarity, and quiet leadership. From redefining perfectionism to transforming corporate presentations into emotional narratives, Emily shares her journey from being a perfectionist performer to a purpose-driven creative. She opens up about pivotal life moments, the power of curiosity, and how embraci...

In this engaging episode, Shay Wheat, CEO of Grace and Ease Productions, shares her inspiring journey from aspiring doctor to sought-after event producer for transformational leaders. Shay reveals how she blends spirituality, strategy, and business acumen to create high-impact, experience-driven events that amplify brands and foster genuine community. Listeners gain insights into her holistic approach—integrating marketing, sales, ...

In this episode, Liz and I dived deep into the post-COVID shift toward self-employment, the rise of fractional and consulting roles, and the mindset it takes to make the leap from corporate to entrepreneur. We talk about the importance of self-awareness, narrowing your niche, building systems, and conquering the ever-present “FUD monster” (fear, uncertainty, and doubt). Liz shares her own journey. From accidental consultant to mult...

Everyone’s out here chasing visibility but very few are building it with intention.

This week on The Branding Laboratory, I’m joined by Katie Brinkley, a real one in the world of podcasting and content strategy. She’s not just another marketing voice online. She’s the one behind the voices, helping CEOs and leaders stop blending in and start owning their lane.

From NFL locker rooms to podcast studios, Katie’s story isn’t just ins...

What happens when your personal values become your business advantage?

In this episode of The Branding Laboratory, Deevo sits down with Gregory Vetter, a bold entrepreneur, opens up about how honesty, grit, and alignment shaped both his leadership and the company’s explosive growth. From pitching Whole Foods out of the back of a car to building a national brand, this is the raw truth behind scaling a business without selling out you...

Welcome back to The Branding Laboratory! In this powerful episode, host Deevo sits down with Hilary Porta, founder of R3 International, a transformational coach and life architect who works with Fortune 500 leaders, elite military professionals, and Hollywood visionaries.

Hilary shares her incredible journey—from corporate refugee to a high-performance coach who helps people rewire their subconscious, break free from limiting belief...