All Episodes

July 17, 2025 24 mins

What if disappearing for six months to reinvent yourself is the worst advice you could follow?


On this electrifying episode of Thrive LouD with Lou Diamond, we dive into personal branding and reinvention with powerhouse strategist and CEO of Built to Impact, Maya Elious. Recorded in her vibrant Atlanta studio, Maya reveals how she accidentally stumbled into branding by creating custom MySpace pages in college—and how that fun side hustle became the foundation for a thriving business helping entrepreneurs pivot, realign, and build brands with deeper meaning.


Key Highlights:

  • Reinvention in Real Time: Maya shatters the myth that you have to “disappear and come back better.” She explains why taking your audience on your journey—not isolating yourself—is the most authentic way to grow and evolve your brand.
  • Messaging is Queen: Hear how Maya’s superpower (her clients dub it "MayaGPT") lies in extracting and refining the true message at the heart of a business, making it resonate authentically and powerfully.
  • AI vs. Authenticity: Lou and Maya discuss leveraging AI tools while maintaining the genuine voice and mission that make a brand unique—plus the three foundational questions every entrepreneur must answer: who are you, who do you serve, and how do you serve them?
  • Platform Paralysis Solved: With social media changing daily, Maya shares her approach to testing different platforms, learning where your ideal audience lives, and focusing on meaningful engagement instead of chasing every algorithmic trend.
  • Consistency Over Cookie Cutter: Learn why entrepreneurship is a dance of testing, pivoting, and consistent effort, not a formula you can set and forget.


Timestamped Overview

00:00 "Thrive Loud with Lou Diamond"

03:41 Reinvent Without Isolation

08:17 Aligning AI with Personal Voice

10:15 Focus on Content's Purpose

14:34 Rotating Focus Across Platforms

17:34 Adapting Videos for Short Attention

21:43 "Creature of Habit"

23:31 "Maya Elias: Thrive Loud Feature"

Mark as Played

Advertise With Us

Popular Podcasts

Stuff You Should Know
Ruthie's Table 4

Ruthie's Table 4

For more than 30 years The River Cafe in London, has been the home-from-home of artists, architects, designers, actors, collectors, writers, activists, and politicians. Michael Caine, Glenn Close, JJ Abrams, Steve McQueen, Victoria and David Beckham, and Lily Allen, are just some of the people who love to call The River Cafe home. On River Cafe Table 4, Rogers sits down with her customers—who have become friends—to talk about food memories. Table 4 explores how food impacts every aspect of our lives. “Foods is politics, food is cultural, food is how you express love, food is about your heritage, it defines who you and who you want to be,” says Rogers. Each week, Rogers invites her guest to reminisce about family suppers and first dates, what they cook, how they eat when performing, the restaurants they choose, and what food they seek when they need comfort. And to punctuate each episode of Table 4, guests such as Ralph Fiennes, Emily Blunt, and Alfonso Cuarón, read their favourite recipe from one of the best-selling River Cafe cookbooks. Table 4 itself, is situated near The River Cafe’s open kitchen, close to the bright pink wood-fired oven and next to the glossy yellow pass, where Ruthie oversees the restaurant. You are invited to take a seat at this intimate table and join the conversation. For more information, recipes, and ingredients, go to https://shoptherivercafe.co.uk/ Web: https://rivercafe.co.uk/ Instagram: www.instagram.com/therivercafelondon/ Facebook: https://en-gb.facebook.com/therivercafelondon/ For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the iheartradio app, apple podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com

Dateline NBC

Dateline NBC

Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com

Music, radio and podcasts, all free. Listen online or download the iHeart App.

Connect

© 2025 iHeartMedia, Inc.