Your Brand Amplified

Anika Jackson, Bleav

Welcome to Your Brand Amplified® – the podcast that takes you behind the scenes of successful businesses, exploring the minds of entrepreneurs, business leaders, marketers and sales experts. I'm thrilled to be your host, Anika Jackson, and I'm on a mission to uncover the stories, strategies, and secrets that have propelled these individuals to success. Tune in to hear the captivating journeys of our guests. From humble beginnings to industry titans, each episode unravels the unique narrative of how these remarkable individuals navigated the world of entrepreneurship, small business, and marketing. Gain exclusive insights into the strategies that drive success in the business world. Our guests share their tested and proven methods, offering you a wealth of knowledge to implement in your own entrepreneurial endeavors. Delve into the world of marketing with our expert guests. Whether it's digital, content, or influencer marketing, we cover it all. Stay ahead of the curve and learn the latest trends and techniques to elevate your brand. Public relations is a key component of any successful business. Learn from seasoned professionals about building and maintaining a positive public image, navigating crises, and leveraging PR to amplify your brand's voice. Craft Your Business strategy is the backbone of sustainable growth. Our guests share their strategic insights, providing you with the tools and knowledge to formulate and execute effective business plans. Elevate your business acumen, amplify your brand, and be inspired by the stories of those who have turned their visions into reality.

  1. Jeffrey Dwoskin on Attribution, Automation and Multi-Platform Domination

    2 DAYS AGO

    Jeffrey Dwoskin on Attribution, Automation and Multi-Platform Domination

    Jeffrey Dwoskin's career exemplifies strategic problem-solving through direct market experience. From educating late-1990s clients about websites to building Stampede Social, he consistently identified emerging technologies and learned new skills whenever markets demanded them. Each venture built upon previous knowledge, creating a cohesive journey driven by genuine curiosity. His competitive advantage lies not in staying in one domain but in recognizing opportunities at the intersection of passion and market need, then executing with technical depth. Jeffrey's entrepreneurial insight came from firsthand experience at the agency level working with major brands and influencers on Instagram campaigns. He created Stampede Social to consolidate fragmented data across platforms, enabling creators to identify their most valuable fans, track conversions, and understand audience overlap—transforming raw engagement into measurable business results. His approach democratized enterprise-level analytics for mid-career creators, proving that sustainable success emerges from solving problems you've genuinely experienced rather than imagined ones. Jeffrey Dwoskin's fundamental insight for creators is this: understand algorithms but prioritize authenticity over trends. Ready to consolidate your multi-platform presence and track metrics that matter? Visit Stampede Social—the fastest way to get your fans directly to your content without overwhelm. Everything you need to increase engagement on Instagram is now in one central place, designed to help you amplify your authentic voice and measure what actually drives results. For the accessible version of the podcast, go to our Ziotag gallery. We’re happy you’re here! Like the pod? Support the podcast and receive discounts from our sponsors: https://yourbrandamplified.codeadx.me/Leave a rating and review on your favorite platformFollow @yourbrandamplified on the socialsTalk to my digital avatar  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    39 min
  2. From Chef's Kitchen to Tech CEO: Alejandro Oropeza on Bridging Food and Technology

    4 DAYS AGO

    From Chef's Kitchen to Tech CEO: Alejandro Oropeza on Bridging Food and Technology

    Alejandro Oropeza's journey from Mexico City's family kitchens to founding Flavors demonstrates how deep domain expertise combined with technological innovation creates transformative opportunities. His unique position allowed him to identify a critical gap: food content viewers experience genuine hunger and desire immediate action. Rather than remaining passive consumers, audiences wanted to bridge inspiration and consumption. Alejandro's resilience defines his entrepreneurial identity as profoundly as his vision. Pitching nearly 100 venture firms before securing funding, facing systemic barriers as a Latino founder in an industry where only 2% of capital flows to founders like him, he maintained conviction through what most would consider irrational persistence. His decade-long meditation practice and emphasis on surrounding himself with authentic relationships demonstrate that Alejandro understands entrepreneurial success requires equal investment in psychological resilience and relational support alongside strategic acumen. By enabling chefs to share their stories through video and making their cuisine nationally accessible, Alejandro Oropeza facilitates cultural exchange that honors immigrant voices and expands culinary representation. His entrepreneurial model—grounded in authentic passion, practitioner respect, and bidirectional value creation—offers an alternative to extractive technology business. Experience this vision firsthand: visit www.cookunity.com to discover chef-crafted meals with authentic stories, support independent culinary talent, and join a community celebrating food's transformative power to connect us all. For the accessible version of the podcast, go to our Ziotag gallery. We’re happy you’re here! Like the pod? Support the podcast and receive discounts from our sponsors: https://yourbrandamplified.codeadx.me/Leave a rating and review on your favorite platformFollow @yourbrandamplified on the socialsTalk to my digital avatar  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    35 min
  3. Unstuck and Unstoppable: Rob Tracz's Prime Performance System for Entrepreneurs

    6 DAYS AGO

    Unstuck and Unstoppable: Rob Tracz's Prime Performance System for Entrepreneurs

    Rob Tracz's evolution from strength and conditioning coach to performance strategist reveals a critical truth: sustainable success requires addressing the whole person, not isolated skills. After experiencing severe burnout—working fifteen-hour days for three years without rest—and losing his father to cancer, Rob recognized that mastery in one domain means nothing if you've sacrificed relationships, health, and purpose. His insight cuts through the noise of specialized coaching: optimize everything or optimize nothing. Rob's Prime Performance Coaching Framework directly addresses why purpose-driven professionals feel stuck despite consistent effort. Rather than asking clients why they want success, he asks who they're building for—a distinction that transforms abstract ambition into meaningful action. His methodology works because it acknowledges that entrepreneurs often create unsustainable jobs rather than scalable businesses, then wonder why momentum stalls. By building genuine relationships before needing sales, Rob has created an interconnected ecosystem of coaching, masterminds, and community where collaboration drives growth. If you're exhausted by your side hustle, frustrated by stalled momentum, or struggling to balance growth with wellbeing, Rob Tracz offers proven frameworks for clarity and sustainable action. His Free Side Hustle Strategy Call provides direct access to the Prime Performance system that has transformed entrepreneurs' lives and businesses. Stop grinding in isolation and start building intentionally. Schedule your free strategy session here or explore more at his website—where peak performance means thriving in all dimensions of life. For the accessible version of the podcast, go to our Ziotag gallery. We’re happy you’re here! Like the pod? Support the podcast and receive discounts from our sponsors: https://yourbrandamplified.codeadx.me/Leave a rating and review on your favorite platformFollow @yourbrandamplified on the socialsTalk to my digital avatar  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    37 min
  4. Empower or Control: Sean Shannon on Breaking Through the Founder-Led Growth Ceiling

    6 FEB

    Empower or Control: Sean Shannon on Breaking Through the Founder-Led Growth Ceiling

    Sean Shannon's three-decade broadcasting career taught him that true business disruption comes not from clinging to outdated models but from recognizing when market fundamentals have shifted and redefining value accordingly. By repositioning radio stations as marketing strategists rather than advertising vendors and creating in-house creative agencies, he fundamentally changed client relationships from transactional to consultative. Sean's evolution from individual contributor to leader also revealed a critical insight—everything that makes exceptional salespeople becomes a liability in leadership, requiring a complete mindset shift toward empowering others. Sean's current mission addresses the exact problem preventing most small and medium-sized businesses from scaling: seventy-five percent of SMB owners with sales teams don't have documented processes, meaning all business development falls on the founder. His frameworks address the real gaps—aligning sales and marketing around what customers actually need to hire your product to do, understanding team composition, and validating value propositions through direct customer conversations that generate both testimonials and referrals. If founder-led growth has become your ceiling, Sean Shannon's expertise in knowledge transfer and team empowerment can unlock the scaling you've been unable to achieve alone. Book your free sales assessment and consultation or connect directly with Sean to discover how documented processes and empowered teams can drive the twenty-five to thirty-five percent growth your business is ready for. For the accessible version of the podcast, go to our Ziotag gallery. We’re happy you’re here! Like the pod? Support the podcast and receive discounts from our sponsors: https://yourbrandamplified.codeadx.me/Leave a rating and review on your favorite platformFollow @yourbrandamplified on the socialsTalk to my digital avatar  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    53 min
  5. The Accidental Entrepreneur: Benas Leonavicius on Niche Specialization and Client Selection

    4 FEB

    The Accidental Entrepreneur: Benas Leonavicius on Niche Specialization and Client Selection

    Beginning as an accidental entrepreneur who discovered SEO while writing articles during university, Benas Leonavicius built a six-figure freelance agency with an 80% profit margin—a feat most believe requires massive teams and complex systems. His breakthrough came when he identified keynote speakers as his ideal client niche, realizing their simpler SEO needs and exceptional referral networks allowed him to generate substantial income while working just five hours per week per client. Beyond his core agency work, Benas built a personal brand through YouTube by sharing his freelancing journey and entrepreneurial experiences rather than directly targeting clients. His HVAC faceless YouTube channel further illustrates his experimental philosophy: he created a completely automated revenue stream by hiring subject matter experts, recording audio, and delegating editing, proving that you never know which venture will unexpectedly become significant. The philosophy underlying Benas's mission challenges conventional business wisdom: sustainable success requires neither massive teams nor complex systems, but rather deep specialization, relentless focus, and the courage to say no to misaligned opportunities. If you're ready to build your freelancing practice with clarity and purpose, visit Benas's YouTube channel where he shares actionable strategies, real freelancing insights, and guidance to help you launch and scale your own venture—proving that the future belongs to those who do one thing extraordinarily well for the people who value it most. For the accessible version of the podcast, go to our Ziotag gallery. We’re happy you’re here! Like the pod? Support the podcast and receive discounts from our sponsors: https://yourbrandamplified.codeadx.me/Leave a rating and review on your favorite platformFollow @yourbrandamplified on the socialsTalk to my digital avatar  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    46 min
  6. Strategic Clarity Meets AI: Loic Potjes' Next-Generation Coaching Framework

    2 FEB

    Strategic Clarity Meets AI: Loic Potjes' Next-Generation Coaching Framework

    Loic Potjes has built his career on a transformative principle: success in leadership comes from discovering and leveraging inherent talents, not forcing oneself into unnatural roles. Central to his philosophy is understanding that imposter syndrome is a resistance to self-belief that unconsciously repels opportunity. When leaders authentically embrace their genuine capabilities and project that conviction, they naturally attract talent, resources, and momentum. Loic's most actionable insight is that eighty percent of business scalability comes from two factors: hiring for potential three steps ahead and building teams with complementary superpowers. Rather than developing people in areas where they lack natural talent, he surrounds himself with individuals whose strengths offset his weaknesses—a strategy that produces dramatically superior results. His concept of a disruptive leap distinguishes exponential growth from incremental improvement, requiring fundamental business model transformation and alignment across unique selling proposition, product-market fit, and organizational structure. Loic Potjes' coaching approach has produced extraordinary results, from a West African entrepreneur who closed five ventures and tripled performance by applying strict portfolio criteria, to CEOs across twenty-five countries who discover that fundamental human challenges and leadership dynamics transcend culture and geography. For scale-up entrepreneurs and CEOs of businesses from $5 million to $500 million ready to unlock disruptive growth through clarity, strategic focus, and complementary team dynamics, get in touch with Loic here. For the accessible version of the podcast, go to our Ziotag gallery. We’re happy you’re here! Like the pod? Support the podcast and receive discounts from our sponsors: https://yourbrandamplified.codeadx.me/Leave a rating and review on your favorite platformFollow @yourbrandamplified on the socialsTalk to my digital avatar  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    47 min
  7. Redefining Nonprofit Leadership: Lee Wochner on Moving Beyond Conventional Thinking

    30 JAN

    Redefining Nonprofit Leadership: Lee Wochner on Moving Beyond Conventional Thinking

    Lee Wochner bridges art and business strategy by recognizing that both disciplines move people through storytelling. He founded Counterintuity on a transformative premise: nonprofit leaders possess authentic passion and deep cause expertise but often lack exposure to business practices that exponentially expand impact. Rather than viewing corporate strategy as mission-incompatible, Lee helps organizations understand that clarity around goals, audience understanding, and intentional messaging are not distractions but essential accelerants. Lee's core conviction is that strategy must precede all tactical execution. His campaigns prove that strategic thinking translates directly into measurable results. He also leverages artificial intelligence strategically, using it to free nonprofit leaders from administrative burdens so they can focus on irreplaceable human work. His three non-negotiables with clients—genuine open-mindedness, clear approval processes, and commitment to meaningful impact—ensure that strategy serves real change, not mere activity. Lee Wochner believes the world contains both profound need and untapped opportunity, where even ten percent improvement in any challenge creates transformation. If your nonprofit is ready to break through conventional thinking and unlock its potential, visit counterintuity.com to schedule a free 30-minute consultation with personalized follow-up strategy and advice. Discover what becomes possible when human energy focuses intentionally and resources deploy strategically. For the accessible version of the podcast, go to our Ziotag gallery. We’re happy you’re here! Like the pod? Support the podcast and receive discounts from our sponsors: https://yourbrandamplified.codeadx.me/Leave a rating and review on your favorite platformFollow @yourbrandamplified on the socialsTalk to my digital avatar  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    49 min
  8. AI as Augmentation, Not Automation: Brenda Wilkerson on Serving People Over Profit

    28 JAN

    AI as Augmentation, Not Automation: Brenda Wilkerson on Serving People Over Profit

    Brenda Darden Wilkerson's journey from pre-med student to computer science pioneer reveals how systemic inequities are created by human choice and can therefore be unmade by human action. When she discovered Chicago's third-largest school district had no computer science curriculum, she recognized this was not an educational gap but deliberate exclusion—a policy decision that robbed marginalized communities and the entire innovation ecosystem of untapped talent and perspective. Her founding of Computer Science for All, which inspired the Obama administration's national initiative, proved that incremental changes generate momentum for systemic transformation. At AnitaB.org, Wilkerson applies rigorous data-driven insights that challenge corporate inaction. Decades of research prove diverse teams reach profitability faster and innovate more effectively, yet companies ignore these facts because equity feels like surrendering power. From women's health innovations to AI bias, Wilkerson demonstrates that systemic inequities operate through power structures that determine whose needs warrant resources and attention, making the inclusion of diverse perspectives a practical necessity for innovation, not merely a moral imperative. Brenda Wilkerson's mission across education, technology, healthcare, and algorithmic justice reflects her conviction that meaningful change requires confronting biases and building coordinated efforts across institutions. To engage with her work and connect with a global community of women in technology driving systemic change, visit AnitaB.org or connect with Brenda directly on LinkedIn. Her persistent advocacy proves that equity cannot be achieved in isolation—it requires people willing to ask difficult questions and challenge assumptions in pursuit of systems that genuinely serve everyone. For the accessible version of the podcast, go to our Ziotag gallery. We’re happy you’re here! Like the pod? Support the podcast and receive discounts from our sponsors: https://yourbrandamplified.codeadx.me/Leave a rating and review on your favorite platformFollow @yourbrandamplified on the socialsTalk to my digital avatar  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    49 min

About

Welcome to Your Brand Amplified® – the podcast that takes you behind the scenes of successful businesses, exploring the minds of entrepreneurs, business leaders, marketers and sales experts. I'm thrilled to be your host, Anika Jackson, and I'm on a mission to uncover the stories, strategies, and secrets that have propelled these individuals to success. Tune in to hear the captivating journeys of our guests. From humble beginnings to industry titans, each episode unravels the unique narrative of how these remarkable individuals navigated the world of entrepreneurship, small business, and marketing. Gain exclusive insights into the strategies that drive success in the business world. Our guests share their tested and proven methods, offering you a wealth of knowledge to implement in your own entrepreneurial endeavors. Delve into the world of marketing with our expert guests. Whether it's digital, content, or influencer marketing, we cover it all. Stay ahead of the curve and learn the latest trends and techniques to elevate your brand. Public relations is a key component of any successful business. Learn from seasoned professionals about building and maintaining a positive public image, navigating crises, and leveraging PR to amplify your brand's voice. Craft Your Business strategy is the backbone of sustainable growth. Our guests share their strategic insights, providing you with the tools and knowledge to formulate and execute effective business plans. Elevate your business acumen, amplify your brand, and be inspired by the stories of those who have turned their visions into reality.

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