Lead With Your Brand!™

Jayzen Patria

Are you ready to Lead With Your Brand™ to your next career breakthrough Welcome to the podcast that showcases exceptional career success stories through personal brand journeys from entertainment, tech, media, and more.  Each episode, Jayzen Patria explores how successful leaders rise above by having a super-premium brand that drives their career forward, and you’ll get plenty of inspiration and practical tools to help you lead with your brand everyday as you drive towards your next career breakthrough.

  1. 4d ago

    Season 7, Episode 12: How to Celebrate Pride On Brand! : A Special Collection of LGBTQ+ Executive Conversations

    Happy Pride Month! In this special Pride Month episode of the Lead With Your Brand Podcast, Jayzen celebrates and amplifies the voices of LGBTQ+ leaders, executives, creatives, advocates, and changemakers from the Pride On Brand collection. But before diving into these powerful conversations, Jayzen opens with an important reminder: you have a brand, whether you realize it or not. The real question is whether you are consciously and strategically leading with the brand you want, or are you allowing others to define it for you? Jayzen shares a personal story from early in his career, when he realized that others were assigning a brand to him based on only one part of who he was. At first, it felt light and fun. But over time, he began to understand that the perception being created was not necessarily the brand that would help him move into the next level of leadership. It became a powerful “aha” moment: when you do not put your own brand forward, people will create one for you. This episode brings that lesson to life through a powerful Pride Month clip reel featuring LGBTQ+ leaders who have turned their identities, lived experiences, values, and visibility into sources of strength, impact, and career breakthrough. Key Takeaways Your lived experience can become one of your greatest leadership superpowersBeing authentic at work is not separate from professional excellenceYour brand will not be everyone’s cup of tea, and that is exactly why finding the right brand fit mattersVisibility, service, and giving back can all become powerful career accelerators In this special episode, Jayzen revisits conversations with an incredible group of LGBTQ+ leaders and changemakers, including: Congressman Mark Takano, on becoming the first openly LGBTQ+ person of color elected to Congress.Jen Henderson, technology executive, on being known for your expertise and leadership and also proudly owning the identity and lived experience that shape who you areErin Uritus, CEO of Out & Equal Workplace Advocates, on stepping into leadership with authenticity and not trying to be anyone but herselfChris Mossiah, Executive Director at JPMorgan Chase, on turning insecurities into superpowers and treating their name as a brandSarah Kate Ellis, President and CEO of GLAAD, on visibility, media representation, and using your platform to make the world safer for LGBTQ+ familiesBeck Bailey, Chief Diversity Officer at Accenture, on combining business expertise with lived experience to create systemic changeChristelle Miller, Senior Creative Executive at Fable Entertainment, on the importance of representation behind the scenes and on screenWilson Cruz, actor and activist, on breaking barriers in the Star Trek universe and engaging in meaningful dialogue about representationStephen Macias, Chief Inclusion Officer for Octagon, on building a career rooted in values, advocacy, entertainment, and cultureLouis Vega, President of Dow North America, on giving back and helping make the path easier for the next generationMatt Brooks, Vice President and head of enterprise data tech and solutions at Nationwide, on how employee resource groups can build confidence, visibility, skills, and career momentum.Legendary Disney Imagineer Bob Gurr, on how far the LGBTQ+ community has come and why visibility across generations matters This Pride Month, Jayzen challenges listeners to ask themselves: What are the unique lived experiences, perspectives, and strengths that can become your calling card as you lead with your brand to your next career breakthrough? Links  To book Jayzen for a speaking engagement or workshop, visit Jayzenpatria.com To hear the full conversations from the Pride On Brand collection, visit leadwithyourbrand.com/pride

    1h 4m
  2. Season 7, Episode 11: How to Turn Your Network Into a Career Advantage with Guest, Andrew Turner, Employee Engagement Director, Diageo North America

    May 20

    Season 7, Episode 11: How to Turn Your Network Into a Career Advantage with Guest, Andrew Turner, Employee Engagement Director, Diageo North America

    This week on the Lead With Your Brand podcast, Jayzen Patria challenges listeners to think about their network not as a contact list, but as one of the most powerful amplifiers of their career brand. It is not enough to deliver great work, build a strong reputation, and know what you stand for. If no one sees it, hears it, or can speak to your value when you are not in the room, your brand can only go so far. Inspired by a recent trip to New York and a reconnection with this week’s guest, Andrew Turner, Jayzen breaks down how to keep your network alive with intention. Jayzen also explores how self-similarity bias and proximity bias can quietly shrink your professional world. It is easy to spend time with the people who look like you, think like you, work near you, or sit in the same functional lane. But the strongest career networks are built by intentionally reaching beyond the familiar. To help listeners put this into action, Jayzen shares practical tools, including creating a personal network “treasure map,” asking for AIR (Advice, Insights, and Recommendations) as an easy way to reconnect, and treating LinkedIn as technology that powers your professional network, not just another social media platform. The challenge is clear - do not just build your network. Keep the embers alive. Key Takeaways: Your network is not just a list of people you know; it is a system of influencers who can amplify your brandSelf-similarity bias and proximity bias can limit your network if you do not intentionally break out of themUse a network treasure map to diagnose where you already have strong connections and where you need to build new onesAIR (Advice, Insights, and Recommendations) is a simple, authentic model to reconnect without making it feel awkwardLinkedIn only works if you are active. Like, comment, post, and show up consistently so your brand stays top of mind Jayzen is joined by Andrew Turner, Employee Engagement Director for Diageo North America. Andrew’s career is a powerful example of how your passions and past experiences can become a differentiator in the work you do today. A classically trained actor and self-described “reformed actor,” Andrew has built a career helping major organizations connect with employees through communications, culture, and engagement. From Universal Studios and NBCUniversal to Travelers and now Diageo, Andrew shares how he learned to meet audiences where they are, create community inside large companies, and bring creativity, storytelling, and performance into corporate life. Guest Bio Andrew Turner, Employee Engagement Director, Diageo North America Andrew Turner is an experienced employee engagement and communications leader who’s spent his career helping large organizations connect more meaningfully with their people. As Employee Engagement Director for North America at Diageo, he leads strategies that bring the company’s culture, purpose, and performance ambitions to life—making sure employees feel informed, involved, and motivated to play their part. He’s particularly focused on strengthening a sense of ownership and pride across the business, while finding creative ways to tell the stories behind Diageo’s brands and people. Andrew is known for turning complex ideas into clear, engaging communication that actually resonates. Before joining Diageo, he held senior roles at Travelers, where he helped modernize internal communications for a 30,000-person workforce, and at NBCUniversal, where he spent over a decade leading global engagement efforts, executive messaging, and large-scale change communications. He started his career at Universal Studios, working at the intersection of communications and digital during a time when companies were just beginning to rethink how they connect with employees online. What sets Andrew apart is his belief that culture isn’t just something you talk about - it’s something you actively shape. He brings a mix of strategic thinking and storytelling to his work, helping organizations build environments where people feel connected, valued, and ready to contribute. He holds a degree from Boston College and completed postgraduate studies at the London Academy of Music & Dramatic Art, which explains his natural instinct for a good story. Links  To book Jayzen for a speaking engagement or workshop, visit Jayzenpatria.com

    1h 10m
  3. Season 7, Episode 10: From Imposter Syndrome to AI Success with Guest Anya Cheng, Founder and CEO of Taelor

    May 6

    Season 7, Episode 10: From Imposter Syndrome to AI Success with Guest Anya Cheng, Founder and CEO of Taelor

    This week on the Lead With Your Brand podcast, Jayzen Patria challenges you to look beyond external obstacles and take a deeper look at what may really be standing in the way of your next career breakthrough. Before your brand, before your next move, before your next opportunity, there is your career strategy. And at the center of that strategy is your mindset. So the question becomes,” What is actually getting in your way?” For many of us, it’s not the market, the role, or the timing. It’s the self-limiting beliefs we’ve built over time the ones that helped us succeed early on, but may now be holding us back. Jayzen shares a personal story about how his belief that he needed to “be the best” helped him stand out and accelerate early in his career. But as he moved into leadership, that same belief created friction, driving competition over collaboration and limiting his ability to lead effectively. The breakthrough came from shifting that belief, from needing to be the best to focusing on being excellent and helping others be excellent too. Because the mindset that helps you survive one stage of your career is not always the one that will help you thrive in the next. Key Takeaways from Jayzen’s Teach: Your mindset drives your career strategy, not the other way aroundThe beliefs that helped you succeed early in your career can become barriers laterSelf-limiting beliefs often show up as habits or patterns you don’t questionGrowth requires identifying those beliefs and intentionally rewriting them In this episode, Jayzen sits down with Anya Cheng, Founder and CEO of Taelor, an AI-powered styling platform helping professionals show up with confidence without the time, effort, or stress of managing their wardrobe. Anya’s journey is a powerful example of building a career by creating opportunities instead of waiting for them. After moving to the United States from Taiwan and graduating during the 2008 recession, she had no network and no clear path forward. Instead, she built one, reaching out to hundreds of people, finding ways into rooms she wasn’t invited to, and consistently asking for opportunities. That persistence led her to leadership roles across major brands, including Target, eBay, McDonald’s, and Meta, where she helped launch Facebook and Instagram Shopping. Today, she is a venture-backed founder building at the intersection of AI, personal branding, and how people show up in their daily lives. This episode is a reminder that your next breakthrough doesn’t come from trying to be everything to everyone. It comes from understanding what makes you distinct and building from there. Guest Bio Anya Cheng,  Founder and CEO of Taelor Anya Cheng is the Founder & CEO of Taelor, an AI-powered men's clothing subscription service promoting sustainable fashion. A Silicon Valley entrepreneur, she has been recognized among "Girls in Tech 40 Under 40" for her expertise in tech product management and marketing. Anya played a pivotal role in launching Facebook and Instagram Shopping at Meta, led new business expansion at eBay, and helped grow McDonald’s global food delivery. She also shaped Target’s mobile commerce and has led teams in AI, eCommerce product management, and marketing across Fortune 500 companies. Anya’s award-winning venture, Taelor AI, was named one of the Bay Area’s Most Innovative Startups to Watch by Business Journal and is backed by early investors in NVIDIA, TikTok, Facebook, Lyft, and Spotify.  Anya’s work has earned her 30+ prestigious tech and marketing awards. A best-selling author and two-time TEDx speaker, she teaches at Northwestern University and is a popular keynote speaker worldwide. She holds a Master’s in Integrated Marketing Communications from Northwestern University and an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. Links  To book Jayzen for a speaking engagement or workshop, visit Jayzenpatria.com Check out Taelor with these deals! Taelor: Get 25% OFF your first month of men's clothing subscription. Use code: PODCAST25 Sign up at: https://taelor.style/pages/membership Armoire: Get 50% OFF your first month of women's clothing subscription. Use code: ArmoirexTaelor Sign up at: https://www.armoire.style/refer/ArmoirexTaelor Taelor Gift Cards: Get 10% OFF Use code: PODCASTGIFT Purchase at: https://taelor.style/products/menswear-rental-gift-card

    1 hr
  4. Season 7, Episode 9: Finding the Opportunity in the Storm with Guest, Christine Escribano, Owner & Chief Design Officer, Cherry Home Designs LLC

    Apr 22

    Season 7, Episode 9: Finding the Opportunity in the Storm with Guest, Christine Escribano, Owner & Chief Design Officer, Cherry Home Designs LLC

    In this episode of the Lead With Your Brand! podcast, Jayzen Patria challenges listeners to rethink how they show up during times of uncertainty. When everything around you feels like it’s shifting: your company, your industry, even your role, it can be tempting to wait for clarity. But Jayzen makes it clear: this is exactly when you need to take action. He introduces one of his most practical pieces of career advice: “Find a hole and fill it.” Instead of chasing the perfect job or waiting for the right moment, Jayzen encourages you to focus on where you can create value right now. By identifying the real needs of your organization, your clients, and your industry and aligning them with your strengths and passions, you position yourself for your next breakthrough. He also reinforces that your career is not about perfection, but about a series of intentional choices, trade-offs, and moves that build momentum over time. Tune in to learn how to navigate uncertainty with confidence, take ownership of your career direction, and ensure your brand is defined by the value you deliver, not just the work you do. Key Takeaways: Don’t wait for the storm to pass. Moments of uncertainty are where breakthroughs happen.“Find a hole and fill it.” Focus on solving meaningful problems that create real value.Your brand is not about you—it’s about the value and service you provide to others.There is no perfect job. Focus on the right next step that moves your career forward.The strongest opportunities sit at the intersection of your talents, passions, and organizational needs.Readiness matters. Being prepared allows you to act when opportunity shows up.Career growth is a series of choices and trade-offs—be intentional about each move. The episode then transitions into an inspiring conversation with Christine Escribano, Founder and Chief Design Officer of Cherry Home Designs. After a 30-year career in media, including leadership roles at NBCUniversal, Christine shares how she made a bold pivot from corporate executive to creative entrepreneur. What started as a side hustle evolved into a thriving business rooted in storytelling, design, and personal expression. Christine’s journey brings Jayzen’s message to life—demonstrating how small, intentional moves, continuous learning, and a willingness to follow both passion and opportunity can lead to meaningful reinvention. From embracing her authentic, “edgy” brand to learning how to balance fearlessness with compassion, her story is a powerful reminder that your next chapter doesn’t require a perfect plan—just the courage to take the next step. Guest Bio Christine Escribano Founder & Chief Design Officer Cherry Home Designs LLC  Christine is an award-winning marketer, writer, and interior designer whose work is rooted in storytelling. Before launching Cherry Home Designs, Christine spent over 30 years shaping some of the most recognizable media brands in the world. She began her career at McCann Erickson as a media buyer, before transitioning into marketing at Time Inc., where she worked across the iconic People portfolio—including Teen People, People, and People en Español. She later joined Telemundo as Head of Integrated and B2B Marketing, and went on to serve most recently, as SVP at NBCUniversal, where she built and led a 60-person integrated marketing team across a dynamic portfolio of brands. After decades of building stories for others, a COVID-era reset sparked a pivotal shift—one that led Christine to pursue her lifelong creative calling in furniture artistry and interior design. Today, she is known for her ability to translate a client’s life into a deeply personal design experience—creating spaces that reflect not just how people live, but who they are. Christine believes personalized design is an art—one that should feel collected, meaningful, and livable, never overdone or untouchable. Her work centers around helping clients reimagine their homes to reflect a life well-lived. With a passion for sensory design, she thoughtfully weaves together sight, sound, touch, taste, and smell to create immersive, layered environments. At the heart of her work is a simple intention: to create spaces that feel like a warm hug—welcoming, comforting, and deeply personal. With an eye toward customization, she often incorporates vintage and sentimental pieces, honoring the history behind each home while elevating its future. Her work has been featured on Freeform and Hulu’s That Thrifting Show with Lara Spencer, Magnolia Network’s Beachfront Bargain Hunt Renovation, and NBC’s George to the Rescue. Cherry Home Designs has also been recognized as a Best of Houzz winner for customer service. Christine’s partner in life and in business, her husband John Pizzi of Casa Construction & Development, brings nearly four decades of experience in construction, architectural design, and project management. Together, they offer a seamless design-build experience, guiding clients from concept through completion. Their shared mission is simple: to inspire others to live their story. Links  To book Jayzen for a speaking engagement or workshop, visit Jayzenpatria.com Check Cherry Home Designs: https://cherryhomedesigns.com/

    1h 7m
  5. Season 7, Episode 8: Be Your Own CMO with Guest, Matt Brooks, VP and Head of Enterprise Data and Technology Solutions, Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company

    Apr 8

    Season 7, Episode 8: Be Your Own CMO with Guest, Matt Brooks, VP and Head of Enterprise Data and Technology Solutions, Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company

    In this episode of the Lead With Your Brand! podcast, Jayzen Patria wraps up his five-step framework by breaking down Step 5: Be Your Own Chief Marketing Officer. If the earlier steps focused on defining and shaping your brand, this final step is all about visibility and making sure your value is seen, heard, and recognized. Jayzen explains that great work alone isn’t enough. If no one knows about it, it doesn’t move your career forward! Drawing from classic marketing principles, he outlines the three key ways to promote your brand: advertising (what you say about yourself), influencers (what others say about you), and word of mouth (what’s said when you’re not in the room). He introduces concepts to emphasize the importance of repetition and consistency, and challenges listeners to take ownership of how they show up, especially on platforms like LinkedIn and in everyday professional interactions. Tune in to learn how to step into the role of your own CMO, build visibility with intention, and ensure your brand is consistently communicated across every touchpoint in your career. Key Takeaways: You are the chief marketing officer of your career. No one will promote you better than you.Visibility matters. Great work without exposure limits your opportunities.The “rule of seven” shows that repetition is required before people even notice your brand.LinkedIn is your digital billboard. Optimize it or risk being invisible.A clear elevator pitch helps you communicate your value quickly and effectively.Consistency in how you show up builds recognition and trust over time.The episode then transitions into a compelling conversation with Matt Brooks, Vice President of Enterprise Data Tech and Solutions at Nationwide. With over two decades of experience across GE, Bank of America, and Nationwide, Matt shares how he built a career at the intersection of data, technology, and human impact. He offers a fresh perspective on AI, not as a replacement for thinking, but as a thought partner, and explains how using real data, curiosity, and intentional questioning can unlock better insights and outcomes. From leading high-performing teams to redefining how technology serves people, Matt’s story highlights the power of aligning your career with purpose, staying adaptable, and raising your hand when opportunity calls. Guest Bio Matt Brooks VP and Head of Enterprise Data and Technology Solutions  Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company  With over 20 years of experience in leading data and analytics teams, Matt is a trailblazing Technology Executive at Nationwide, where he drives digital transformation across the enterprise.  Matt has led teams across technology, learning and development and audit in three different mega corporations spanning the energy, aerospace, digital, financial services, and insurance industries. Matt is highly adaptable and can make strategic connections across domains in a way that inspires and motivates his business and tech partners. His personal mission is to build technology solutions powered by data to better the lives of clients, especially in their times of greatest need. Matt is a technical trailblazer and talent maximizer. He brings the best out in teams and colleagues using his dynamic energy and infectious, problem-solving mindset. He’s strategic, but also a maverick, ready to try new solutions that nobody has successfully tried before.  In his free time, he loves experiencing new cultures, creative writing, and learning new languages...while he’s not building new GPT agents.  Links  To book Jayzen for a speaking engagement or workshop, visit Jayzenpatria.com Check out Matt’s substack : daitapoints.brooksny.net

    1h 8m
  6. Season 7, Episode 7: How to Build Your SingatureStyle with Guest,Malinda Sanna, Founder and CEO, LookLook

    Mar 25

    Season 7, Episode 7: How to Build Your SingatureStyle with Guest,Malinda Sanna, Founder and CEO, LookLook

    In this episode of the Lead With Your Brand! podcast, Jayzen Patria continues his five-step framework by breaking down Step 4: Keeping Up Your Image and Shaping Your Signature Style. If earlier steps focused on defining your brand DNA, this installment challenges listeners to operationalize it and turn who you are into a consistent, recognizable experience across everything you do. Shaping Your Signature Style. Jayzen explains that powerful personal brands are not just defined, they are designed. Your signature style is your “formula” or “recipe card”: a set of repeatable behaviors, visual cues, and execution patterns that make your work unmistakably yours. Drawing on examples from Hollywood storytelling and media brands like Bravo, he shows how the most successful brands apply a clear filter to everything they create, ensuring consistency, clarity, and connection with their audience. Tune in to hear how defining your personal “secret sauce” can eliminate inconsistency, strengthen your presence, and ensure that no matter where you show up—or what role you’re in—you are always delivering work that feels distinctly and memorably you. Key Takeaways: Your signature style is your brand in action—a repeatable formula, not a one-time statementConsistency across your work is what makes your brand recognizable and trustedYou can succeed in any role or industry if you apply your unique brand filter to everything you doYour visual presence (appearance, environment, presentation) must align with your brand—or risk creating a disconnectYour best past projects hold clues to your “secret sauce”—study them to define your formulaStrong brands rely on repeatable actions and behaviors that can be applied across any projectYou are not meant to blend in—you are meant to build a signature that stands out The episode then transitions into a dynamic conversation with Melinda Sanna, CEO and Founder of LookLook, a global consumer insights platform serving luxury brands. With a career spanning Coca-Cola, top advertising agencies, and entrepreneurship, Melinda shares how she built a seven-figure business by identifying gaps in traditional market research and creating a more human, high-touch approach. From her “white-glove” philosophy to building curated communities like the Luxuryverse and Beautyverse, she offers powerful insights on brand as a belief system, the importance of curiosity and authenticity in leadership, and how solving real problems can become the foundation for long-term success. Guest Bio Malinda Sanna Founder and CEO LookLook Malinda Sanna is the founder and CEO of LookLook, a 7-figure proprietary consumer insights platform she's built over 15 years with a team of 16, specializing in luxury market research through what she calls "Cultivated Communities", recruiting participants one relationship at a time rather than relying on third-party panels. She created the Beautyverse (1,000+ high-net-worth women focused on luxury beauty) and Luxuryverse, two proprietary communities for luxury studies. With a global team of executives in New York, Paris, Dubai, São Paulo, Beijing, and Shanghai, she's conducted over 900 studies with 30,000+ research participants, serving clients including Shiseido, BMW, LVMH, Google, Mondelez, and Nestlé, while also running a Substack newsletter with ~600 subscribers including major luxury brand executives from around the world.  As a bootstrapper who built profitable software without venture capital and a former singer who studied classical music and English literature at Goshen College, Malinda has been featured in The New York Times, CNN, CNBC, HuffPost, Forbes, Bloomberg, Business Insider, The Washington Post, AdWeek, and Inc. Links  To book Jayzen for a speaking engagement or workshop, visit Jayzenpatria.com

    1h 12m
  7. Season 7, Episode 6: Fan Favorite : How to Build Your Career Audience with Guest, Emily Chang Chief Commercial Officer, CHAGEE

    Mar 4

    Season 7, Episode 6: Fan Favorite : How to Build Your Career Audience with Guest, Emily Chang Chief Commercial Officer, CHAGEE

    March marks the beginning of Women’s History Month, a time to recognize the women who are shaping industries, building communities, and redefining what leadership looks like today. In celebration of the month, we’re sharing one of our top Fan Favorite guests from 2025, Emily Chang, a global business leader whose career spans some of the world’s most recognizable brands and industries. Emily currently serves as Chief Commercial Officer of CHAGEE, a leading international tea beverage company guided by the vision of connecting people through a great cup of tea. Founded in 2017 in Yunnan, China—the historic home of tea—CHAGEE has rapidly expanded to more than 6,000 stores globally, redefining the modern tea experience. Emily is also the best-selling author of The Spare Room, a powerful book about purpose, leadership, and the impact we can make when we choose to open our lives to others. Jayzen starts the show with a deep dive into Step 1 of the Lead With Your Brand! System: Define Your Audience. Many people think their personal brand is about what they do. In reality, the strongest brands are built around who they serve and the value they create. One of the biggest mistakes professionals make is trying to appeal to everyone. When you try to be everything to everyone, you become generic—something to everyone, but meaningful to no one. The most successful brands take the opposite approach: they identify their core audience and super serve their super fans. Jayzen shares how networks like Bravo and Telemundo grew by focusing on the audiences that mattered most and delivering exactly what those viewers wanted. The same principle applies to your career. Understanding your audience helps you show up with intention—and deliver the greatest value where it matters most. Because your brand isn’t about promoting yourself—it’s about helping others succeed. Key Takeaways: Don’t try to serve everyone. Focus on the audience you serve best.Look beyond titles. Understand motivations, needs, and values.Identify your super fans. These are the people who champion your work.Deliver value intentionally. Tailor how you show up to serve them best.Jayzen then welcomes Emily Chang to the show.  Emily shares her incredible career journey that has spanned senior leadership roles at P&G, the first executive for Apple in China overseeing retail marketing, CMO of Starbucks China and more.  Her insights and practical advice on how to be a leader on any level and move your career forward are invaluable.   Guest Bio Emily Chang Chief Commercial Officer, CHAGEE and Best Selling Author of The Spare Room Emily is CCO of CHAGEE, a leading international tea beverage company guided by the vision to connect everyone through a good cup of tea. The brand first started in 2017 in the hometown of tea, Yunnan, China, and has since expanded to over 6,000+ stores globally.  Emily has over 25 years of experience spanning QSR, Retail, Hospitality, Creative, Tech, and FMCG industries. She holds an exceptional track record of accelerating global brands which began at P and G. Over 11 years, she worked across all three business units spanning upstream design, retail, and digital marketing, and based in Cincinnati, Fayetteville, and Guangzhou. She then moved to Apple as the first executive in China overseeing Retail Marketing for APAC, opening new stores and developing the Apple Asia retail operating model. Later, she joined IHG as the Chief Commercial Officer for Greater China where she led a team of 5,400, launching a new brand and crafting new partnerships to become the #1 hotel brand in China. Drawn to the best of CX and CRM, Emily joined Starbucks in 2017 as CMO of China, where she oversaw all commercial functions and led the teams that brought digital experiences to life like the Shanghai Roastery Augmented Reality, Starbucks Delivery, and Digital Gifting. Five years ago, Emily became CEO of McCann Worldgroup in China, where she transformed a 450-member team across four agencies in three offices to deliver five-year highs in record revenue and OIBI. Emily believes passionately in living with intention and leading with authenticity. She published a best-selling book called “The Spare Room,” and speaks at industry-leading events like TEDx and Fortune Most Powerful Women. Emily is a member of YPO and has also served on non-profit boards, including most recently with SOS Children’s Villages. Links  To book Jayzen for a speaking engagement or workshop, visit Jayzenpatria.com

    1h 10m
  8. Season 7, Episode 5: How to Build Your Brand Foundation with Guest, Kalia Waits-Smith, VP, Employee Communications and Engagement, Freshworks

    Feb 18

    Season 7, Episode 5: How to Build Your Brand Foundation with Guest, Kalia Waits-Smith, VP, Employee Communications and Engagement, Freshworks

    In this episode of the Lead With Your Brand! podcast, Jayzen Patria continues his five-step framework by diving deeper into Step 3: Refining Who You Want to Be and Building Your Brand Foundation. If the previous episode focused on identifying your brand attributes, this installment challenges listeners to move from descriptive words to bold, declarative statements — clarifying what you believe, what you promise, and why you should be chosen. Building Your Brand Foundation. Moving beyond adjectives, Jayzen explains that powerful personal brands are rooted in three core elements: your belief, your promise, and your positioning. It’s not enough to say you are “collaborative” or “strategic.” SuperPremium professionals articulate the emotional belief that drives them, the value-driven promise they make to their audience, and the competitive edge that differentiates them from others with similar skills. Tune in to hear how moving from generic descriptors to clear declarations can sharpen your narrative, attract the right opportunities, and clarify when you are — and are not — the right fit. Key Takeaways: Your brand foundation is built on three pillars: belief, promise, and positionDeclarative statements are more powerful than generic descriptorsYour core belief should be emotional and enduring — not tied to a job titleA strong brand promise builds trust with your career audiencePositioning clarifies your competitive edge and differentiates you from othersYou are not meant to be a corporate clone — you are meant to be distinct The episode then transitions into an energizing and candid conversation with Kalia Waits-Smith, Vice President of Employee Communications and Engagement at Freshworks, exploring storytelling, authenticity, reinvention, and what it truly means to fill your career toolbox. With more than 15 years of experience across television, nonprofit operations, tech, and executive leadership, Kalia shares how uncovering her identity as a storyteller transformed the way she shows up as a leader. Guest Bio Kalia Waits-Smith VP, Employee Communications and Engagement Freshworks With over 15 years of leadership experience in tech, Kalia combines expertise in change management and employee comms/engagement to shape how employees feel at work and drive businesses forward. A writer and storyteller at heart, she blends empathy and operations to build teams, partnerships, and systems to co-create change and bring company strategy and culture to life. In her most recent role at Zuora, Kalia led a team of communicators that launched their first-ever company values, steered employee comms for multiple M&A transactions, and stood up an Employee Experience cohort of cross-functional leads that scaled engagement globally. Prior to Zuora, she held similar roles at Visa and Cornerstone OnDemand, partnering with leaders to build cultures of communication as they navigated times of change. Kalia grew up in Southern California, but has lived in the Bay Area since 2018. She's living her best snack-filled life in Oakland with her husband, four-year-old daughter, mom, and mom's dog, Buddy. Whenever she's not writing on LinkedIn, which she does A LOT, she's taking Orange Theory classes and trying new wines, cheeses and champagnes. Links  To book Jayzen for a speaking engagement or workshop, visit Jayzenpatria.com

    1h 13m
5
out of 5
58 Ratings

About

Are you ready to Lead With Your Brand™ to your next career breakthrough Welcome to the podcast that showcases exceptional career success stories through personal brand journeys from entertainment, tech, media, and more.  Each episode, Jayzen Patria explores how successful leaders rise above by having a super-premium brand that drives their career forward, and you’ll get plenty of inspiration and practical tools to help you lead with your brand everyday as you drive towards your next career breakthrough.