Brand Story Podcast
The Brand Story podcast features in-depth conversations with marketers, leaders, and brand storytellers about their professional journeys and the impact they’re making on the world around them.


Adding Value with Podcasting featuring Rich Cardona
Podcaster and Founder of Rich Cardona Media
Adding Value with Podcasting
Rich Cardona knows what it takes to create a successful podcast. As a global top 50 podcaster and the producer of The Leadership Locker, Brown Table Talk, and Emotional Optimism among others, Rich has built his career around helping others scale their business with podcasts. In this episode of Brand Story, he’s sharing his insights around building and growing podcasts by adding value and meeting your listener promise.

The Value of Brand featuring Michael Smith
Director of Brand and Creative Content at Fountain
The Value of Brand
Michael Smith compares brand to a person walking into a room. What signals are they sending? How do they come across? As an accomplished brand and creative director and the current Director of Brand & Creative Content at Fountain, Michael’s extensive work with brand strategy has helped businesses find the value of their brand and build it for the better. In this episode of Brand Story, we hear from Michael about the impact a brand’s purpose has on its value, and what it takes to build a strong brand.

Marketing Your Company Values featuring Kelsey Dean
Assistant Vice President & Marketing Director at Pendleton Community Bank
Marketing Your Company Values
Kelsey Dean’s approach to marketing is simple: be authentic, be transparent, be real. As the Assistant Vice President & Marketing Director at Pendleton Community Bank, she leads the marketing efforts in the company’s three regions across Virginia and West Virginia, focusing on true stories and messaging based on their company values. In this episode, you’ll hear from Kelsey about how to connect with customers on a personal level, the importance of staying true to your brand through actions as well as words, and the different marketing strategies you can embrace to stay ahead of the competition.

Cultivating Emotional Optimism featuring Claude Silver
Chief Heart Officer at VaynerMedia
Cultivating Emotional Optimism
Claude Silver could write a book on emotional optimism, but not a lot of people are familiar with the term itself. As the first-ever Chief Heart Officer for Vaynermedia, Claude teaches others how to integrate heart into their professional lives, and in this episode of Brand Story, she’s breaking down the process and discussing the importance of leading with kindness.

Lead Like a Girl featuring Dalia Feldheim
Founder of Flow Leadership Consultancy and Author of Dare to Lead Like a Girl
Lead Like a Girl
Dalia Feldheim found her purpose around people empowerment early on. As the Founder of Flow Leadership Consultancy and Author of Dare to Lead Like a Girl, Dalia first spent 17 years working for Procter and Gamble leading campaigns around women empowerment. Now she’s focusing on helping businesses empower their own people to promote a more authentic, happier, and psychologically-safe working culture. In this episode, Dalia shares insights from her new book, Dare to Lead Like a Girl, how to evolve your passion into your purpose, and the impacts of working with a positive mindset.

Representation Matters featuring Mita Mallick
Head of Inclusion, Equity, and Impact at Carta and Co-Host of Brown Table Talk
Representation Matters
Mita Mallick’s career as a marketer, storyteller, and D.E.I. champion has spanned across some of the most iconic brands including AVON, Suave, and Dove. Her focus? Diversity education and representation. Whether it’s embracing different leadership styles, creating products that work for all populations, or introducing relatable representation in mass media, she believes diversity of thought doesn’t happen without diversity of representation. In this episode, you’ll hear from Mita about what it means to lead with kindness, why diverse representation is important, and how to be a supportive ally.

A Social Media Lighthouse featuring Maayan Gordon
Content Creator, Influencer
A Social Media Lighthouse
Maayan Gordon’s career journey has been anything but ordinary. After surviving a gas explosion and living in an RV, she found massive success utilizing social media to grow her small businesses, and is now helping others across the U.S. do the same. With over two million TikTok followers and a growing audience on both LinkedIn and Instagram, Maayan talks with us about content creation strategies and why it’s important to market for the long-term.

Mindful Community Development featuring Jay Langston
Executive Director of Shenandoah Valley Partnership
Mindful Community Development
Jay Langston has spent his career working with businesses and local communities to help improve their economic well-being. Now the Executive Director of Shenandoah Valley Partnership, he is leading efforts to expand and relocate business to the region while staying true to the Valley’s roots. In this episode, Jay talks about what it’s like working in economic development and the new priorities companies have when they’re considering a location for their business.

Networking in the Digital Age featuring David J.P. Fisher
Author of "Networking in the 21st Century" and President of RockStar Consulting
Networking in the Digital Age
David J.P. Fisher, Author of “Networking in the 21st Century” and President of RockStar Consulting, knows how to play the sales game. As a Keynote Speaker, Author, and Coach, he’s framed his methods around building connections that utilize the tools of the digital age. Armed with more knowledge than they know what to do with, buyers are now turning to those they trust to help them make an informed decision, which means networking is more influential than ever. In this episode, David talks about how the different opportunities of the digital age can help form relationships, the importance of networking ahead, and why the ‘pitch-slap’ is a thing of the past.

Writing for President Obama featuring Terence Szuplat
Former President Obama Speechwriter and Founder of Global Voices Communications
Writing for President Obama
Terence Szuplat had the opportunity of a lifetime at just 20 years old – a speechwriting internship in the White House. It’s what led to his passion for presentation writing, and after freelancing for many years, he returned to the White House to become one of former President Obama’s longest-serving speechwriters. In this episode of Brand Story, Terry talks about the importance of telling a story in everything you write and what it takes to connect with an audience.