Tag: Leadership

Fearless Design

What does it look like to lead with both intuition and intention? As Partner and Global Head of Design at Known, Aya Baeshean brings a fresh, fearless perspective to the world of branding. In episode 87 of Brand Story, Aya shares how her early experiences as a multicultural, multilingual child shaped her creative voice and ultimately her approach to leadership. She opens up about the power of immersive travel and volunteer work, the importance of emotional safety in creative teams, and how breaking down traditional structures can lead to better, faster, more human work.

Season 4 Favorite Moments

From content marketing and branding to creative strategy and AI, this season of Brand Story featured insights from professionals at the forefront of their industries. In this episode, we revisit some of our favorite moments, showcasing advice on innovation, leadership, creativity, and staying ahead in an ever-evolving landscape.

Whether you’re a new listener or a longtime fan, this episode is packed with actionable tips and inspiring stories to help you elevate your work and sharpen your skills—no matter your field.

Featuring guests Dana Herra, Maya Guice, Ross Martin, Alison McCauley, and Tara Lawell with host, Steve Gilman.

Customer-Centric Innovation

The best brands don’t become successful by standing still — they change and evolve alongside their customers. As a Senior Product Business Consultant at Southwest Airlines, Alicia has seen her fair share of change — in fact, she’s leading it. In episode 83 of Brand Story, Alicia shares insights from the airline industry and the changes she’s seen over the years. We also discuss the importance of understanding what you’re trying to accomplish as a brand and the opportunities we all have to make the customer experience better.

The Creative Leader

Being a successful creative leader takes three things — strong communication, a willingness to collaborate, and the ability to challenge yourself. In episode 82 of Brand Story, Chief Creative Officer at Rethink, Tara Lawall, talks about the transition from being a senior creative to a creative director and how having a supportive culture plays a role in the successful creative campaigns at Rethink. You’ll hear about the “crafts” that help lead new ideas, how to embrace different forms of creativity, and why being a teacher can be a huge benefit for new leaders.

Making Marketing Better

Are you building brand love or animosity? Whether it’s targeting the wrong people, publishing bad creative, or even oversaturating the market, there are many different ways marketing efforts can harm rather than help your brand. In episode 81 of Brand Story, Ross Martin, President and Co-Founder of Known, shares the different ways companies are wasting money and opportunity on misguided marketing practices, and how we can avoid it.