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 superpowers
• Being authentic at work is not separate from professional excellence
• Your brand will not be everyone’s cup of tea, and that is exactly why finding the right brand fit matters
• Visibility, 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 are
• Erin Uritus, CEO of Out & Equal Workplace Advocates, on stepping into leadership with authenticity and not trying to be anyone but herself
• Chris Mossiah, Executive Director at JPMorgan Chase, on turning insecurities into superpowers and treating their name as a brand
• Sarah Kate Ellis, President and CEO of GLAAD, on visibility, media representation, and using your platform to make the world safer for LGBTQ+ families
• Beck Bailey, Chief Diversity Officer at Accenture, on combining business expertise with lived experience to create systemic change
• Christelle Miller, Senior Creative Executive at Fable Entertainment, on the importance of representation behind the scenes and on screen
• Wilson Cruz, actor and activist, on breaking barriers in the Star Trek universe and engaging in meaningful dialogue about representation
• Stephen Macias, Chief Inclusion Officer for Octagon, on building a career rooted in values, advocacy, entertainment, and culture
• Louis Vega, President of Dow North America, on giving back and helping make the path easier for the next generation
• Matt 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

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 brand
• Self-similarity bias and proximity bias can limit your network if you do not intentionally break out of them
• Use a network treasure map to diagnose where you already have strong connections and where you need to build new ones
• AIR (Advice, Insights, and Recommendations) is a simple, authentic model to reconnect without making it feel awkward
• LinkedIn 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

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 around
• The beliefs that helped you succeed early in your career can become barriers later
• Self-limiting beliefs often show up as habits or patterns you don’t question
• Growth 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

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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/

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

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 statement
• Consistency across your work is what makes your brand recognizable and trusted
• You can succeed in any role or industry if you apply your unique brand filter to everything you do
• Your visual presence (appearance, environment, presentation) must align with your brand—or risk creating a disconnect
• Your best past projects hold clues to your “secret sauce”—study them to define your formula
• Strong brands rely on repeatable actions and behaviors that can be applied across any project
• You 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

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

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 position
• Declarative statements are more powerful than generic descriptors
• Your core belief should be emotional and enduring — not tied to a job title
• A strong brand promise builds trust with your career audience
• Positioning clarifies your competitive edge and differentiates you from others
• You 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

In this episode of the Lead With Your Brand! podcast, Jayzen Patria continues his five-step framework by unpacking Step 3: Refining Who You Want to Be and Supersizing Your Superpowers. Jayzen challenges listeners to move beyond generic descriptors and intentionally elevate their personal brand so it stands out, feels differentiated, and creates real impact.

The episode then transitions into a powerful conversation with Cliff Holtz, President and CEO of the American Red Cross, exploring leadership, trust, authenticity, and what it means to steward one of the most trusted brands in the world.

Supersizing Your Superpowers. Supersizing your brand means turning up the volume on what already makes you strong, unique, and effective.

Using real-world examples from brands like the Los Angeles LGBT Center, Oxygen Network, and Bravo, Jayzen shows how powerful brands clearly define not only what they are, but also what they are not, creating consistency, trust, and memorability.

Tune in to hear how Jayzen SuperSized his own descriptors from being described as a “good presenter” to clearly owning his identity as a storyteller, showman, and super-connector…a combination that is unmistakably his.

Key Takeaways:

• Most people stop at generic traits; SuperPremium brands SuperSize what makes them different
• Clustering similar traits helps uncover your true brand superpowers
• Strong brands define clear boundaries, including how they never want to show up
• SuperSizing isn’t about changing who you are; it’s about calibrating how you show up, like a DJ mixing the right tracks for the moment

Jayzen sits down with Cliff Holtz for his first-ever podcast appearance, offering an intimate look at leadership behind one of America’s most trusted organizations. Cliff reflects on his journey from COO to CEO, the influence of legendary leader Gail McGovern, and the lessons learned about earning trust, choosing words carefully, and leading with humanity. He shares how authenticity doesn’t mean showing up the same way in every moment, but rather understanding when to shift gears while staying true to your values.

Guest Bio

Cliff Holtz

President & Chief Executive Officer

American Red Cross

Cliff Holtz serves as the president and chief executive officer of the American Red Cross, the nation’s largest provider of lifesaving blood products and leading emergency response organization. Holtz joined the Red Cross in 2011 and assumed his role as president and CEO on July 1, 2024, following the retirement of president and CEO Gail McGovern.  

Prior to his current role, Holtz held the position of chief operating officer for seven years where he oversaw the execution of all mission delivery and operations comprising Biomedical Services, Disaster Services, International Services, Training Services and Service to the Armed Forces. During his tenure as COO, Holtz worked closely with his predecessor, Gail McGovern, in leading the Red Cross to achieve financial stability while also growing critical investments in mission, people and infrastructure. 

As part of his vision for the Red Cross, Holtz is building on the organization’s strong foundation to adapt to the growing frequency and intensity of disasters and develop sustainability efforts with a focus on underserved communities across all mission delivery. His commitment to humanitarian efforts and operational excellence has been instrumental in the organization’s service to millions of people in need.

 Before joining the Red Cross in 2011, Holtz held executive leadership positions at for-profit companies including Pelco (a Division of Schneider Electric), Nortel Networks Corp, Deloitte Consulting LLP, Qwest Communications and Gateway Corporation. He also spent 16 years at AT&T working in sales, marketing, new business development, operations and engineering, and human resources. His tenure culminated with his role as the president of Metro Markets, a $4.5 billion unit. 

Holtz earned a Bachelor of Science from the State University of New York at Albany and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Chicago. He has served on the boards of LHC Group (recently sold to United Health Care), the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce and the National Jewish Hospital.

Links 

To book Jayzen for a speaking engagement or workshop, visit Jayzenpatria.com

In this episode, Jayzen Patria continues his five-step Lead With Your Brand framework, focusing on Step #2: Knowing What You Stand For — the foundation of every strong, trusted personal brand.

In a workplace defined by constant disruption, visibility without clarity is noise. If you don’t define what you stand for, others will define it for you — and not always in your favor.

Your personal brand isn’t what you say about yourself.  It’s how you operate.  It’s what people see you do.  It’s what people hear you say — consistently, over time.

In this episode, Jayzen breaks down why brand clarity is the key to being in demand, rather than being overlooked. When thinking about your brand, Jayzen highlights:

 • Why trying to copy other leaders is the fastest way to dilute your brand

• Why degrees, titles, and credentials are no longer differentiators

• How your daily behaviors define your reputation more than your résumé

• Why “authenticity” isn’t a personality trait — it’s disciplined consistency

Key takeaways include:

• There is only one you — and that’s your advantage. You don’t need to be Oprah, your CEO, or a famous leader. Your power comes from being unmistakably you.
• Your brand is defined by how you operate. What you deliver, how you respond under pressure, and how people experience working with you is your brand.
• Brand DNA drives everything. Just like Nike doesn’t sell shoes — it sells performance and belief — your brand DNA should guide every decision, interaction, and opportunity.
• Tailwinds accelerate careers. When people consistently describe you with the same strengths, your career gains momentum. Clarity creates shortcuts.
• Headwinds create drag. Unmanaged behaviors under stress can erase your strongest brand equity. Awareness is non-negotiable.
• Words aren’t enough — behaviors matter. If someone followed you with a camera for two weeks, what would they actually see? Your brand lives in observable actions.

In celebration of the Oscars, Jayzen is joined by Dave Karger, award-winning television host, entertainment commentator, and one of the most trusted voices in film and awards-season coverage.

Dave is a longtime host on Turner Classic Movies (TCM) and has appeared on The Today Show more than 215 times over the past 25 years. He is also the author of 50 Oscar Nights and the upcoming 50 Movie Nights. Dave’s career is a masterclass in brand clarity, consistency, and credibility. 

Dave’s career is a clear example of brand clarity in action. He didn’t wait to be promoted — he consistently operated at the next level until advancement became the obvious next step. Over time, his reputation was built on three behaviors: being respectful, reliable, and prepared. Not as buzzwords, but as lived habits.

Dave also made career decisions with a long-term mindset, understanding that every choice either raised or lowered his reputational “credit score.” That trust compounded, creating leverage and opportunity.

By becoming deeply known for the Oscars and classic film, Dave built lasting demand. His journey proves Jayzen’s core belief: strong personal brands don’t need to be loud — they’re trusted.

To book Jayzen for a keynote, workshop, or leadership program :  JayzenPatria.com

Guest Bio

Dave Karger

TCM Host & Author

Dave Karger is an award-winning television host, interviewer, and entertainment commentator. Since 2018 he’s been a host on Turner Classic Movies, where he introduces classic films and conducts interviews with stars and filmmakers of the past and present. He has also made over 200 live appearances on NBC’s Today show over the past 25 years. He has been called “this generation’s mass-media cinematic ambassador” by The Wrap and a “beloved entertainment guru” by The Hollywood Reporter. His first book, “50 Oscar Nights,” from TCM and Running Press, was published in 2024. His second book, “50 Movie Nights: Your Favorite Stars’ Favorite Classic Films,” will be released in 2026.

In 2015 Dave received the Publicists Guild Press Award honoring the year’s outstanding entertainment journalist. In 2014 he was named one of OUT Magazine’s “OUT 100,” acknowledging the most influential people in the LGBTQ+ community. 

From 2012 to 2016 Dave served as Chief Correspondent at Fandango, where he created and hosted the original video series “The Frontrunners,” which received a Webby Award nomination for Best Variety Series. Before that, Dave spent 17 years at Entertainment Weekly, working his way up from intern to senior writer and eventually writing over 50 cover stories for the magazine, on subjects including George Clooney, Angelina Jolie, Elton John, Taylor Swift, Denzel Washington, Julianne Moore, Paul Rudd, and Kelly Clarkson. 

In 2018 Dave co-hosted ABC’s Live from the Red Carpet on Oscar night. In 2012 he was named the Academy’s official red-carpet greeter, only the third person ever to hold that post. He also co-hosted the 2011 Oscars Digital Experience (produced by The Academy and ABC), which won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Creative Achievement in Interactive Entertainment. 

Dave has served on the juries of the TriBeCa, South by Southwest, Florida, Napa Valley, and Los Angeles film festivals. He is a graduate of Duke University.

Links 

To book Jayzen for a speaking engagement or workshop, visit Jayzenpatria.com

Welcome to week 2 of Season 7! As we roll into 2026, now is the perfect time for you to hone your personal brand, starting with Step 1 of the Lead With Your Brand system. Before continuing the conversation with Disney legend, Bob Gurr, Jayzen introduces this critical step: Define your audience so you can SuperServe your SuperFans.

In a crowded, fast-changing workplace, professionals who try to appeal to everyone become interchangeable. Momentum comes from focus. Jayzen reminds listeners that opportunities don’t flow through resumes—they flow through relationships, and relationships are built when people feel deeply understood. Great brands grow by being intentional about who they serve. Careers work the same way.

By identifying the people who already trust, advocate for, and champion you—and understanding what they want, need, and care about—you create clarity around how your brand shows up and why it matters.

This step sets the foundation for becoming a super-premium brand, not a commodity.

Key Takeaways:

• If you try to be everything to everyone, you become nothing to no one

Focus creates differentiation and demand.

• SuperFans drive opportunity

Promotions, referrals, and influence come from people who trust and advocate for you.

• Career Audience Avatars are about mindset, not demographics

Your most powerful supporters share values and behaviors, not necessarily titles or industries.

• Knowing your audience sharpens your brand

Clarity allows you to show up with confidence, consistency, and relevance.

• Super-serving the right people attracts others

When you focus on your core audience, broader opportunity follows.

This week, Jayzen is thrilled to continue the conversation with one of his personal heroes, Disney legend and former Disney Imagineer, Bob Gurr. Originally trained as an industrial designer with a love of cars, mechanics, and motion, Bob’s career changed forever when Walt Disney invited him to help build Disneyland. What started as a small design assignment quickly grew into a defining role.

As Bob famously says, “If it moves on wheels at Disneyland, I probably designed it.”

He’s the creative force behind some of the most iconic attractions in theme park history, including Autopia, the Disneyland Monorail, Matterhorn Bobsleds, and the Haunted Mansion Doom Buggies. Over his Disney career, Bob completed more than 100 projects directly for Walt Disney, becoming known for his fearlessness, curiosity, and ability to say yes to challenges no one else wanted.

After leaving Disney, Bob didn’t slow down—he expanded. He went on to design 150+ major projects for other clients worldwide. Now 94 years young, Bob remains an active speaker, creator, and cultural icon. His story is a living example of what Jayzen teaches: competence, curiosity, persistence, and fearlessness build a brand that lasts decades—not job titles.

Guest Bio

Bob Gurr

Legendary Disney Imagineer

Imagineer Bob Gurr has always been a man on the move. And for nearly 40 years, he’s helped move many a happy Disney theme park guests aboard vehicles and ride conveyances of his own design. As he has often quipped, “If it moves on wheels at Disneyland, I probably designed it.” And he certainly has, developing more than 100 designs for attractions ranging from Autopia to the Matterhorn Bobsleds to the Disneyland and Walt Disney World Monorails, and more. 

For nearly five decades, Bob worked transportation magic developing the Disneyland Monorail Trains, the memorable Flying Saucers attraction in Tomorrowland, as well as the antique cars and double-decker buses of Main Street, Ford Motor Company’s Magic Skyway, which premiered at the 1964-65 New York World’s Fair, and more. Bob also designed the mechanical workings of Disney’s first AudioAnimatronics figure – Abraham Lincoln featured in Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln. 

In 1981, Bob retired early from Imagineering in order to launch GurrDesign, Inc., and three years later, joined creative forces with two former Imagineers to form Sequoia Creative, Inc. The firm, which specialized in “leisure-time spectaculars” and “fantastical beasts,” developed King Kong and Conan’s serpent featured at Universal Studios, Hollywood. Among his other mechanical feats, Bob was instrumental in creating the mysterious UFO that soared over the closing ceremonies of the 1984 Los Angeles Summer Olympics. He also consulted on the T-Rex animated figure featured in Steven Spielberg’s motion picture Jurassic Park.   

Bob Gurr practices a favorite life philosophy as quoted in the words of Malcolm Forbes: “While alive, live!”

Links 

To book Jayzen for a speaking engagement or workshop, visit Jayzenpatria.com

Happy New Year and welcome to Season 7 of the LEAD WITH YOUR BRAND!™ Podcast.

Jayzen Patria kicks off the new season with a clear and urgent message: the rules of career success have changed—and your personal brand is non-negotiable in 2026.

Economic uncertainty, rapid AI adoption, shifting corporate priorities, and nonstop disruption have created a perfect storm in today’s workplace. In this environment, companies are no longer looking for interchangeable workers. They are looking for standout talent with a clear, trusted, super-premium personal brand.

Your personal brand is no longer about self-promotion. It’s about career ownership, relevance, and long-term opportunity.

In this episode, Jayzen breaks down why your brand determines:

• Who gets a seat at the table

• Who gets trusted with new opportunities

• Who gets paid more—and why

Key Takeaways:

• Are you coffee or are you Starbucks?

Commodity professionals are interchangeable. Super-premium brands are sought out, trusted, and paid more.

• Great work alone isn’t enough anymore

If people don’t know your value, they can’t advocate for you, sponsor you, or amplify your impact.

• Your brand earns you a seat at the table

Opportunities flow through relationships. A strong brand expands your network and builds an army of champions.

• Your brand future-proofs you in an AI world

Roles will change—or disappear—but a trusted brand allows people to follow you into new, undefined opportunities.

• Compensation is brand feedback

Salary, bonuses, and promotions directly reflect how valuable your brand is perceived to be.

• A brand is not a logo, outfit, or tagline

Your brand is your unique DNA—the sum of experiences, behaviors, and expectations others associate with you.

Jayzen grounds it all in one core truth: Your brand is the expectations people have of you—and expectations drive opportunity.

To start the year, Jayzen is thrilled to welcome one of his personal heroes: Disney Legend and former Disney Imagineer Bob Gurr.

Originally trained as an industrial designer with a love of cars, mechanics, and motion, Bob’s career changed forever when Walt Disney invited him to help build Disneyland. What began as a small assignment quickly evolved into a defining role in theme park history.

As Bob famously says, “If it moves on wheels at Disneyland, I probably designed it.”

Bob is the creative force behind iconic attractions including Autopia, the Disneyland Monorail, Matterhorn Bobsleds, and the Haunted Mansion Doom Buggies. He completed 100+ projects directly for Walt Disney, becoming known for fearlessness, curiosity, and saying yes to challenges others avoided.

After Disney, Bob went on to design 150+ major projects worldwide. Now 94 years young, he remains an active speaker, creator, and cultural icon.

His story perfectly reinforces Jayzen’s message: competence, curiosity, persistence, and fearlessness build a brand that lasts decades—not job titles.

To book Jayzen for a keynote or workshop: JayzenPatria.com

Happy New Year! As 2025 comes to a close, Jayzen Patria reflects on a transformative year and shares the most powerful career and personal brand insights from some of the podcast’s most memorable guests. This special year-end episode blends Jayzen’s own career advice with standout moments on leadership, adaptability, curiosity, authenticity, and knowing your value—all designed to help you hit the ground running in 2026.

If you’re looking to pause, reflect, and reset your career strategy for the year ahead, this episode is your playbook.

Jayzen’s Core Career Advice for 2026

“Find a hole and fill it.”

In a year defined by economic shifts, AI disruption, return-to-work changes, and constant uncertainty, Jayzen challenges listeners to:

• Take stock of your towering strengths
• Reconnect with your passions
• Identify the needs of your boss, company, and industry
• Tailor your current role—like tailoring clothes—to better fit who you are and the value you bring

Your brand isn’t about you. It’s about the value you deliver to others.

Career advice for 2026 from past guests includes:

John Pagano — VP of Editorial, Nickelodeon Digital Studios

Don’t be afraid of the future. Stay resilient and keep moving forward, even when the path isn’t clear.

Gina Woods — Co-Founder/Owner, Donna’s Recipe by Tabitha Brown

Be ready to pivot. Embrace change and learn to enjoy the ride.

Liz Randall — Head of Operations, Strategic Development, CAA

Stay curious. Curiosity keeps you current and relevant.

Tina Shaw — Creative Director, Activision

Protect your curiosity. Your brand travels faster than your résumé—don’t wait for permission to lead.

Jennifer Kaplan — Founder & CEO, Evolve Public Relations and Marketing

Focus on your niche and remember: perception is reality.

Victoria Boston — EVP & Chief Customer Experience Officer, Tech Network Inc.

Know your worth. Ask for what you want—no apologies.

Brett Lemick — Creative Studio Manager, Ryanair

Every room needs your version of “you.” Find the tables where you truly fit.

Iva Chen — CEO, IOC Design & Consulting

Do work you love. Passion fuels energy, excellence, and fulfillment.

Emily Chang — Bestselling Author & Executive Leader

Define your own winning formula and don’t follow someone else’s version of success.

Be sure to follow for the latest shows in 2026 with some incredible guests, including:

• Disney Imagineer Bob Gurr
• Entertainment insider Dave Karger
• CEO of the American Red Cross, Cliff Holtz
• 
  

Links 

To book Jayzen for a speaking engagement or workshop, visit Jayzenpatria.com

Tune in as Jayzen invites listeners to look at personal branding through an unexpected—but powerful—lens: holiday decor. As homes, offices, and public spaces fill with intentional (or unintentional) signals during the holidays, Jayzen reminds us that nothing meaningful is accidental. Every design choice tells a story—about values, identity, priorities, and purpose. The message is clear: brand is not a logo or a LinkedIn headline—it’s the sum of your conscious choices.

Jayzen then bridges this insight directly to leadership and career growth. Just as we decorate our homes, we are constantly “decorating” our professional spaces—through meetings, emails, visibility, energy, and presence. Whether intentional or not, we are always sending signals. For ambitious professionals and leaders, leaving those signals to chance is risky. Autopilot is the enemy of leadership.

Key Takeaways 

• Everything Is a Choice: Your brand is shaped by the decisions you make daily—what you amplify, what you edit, and what you ignore.
• Experience Beats Intention: What matters is not what you intend people to experience, but what they actually walk away remembering about you.
• Edit With Purpose: Over-decorating can dilute impact. The strongest brands know when to dial it up—and when to pull it back.
• Context Is King: The “right behavior at the right time” matters more than being loud or safe all the time.
• Know What’s Missing: Growth comes from identifying what you want to be known for next—strategic thinking, advocacy, executive presence, visibility, or new skills.
• Lead Intentionally: Choose one moment—one meeting, one conversation—where you consciously show up as the leader you want to be, not the one you inherited.
• Design, Don’t Drift: Your career, like your home, is something you get to design intentionally—not perfectly or performatively, but with purpose.

Jayzen is joined by Georgia Fort, an independent journalist, founder of Black Press, and president of the Center for Broadcast Journalism. Georgia shares her journey from traditional media into pioneering independent journalism, sparked by industry disruption, personal adversity, and a deep commitment to changing how stories about Black communities are told.

Through Black Press and the Center for Broadcast Journalism, Georgia is not only telling underreported stories but also building sustainable infrastructure and cultivating the next generation of journalists. Her story is a masterclass in aligning mission, brand, and impact—especially during times of disruption.

Guest Bio

Georgia Fort

Founder of BLCK Press & 

President of the Center for Broadcast Journalism.

Georgia Fort is leading the necessary movement to reclaim media's power. As the founder of BLCK Press, a social enterprise newsroom, she’s connecting journalism to Black culture. She has a dynamic vision of mobilizing the next generation of media starting at home in Minnesota, the 12th largest state, and the 22nd most populous with about 6 million residents, in which less than 3% of journalists are Black. As a graduate of the University of Saint Thomas, Fort’s work bridges frontline reporting and executive-level strategy to rebuild media infrastructure from the ground up.

As the President of the Center for Broadcast Journalism (501c3), she’s developing the next generation of reporting. Georgia's nonprofit was created to educate and coach the future of news. From editorial to fundraising to marketing, Georgia’s hands-on leadership is proving what’s possible when we build for ourselves—and build to last.

Links 

To book Jayzen for a speaking engagement or workshop, visit Jayzenpatria.com

In this Giving Tuesday episode, Jayzen invites listeners to reflect on generosity as a fundamental strength of personal branding. Drawing from his own service with the Los Angeles LGBT Center and the American Red Cross, he reminds us that giving—whether time, talent, or treasure—expands our skills, deepens our relationships, and strengthens our personal brands. Jayzen revisits a powerful lesson from a former leader: “Selfish companies can’t serve.” The same is true for individuals—your brand isn’t about you; it’s about the value you provide to others.

Jayzen offers three actionable ways to be generous with your brand:

1. Share Your Superpowers Freely.
2. Mentor someone, help a colleague sharpen their work, or lend your creativity to someone who needs it.
3. Make High-Value Connections.
4. Become the connective tissue that brings people together with no expectation of return.
5. Spotlight Someone Else’s Greatness.
6. Use your platform—meetings, team stand-ups, or social media—to amplify someone else’s win.

As you move into the holiday season, Jayzen challenges you to choose one generosity practice to deepen your brand and expand the world around you.

This week, Jayzen sits down with Jennifer Kaplan, Founder and CEO of Evolve PR & Marketing, now Arizona’s largest public relations firm. Jennifer shares her remarkable 20-year entrepreneurial journey—one rooted in authenticity, resilience, and an unwavering commitment to telling powerful stories.

Jennifer reflects on what it means to “own your brand,” emphasizing that perception is reality and authenticity creates a genuine connection. She opens up about pivotal career moments: leaving a successful sales role to pursue her true calling in PR, navigating a major life transition in her early 30s, and ultimately building Evolve into a 27-person powerhouse representing more than 140 clients. Her candid stories—from “faking it till she made it” to landing game-changing clients like Sprinkles Cupcakes and Waymo—illustrate how confidence, boldness, and relationship-building fuel long-term success.

Guest Bio

Jennifer Kaplan

Founder & CEO

Evolve Public Relations and Marketing

Jennifer Kaplan is the founder and CEO of Evolve Public Relations and Marketing, a premier PR agency she established in 2010 to help businesses and professionals authentically tell their stories. With a communications degree from Arizona State University and an entrepreneurial spirit, Jennifer has dedicated her career to elevating brands, building trust, and fostering meaningful connections.

Jennifer comes from a family of entrepreneurs, so forging her own path was a no-brainer! As a young professional, she left her steady sales job to take on her first client, boldly launching herself into the rest of her career. In 2005 she co-founded her first PR start-up, PRIME 3, LLC, but later sold her share to branch out and start Evolve! Now, her team works across industries to provide media coverage, influencer engagement, reputation management, and crisis communications.

Jennifer’s work has garnered widespread acclaim. She’s been honored as one of “The Most Influential Women in Arizona Business” by AZ Business Magazine, a “40 Under 40” by Phoenix Business Journal, a “Woman of Achievement” by InBusiness Magazine, and the inaugural Hugh Downs School of Human Communication Alumni of the Year.

When Jennifer isn’t running her agency, she fills her cup with yoga, cheering on the ASU Sun Devils, and of course, spending time with her family.

Links 

To book Jayzen for a speaking engagement or workshop, visit Jayzenpatria.com

In this episode, Jayzen reminds listeners that nobody cares more about your career than you do—so you must be your own Chief Marketing Officer. With performance review season approaching, he challenges professionals to treat their self-assessments as advertising campaigns for their personal brand.

Jayzen’s key points include:

• Be intentional and proactive: Don’t wait until the last minute to write your self-review. Use it to market your accomplishments and showcase your value.
• Use brand language: Infuse your self-assessment with the tone and energy of your personal brand while aligning it to your company’s core values.
• Reflect deeply: Highlight three areas—what you’re most proud of, what you’ve learned, and what you need to develop to be a “rock star” in 2026.
• Be your own CMO: Your self-assessment is your “advertising”—a message you fully control. Show up on-brand and make it easy for your manager to advocate for you.

Jayzen ties this back to his signature question: Are you Coffee or are you Starbucks?—reminding us that successful professionals aren’t generic commodities. They’re super-premium brands that people line up for because of the unique experience and value they deliver.

Jayzen is thrilled to welcome Iva Chen to the show. Her story is one of vision, grit, and transformation. From her early days working as a high school cashier at San Francisco International Airport to becoming the independent owner and operator of the first Panda Express at SFO, Iva has truly come full circle.

Iva’s career has included corporate finance as a CPA at Deloitte and leadership roles at Nestlé, CBS Paramount, and The Capital Group. Tune in to hear lessons from her father’s pioneering work forming the Starbucks–HMS Host airport partnership, a story that perfectly embodies the Lead With Your Brand philosophy—transforming everyday “coffee” into a globally recognized experience.

Guest Bio

Iva Chen

CEO

IOC Design and Consulting

Iva Chen is a dynamic entrepreneur, operator, and community advocate whose career spans finance, hospitality, and brand development. A UC Santa Barbara graduate and licensed CPA, she began her career at Deloitte before holding leadership roles at Nestlé, CBS Paramount, and The Capital Group.

She’s now the CEO of IOC Design and Consulting and Chief Development Officer of Lady Luck Gourmet — and most recently became the independent owner and operator of the first-ever Panda Express at San Francisco International Airport.

Her entrepreneurial path has taken her from building a chain of pizzerias in China to producing experiential marketing campaigns for brands like Taco Bell, Hyundai, and Herbalife.

Iva also serves as Vice President of Public Relations for the AMAC Los Angeles Chapter, sits on the Board of Directors for Pretend City Children’s Museum, and co-founded the Association of Asians in Aviation. She’s deeply passionate about mentorship, women’s empowerment, and helping the next generation of diverse leaders take flight.

Links 

To book Jayzen for a speaking engagement or workshop, visit Jayzenpatria.com

This week, Jayzen Patria challenges you to think like the Chief Marketing Officer of your career. Fresh off the NAMIC Conference in New York City, Jayzen draws powerful lessons from the bright lights of Times Square — where every billboard and brand is intentional — to teach how you can market yourself with the same level of strategy and authenticity.

Jayzen explores how your personal brand is built — and perceived — every single day. Drawing inspiration from the chaos and brilliance of Times Square, he outlines three key marketing pillars for your career:

1. Advertising: Your online presence is your billboard. Make it intentional, inviting, and aligned with your brand story.  “If your LinkedIn photo is blank, it’s like an empty Times Square billboard.”
2. Endorsers: Your network is your team of influencers. Surround yourself with advocates who elevate and expand your visibility.
3. Word of Mouth: Your reputation is your real brand. Every interaction, even casual moments, tells your story.  “There is no off stage. You’re always visible to people who can impact your career.”

Key Takeaways:

• Take control of your message — you own your advertising.
• Cultivate connections who will endorse and amplify you.
• Manage your reputation intentionally — people are always watching.
• Authenticity is your strongest marketing strategy.
• Be your own CMO and turn up the volume on your personal brand.
• 
  

Then, Jayzen sits down with Suezette Yasmin Robotham, visionary tech executive and author of Beyond Titles: Fearlessly Leading as Your Authentic Self. Suzette shares her incredible career journey from education reform to Silicon Valley, her fight against “covering” at work, and her lessons on leading boldly, bravely, and with purpose.

Suezette Yasmin Robotham is a tech executive, leadership strategist, and author with nearly 20 years of experience driving transformation across industries. She’s held senior roles at Google, Meta, Salesforce, Gartner, and Teach for America, helping organizations scale with equity, access, and purpose.

Guest Bio

Suezette Yasmin Robotham

Tech Executive and Author

Suezette Yasmin Robotham is a visionary tech executive with nearly twenty years of experience driving transformative change at the intersection of passion and purpose, creating equitable access and opportunity for historically underrepresented groups. She honed her leadership acumen in the education reform sector, shaping human capital strategies for influential organizations Teach For America and The New Teacher Project. 

Her career trajectory has since elevated her to global leadership roles at industry giants such as Google, Meta (Facebook), Gartner, and Salesforce, where she has led high-impact teams and initiatives.

As conference season kicks into full gear, Jayzen Patria shares practical strategies on how to lead with your brand while making authentic connections at professional events. Speaking from the Out & Equal Workplace Summit in Seattle, Jayzen dives into how to make the most of your time at major conferences — not by collecting business cards, but by building real relationships that amplify your brand.

He reminds listeners that your brand only matters as much as you can amplify it. That means using every interaction to put deposits into your relationship bank by engaging others authentically. Jayzen breaks down great networking into three essential actions:

Telling – Share a bit about yourself to build rapport. Use your observations to connect naturally — for instance, mention someone’s city, company, or even an interesting pin or accessory on their badge.

Asking – Transition quickly into curiosity. Ask thoughtful, open-ended questions that invite people to share their experiences, opinions, and passions.

Listening – The hardest and most powerful part. Go beyond “active listening” — listen to reflect. Summarize what you hear, and follow up later to deepen the relationship.

Jayzen emphasizes being a “guide on the side” rather than a “sage on the stage.” The goal isn’t to pitch yourself or collect LinkedIn connections — it’s to build trust and genuine connections that last.

Key Takeaways

• Your brand is built in the room, not just online. Conferences are your chance to amplify who you are and what you stand for.
• Engage through curiosity. Spend more time asking questions than talking about yourself.
• Build rapport before pitching. Skip the elevator speech and start with an authentic conversation.
• Listen to reflect, not to reply. True networking happens when people feel seen and heard.
• Follow up thoughtfully. Personal touches — like remembering someone’s vacation or interest — make you memorable.

Jayzen is also excited to welcome his old friend, Brett Lemick to the show.  Brett, is a creative executive and media strategist who has built a remarkable career helping global brands tell stories that engage, entertain, and inspire. Based at Ryanair’s Dublin headquarters, Brett leads the airline’s in-house video and design studio, shaping the creative identity of Europe’s largest airline group.

With more than 15 years of experience spanning entertainment, digital media, and corporate storytelling, Brett’s career includes leadership roles at Disney, Snap, and Rainbow Media Company, as well as collaborations with Netflix, Hulu, and Paramount. His journey from YouTuber to Disney Channel producer to Ryanair creative leader reflects a career defined by adaptability, storytelling, and authenticity.

Guest Bio

Brett Lemick

Creative Studio Manager

Ryanair

Brett is a creative executive and media strategist who has built his career helping brands tell stories that engage, entertain, and inspire. Originally from the U.S., he now works at Ryanair’s Dublin headquarters as Creative Studio Manager, where he leads an in-house video and design team shaping the identity of Europe’s largest airline group.

His path to Ryanair spans more than 15 years at the intersection of entertainment, digital, and corporate media. A veteran of Disney and Snap, Brett was recruited by Elisabeth Murdoch as VP of Programming & Development at Vertical Networks, where he developed the Snapchat Discover brand Brother. He later drove content strategy and production at Rainbow Media Co., building one of the world’s most engaged LGBTQ+ media networks with clients including Netflix, Hulu, Paramount, and AT&T.

Brett went on to serve as Chief Content Officer at FlyrTV, collaborating with Condé Nast and Mashable to merge proprietary tech with creative storytelling. He also held roles at Gameshow Network, Maker Studios, and The Walt Disney Company. Across every role, he has combined creative vision with process-driven leadership to deliver stories that resonate, amplify diverse voices, and build lasting cultural impact. Above all, Brett aims to "make great stuff with great people.”

Links 

To book Jayzen for a speaking engagement or workshop, visit Jayzenpatria.com

Well, Fall is in the air, and the pendulum has swung.  Listen and hear Jayzen reflect on the changing dynamics of the workplace and the job market. For years, employees held the upper hand—companies competed fiercely for talent, remote work was abundant, and perks were plentiful. But today, the pendulum has swung back: layoffs are rising, consolidation is increasing, and many organizations are calling employees back to the office full-time

When the context changes, you must change with it. That doesn’t mean abandoning your values or pretending to be someone you’re not. It means leaning deeper into your brand superpowers and clearly demonstrating the unique value only you can bring.

Key Takeaways:

• Acknowledge the shift: The balance of power in the workplace has changed; ignoring it puts your career at risk.
• Control what you can: Like Jayzen’s former leader Larry Kurzweil taught during major corporate mergers, don’t dwell on what you can’t control—focus on how you show up during times of change.
• Lean into your superpowers: Identify what sets you apart—whether it’s simplifying complexity, building community, or sparking creativity—and put those strengths on full display.
• SuperServe your career audience: Anticipate the needs of your boss, stakeholders, and clients. Go beyond meeting expectations—deliver solutions and value that help them thrive.
• Stay off of autopilot: When the market shifts, you need to be in the driver’s seat of your career, steering with purpose and confidence.

Jayzen challenges listeners to step forward with clarity, authenticity, and confidence. In times of uncertainty, those who adapt and boldly show their value won’t just survive—they’ll thrive.

This week’s guest is Matt Behrend, CEO of Agility, a precision brand advertising platform. Matt is a serial SaaS entrepreneur and revenue leader who has scaled multiple companies to acquisition. In his conversation with Jayzen, Matt shares his inspiring personal journey—from overcoming early struggles to becoming a resilient leader—along with his insights on customer obsession, building strong company cultures, and redefining how brand advertising is measured. His story is filled with lessons on grit, service, and the power of relentless learning.

Guest Bio

Matt Behrend

CEO

Agility

Matt Behrend is a serial SaaS entrepreneur and revenue leader, currently serving as CEO of Agility, a precision brand advertising platform. Agility’s mission is to make brand advertising a predictable growth engine for all companies. The platform has helped customers achieve significant gains, including an average 250% increase in high-intent traffic and a 2.2x improvement in conversion rates. 

With over 15 years of experience building and scaling marketing and sales organizations at venture-backed SaaS companies, three of which ended in acquisitions, Matt has a proven track record of driving growth. He attributes success to two core principles: an unrelenting focus on creating customer value and a commitment to investing in team and culture. 

Fall is here, and host Jayzen Patria kicks off this episode with a masterclass in refreshing your personal brand. Just like the energy of new notebooks and fresh school supplies, autumn is the perfect time to reset how you show up at work. Jayzen dives into brand lessons from household names, showing why chasing trends can hurt your credibility and how staying true to your “brand DNA” helps you shine in a noisy workplace.

Key Takeaways

• Treat Fall Like a Fresh Start - Back-to-school season isn’t just for kids—it’s your cue to recharge your brand, reset your goals, and show up with fresh energy at work.
• Refresh, Don’t Reinvent - Successful brands evolve without abandoning their roots. In your career, that means updating your approach while staying true to what makes you uniquely valuable.
• Don’t Chase Trends - From Cracker Barrel to Lifetime TV, Jayzen shows how copying others or chasing “what’s cool” can backfire. The same is true in your career—lean into what your audience already counts on you for.
• Super-Serve Your Super Fans - Identify the bosses, peers, and clients who rely on you most and focus on consistently delivering for them.
• Know Your Brand DNA - Define the few words that describe who you are today—not who you were years ago. Anchor your brand in your authentic value and let that guide how you evolve.
• Be Premium, Not Generic - The biggest risk is blending in. Don’t let your career brand become “ a commodity like coffee.” 

Jayzen is thrilled to welcome Gina Woods to the show.  She is the dynamic co-founder of Donna’s Recipe, who turned a fun nickname for Tabitha Brown’s hair into a multimillion-dollar beauty brand that’s now carried in Ulta and Target nationwide. Gina shares her entrepreneurial journey, how she scaled a self-funded brand, and why leaning into curiosity and community fueled their success.

Guest Bio

Gina Woods

Co-Founder/Owner

Donna’s Recipe by Tabitha Brown

Gina Woods is a social entrepreneur, investor, and business advisor with a 15-year track record of creating and developing successful beauty brands that prioritize community reinvestment. 

As a business mentor, Woods leads a business mastermind program empowering women to kickstart and expand their ventures. She has advised multiple businesses to multi-million dollar companies. Additionally, Woods established the LA Kids Entrepreneur Camp, an in-person hands-on educational program for young minds to engage with accomplished entrepreneurs and delve into the essentials of entrepreneurship. Find Gina on Instagram: @ginalosangeles

Links 

To book Jayzen for a speaking engagement or workshop, visit Jayzenpatria.com

Follow Jayzen on his book journey at LeadWithYourBrand.com/book