227 | Why Hiding Your Values Is Hurting Your Business
The Business of You with Rachel Gogos
Release Date: 07/15/2025
255 | The Hidden Cost of Growth and How Smart Leaders Fix It with Megan Crabtree
The Business of You with Rachel Gogos
Behind every growth problem is a lack of structure. Many businesses scale fast, only to realize they've outgrown their systems, their teams, and sometimes even themselves. The result? Burnout, chaos, and missed opportunities are hiding in plain sight. In this episode of The Business of You, we explore what it really takes to grow a business with intention — learning from someone who survived the burnout and chaos caused by the hidden traps of growth for growth’s sake. This conversation is about leadership that balances people and performance, and why data without heart (or heart without...
info_outline
254 | How Accountability Creates Freedom in Business and Life with Robert Hunt
The Business of You with Rachel Gogos
What if the thing you’re avoiding is the very thing holding you back? Accountability often gets a bad reputation — as pressure, control, or punishment. But what if accountability is actually the key to freedom, clarity, and sustainable success? In this episode, we explore why so many leaders feel stuck even though they “know what to do,” and how ownership — not excuses — is what creates real momentum. Robert Hunt is the founder of REF Dallas, a CEO peer group and leadership platform he’s grown since 2013. Known as “The Accountability Guy,” Robert helps leaders reclaim...
info_outline
253 | How AI Is Changing the Way Companies Scale with Casey Woo
The Business of You with Rachel Gogos
What if the most important people in a company are the ones no one talks about? They’re the builders behind the scenes. The operators who organize chaos, fix what’s broken, and quietly turn vision into reality. Scaling isn’t glamorous — but it’s essential. In this episode, we explore what it really takes to grow companies fast and smart, and how AI is accelerating the shift toward adaptable, cross-functional leadership. Casey Woo is a public market investor turned high-growth technology COO and CFO with more than two decades of experience helping companies scale. He’s served as a...
info_outline
252 | What Founders Need to Know About Bringing a Product to Market with Kerim Kfuri
The Business of You with Rachel Gogos
If you’ve ever dreamed of launching a physical product—turning an idea into something tangible—you’ve probably noticed how overwhelming the process can feel. Manufacturing, sourcing, quality control, logistics, global suppliers…every step has layers most founders never see until they’re already in trouble. In a world where disruptions happen daily and the global economy shifts without warning, the founders who succeed aren’t just innovative—they’re prepared. Today’s guest, Kerim Kfuri, brings more than two decades of global supply chain expertise spanning technology,...
info_outline
251 | What It Really Takes to Succeed on Amazon with Pasha Knish
The Business of You with Rachel Gogos
If you’ve ever looked at Amazon and wondered how some brands scale effortlessly while others disappear into a sea of competitors, you’re not alone. Amazon can feel like an unpredictable giant—full of opportunity, but also packed with complexity. And as more entrepreneurs jump in, the brands that win aren’t the ones chasing trends…they’re the ones building with intention. Today’s guest, Pasha Knish, has lived through every era of Amazon—from the Wild West days of early e-commerce to today’s data-driven, hyper-competitive marketplace. With more than 13 years of hands-on selling...
info_outline
250 | The New Rules of Paid Advertising and What's Working Now with John Horn
The Business of You with Rachel Gogos
Have you ever wondered why some brands seem to crack the code with paid ads while others burn through budget with nothing to show for it? If you’ve ever dabbled in Google Ads—or avoided them out of fear of expensive mistakes—this conversation will open your eyes to what’s possible when strategy and execution align. John Horn, CEO of StubGroup, has helped hundreds of companies transform underperforming campaigns into profitable acquisition machines. His team is ranked in the top 1% of Google Partners worldwide for performance and customer care—and their reputation is...
info_outline
249 | The Hidden Skills That Make Great Leaders With Vicky Brown
The Business of You with Rachel Gogos
You know that moment when someone sees something in you long before you’re ready to claim it? For many leaders, that moment becomes the spark that changes everything. For Vicky Brown, it was the gentle (yet persistent) nudge that pushed her from devoted “number two” to founder of a thriving HR firm that’s been supporting high-performance companies for more than two decades. Too often, business owners think of HR as paperwork, policies, or “the stuff you deal with when something goes wrong.” But Vicky’s story—and her expertise—reveal a very different truth: HR is leadership....
info_outline
248 | The Most Powerful Leadership Skill No One’s Talking About with Keri Ford
The Business of You with Rachel Gogos
When success starts to feel like stress, what if your body could tell you why? For high-achievers, it’s easy to push harder, hustle faster, and ignore the quiet signals of exhaustion. But for Keri Ford, those signals became her greatest teachers. A former Creative Director turned award-winning CEO, Keri discovered that the real key to high performance isn’t found in strategy or mindset — it’s found in the nervous system. Through her groundbreaking Somatic Success® method, Keri has helped elite women — from celebrity clients like Alison Sweeney and Kaley Cuoco to powerhouse founders...
info_outline
247 | Turning Your Story into Sales With Dr. Danny Brassell
The Business of You with Rachel Gogos
What if the fastest way to grow your business isn’t marketing harder, but speaking smarter? In this episode, Dr. Danny Brassell shares how to make storytelling and public speaking your most powerful tools for attracting clients, building authority, and confidently closing deals. Known as the “Jim Carrey with a Ph.D.,” Danny has spoken to over 3,500 audiences worldwide and co-founded The WellCrafted Story Workshop™, where he teaches entrepreneurs how to transform their stories into client-generating presentations. The Power Of Clarity And Connection If you’ve ever struggled to...
info_outline
246 | Don’t Scale Your Business Without Hearing This Franchise Model with Bennett Maxwell
The Business of You with Rachel Gogos
What happens when business growth outpaces the guardrails that keep it sustainable? This week, I sit down with Bennett Maxwell, serial entrepreneur, investor, and founder of Franchise KI—best known for scaling Dirty Dough Cookies from one store to over 450 franchises sold in just two years. After experiencing both the highs and the chaos of hypergrowth, Bennett now helps entrepreneurs build wealth through franchising the right way: with systems, structure, and staying power. How To Grow Fast Without Burning Out Bennett reveals the critical mistakes founders make when scaling too...
info_outlineIf you’ve ever felt unsure about how much of yourself to share in your brand… this episode is for you.
This is a special episode where I joined Michael Levitt on his podcast, Breakfast Leadership, to talk about something most people overthink: how to build a personal brand that actually connects. We unpacked what personal branding really means, why it’s not about boasting, and how sharing your story can help you attract better-fit clients.
Whether you’ve been in business for years or you’re just starting out, this conversation will challenge the way you think about visibility, reputation, and what it really takes to stand out.
Personal Branding Isn’t Bragging — It’s About Being Understood
So many people stay quiet online because they’re afraid of sounding self-promotional. But the truth is, people don’t just want to know what you do–they want to know who you really are. We talk about why your past experiences, values, and even career pivots are worth including in your story. Take a look at your own LinkedIn or About page: is it helping people understand you…or just giving them a list of facts?
Can Being Too Polarizing Lose You Clients?
I share my take on whether or not you should be polarizing—and whether it can help or hurt your personal and business brand. We talked about the difference between standing out and turning people away, and why losing the wrong clients is often a win. If you’ve been keeping things neutral out of fear of alienating people, this part of the conversation will give you permission to show up with more honesty, clarity, and confidence.
Enjoy this episode…
Soundbytes
17:01 - 17:41
“Three-quarters of Americans are actually more likely to trust someone with an established personal brand, and that same percentage is more likely to buy a service or a product from a personal brand that they know. And that applies to big companies too. When you have a sense of what that company, or the founder of that company stands for…”
"If we know that a company is supporting, let’s say, a local shelter, or whatever else it might be. We're more likely to support them."
21:44 - 22:10
“A lot of times in today's world, especially the last few years, as things have evolved, we're self-centering a lot because we don't want to make waves. And I'm not ever saying make waves for wave's sake. I'm just saying, find ways to really put your values out there and the causes that you're passionate about in a way that is true to who you are. And that’s what really helps attract your ideal clients.”
Quotes
“Three-quarters of Americans are actually more likely to trust someone with an established personal brand, and that same percentage is more likely to buy a service or a product from a personal brand that they know.”
“It's okay to be polarizing.”
“Take some time every now and then. Have a coffee date with yourself, and really just kind of set your own GPS and figure out where you want to be in five years, and how you're going to get there.”
“The more we help people connect with us and truly show up as ourselves, the more likely we are to grow our businesses and convert people from browsers to buyers.”
Links mentioned in this episode:
Connect with brandiD
Download our free guide to learn 16 crucial website updates that attract more leads and convert visitors into clients: https://thebrandid.com/website-tweaks/
Ready to elevate your digital presence with a powerful brand or website?
Contact us here: https://thebrandid.com/contact-form/
From Our Guest Host
Website: https://www.breakfastleadership.com/
Connect with Michael Levitt on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaeldlevitt/