233 | What 76% of Buyers Do Before They Ever Contact You
The Business of You with Rachel Gogos
Release Date: 08/26/2025
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_outlineThe 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_outlineThe 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_outlineThe 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_outlineThe 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_outlineThe 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_outlineThe 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_outlineThe 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_outlineThe 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_outlineThe 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_outline76% of buyers Google you before they reach out.
If your brand isn’t showing them the real you, it might be holding you back more than you think.
In this episode, I sat down with Chris at FlowChat to talk about one of my favorite topics: how personal branding and your identity as a founder shape every part of your business, from the copy on your homepage to the culture inside your team.
What Personal Branding Really Means
Personal branding isn’t about being loud online or showing up a certain way. It’s about alignment. I define personal branding as a cocktail of three things: your essence, your reputation, and your marketing. That combination is what creates an authentic brand people connect with.
In this conversation, I share how tools like 360 brand feedback help founders uncover their true strengths and why that feedback often holds the key to differentiation.
Why Founder Identity Shapes the Entire Business
Whether you’re a solopreneur or leading a growing team, your identity sets the tone for everything. From the moment a client lands on your site to the way your team handles support emails, your brand is shaped by who you are.
In this episode, I talk about how understanding your values, energy, and purpose helps create a brand that’s not just consistent, but powerful.
Enjoy this episode…
Soundbytes
17:05 - 17:19
“Every touch point a potential customer or an actual customer has with your company is an interaction that's going to leave that customer with a point of view, with an opinion about your brand.”
02:32 - 02:59
“So I define personal brand as a cocktail, and it's a mixture of your essence, your personality, your true self, your reputation, because that always supersedes you, and then combining that with marketing, and marketing is a million different things. So, what are you comfortable with, and how are you comfortable marketing your product or service? So that's how I define personal branding. It's, it's a mix of several things.”
Quotes
“One thing I believe wholeheartedly is that the attributes of a founder are very much the attributes of a company.”
“You can't do personal branding properly if you don't tap into who the person is behind the company.”
Links mentioned in this episode:
Connect with brandiD
Easy Tips to Adjust your website: https://buildmybrandid.com/website-tweaks/
Personality Quiz: https://content.leadquizzes.com/lp/jqgbMsr00g
Ready to elevate your digital presence with a powerful brand or website?
Contact us here: https://thebrandid.com/contact-form/
From Our Guest Host, FlowChat
Website: https://www.flowchat.com/
Connect with FlowChat on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/flow-chat/