The Real Power of Personal Branding Beyond Logos and Colors with Jonathan Greye
Release Date: 06/09/2026
She Shattered Her Leg, Got Evicted, and Found Freedom
The Story Engine Podcast
Rae Irelan was home alone, leg in a cast, a two-year-old running around, and a mattress on the living room floor because she couldn't climb stairs. Then the landlord called. Sixty days to move out. Most people would have collapsed. Rae and her husband Sammy sold almost everything they owned, hit the road, and used the chaos to finally go all-in on what they had been studying for months: using AI to take back the hours that were quietly draining founders dry. In this episode, Rae shares the real breaking point behind her shift, how she and Sammy built a system to audit where time actually goes...
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Wartime CEO: Disruption, Delayed Gratification, and Doing the Opposite with Chandler Bolt
The Story Engine Podcast
Chandler Bolt dropped out of college with a C in English, ADHD, and about three months of runway in the bank. He borrowed his parents' retirement savings to buy out his business partner at Self Publishing School, then paid every dollar back in 11 months. Over the last 12 years, his company has helped publish more than 7,000 books. In this episode, Chandler gets honest about what it means to lead through a genuinely hard season: flat growth years, SEO traffic down 70%, and an industry being disrupted by AI hype that he thinks is badly outpacing AI capability. He shares the framework he calls...
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The Anti-Financial Advisor And What Wealth Actually Is With Chris Miles
The Story Engine Podcast
Chris Miles calls himself the anti-financial advisor. Not because financial advisors are bad people. Because he was one, and it nearly ruined him twice. In 2007 he had it all figured out. Debt free basement finished, growing equity, a Mercedes in the driveway. He went to the bank to cash out on his home's equity and they kept moving the goalposts. Get your credit score up two points. Now do X, Y, Z. By September they told him the truth. No more cash out refinances for business owners. The equity he built his whole plan around was trapped. Within two years he lost the house, the car, and...
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People only think other people die with Andrew Quebbemann
The Story Engine Podcast
On this episode of The Story Engine Podcast I sit down with Andrew Quebbemann, and we discuss something on the podcast that I haven't stopped thinking about. "People only think other people die." Not morbid. Just true. You know people get sick, but it's someone else. You know people get laid off, but not you. You're a safe driver, you eat healthy, you got your shots. So the plan gets pushed to twelve on the top ten list. Every year. Andrew had a client call him at 58 and say he wanted to retire in two years. Andrew ran the numbers. Second meeting, he had to say it straight:...
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The Success Trap: Why High Achievers Feel Stuck (And How to Lead with More Humanity) With Justin Ricklefs
The Story Engine Podcast
What happens when you've built the career, earned the title, achieved the success—and still feel disconnected from yourself? In this deeply honest conversation, I sit down with Justin Ricklefs, founder of Guild Collective and author of *Give a Damn*, to explore the hidden cost of achievement-driven leadership. Justin shares the personal journey that transformed his life—from sitting alone in a Target parking lot while working what many would consider a dream job, to building a human-centered company rooted in purpose, presence, and genuine connection. Together, we unpack why so many...
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Why Your Diagnosis Isn't the Whole Story with Dr. Scott Richmond
The Story Engine Podcast
Scott Richmond was lying on a hotel bathroom floor in Atlanta, the day after his birthday, on the phone with his mom. He'd already spent thirteen days in two hospitals that month. He'd lost 42 pounds. His mom was telling him they couldn't afford this anymore. He needed to come home. He didn't go home. He stayed anchored to one thing: his five year old daughter back in Iowa. That's what kept him fighting through a year that included being told, by the best pulmonary hospital in the country, that they simply didn't have an answer for him. Here's what Scott told me on this episode of Story...
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From Cancer Survivor to Medical Detective: The Hidden Causes of Chronic Illness Most Doctors Miss With Dr. Jill Carnahan
The Story Engine Podcast
What if the symptoms you're fighting aren't the real problem? In this powerful episode of The Story Engine Podcast, I sit down with functional medicine pioneer and bestselling author Dr. Jill Carnahan to explore her extraordinary journey from a 25-year-old battling aggressive breast cancer and Crohn's disease to becoming one of the leading voices in root-cause medicine. Dr. Jill shares how a seemingly healthy childhood on a family farm exposed her to hidden environmental toxins, setting the stage for a health crisis that would ultimately transform her life's mission. Through her own healing...
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The Pattern You Don't Know You're In With Nancy Bisbikos
The Story Engine Podcast
On this episode of The Story Engine Podcast, I am talking to Nancy Bisbikos. Nancy runs a company called the Biko Method, and for fifteen years she's been helping people, from Olympic athletes to PGA golfers to executives, clear what she calls "emotional footprints." These are the patterns that get built when we're small and unprotected, then get passed down without anyone naming them. In aviation school, Nancy Bisbikos would walk into a classroom with tiny rectangular windows and feel like she couldn't breathe. Her nails turned blue every time. She had no idea why until her parents told her...
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The Magic You’re Missing: Why Your Greatest Value Might Be Hiding in Plain Sight With Chris Van Loan
The Story Engine Podcast
What if the biggest thing holding your brand back isn't a lack of content, strategy, or opportunity—but your inability to see your own value? In this deeply personal and insightful episode of The Story Engine Podcast, I sit down with filmmaker, storyteller, and entrepreneur Chris Van Loan II to explore the hidden art of capturing authentic moments that create lasting impact. From documenting elite masterminds and transformational events to helping entrepreneurs share their stories in ways that truly connect, Chris reveals why the most meaningful moments are often the ones that never make it...
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From Reinvention to Recognition: The Visibility Strategy You Can’t Buy With Lauren Cobello
The Story Engine Podcast
What does it really take to stand out in a world where everyone is fighting for attention? In this powerful episode of The Story Engine Podcast, I sit down with PR strategist and visibility expert Lauren Cabello, founder of Leverage with Media PR and the newly launched Big City Podcast Tours. Lauren shares what most entrepreneurs get wrong about visibility, why traditional PR is making a surprising comeback in the age of AI, and how authentic relationships—not viral trends—are becoming the ultimate competitive advantage. But this conversation goes far deeper than media placements and...
info_outlineIn this episode of the Story Engine Podcast, I sit down with Jonathan Greye from personalbrand.com to explore what branding really means—and why most people are getting it completely wrong. We go far beyond logos, fonts, and color palettes to uncover the deeper “engine of the story” that drives everything: your identity, your lived experiences, and the essence of who you are. Jonathan shares how true branding is about mirror work—reflecting your full story back to you so clearly that it transforms not just your messaging, but your offers, your team alignment, and the way your entire business operates.
What struck me most is how this process doesn’t just create a brand—it creates freedom. When your brand is rooted in your true essence, you stop rebuilding your website every year, stop chasing trends, and start building something timeless that evolves with you. Jonathan also opens up about the pivotal moment that pushed him to leave agency life behind and build a business where creativity, alignment, and impact finally came together. If you’ve ever felt boxed in, scattered, or disconnected from your own brand, this conversation will completely reframe how you see your business.
01:09 – The “Engine of the Story” Explained
Jonathan shares how storytelling across copy, visuals, and design creates a multi-sensory brand experience.
03:42 – What a Brand Manifesto Actually Does
We break down how a manifesto draws a line in the sand, attracts the right people, and repels the wrong ones.
05:09 – Where Most Branding Agencies Get It Wrong
Why focusing only on content or niching can limit growth—and how true brand DNA creates long-term flexibility.
07:42 – The Costly Trap of Constant Rebranding
I share the common cycle of rebuilding websites and chasing trends—and why it never works long term.
08:38 – Mirror Work: Seeing Yourself Clearly for the First Time
Jonathan defines mirror work and explains how embracing your full story becomes your true differentiation.
10:25 – How Your Brand Shapes Your Offers and Business Model
We explore how understanding your essence influences not just messaging—but how you structure your entire business.
12:04 – The “Frankenstein Brand” Problem
Jonathan describes how many entrepreneurs piece together scattered strategies that never fully align.
15:06 – Branding That Creates Cultural Impact
How great brands go beyond marketing and begin to shape movements and communities.
17:08 – The Breaking Point: Creative Director Burnout
Jonathan shares the moment he realized his dream job wasn’t what he thought it would be.
18:12 – The Dali Museum Project That Changed Everything
A powerful story of creative rejection that led to a complete shift in his career path.
20:02 – The First Aligned Client Experience
The moment Jonathan realized he was finally doing the work he was meant to do.
21:39 – “I Finally Felt Seen”
How a client’s reaction validated his new approach to branding and set the foundation for his business.
26:08 – From Rejection to Reinvention (Story Breakdown)
I reflect Jonathan’s journey back to him, connecting the dots into a powerful, transformational narrative.
28:58 – Where to Learn More
How to connect with Jonathan and explore working with his team at personalbrand.com.