

Your Brand Amplified
Anika Jackson, Bleav
Welcome to Your Brand Amplified® – the podcast that takes you behind the scenes of successful businesses, exploring the minds of entrepreneurs, business leaders, marketers and sales experts. I'm thrilled to be your host, Anika Jackson, and I'm on a mission to uncover the stories, strategies, and secrets that have propelled these individuals to success.
Tune in to hear the captivating journeys of our guests. From humble beginnings to industry titans, each episode unravels the unique narrative of how these remarkable individuals navigated the world of entrepreneurship, small business, and marketing.
Gain exclusive insights into the strategies that drive success in the business world. Our guests share their tested and proven methods, offering you a wealth of knowledge to implement in your own entrepreneurial endeavors.
Delve into the world of marketing with our expert guests. Whether it's digital, content, or influencer marketing, we cover it all. Stay ahead of the curve and learn the latest trends and techniques to elevate your brand.
Public relations is a key component of any successful business. Learn from seasoned professionals about building and maintaining a positive public image, navigating crises, and leveraging PR to amplify your brand's voice.
Craft Your Business strategy is the backbone of sustainable growth. Our guests share their strategic insights, providing you with the tools and knowledge to formulate and execute effective business plans.
Elevate your business acumen, amplify your brand, and be inspired by the stories of those who have turned their visions into reality.
Tune in to hear the captivating journeys of our guests. From humble beginnings to industry titans, each episode unravels the unique narrative of how these remarkable individuals navigated the world of entrepreneurship, small business, and marketing.
Gain exclusive insights into the strategies that drive success in the business world. Our guests share their tested and proven methods, offering you a wealth of knowledge to implement in your own entrepreneurial endeavors.
Delve into the world of marketing with our expert guests. Whether it's digital, content, or influencer marketing, we cover it all. Stay ahead of the curve and learn the latest trends and techniques to elevate your brand.
Public relations is a key component of any successful business. Learn from seasoned professionals about building and maintaining a positive public image, navigating crises, and leveraging PR to amplify your brand's voice.
Craft Your Business strategy is the backbone of sustainable growth. Our guests share their strategic insights, providing you with the tools and knowledge to formulate and execute effective business plans.
Elevate your business acumen, amplify your brand, and be inspired by the stories of those who have turned their visions into reality.
Episodes
Mentioned books

May 2, 2025 • 30min
Bridget Therese Romo on Work-Life Balance and the Power of Intentional Parenting
Join us and be inspired in this replay episode from Women Acquiring Assets, featuring Bridget Therese Romo's journey— a powerful testament to resilience, transformation, and purpose. After enduring the heartbreak of losing a child, she turned to fitness as a way to rebuild her strength both mentally and physically. This healing process sparked a deeper drive that led her to enter fitness competitions, where she discovered a passion for discipline, goal-setting, and personal growth. These qualities laid the foundation for her next chapter: entrepreneurship.
Relocating to Houston after a divorce and facing an unexpected layoff, Therese seized the moment to start a social media management business. What began as a small effort quickly grew into an international operation with 17 clients, thanks to her authenticity, digital strategy savvy, and relentless work ethic. She’s also expanded into fitness coaching for pageant contestants, writing a curriculum for Miss Academy, and publishing a book, Strong Mind, Strong Body, all of which reflect her mission to empower young women through health, confidence, and self-awareness.
Bridget's story is more than inspiring—it’s actionable. Her life illustrates that even the most painful moments can be turned into stepping stones for lasting impact. Whether you're navigating loss, considering entrepreneurship, or seeking to empower others, let her journey be your spark. Start by investing in your own growth, embracing the unknown, and building something greater from your challenges.
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May 1, 2025 • 45min
Inside The CEO Project: Jim Schleckser’s Strategy for Scaling Leadership
Jim Schleckser is a veteran entrepreneur and leadership strategist with decades of experience guiding mid-market company CEOs through critical growth phases. Drawing on lessons from his own career, he emphasizes the importance of identifying and resolving organizational constraints—the core bottlenecks that prevent progress. Schleckser teaches that effective CEOs focus not on doing more, but on doing what truly matters: leveraging high-impact activities, fostering talent, and making strategic, data-driven decisions that ripple out to positively affect employees, customers, and communities.
At the heart of Schleckser’s work is The CEO Project, a peer advisory organization he founded to support CEOs of $20M–$220M companies. Unlike general networking groups, The CEO Project offers curated, industry-diverse peer cohorts where leaders can openly share challenges and gain breakthrough insights from fellow executives. Its methodology draws on the Theory of Constraints and deep experience from former CEOs acting as advisors, creating a powerful structure for diagnosing barriers, accelerating growth, and building resilience in both leadership and business operations.
The CEO Project has helped transform numerous businesses, with client success stories including revenue and profit growth many times over. CEOs involved with the program benefit from actionable insights, confidential peer collaboration, and a structured process for solving their most pressing challenges. For leaders seeking to sharpen their strategy, expand their impact, and lead with clarity, Jim Schleckser’s proven approach offers a path forward. Learn more at The CEO Project.
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Apr 30, 2025 • 38min
Forecasting Revenue with Confidence: Kyle Mealy’s Unconventional Philosophy for Success
Kyle Mealy’s journey from lab manager to revenue strategist is a powerful example of unconventional success. Without any formal sales or marketing education, he built a unique, results-driven approach that blends both disciplines into a single, unified system. His early success scaling a karate school to $1 million in revenue laid the foundation for what would become his signature methodology—one that prioritizes systems, measurable outcomes, and business clarity over flashy tactics.
Through his hybrid "Chief Revenue Officer" model, Kyle helps small to mid-sized businesses bridge the gap between marketing and sales, especially in companies where CEOs are still too involved in the revenue process. His tools like the Revenue Cascade and ROASS framework help business owners map the buyer journey and invest more strategically in marketing efforts. His philosophy of “Simplify. Measure. Margin.” drives sustainable, margin-friendly growth while freeing leadership from daily revenue management.
If you’re a business owner looking to gain control over your sales process and build a system that delivers predictable, scalable revenue—Kyle’s new book Revenue Cascade will be an essential guide. Visit his website and learn how to break down the buyer journey, identify revenue leaks, and transform your marketing and sales efforts into a cohesive, results-driven engine.
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Apr 29, 2025 • 31min
Lead Generation Strategies That Actually Work: Michael Falato on Ethical Outreach Automation
Michael Falato brings a refined, results-driven approach to lead generation that prioritizes quality over volume. By automating the top of the funnel while leveraging human expertise for qualification, he ensures that outreach efforts lead to meaningful conversations—not just clicks or cold responses. His process involves highly targeted messaging, proper technical setups for email deliverability, and smart follow-ups that uncover real buyer intent. Falato's emphasis on precision, personalization, and discovery-driven sales sets his strategy apart in a crowded market.
He also warns against common pitfalls in automation, particularly on platforms like LinkedIn, where aggressive outreach can result in bans or reputational damage. Instead, Falato advocates for nurturing relationships through thoughtful engagement and event-based touchpoints. His use of AI is strategic—focused on augmenting, not replacing, human communication—while his technical rigor ensures inbox placement and compliance are never compromised. For sales leaders and founders looking to scale sustainably, his methods offer a repeatable, high-impact model.
Falato and his team have the capacity to safely send over 20,000 emails and 10,000 LinkedIn activities per month for lead generation. He regularly works with companies to create strategies aimed at securing their top 25 target accounts within a 90-day window. To explore a tailored approach, schedule a brief Zoom meeting with him here.
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Apr 28, 2025 • 51min
Jen Kem’s Unicorn Leadership: Building Teams That Spark Innovation
Jen Kem is a dynamic business strategist and author whose leadership philosophy centers around working smarter, not harder—a concept she calls fancy lazy. Rooted in her upbringing in a Hawaiian plantation town with Filipino immigrant grandparents, Kem blends cultural wisdom, psychological insight, and business acumen to help individuals and organizations align their energy with their goals. Her career spans decades in tech marketing and entrepreneurship, all shaped by her belief in authenticity, strategic effort, and legacy-building.
At the core of Kem’s work is The Unicorn Team, a framework that identifies nine leadership types through the Unicorn Leadership Type Assessment (ULTA). This system helps leaders build high-performing teams by aligning people with their natural energy and contributions. Her approach challenges traditional leadership models by emphasizing the value of energy over time and encouraging innovation through authenticity, conflict navigation, and strategic team evaluation—including a 100-day assessment to ensure team fit.
If you're ready to lead with clarity, build a team that thrives, and redefine success on your own terms, Jen Kem’s book The Unicorn Team is your essential guide.
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Apr 25, 2025 • 37min
Woven with Purpose: How Andeana Hats is Changing Lives in Peru with Laura Grier
Join us and be inspired in this replay episode from Women Acquiring Assets, featuring Laura Grier’s journey as a travel photojournalist and entrepreneur rooted in a passion for cultural preservation and meaningful impact. Through her global travels and work with National Geographic, she witnessed firsthand the beauty and fragility of indigenous traditions. This inspired her to co-found Andeana Hats, a socially driven business that partners with Quechua women in Peru to create handcrafted hats. Each piece incorporates sacred weaving techniques and symbols that carry deep cultural and spiritual significance, providing the artisans with fair wages and sustainable income while celebrating their heritage.
Andeana Hats is more than a fashion brand—it’s a movement that empowers women, honors ancient craftsmanship, and bridges worlds through intentional design. By paying artisans upfront and educating them on valuing their skills, the business has sparked economic and social transformation within their communities. Many of these women are experiencing financial independence for the first time, and their families are now supported by a business that values purpose over profit. Laura’s philosophy centers on collaboration, cultural exchange, and starting small with a big vision, making Andeana a blueprint for conscious entrepreneurship.
Support the mission of Andeana Hats and be a part of this transformative journey. By purchasing an Andeana hat, you’re directly empowering Quechua women and helping preserve their culture and craft. Explore the collection today and make a meaningful impact through your choice. Visit their website to shop and support a business that values people, culture, and purpose.
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Apr 24, 2025 • 38min
The Cultiveight Method: Caroline Crawford on Why “Less Is More” Works in a Noisy Marketing World
Caroline Crawford, founder of Cultiveight, brings a refreshing perspective to marketing with her less is more philosophy. With a background in journalism and over a decade of experience in social media and content strategy, she saw firsthand how many businesses were overwhelmed by the pressure to do everything at once. This led her to create Cultiveight—a company built to help founders and small teams cut through the noise, focus on strategy, and implement sustainable marketing systems that actually work.
At the heart of Caroline’s approach is intentionality. Rather than chasing every new trend or platform, she helps businesses craft marketing strategies that align with their brand identity, audience behavior, and team capacity. Her insights have empowered many founders to reduce burnout, increase engagement, and rediscover joy in how they show up online. Cultiveight isn’t about doing more—it’s about doing what matters, and doing it well.
Ready to simplify your marketing and stand out in a crowded space? Download Caroline Crawford’s free 3-step guide: Cultivate Your Competitive Edge. This practical resource will help you clarify your marketing focus, streamline your efforts, and build a strategy rooted in what makes your brand truly unique.
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Apr 23, 2025 • 31min
How Regal AI Is Reinventing B2B Customer Service with Alex Levin
Alex Levin, CEO and co-founder of Regal AI, is leading a bold transformation in the customer service industry through the use of advanced AI agents. Drawing from his experience, Levin recognized the inefficiencies and frustrations within traditional contact centers—long hold times, poor automation, and impersonal service. Regal AI was born out of this need to create more responsive, intelligent, and customer-friendly solutions. By designing AI agents that are always available, contextually aware, and capable of real-time personalization, Regal is redefining how businesses connect with their customers across voice, text, and email.
Levin envisions a future where AI handles up to 90% of customer interactions, particularly in enterprise settings. He champions a voice-first, omnichannel strategy that makes support faster, more emotional, and more effective. Grounded in pragmatic execution, Regal focuses on building reliable systems with clear frameworks, not flashy prototypes. Levin also emphasizes the importance of ethical AI design, urging regulation in B2B communications and encouraging small businesses to document their processes before jumping into AI adoption.
If you're ready to modernize your customer experience with AI that truly works, explore how Regal AI can help your business build smarter, more scalable support systems. Learn more about their enterprise-ready solutions and request a demo at Regal AI.
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Apr 22, 2025 • 36min
Authenticity Over Pressure: Tanya Bugbee on Coaching, Growth, and Real Results
Tanya Bugbee’s journey from flipping sailboats as a teenager to becoming a transformative business coach is a testament to her fearless mindset and commitment to growth. Her hands-on life experiences—from living on boats and managing an airport to excelling in real estate—have shaped a coaching philosophy rooted in resilience, authenticity, and self-leadership. Tanya’s approach helps business owners and professionals uncover mindset blocks, build sustainable habits, and make bold decisions that lead to long-term success.
With a client base that spans real estate agents, brokers, financial planners, and service-based entrepreneurs, Tanya customizes each coaching experience to the individual’s needs. Whether guiding a single mom navigating business growth or a corporate executive facing burnout, her coaching is tailored, practical, and results-driven. Her clients have eliminated six-figure debt, scaled their businesses, and found renewed confidence—all through consistent, mindset-focused coaching over time.
Ready to take control of your business and mindset? Tanya offers both 1:2:1 coaching for personalized, deep-dive support and group coaching for those who thrive in community and accountability. Both options help you break through plateaus, create clarity, and move forward with purpose. Visit her website to learn more and schedule your free discovery session—no pressure, just powerful insights and practical next steps.
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Apr 21, 2025 • 34min
Motherhood Meets Marketing: Vanessa Wilde’s Journey From Teacher to Copywriter
Vanessa Wilde’s journey from elementary educator to conversion copywriting expert is a powerful example of embracing change and building a business around what matters most. As a mother of four, she redefined success on her own terms, leaving behind agency life for the flexibility to raise her family while helping coaches and course creators elevate their messaging. Her approach weaves authenticity into every line of copy, proving that storytelling and real connection consistently outperform generic strategies—especially in an AI-saturated world.
With a deep understanding of audience psychology, Vanessa emphasizes that high-converting copy starts with empathy, specificity, and clear messaging. She’s not just selling services—she’s helping brands speak directly to the hearts of the people they serve. Her insights on balancing motherhood, marketing, and meaningful work offer a refreshing perspective for entrepreneurs who want to grow without burning out or sacrificing their personal lives.
Ready to craft a launch that connects and converts? Download Vanessa’s free landing page template and uncover the Exact 5 Key Strategies top coaches and course creators use to increase their conversion rates.
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For the accessible version of the podcast, go to our Ziotag gallery.We’re happy you’re here! Like the pod?Support the podcast and receive discounts from our sponsors: https://yourbrandamplified.codeadx.me/Leave a rating and review on your favorite platformFollow @yourbrandamplified on the socialsTalk to my digital avatar