Disrupt by Changing One Ingredient, Not the Whole Brand
“If you break only one rule, you can break it really, really hard.” That is how David Lester , co-founder of OLIPOP PBC , explains the strategic discipline behind one of the fastest-scaling beverage brands in history. In this Monday’s new episode of the On Brand podcast, David and his brother Mark Lester (Chief Strategy Officer of Squint ) pull back the curtain on how they disrupted a stagnant category. The secret? Don’t try to change everything. Olipop kept the nostalgia, the flavor profiles, and the “soda vibes” that consumers already loved. They only broke one rule: the ingredients. By radically lowering the sugar, they created curiosity without creating confusion. It is a masterclass in balancing high-level brand building with the intuition required to launch a category-defining startup. Subscribe to get the full episode this Monday: https://lnkd.in/e4f8QfqZ #onbrandpodcast #brandbuilding #leadership #categorydisruption #olipop
Outside Hobbies Sharpen Workplace Skills and Mastery
Ever thought about how a "non-work" discipline prepares you for more than just a hobby? 🎹 The disciplines we cultivate outside the office are often what give us our edge inside of it. In fact, we often find that the...
Small Intentional Choices Turn Dad Bod Into CEO Mindset
How do you go from recognizing a need for change to becoming an expert in the mechanics of transformation? 📈🚀 Tomorrow on Tippie Leads, we’re joined by Associate Professor of Instruction Rob Rouwenhorst . Before Rob became our resident expert...
Turn Everyday Interactions Into Powerful Brand Narratives
I’ve known Daniel Coyle for over a decade, and his work has always been a north star for how I think about the intersection of leadership and storytelling. I was thrilled to finally sit down and discuss his amazing new...
Joy Fuels Authentic Leadership and Sustainable High Performance
Did you know that *joy* can be a strategic advantage? We often think of professional success as the result of grit alone, but Amy Leneker argues that both leaders and employees need joy to sustain high performance. When we find...
Design Environments, Not Willpower, for Peak Performance
🧠 We often think of accomplishing our goals as a matter of willpower. But behavioral science suggests that our environment often plays a bigger role in our success than our resolve. How can a leader engineer their surroundings to make...
Your Outfit Shapes Your Thoughts, Science Confirms
Every month, I write about using story in your work and life. This month ... what you wear is changing how you think. Science says so. So does my son's captain's hat. New issue drops Thursday. Subscribe at nickwestergaard.com/email
Storytelling Anchors Brand Experiences and Locks In Audiences
“Stories are what are going to make people lock in.” 🎭✨ As the VP of Creative at Agency EA , Joanna Badamo leads the teams behind major experiential programs for brands like Samsung, Hilton, and Molson Coors. She joins the...
Build Stories From Real Audience Insight, Not Buzzwords
“Storytelling” gets tossed around so much can end up meaning ... nothing. In this clip, John Elbing , author of Storybuilding, helps us move past story as a buzzword and into something more useful: building stories from real audience insight....
Humanity Wins: Brands Must Prioritize People Over AI
“The most human company wins.” That line from Mark Schaefer cuts through a lot of AI noise — because it’s not anti-technology. It’s pro-brand. In today’s On Brand episode, Mark explains why the one thing your competitors can’t copy is...
AI Enables Days-Long Strategy Testing for Bolder Marketing
What if you could test your business strategy in days instead of months? Kate O'Keeffe , CEO of Heatseeker , built the first AI-powered platform for market experimentation—helping companies validate strategy, positioning, and buyer demand faster and smarter. The lesson:...
Brand Activism Delivers Measurable ROI and Cultural Impact
Brand activism isn’t soft — it’s measurable. In this week’s On Brand episode, Neil Callanan of LooseGrip explains how purpose-driven marketing creates a quantifiable halo effect that moves both culture and the bottom line. In this clip, he breaks down...
Creative Partnerships Thrive on Human Insight, Not Algorithms
Ever feel like you’ve been set up with an agency by a soulless algorithm? One that knows nothing about your brand, your goals, or your team? On Monday’s episode of On Brand, Toby Wilkinson , co-founder of ASK US FOR...
AI Predicts Futures, Leaders Must Stay Grounded
AI doesn’t just describe what’s happening — it helps predict what could happen next. 📈 In this episode of Tippie Leads from The University of Iowa Tippie College of Business , we talk with Professor Kang Zhao about how AI...
Niche Focus Drives Growth, Not Broad Appeal
Finding your niche isn’t just smart marketing—it’s survival. As Agorapulse founder Emeric Ernoult says on this week’s On Brand, success on social (and in business) comes from focusing hard on a specific audience. “If you build for everyone, you fail,”...