Believe in Brand

"Brand visuals are the cheapest way for a company to look way more legit than they are." That's Eli Rubel's whole philosophy in one line, and he's built two agencies proving it.Eli Rubel, owner of NoBoringDesign and Matter Made, joins Believe in Brand to share why speed is the ultimate competitive advantage in branding. He explains how great design helps companies punch above their weight, why too many stakeholders ruin creative work, and how founders can build stronger brands by making faster decisions and giving creativity room to breathe. Eli also shares the story behind launching NoBoringDesign during the VC downturn, his unconventional approach to brand projects, and the growth strategy that generated millions in pipeline through influencer partnerships.What you’ll learnWhy startups overcomplicate branding and what actually mattersHow to create better creative work by reducing feedback and revisionsWhy speed and trust are the keys to building industry-leading brandsJump into the conversation(00:00) Intro(03:41) Meet Eli Rubel of Matter Made and No Boring Design(05:29) Building a new agency during the tech downturn(15:20) Why speed is a competitive advantage in branding(18:29) The fastest way for startups to look credible(27:37) Keeping branding projects fast and focused(36:27) Why the best creative needs room to breathe(39:29) Using influential customers to grow your business(44:24) Why startups can be the hardest clients(52:10) Why tools matter less than executionStop guessing and start building a B2B brand that drives real revenue. The Believe in Brand podcast is your strategic and practical guide for B2B startup founders and marketing leaders. Every week, we cut through the noise to bring you the best philosophies, strategies, and hands-on tactics from the people who've done it. Get the practical tips and "war stories" you need to transform your brand into your company's most valuable asset, straight from B2B founders, CMOs, agency heads, and professional brand builders.Connect with Ari Yablok: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ariyablok/Connect with Eli Rubel: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elirubel/ Produced in partnership with Share Your Geniushttp://www.shareyourgenius.com

Brand measurement is often seen as complex and intangible, but the smartest companies know it can unlock creativity and business growth.Pranav Piyush, Co-founder and CEO of Paramark.com, joins Believe in Brand to discuss his journey becoming a marketing measurement expert. He shares lessons on integrating brand and performance marketing, treating brand as experimentation, and using metrics to empower creative teams. Pranav also explores multi-threaded sales strategies, measuring engagement beyond clicks and conversions, and why startups and B2B companies can achieve outsized impact through smart measurement and experimentation.What you’ll learnHow brand and performance marketing complement each otherHow experimentation and measurement can unlock creative successWhy understanding metrics can strengthen sales and marketing alignmentJump into the conversation(00:00) Intro(00:36) Why brand is so difficult to measure(01:31) Meet Pranav Piyush and Paramark(03:15) Pranav's journey into marketing measurement(12:13) Where to start measuring brand marketing(18:39) The biggest mistakes in brand measurement(22:48) Why brand should be treated as experimentation(26:05) Measuring creative success beyond pipeline(30:11) Awareness is what creates future pipeline(34:26) Educating leadership on long-term marketing(40:31) Why multi-threading strengthens enterprise sales(47:42) Where measurement stops and strategy begins(51:12) How Paramark measures brand impact(53:20) The future of marketing and AIStop guessing and start building a B2B brand that drives real revenue. The Believe in Brand podcast is your strategic and practical guide for B2B startup founders and marketing leaders. Every week, we cut through the noise to bring you the best philosophies, strategies, and hands-on tactics from the people who've done it. Get the practical tips and "war stories" you need to transform your brand into your company's most valuable asset, straight from B2B founders, CMOs, agency heads, and professional brand builders.Connect with Ari Yablok: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ariyablok/Connect with Pranav Piyush: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pranavp/ Produced in partnership with Share Your Geniushttp://www.shareyourgenius.com

Branding is often mistaken for logos, colors, and taglines. But the strongest brands are built on something much deeper: business strategy.In this episode of Believe in Brand, Ari Yablok sits down with Carla Weis, VP Brand and Creative at DocuSign, to unpack the company's ambitious four-month transformation from the world's leading eSignature platform into the Intelligent Agreement Management category. Carla shares how DocuSign approached one of the most significant rebrands in B2B by aligning brand strategy with business strategy, defining a new category, and bringing an entire global organization along for the journey.What you’ll learnWhy successful rebrands begin with business strategy, not designHow to create a brand promise that guides long-term growthWhat it takes to launch a company-wide rebrand and new market category successfullyJump into the conversation(00:00) Intro(00:21) Meet Carla Weis of DocuSign(05:11) Why DocuSign decided to rebrand(07:55) Leading a four-month global rebrand(12:16) Using brand archetypes to guide decisions(16:43) Why brand strategy comes before design(21:26) Finding the right brand promise(24:37) On creating a new market category(29:29) How to build internal buy-in with brand ambassadors(32:23) Auditing every customer touchpoint(36:54) Training 7,000 employees on the new brandStop guessing and start building a B2B brand that drives real revenue. The Believe in Brand podcast is your strategic and practical guide for B2B startup founders and marketing leaders. Every week, we cut through the noise to bring you the best philosophies, strategies, and hands-on tactics from the people who've done it. Get the practical tips and "war stories" you need to transform your brand into your company's most valuable asset, straight from B2B founders, CMOs, agency heads, and professional brand builders.Connect with Ari Yablok: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ariyablok/Connect with Carla Weis: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carlaweishale/ Produced in partnership with Share Your Geniushttp://www.shareyourgenius.com

Brand strategy is often mistaken for logos, messaging, and visual identity, but the most successful companies use it to solve far bigger business challenges.James Hurst, VP Global Creative Director at HelloFresh and former creative leader at Google, Pinterest, Tinder, and Zag, joins Believe in Brand to share why great brands are built by solving business problems, not just creating memorable campaigns. He explores how creativity can drive organizational change, why companies lose their competitive edge when they rely too heavily on best practices, and how AI is reshaping the creative process without replacing human ingenuity. James also shares his philosophy of "weirding the normal and normaling the weird," explaining why the strongest brands know when to challenge expectations and when to make new ideas feel familiar.What you'll learnWhy brand strategy should influence business decisions, not just marketingHow AI can amplify creativity without replacing human thinkingWhy the most memorable brands embrace calculated creative riskJump into the conversation(00:00) Intro(00:44) Meet James Hurst(04:04) Why brand starts with business strategy(10:53) In-house vs. agency: the "therapist chair" mindset(16:05) Creativity's role in the AI era(23:20) Why design thinking isn't enough(28:36) How layoff culture and fear kill creative risk-taking(34:46) The philosophy of "weirding the normal, normaling the weird"(40:15) How memorable brands earn attention(47:08) Why great companies struggle to take creative risks(55:00) The three moments every business needs a brand rebuild(57:01) Using AI to become a better creativeStop guessing and start building a B2B brand that drives real revenue. The Believe in Brand podcast is your strategic and practical guide for B2B startup founders and marketing leaders. Every week, we cut through the noise to bring you the best philosophies, strategies, and hands-on tactics from the people who've done it. Get the practical tips and "war stories" you need to transform your brand into your company's most valuable asset, straight from B2B founders, CMOs, agency heads, and professional brand builders.Connect with Ari Yablok: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ariyablok/Connect with James Hurst: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mr-james-hurst/ Produced in partnership with Share Your Geniushttp://www.shareyourgenius.com

Brand marketing is often treated as separate from business performance, but the strongest companies know the two work hand in hand.Jen Rapp, Chief Customer Officer at Superside, joins Believe in Brand to discuss her journey building brands at Patagonia, DoorDash, Klaviyo, and Superside. She shares lessons on balancing creativity with analytics, measuring the impact of brand investments, and helping creative teams prove their value. Jen also explores the evolution of in-house creative teams, the growing importance of creative operations, and why brand is becoming one of the most valuable competitive advantages in business.What you’ll learnWhy brand marketing and performance marketing are stronger togetherHow creative teams can use data to improve campaign performanceWhy brand is becoming a critical business advantage in today's marketJump into the conversation(00:00) Intro(00:41) Meet Jen Rapp of Superside(02:54) From rock climber to CMO(07:21) Why Jen joined DoorDash to build its brand(10:03) How Project DASH solved customer problems(15:26) Measuring brand like performance marketing(17:13) Brand campaigns that drive business results(22:07) Why thought leadership generates enterprise leads(23:44) Balancing creativity with marketing performance(26:01) Why creative is the new competitive advantage(27:34) The story behind Superside's Superads(30:57) Bridging the gap between creative and performance teams(35:29) Why in-house creative teams need more support(40:25) Helping creative teams scale without agencies(45:38) Inside Superside's brand refresh(49:32) The meaning behind the astronaut brand icon(52:23) Why brand marketing is making a comebackStop guessing and start building a B2B brand that drives real revenue. The Believe in Brand podcast is your strategic and practical guide for B2B startup founders and marketing leaders. Every week, we cut through the noise to bring you the best philosophies, strategies, and hands-on tactics from the people who've done it. Get the practical tips and "war stories" you need to transform your brand into your company's most valuable asset, straight from B2B founders, CMOs, agency heads, and professional brand builders.Connect with Ari Yablok: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ariyablok/Connect with Jen Rapp: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jen-rapp-3234aa10/ Produced in partnership with Share Your Geniushttp://www.shareyourgenius.com

Most marketers are chasing clicks when they should be building memories.Liam Moroney, CEO of Storybook Marketing, joins Believe in Brand to unpack why B2B marketing has lost its way and how to fix it. He shares why true growth comes from being memorable, not just measurable, and why brand and demand aren’t opposites but interdependent forces that shape long-term success.What you’ll learnWhy the best marketing focuses on memory, not measurementHow brand and demand work together to drive growthWhy strong brands de-risk buying decisions and boost profitsJump into the conversation(00:00) Introduction to marketing and memory(02:18) Liam's journey in marketing(06:11) Insights on marketing(10:55) Challenges in B2B marketing(23:41) Practical approaches to marketing(34:28) The distraction of immediate sales(35:29) Marketing vs. sales: understanding the difference(36:31) The role of brand awareness in marketing(37:57) Practical steps for measuring brand success(39:25) The importance of brand perception(40:43) Using research to inform brand strategy(43:40) Share of search as a leading indicator(46:37) Web traffic and its relevance(51:52) The value of brand in pricing and salesStop guessing and start building a B2B brand that drives real revenue. The Believe in Brand podcast is your strategic and practical guide for B2B startup founders and marketing leaders. Every week, we cut through the noise to bring you the best philosophies, strategies, and hands-on tactics from the people who've done it. Get the practical tips and "war stories" you need to transform your brand into your company's most valuable asset, straight from B2B founders, CMOs, agency heads, and professional brand builders.Connect with Ari Yablok: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ariyablok/Connect with Liam Moroney: https://www.linkedin.com/in/liammoroney/Produced in partnership with Share Your Geniushttp://www.shareyourgenius.com

Most marketers focus on the short-term when they should be building lasting relationships.Ruslan Tovbulatov, Head of the AI Center of Action at ServiceNow, joins Believe in Brand to discuss how true B2B branding goes beyond metrics and immediate results. He explains why brand is the foundation of long-term growth, why the best marketing focuses on identity and human connection, and how brand and demand must work together to build a movement.What you’ll learnWhy building a brand starts with internal advocatesHow to create a brand movement that resonatesWhy brand and demand are interconnected for long-term successJump into the conversation(00:00) Intro(00:24) Meet Ruslan Tovbulatov(02:55) Building Gloat’s new category(05:23) From one thing to anything(07:58) How to activate brand from within(10:07) Brand as a growth flywheel(12:10) Why enterprises need brand(14:25) Lessons from Google’s Brand Lab(19:34) Combining brand art and science(22:02) The AI personalization and creative debate(25:15) How branding evolved over time(29:17) How to create lasting brand champions(31:43) Measuring champion influence(33:26) The power of the last 10%(35:26) Creating unreasonable hospitality moments(38:31) Human-powered personalization wins(40:10) Measuring long-term brand value(43:57) The future of brand and AIStop guessing and start building a B2B brand that drives real revenue. The Believe in Brand podcast is your strategic and practical guide for B2B startup founders and marketing leaders. Every week, we cut through the noise to bring you the best philosophies, strategies, and hands-on tactics from the people who've done it. Get the practical tips and "war stories" you need to transform your brand into your company's most valuable asset, straight from B2B founders, CMOs, agency heads, and professional brand builders.Connect with Ari Yablok: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ariyablok/Connect with Ruslan Tovbulatov: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ruslan-tovbulatov/Produced in partnership with Share Your Geniushttp://www.shareyourgenius.com

Companies tend to keep creative exclusive to creative teams, or scale quickly without the right systems in place to do it right.Dmitry Shamis, co-founder of OhSnap!, joins Believe in Brand to explore the role of creative ops in B2B marketing. He explains how efficient creative workflows unlock growth, why creative ops is the key to streamlining teams, and how systems, processes, and creative work must align to achieve lasting impact.What you’ll learnWhy creative ops is essential for scaling creative teamsHow to create systems that empower marketers and designersWhy aligning creative and operational teams drives sustainable successJump into the conversation(00:00) Intro(00:21) Dmitry Shamis introduces himself and background(03:02) Immigrant curiosity shapes Dmitry’s career path(05:19) Leaving to learn coding and development(06:27) Shifting HubSpot systems for creative success(08:54) Lessons learned from consulting leap(12:04) Defining the core of creative ops(15:50) Solving process chaos in creative teams(21:06) Why creative ops matters for growth(29:16) Iterating processes for ongoing improvement(31:11) Scaling creative work through self-serve tools(37:36) Learning through pain in creative operations(38:01) Lego mindset: building creativity step-by-step(42:26) Self-serve creative systems beat project queues(43:32) Roadshows and adoption within creative teams(45:54) Finding champions in the sales team(48:57) Creative work drives revenue and impact(52:31) Reflecting on one year of consulting(56:53) Owning your creative work and vision(01:01:09) Building B2B brand as human connection(01:11:36) Where to find Dmitry and connectStop guessing and start building a B2B brand that drives real revenue. The Believe in Brand podcast is your strategic and practical guide for B2B startup founders and marketing leaders. Every week, we cut through the noise to bring you the best philosophies, strategies, and hands-on tactics from the people who've done it. Get the practical tips and "war stories" you need to transform your brand into your company's most valuable asset, straight from B2B founders, CMOs, agency heads, and professional brand builders.Connect with Ari Yablok: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ariyablok/Connect with Dmitry Shamis: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dmitryshamis/ Produced in partnership with Share Your Geniushttp://www.shareyourgenius.com

The startups that become iconic brands have one thing in common. They believe in the power of brand.The Believe in Brand Podcast is a definitive guide for B2B startup founders and marketing leaders. Each week, you'll learn the winning methodologies, strategies, and play-by-play tactics from the people who've done it. Episodes feature refreshingly honest conversations on how to transform your brand into your company's superpower, straight from B2B founders, CMOs, agency leaders, and professional brand builders.Connect with Ari Yablok: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ariyablok/Produced in partnership with Share Your Geniushttp://www.shareyourgenius.com

This episode is kinda special to me because I get to interview my friend and colleague, Jess Cook. Jess is the Head of Content and Comms for Island (that startup I run brand for). She joined around a year ago after heading content for Lasso, and Fastly before that. And she's a content powerhouse. With upwards of 30k followers on LinkedIn, Jess is a master of the art of content marketing, and after listening tothis conversation, you'll understand why. We discuss all things content marketing, including the importance of quality control in content, what the word 'content' even means these days, the usage of AI in content creation, and Jess's journey in content marketing, including her role at Island. The conversation also touches on Jess's experience as a LinkedIn content creator, her strategies for engaging audiences, and the challenges and rewards of building a personal brand on social media. Intro I welcome Jess Cook to the podcast (like a good host) How Jess and I know each other Jess and I discuss our mutual respect and evolving friendship. We reminisce about their early professional interactions and connections via a mutual former boss, Ellen Roeckl. Content Marketing Philosophy We discuss the evolution of content marketing from a supplementary role to being central in marketing strategy. Jess and I talk about the importance of authentic and high-quality content in a noisy digital landscape. Role of AI in Content Jess and I discuss experimenting with AI for content creation and shares experiences. Jess explains her use of AI for operational tasks like research, summaries, and proofreading, but emphasizes the irreplaceable value of human creativity and strategic input. Understanding the Word 'Content' Ari critiques the generic usage of the term 'content', explaining its impact on quality and perception. Jess highlights the need for intentional and meaningful content that stands out. Jess's Role at Island Jess discusses her approach to defining and targeting key personas and use cases at Island. She shares insights on collaborating with internal SMEs for unique and impactful content. Collaborations Within the Company Importance of building relationships across departments like sales and customer success to unearth valuable content ideas. Examples of leveraging internal expertise for developing strategic content. Jess as a LinkedIn Content Creator Jess describes her journey of becoming a LinkedIn influencer, starting from addressing common pain points in content marketing. She shares the evolution of her purpose on LinkedIn, from helping others to building professional equity and now as a source of additional revenue through partnerships. Challenges and Vulnerability Jess emphasizes the need to share failures and learning moments to connect authentically with the audience. Examples of popular LinkedIn posts that were highly relatable and appreciated by her audience. Final Thoughts Jess and I discuss the importance of genuine connections and providing unique perspectives. They reaffirm the significant impact of sharing practical insights and personal stories on LinkedIn. Conclusion The conversation concludes with mutual appreciation, and Jess's contributions to content marketing and her influence on LinkedIn are highlighted.