The Visionary Chronicles

Lifestyle Promotion | How to Promote a Brand

The Visionary Chronicles Podcast
CHRONICLE: March 23rd, 2023
Content from…
The Visionary Brand, The Success Formula Behind the World's Most Visionary Brands.
Readers Favorite Award Winner; Top Marketing Book
Amazon Bestseller.“Brand is just a perception, and perception will match reality over time. Sometimes it will be ahead, other times it will be behind. But brand is simply a collective impression some have about a product.” –  Elon Musk
Available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million, and all global book distribution outlets.
 
THE VISIONARY BRAND | Lifestyle Promotion | How to Promote a Brand
 
Lifestyle Marketing starts with understanding who your customer is, what they enjoy, how they live, and where they spend time, not money.
Ralph Lauren famously said, “We are selling a Lifestyle, not a Product.” The idea that you must sell a product is only part of the formula for building and sustaining a brand. A premium product with a defined point of difference, through performance, fabrication, or appearance, is definable; what is not definable is Lifestyle marketing, promoting a Lifestyle enhancement as a result of purchasing your product.
All brands understand the brand equity created by providing “value beyond product,” which creates Loyalty. Loyalty increases long-term customer value, an ongoing revenue stream to a brand for a lifetime.
Beyond product, what is your Value to a customer? Most, if not all, commodity brands will not be able to provide an answer beyond “value for the money,” if this is your competitive advantage, you have NO edge. This is why so few brands and countless commodities are on the market. If no brands created breakaway, innovative products, the commodity companies would be out of business. In fairness to these companies, they know who they are and what they can provide to their consumers.
Brands that look in the rearview mirror, constantly looking over their shoulder at who is knocking them off will only lose pace with their peers. Leave the legalities to the lawyers, move ahead with your creativity, continue to innovate, and DO NOT worry about these companies.
If you are doing your job, they will always be two or three generations behind, and you should be progressive enough to ensure your brand and product equity is always leading the market. Your customers expect this; your team and your Community expect this from you.
You noticed I said “community” and not “customer.” Communities are built, nurtured, and grown, while customers are transactional. I understand customers make up a Community, but how do you build a community vs. selling customers through selling a brand, Lifestyle, and image or Community your customer wants to be a part of while wearing or using your brand? Think Different, like Apple, Just Do It, like Nike, the Ultimate Driving Machine, like BMW, all ICONIC, all global brands, all selling a Lifestyle associated with their brand.
So how does a brand build, promote, and sell a Lifestyle?
Be Premium, not just in product, but in everything, marketing, sales, operations, customer service, everything. If you are a Premium brand, then BE a Premium brand!
Be Real; let your Community be a part of your brand through your products and events, online and offline. Help your Consumer be a part of Who you are.
Be Consistent; do not be a “one-hit wonder.” Instead, build and create great products or services consistently. Once you create something perceived as inconsistent with either the brand positioning or lifestyle, you will lose Loyalty much faster than you built it; as a result, long-term customer value.
Be Authentic; always find a way to provide “value beyond product.” This is vital to successfully creating a Lifestyle. Make an authentic runner better, make a football player better, and find ways to provide to your target Community. Do not fake it; they WILL call you out and let OTHERS will know about it.
Promoting and building a Lifestyle is a strategy only true, authentic brands can deploy in building their Community of Loyal consumers. Those brands that embrace this strategy become generational, and those who do not quickly fade and are never heard from again.
Be the ONE who embraces providing Value to your Community, and you will be richly rewarded through increased lifetime value. Be Premium, Be Real, Be Consistent, and Be Authentic, and you will BE a Success!
Stay True, Stay Authentic, be Different, and be Great!
Enjoy the Journey!
Bryan Smeltzer, President
 LiquidMind Inc.
 
#TheVisionaryChroniclesPodcast
#TheVisionaryBrandBook
 
@LiquidMindsite.com
@BryanSmeltzer.com
 
 © All rights reserved, Bryan Smeltzer, 2023
 
Bryan Smeltzer is a consumer products business executive and entrepreneur. He has held executive-level roles in business development, product, and marketing with some of the world's most prestigious brands, including; Oakley, TaylorMade, Adidas, K-Swiss, and Schutt Sports, among other international brands. He also founded a men’s apparel brand, successfully running a profitable business for ten years, eventually selling to a VC firm.
He also hosts a Podcast called The Visionary Chronicles, ranked as the #1 Visionary and Top 50 Marketing Podcasts by Feedspot, and recently finished his first bestselling book, The Visionary Brand, The Success Formula Behind the World’s Most Visionary Brands, and recently received the prestigious Readers Favorite Award for BEST Non-fiction, Marketing Genre book.
He is also a member of the Board of Advisors at UCI’s BCIE along with their New Venture Program, an Innovation Advisor at the UCI’s Applied Innovation program at the Cove, a Mentor/Advisor to UCLA’s Price Center Venture Accelerator Program, and a Mentor/Advisor at the San Diego Sports Innovators Accelerator (SDSI) center.
Bryan oversees LiquidMind Inc., a global brand strategy firm that partners with start-ups and established mid to large-cap consumer brands to empower businesses to think differently, be different, drive a passionate culture, and execute relentlessly.
You can contact or  follow him at;
 
 e-mail | bryan@LiquidMindsite.com
 FACEBOOK | @bryansmeltzer33
INSTAGRAM | @bryan_smeltzer
 TWITTER | @bryansmeltzer
LINKEDIN | linkedin.com/in/bryansmeltzer/
 

The Visionary Brand | Strategic Competitiveness

The Visionary Chronicles Podcast
CHRONICLE: March 7th, 2023
Content from…
The Visionary Brand, The Success Formula Behind the World's Most Visionary Brands.
Readers Favorite Award Winner; Top Marketing Book
Amazon Bestseller.
“Be a yardstick of quality. Some people aren't used to an environment where excellence is expected.” –  Steve Jobs
 
 
THE VISIONARY BRAND | Strategic Competitiveness
Strategic Competitiveness is born from a Brand that has established itself as premium and can be trusted to consistently provide the best level of products or services.
With the strategic weapon of premium brand positioning, a brand can extend its market share by deploying a Product Squeeze.
The Product Squeeze happens when a brand looks to extend its product mix beyond its core offering without degrading brand equity. That is the key, and it happens without destroying brand equity or community trust.
How does a brand achieve the “squeeze” successfully? It is best explained through marketplace reference. At TaylorMade, we had a commanding market share with Movable Weight Technology (MWT) with our “first mover” advantage. Our flagship product then was the R7 Series of woods and irons. However, our leading sporting goods retailer had requested additional products at a faster pace at differing price points.
All retail footprints are built off three distinct price tiers; Good, Better, and Best. We were the Best but needed a product covering all price tiers. Our strategy was to reintroduce a previous TaylorMade product series without the flagship tech of MWT. We would reintroduce the Burner product line. Great product, but with one distinct difference, no MWT Tech. Introducing the Burner line it allowed us to capture the “Better” Tier. With one Tier left to conquer, we would decrease product development and commercialization, allowing to introduce new generations of Best level products, and move the previous to the Good level, similar to Apple's strategy with all their products.
Once we built this three-product Tier strategy, we could “Squeeze” all competitors off the other two matrixes and command a more significant market share. Within 12-18 months, we moved from a mid-30% market share to a mid-50% market share: a fantastic accomplishment and something our retail partner did not anticipate would be so successful. You would think they would be excited, but they were concerned that one brand, TaylorMade commanded such market share power and could now command pricing power, as the brand is now the majority shareholder. Deploying the “Product Squeeze” so successfully allowed smaller to enter the market.
Strategic Competitiveness is about finding a way to leverage your brand equity without damaging brand loyalty. In other words, do not be greedy, be smart. Build consistently great products, build brand loyalty through your community, and partner with your retailer or DTC channel to leverage your Strategic strategy.
Finding ways to eliminate your competitors is a weapon few possess, and those who have this power must use it wisely and strategically.
 
Stay True, Stay Authentic, be Different, and be Great!
Enjoy the Journey!
Bryan Smeltzer, President
 LiquidMind Inc.
 
#TheVisionaryChroniclesPodcast
#TheVisionaryBrandBook
 
@LiquidMindsite.com
@BryanSmeltzer.com
 
 © All rights reserved, Bryan Smeltzer, 2023
 
Bryan Smeltzer is a consumer products business executive and entrepreneur. He has held executive-level roles in business development, product, and marketing with some of the world's most prestigious brands, including; Oakley, TaylorMade, Adidas, K-Swiss, and Schutt Sports, among other international brands. He also founded a men’s apparel brand, successfully running a profitable business for ten years, eventually selling to a VC firm.
He also hosts a Podcast called The Visionary Chronicles, and recently finished his first bestselling book, The Visionary Brand, The Success Formula Behind the World’s Most Visionary Brands, and recently received the prestigious Readers Favorite Award for BEST Non-fiction, Marketing Genre book.
 
He is also a member of the Board of Advisors at UCI’s BCIE along with their New Venture Program, an Innovation Advisor at the UCI’s Applied Innovation program at the Cove, a Mentor/Advisor to UCLA’s Price Center Venture Accelerator Program, and a Mentor/Advisor at the San Diego Sports Innovators Accelerator (SDSI) center.
Bryan oversees LiquidMind Inc., a global brand strategy firm that partners with start-ups and established mid to large-cap consumer brands to empower businesses to think differently, be different, drive a passionate culture, and execute relentlessly.
You can contact or  follow him at;
 
 bryan@LiquidMindsite.com
  @bryansmeltzer33
 @bryan_smeltzer
 @bryansmeltzer
 linkedin.com/in/bryansmeltzer/
 

Visionaries | Thomas Edison

The Visionary Chronicles Podcast
CHRONICLE: February 22nd, 2023
“I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work.” – Thomas Edison
Visionaries | Thomas Edison
There are many great quotes on failure and the barriers you must overcome to succeed, but few resonate from such great leaders, the Visionaries.
Not a one-hit wonder but a generational success; luck is usually not part of the formula, just hard work, knowledge, and persistence.
Only a few true Visionaries have graced our planet, and even fewer today than in the past. These Visionaries, Rockefeller, Carnegie, JP Morgan, Ford, Einstein, Edison, and Jobs, contributed significantly to our way of life today.
Having discussed a few, I would like to discuss the greatest inventor of all time, Thomas Edison. Think of our world without music, voice communication, movies, or light. Yet, only a few know that Edison was also the father of the innovation process through teamwork.
Edison invented life-altering products like electric power, voice communications, sound recording, and motion pictures. These inventions included the phonograph, the motion picture camera, and the electric light bulb, and each has had a lasting impact on our world!
He established his first laboratory facility in Menlo Park, New Jersey, where many of his early inventions were developed. Over his desk Edison displayed a placard with Sir Joshua Reynold's  quotation: "There is no expedient to which a man will not resort to avoid the real labor of thinking." This is an awesome quote, and when you are looking for continual inspiration, it is best to have one which reflects what the average person aspires to achieve and never realizes, versus those who have impacted our world, the Visionaries. I am always curious as to what, or who inspired these great Visionaries, and finding a quote such as this provides some insight.
Throughout his life, Edison did not always find success, even though his products provided life-changing solutions, such as DC power. The DC world would soon turn to AC, supplied by Tesla. The fight for control would become legendary and involve some of the most powerful men in the world, such as JP Morgan. Eventually, AC would win out and provide the current electrical grid.
Edison would later establish a botanical laboratory in Fort Myers, Florida,  with businessmen Henry Ford and Harvey S. Firestone and a laboratory in West Orange, New Jersey, that featured the world's first film studio, the Black Maria. Imagine the mastermind power of Edison, Ford and Firestone. A legendary team!
With 1,093 US patents in his name and in other countries, Edison is regarded as the greatest inventor of our time. Edison married twice and had six children. He died in 1931 due to complications from diabetes.
True Visionaries impact not only our life but generations beyond, which is why there are so few. Edison was a legendary Visionary, inventor, and Idea generator. He carved the path for others to follow, but few, if any, will ever match his impact on our lives.
 
Stay True, Stay Authentic, be Different, and be Great!
Enjoy the Journey!
 
Bryan Smeltzer, President
LiquidMind Inc.
 
#TheVisionaryChroniclesPodcast
#TheVisionaryBrandBook
 
@LiquidMindsite.com
@BryanSmeltzer.com
 
 © All rights reserved, Bryan Smeltzer, 2023
 
 
Bryan Smeltzer is a consumer products business executive and entrepreneur. He has held executive-level roles in business development, product, and marketing with some of the world's most prestigious brands, including; Oakley, TaylorMade, Adidas, K-Swiss, and Schutt Sports, among other international brands. He also founded a men’s apparel brand, successfully running a profitable business for ten years, eventually selling to a VC firm.
 
He also hosts a Podcast called The Visionary Chronicles, and recently finished his first bestselling book, The Visionary Brand, The Success Formula Behind the World’s Most Visionary Brands, and recently received the prestigious Readers Favorite Award for BEST Non-fiction, Marketing Genre book.
He is also a member of the Board of Advisors at UCI’s BCIE along with their New Venture Program, an Innovation Advisor at the UCI’s Applied Innovation program at the Cove, a Mentor/Advisor to UCLA’s Price Center Venture Accelerator Program, and a Mentor/Advisor at the San Diego Sports Innovators Accelerator (SDSI) center.
Bryan oversees LiquidMind Inc., a global brand strategy firm that partners with start-ups and established mid to large-cap consumer brands to empower businesses to think differently, be different, drive a passionate culture, and execute relentlessly.
You can contact or  follow him at;
 
 bryan@LiquidMindsite.com
  @bryansmeltzer33
 @bryan_smeltzer
 @bryansmeltzer
 linkedin.com/in/bryansmeltzer/

Brand Loyalty | Understanding the Loyalty Loop

The Visionary Chronicles Podcast
CHRONICLE: January 25th, 2022
Content from…
The Visionary Brand, The Success Formula Behind the World's Most Visionary Brands.
Readers Favorite Award Winner; Top Marketing Book
Amazon Bestseller
"The foundation stones for a balanced success are honesty, character, integrity, faith, love, and loyalty.”
                                                        Zig Ziglar
 
 
Brand Loyalty | The Loyalty Loop
Brands that understand the value of a customer and how to provide value beyond selling products are the ones that become generational, not transactional.
An authentic strategy around “how” you will provide value consistently and genuinely is vital to building loyalty with your Community. You noticed I did not say “Customer” but “Community.” Brands that understand the difference between the two are the ones who understand how their product affects a Community. You are building a Community of customers loyal to “Your” brand as a result of your continual flow of premium products, incremental or disruptive, that allow your Community to gain a performance edge or enhanced lifestyle experience.
As I have mentioned previously, Ralph Lauren once said, “we are selling a lifestyle, not a product,” and this rings true today. Before DTC/e-comm, brands were beholden to retailers to provide the ultimate experience you were hoping your Community would be loyal to over generations. Instead, it became a retail buying experience without any value beyond the product; in other words…transactional.
Before brands embraced the Loyalty Loop, customers were shoved through the purchase funnel, and you would move on to the next transaction. Today, brands can not afford to disengage after purchase; this is when brands must proactively provide “value beyond product.” So there are three principal components to the Loyalty Loop, which occurs post-purchase.
ENJOY, the Product
ADVOCATE, the Brand
BOND, with the Community
Brands that understand Community and the context of why it is imperative to create, grow, and authentically engage will be rewarded with significantly higher lifetime customer value!It is a fact that you can provide value to your Community that will allow them to “become” A, better runner, better swimmer, better triathlete, better football player, or any sport where improvement makes you more competitive this is the key to brand success. And guess what? This additional value has nothing to do with the product, and it has to do with providing support to use the product effectively and support with no ulterior motive.
As a brand, do not be so short-sighted that you lose your Community to gain a customer—lifetime value vs. transactional consumer.
Provide Value beyond Product, and become Community focused and authentic in all you do!
 
Stay True, Stay Authentic, be Different, and be Great!
Enjoy the Journey!
 
Bryan Smeltzer, President
 LiquidMind Inc.
 
#TheVisionaryChroniclesPodcast
#TheVisionaryBrandBook
 
@LiquidMindsite.com
@BryanSmeltzer.com
 
 © All rights reserved, Bryan Smeltzer, 2023
 
 
Bryan Smeltzer is a consumer products business executive and entrepreneur. He has held executive-level roles in business development, product, and marketing with some of the world's most prestigious brands, including; Oakley, TaylorMade, Adidas, K-Swiss, and Schutt Sports, among other international brands. He also founded a men’s apparel brand, successfully running a profitable business for ten years, eventually selling to a VC firm.
He also hosts a Podcast called The Visionary Chronicles, and recently finished his first bestselling book, The Visionary Brand, The Success Formula Behind the World’s Most Visionary Brands, and recently received the prestigious Readers Favorite Award for BEST Non-fiction, Marketing Genre book.
He is also a member of the Board of Advisors at UCI’s BCIE along with their New Venture Program, an Innovation Advisor at the UCI’s Applied Innovation program at the Cove, a Mentor/Advisor to UCLA’s Price Center Venture Accelerator Program, and a Mentor/Advisor at the San Diego Sports Innovators Accelerator (SDSI) center.
Bryan currently oversees LiquidMind Inc., a global brand strategy firm that partners with start-ups and established mid to large-cap consumer brands to empower businesses to think different, be different, drive a passionate culture, and execute relentlessly.
 
You can contact or  follow him at;
e-Mail | bryan@LiquidMindsite.com
 Facebook | @bryansmeltzer33
 Instagram | @bryan_smeltzer
Twitter |  @bryansmeltzer
 LinkedIn | linkedin.com/in/bryansmeltzer/
 
 

Steve Jobs | Leadership Lessons

The Visionary Chronicles Podcast
CHRONICLE: January 26th, 2023
 
" Sometimes, when you innovate, you make mistakes. It is best to admit them quickly and get on with improving your other innovations."
                                                                                                    Life from Steve Jobs
Steve Jobs | Leadership Lessons
 
There have been many books written on Steve, and I believe I have read every one. His life is so unique and impactful it is hard to wrap your arms around all that he accomplished in such a short time.
Success is never accomplished alone but rather through others who execute the leader's Vision. Steve had a special knack for “seeing the future” and “what could be”. Few leaders over the last several centuries have had this type of intuition. Vision is driven by Visionaries, those who can see what others cannot, those who are committed to realizing their vision through others and can see it through. See it through, as you will face many barriers and failures along the path to category disruption. This is what Steve was consistently looking to achieve, simple Sophistication through disruptive products, services, processes, or technologies. Michelangelo was also a great Visionary.
So how did Steve manage to keep this disruptive, innovative product pipeline flowing for generations? As a result, most of us still use them every day and are considered indispensable!
Steve would have a method to his genius and follow a fairly consistent process.
Pure Focus, identify your core consumer, and simplify your product mix.
Simple Sophistication, if you have to read the owner’s manual, it is too difficult.
Own the Vision, take first-hand responsibility for commercializing the Vision.
Breakaway Products, when you are behind leapfrog with a disruptive product or process.
Innovation before Profit, understanding that product drives revenue, and customer loyalty to a brand.
Ownership, give power to the team, but understand the why?
Reality Distortion, bend reality wherever possible, and convince others of the future.
Perception is Reality, ensure all the details are working out and part of the overall product presentation. First impressions and experiences are everything.
Perfection, do not cut corners. Packaging IS important.
A+ Only, no B players allowed. To achieve perfection, those who understand how to complete it should be on the team.
No e-mails, face-to-face is the best way to bring the Vision to reality.
Bring in the Misfits, those who are creative, not technical, and can provide the insight for simple Sophistication.
Stay Hungry, Stay Foolish, always be looking for the next generation, the next disruption. Stay ahead of the curve.
These principles are timeless, and everyone can take some part in these to build a better brand, a more passionate culture, and insanely great products. Take the time to commit to the Vision, and don’t compromise. This is not what Great brands do.
Stay True, Stay Authentic, be Different, and be Great!
Enjoy the Journey!
 
Bryan Smeltzer, President
 LiquidMind Inc.
 
#TheVisionaryChroniclesPodcast
#TheVisionaryBrandBook
 
@LiquidMindsite.com
@BryanSmeltzer.com
 
 © All rights reserved, Bryan Smeltzer, 2023
 
 
Bryan Smeltzer is a consumer products business executive and entrepreneur. He has held executive-level roles in business development, product, and marketing with some of the world's most prestigious brands, including; Oakley, TaylorMade, Adidas, K-Swiss, and Schutt Sports, among other international brands. He also founded a men’s apparel brand, successfully running a profitable business for ten years, eventually selling to a VC firm.
 
He also hosts a Podcast called The Visionary Chronicles, and recently finished his first bestselling book, The Visionary Brand, The Success Formula Behind the World’s Most Visionary Brands, and recently received the prestigious Readers Favorite Award for BEST Non-fiction, Marketing Genre book.
He is also a member of the Board of Advisors at UCI’s BCIE along with their New Venture Program, an Innovation Advisor at the UCI’s Applied Innovation program at the Cove, a Mentor/Advisor to UCLA’s Price Center Venture Accelerator Program, and a Mentor/Advisor at the San Diego Sports Innovators Accelerator (SDSI) center.
 
Bryan currently oversees LiquidMind Inc., a global brand strategy firm that partners with start-ups and established mid to large-cap consumer brands to empower businesses to think differently, be different, drive a passionate culture, and execute relentlessly.
 
You can contact or  follow him at;
 
 bryan@LiquidMindsite.com
 @bryansmeltzer33
 @bryan_smeltzer
 @bryansmeltzer
 linkedin.com/in/bryansmeltzer/

Premium Positioning| Finding your Brand Positioning

The Visionary Chronicles Podcast
CHRONICLE: January 18th, 2023
 
"Just say NO to COMMODITY!"
                                                                   Tom Peters, The Circle of Innovation
 
Content from…
The Visionary Brand, The Success Formula Behind the World's Most Visionary Brands
Readers Favorite Award Winner! Top Non-fiction, Marketing Genre Business Book
Amazon Bestseller!
 
Premium Positioning | Finding your Brand Positioning
Positioning is a cornerstone piece of defining your brand strategy. Having described your brand's position in the marketplace, you will have determined your point of difference vs. your competition, how future products will enter your selected distribution channel, and what type of products will fit into your portfolio.
Each of these foundational questions is part of your positioning strategy. Within each question are deep-rooted answers which will direct your path as you move forward.
With Positioning, you are either premium or commodity, with a sprinkling of some brands in the middle of the road. Defined as "good," "better," or "best," Positioning, your objective should be to be the "best," or at the very least at the top tier of "better," but NEVER "good"! This is where the commodity companies, notice I said commodities and not brands, play, and you do not want to play in the bloody water—too many sharks and not enough food or margin to be successful. Go where the water is clear, and no one fights over scraps. Granted, this is more difficult, as these waters are more vast, but it will support your success long-term. This is why being DIFFERENT is critical to a brand's success, not worrying about competition, and finding ways to stay ahead of the innovation curve and disrupt wherever possible.
When establishing the Positioning for your Brand, several questions must be asked.
What are we Selling?
Who are we Selling to?
Where are we Selling?
How do we want to be Perceived?
Each of these sets a foundation for your Vision to where your brand can travel and what paths are prohibited. Travel down these paths and succeed, veer off course and fail. Your choice!
24/7
With data being consumed by your customers 24/7, how does a brand cut through the clutter? Once you have defined your Positioning, you need to set a cohesive, vertical strategy that allows you to engage with your community, build an authentic audience, and enable them to be a part of your growth. Remember, it is better to have ten authentic ambassadors of your brand than 1,000 who are not committed to supporting your Vision.
With 35-40 touchpoints a day, it is critical to have a set plan, a clear, cohesive strategy understood by all who are empowered to execute its success.
Once you have set your Positioning and determined your 24/7 marketing strategy, it is critical to ensure you stay the course, do not sell out, take shortcuts, or maneuver off course. When a brand decides to pursue these, they end up having to put the brand in reverse, and they also damage community loyalty and the equity of all brands.
So as you set your course, start your Journey, stay True to who you are, define your brand culture, reward those who contribute to your success and never look in the rearview mirror. Keep blazing the path for others to follow.
 
Stay True, Stay Authentic, be Different, and be Great!
Enjoy the Journey!
 
Bryan Smeltzer, President
LiquidMind Inc.
#TheVisionaryChroniclesPodcast
#TheVisionaryBrandBook
 
@LiquidMindsite.com
@BryanSmeltzer.com
 
 © All rights reserved, Bryan Smeltzer, 2023
 
Bryan Smeltzer is a consumer products business executive and entrepreneur. He has held executive-level roles in business development, product, and marketing with some of the world's most prestigious brands, including; Oakley, TaylorMade, Adidas, K-Swiss, and Schutt Sports, among other international brands. He also founded a men's apparel brand, successfully running a profitable business for ten years, eventually selling to a VC firm.
 
He also hosts a Podcast called The Visionary Chronicles. In addition, he recently finished his first bestselling book, The Visionary Brand, The Success Formula Behind the World's Most Visionary Brands. He recently received the prestigious Readers Favorite Award for BEST Non-fiction, Marketing Genre book.
 
He is a member of the Board of Advisors at UCI's BCIE along with their New Venture Program, an Innovation Advisor at the UCI's Applied Innovation program at the Cove, a Mentor/Advisor to UCLA's Price Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation, and the UCLA Media, Entertainment and Sports programs, and the San Diego Sports Innovators Accelerator (SDSI) center.
 
Bryan currently oversees LiquidMind Inc., a global brand strategy firm that partners with start-ups and established mid to large-cap consumer brands to empower businesses to think differently, be different, drive a passionate culture, and execute relentlessly.
 
 bryan@LiquidMindsite.com
  @bryansmeltzer33
 @bryan_smeltzer
 @bryansmeltzer
 linkedin.com/in/bryansmeltzer/
 
 

Brand Positioning | Selling Your Soul

The Visionary Chronicles Podcast
CHRONICLE: January 11th, 2022
 
"I put my heart and my soul into my work and have lost my mind in the process.."
                                                                                                     Vincent Van Gogh
 
Brand Product Positioning | Selling Your Soul
 
Over the years, we have seen brands come and go, each with a different reason for not surviving. But most, if not all, have made the crucial mistake of Selling their Soul.
This happens when a brand has carefully crafted a premium positioning in their respective marketplace and then decided to sell out and move into a channel their loyal customers did not expect or create a product not up to the brand's standards, much less the customer. So you end up Selling Your Soul for either short-term gain in exchange for long-term pain. Being a brand is much a lifestyle translation as it is a product. When you understand this, you know why you alienate your loyal community by cutting corners or putting your product where it does not belong.
The fear of failure can sometimes outweigh common sense, which is devastating when it happens. I am sure there are many times when you ask yourself, "whatever happened to that brand?". Often, Selling Your Soul is a fatal mistake. You are selling your Soul to make a quarter in revenue, move excess inventory, or find a new distribution channel. There is a way for a brand to navigate these waters successfully, but you must not drown in the process.
So what are the Rules for not Selling Your Soul?
Never go somewhere you do not belong. If you are premium, stay premium.
Never make an inferior product. If you are best in class, stay best in style.
Never let someone else out-innovate you. Always out-innovate yourself, not the competition.
 
Each of these points is meant to stop you from losing your Soul as a brand. This is something not given, but it is earned. The trust of your loyal customer, never break this bond.
 
Stay True, Stay Authentic, be Different, and be Great!
Enjoy the Journey!
 
Bryan Smeltzer, President
 LiquidMind Inc.
 
#TheVisionaryChroniclesPodcast
#TheVisionaryBrandBook
 
@LiquidMindsite.com
@BryanSmeltzer.com
 
 © All rights reserved, Bryan Smeltzer, 2023
 
 
Bryan Smeltzer is a consumer products business executive and entrepreneur. He has held executive-level roles in business development, product, and marketing with some of the world's most prestigious brands, including; Oakley, TaylorMade, Adidas, K-Swiss, Schutt Sports, among other international brands. He also founded a men’s apparel brand, successfully running a profitable business for ten years, eventually selling to a VC firm.
 
He also hosts a Podcast called The Visionary Chronicles, and recently finished his first bestselling book, The Visionary Brand, The Success Formula Behind the World’s Most Visionary Brands, and recently received the prestigious Readers Favorite Award for BEST Non-fiction, Marketing Genre book.
He is also a member of the Board of Advisors at UCI’s BCIE along with their New Venture Program, an Innovation Advisor at the UCI’s Applied Innovation program at the Cove, a Mentor/Advisor to UCLA’s Price Center Venture Accelerator Program, and a Mentor/Advisor at the San Diego Sports Innovators Accelerator (SDSI) center.
Bryan currently oversees LiquidMind Inc., a global brand strategy firm that partners with both start-ups and established, mid to large-cap consumer brands to empower their businesses to think different, be different, drive a passionate culture, and execute relentlessly.
You can contact or  follow him at;
 
 bryan@LiquidMindsite.com
  @bryansmeltzer33
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GUEST | David Meltzer

The Visionary Chronicles Podcast
CHRONICLE: December 13th, 2022
Podcast: Special Guest | David Meltzer
“I haven’t met a single successful person who hasn’t failed miserably.” – David Meltzer 
 
We have a special guest on this week’s Podcast, David Meltzer. David has been a guest across many high-profile media platforms such as Entrepreneur, Ted X, ESPN, and Forbes, where he is a Top 10 Speaker.
These are just a few high-profile media outlets David has been a guest on, too many to mention. In addition, David also hosts the popular shows Office Hours, the Two Minute Drill and is the host of the Playbook Podcast.
His life mission is to empower OVER 1 BILLION people to be happy! I am not sure where David finds the time, but I am glad he is so committed to these principles, as he has impacted so many lives along the way.
David was our guest on The Visionary Chronicles Podcast, and we were able to ask him many intriguing, visionary questions and gain insight into what motivates him. In addition, David provides invaluable advice for Entrepreneurs and life lessons for those going through difficult times. He had achieved success and lost over 100M dollars, but was able to attain generational success again miraculously. Quite a story and we were privileged to have David take the time to tell his story.
Opening
Where did you grow up, and how did that affect whom you became?
Business
Who would you say is a Visionary, and Why?
Visionaries, at some point, are Entrepreneurs. So what’s the most challenging part of being an Entrepreneur?
What would be the one piece of advice you would give to someone just starting on their Entrepreneurial Journey?
If you could have dinner with one person, dead or alive, who would it be, and why?
Life
What's the most important lesson you've learned in life?
What is your biggest passion?
What keeps you up at night?
Day to Day
What are you not very good at?
What is your favorite book, and why?
The Playbook Podcast
What made you want to create The Playbook Podcast?
What's your most successful episode, and why do you think you did well?
Ending
What's your favorite quote?
You can find more information on David, his shows, and his podcast at;
DMeltzer.com
Email David at; david@DMeltzer.com
He also provides a FREE Friday Training Course, and you can find out more information at; https://free.dmeltzer.com/friday-training-1
 
Thanks once again to David Meltzer for stopping by The Visionary Chronicles.
 
Stay True, Stay Authentic, be Different, and be Great!
Enjoy the Journey!
 
Bryan Smeltzer, President
LiquidMind Inc.
#TheVisionaryChroniclesPodcast
#TheVisionaryBrandBook
 
@LiquidMindsite.com
@BryanSmeltzer.com
 
 © All rights reserved, Bryan Smeltzer, 2022
 
Bryan Smeltzer is a consumer products business executive and entrepreneur. He has held executive-level roles in business development, product, and marketing with some of the world's most prestigious brands, including; Oakley, TaylorMade, Adidas, K-Swiss, and Schutt Sports, among other international brands. He also founded a men's apparel brand, successfully running a profitable business for ten years, eventually selling to a VC firm.
He also hosts a Podcast called The Visionary Chronicles. In addition, he recently finished his first bestselling book, The Visionary Brand, The Success Formula Behind the World's Most Visionary Brands. He recently received the prestigious Readers Favorite Award for BEST Non-fiction, Marketing Genre book.
He is a member of the Board of Advisors at UCI's BCIE along with their New Venture Program, an Innovation Advisor at the UCI's Applied Innovation program at the Cove, a Mentor/Advisor to UCLA's Price Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation, and the UCLA Media, Entertainment and Sports programs, and the San Diego Sports Innovators Accelerator (SDSI) center.
 
 
Bryan currently oversees LiquidMind Inc., (LiquidMindsite.com) a global brand strategy firm that partners with start-ups and established mid to large-cap consumer brands to empower businesses to think differently, be different, drive a passionate culture, and execute relentlessly.
Bryan's Contact Info...
e-mail:  bryan@LiquidMindsite.com
 Facebook: @bryansmeltzer33
Instagram; @bryan_smeltzer
 Twitter: @bryansmeltzer
 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/bryansmeltzer/