Shows
Voice of a LeaderMinisode #7: Personal Branding is Not About What You Do, It's About Who You AreIn this reflective minisode, Brand of a Leader co-founders Marina Byezhanova and Stefano Faustini discuss the transformative personal branding journey of Sun Ah Brock, founder of a leading interior design studio. They explore how Sun Ah evolved from someone deeply resistant to personal branding to embracing her authentic voice and creating meaningful impact.
Marina and Stefano share insights about Sun Ah's unique story as a Korean adoptee and how her exploration of identity became central to her personal brand. They discuss her journey from questioning "why would anyone listen to me?" to confidently taking the stage and...2025-04-1710 min
Voice of a LeaderEpisode #9 Sun Ah Brock: Surface to Substance - The Interior Design Entrepreneur Who Found Her Voice Through AuthenticitySun Ah Brock shares her remarkable journey from founding LUX Decor in her kitchen in 2019 to building what is on-track to become North America's largest interior design community. As a Korean adoptee who was abandoned at the age of four, Sun Ah explores how her personal journey of identity discovery profoundly influences her approach to design and business.
In this powerful episode, Sun Ah shares her moving story of self-discovery and the ongoing exploration of her identity. She discusses her transformation from someone deeply resistant to personal branding and questioning "why would anyone listen to me?" to emb...2025-04-0157 min
Voice of a LeaderMinisode #6 Beyond the Family Name: Building Personal Brands Within Legacy BusinessesIn this reflective minisode, Brand of a Leader co-founders Marina Byezhanova and Stefano Faustini explore the unique challenges faced by leaders of family businesses. Inspired by their conversations with Steven Short and James Ricci, they discuss the complex dynamics of preserving legacy while carving out one's unique identity as a second or third-generation business leader.
The co-founders examine the distinct form of imposter syndrome experienced by family business leaders - the pressure of measuring up to established legacies while simultaneously driving innovation and growth. Marina shares her own contrasting perspective as a first-generation entrepreneur, noting how she...2025-03-1810 min
Voice of a LeaderEpisode #8 Doug Adlam: The Serial Entrepreneur Inspiring a Life of Exponential Growth Through SetbacksDoug Adlam is a serial entrepreneur and exponential growth expert whose journey spans the mortgage, fintech, and wealth management sectors. After scaling his parents' mortgage business by 40X and co-founding Finmo, a technology company that fundamentally transformed Canada's mortgage process, Doug discovered his passion for driving exponential growth through innovation and disruption across multiple ventures.
In this episode, Doug opens up about his fascinating transition from high-stakes sports officiating to serial entrepreneurship. Drawing from his experience of nearly 800 games as a hockey official, he shares how early lessons in performing under pressure and managing conflict on the...2025-03-041h 04
Voice of a LeaderMinisode #5 The Immigrant Experience in Personal Branding: From Challenge to SuperpowerInspired by their full-length episode with entrepreneur Jenny Feterovich, co-founders Marina Byezhanova and Stefano Faustini explore the complex relationship between immigration, identity, and personal branding. Marina shares her personal journey from wanting to hide her immigrant identity to proudly wearing it as part of her brand, while they discuss how the immigrant experience—though challenging—can become a powerful differentiator in building an authentic personal brand.Drawing insights from Jenny's remarkable story of transformation, from fleeing her home country to becoming an Emmy-nominated professional, they examine how immigrants navigate the delicate balance of standing out while fitting in...2025-02-1110 min
Voice of a LeaderEpisode #7 Stephen Shortt: The Career Strategist Redefining Happiness in BusinessStephen Shortt is a serial entrepreneur and career strategist with a passion for helping people find fulfilling and rewarding careers. Drawing on his experiences growing up in two family businesses, Stephen shares candid insights into the unique challenges of legacy leadership and how these shaped his approach to entrepreneurship and talent development.
In this episode, Stephen opens up about his battles with imposter syndrome and how he turned those challenges into opportunities for growth. He discusses his Successful Succession framework, which helps family businesses thrive without losing sight of relationships, and the universal importance of aligning career...2025-01-2358 min
Voice of a LeaderMinisode #4 The Art of Branding for Generalists: Finding Your AngleIn this fourth minisode of our podcast, co-founders Stefano Faustini and Marina Byezhanova tackle a big question: How do you build a personal brand when you’re a generalist—someone without one clear area of expertise?
The answer? Your personal brand isn’t just about what you do—it’s about who you are. Stefano and Marina break down how to position yourself authentically, showcase your expertise, and avoid being, well, boring. They explore the power of combining hard expertise with humanization and share why defining your goals and content pillars is the first step to success.
Whether y...2024-12-2610 min
Voice of a LeaderEpisode #6 Jenny Feterovich - The DJ-Entrepreneur Who Beat Imposter Syndrome and Built a Creative EmpireJenny Feterovich is a DJ turned entrepreneur and creative innovator who's making waves at the intersection of art, music, and technology. Her journey as a first-generation immigrant has shaped her into a fascinating entrepreneur and atypical thinker who inspires others to push beyond their comfort zones.After arriving from the Soviet Union, Jenny embraced the challenges of building a new life in America. Her entrepreneurial journey started in the music scene as a DJ, eventually expanding into multiple successful ventures including a party promotion business, production company, and gym.Throughout her career, Jenny has been re...2024-12-101h 32
Voice of a LeaderMinisode #3 High-Value Networks and the Power of Personal BrandingIn this third minisode of our podcast, co-founders Stefano Faustini and Marina Byezhanova discuss the power of personal branding, focusing on its unique challenges and benefits for those with high-value networks, like Stephan Roche.
The episode dives into the hesitation many face when stepping into the public eye, especially the fear of judgment and being misinterpreted. Stefano and Marina stress that rather than fixating on detractors, the key is to build a base of "true fans" who resonate with one's message. They highlight the importance of visibility not only for immediate impact but for building a lasting l...2024-11-2613 min
Voice of a LeaderEpisode #5 James Ricci: Legacy and Innovation in a Third-Generation Family BusinessJames Ricci is the President of Roy Foss, one of Canada’s largest retail automotive and leasing companies, where he is leading a transformation in e-mobility at a 65+ year-old, multi-generational family business. James is an entrepreneur, deep thinker, and an advocate for the future of mobility, with a career shaped by the duality of both tradition and innovation in the automotive industry.
Stepping into a legacy business, James initially wrestled with imposter syndrome and the expectations tied to a family heritage, finding his stride through a commitment to authenticity and growth. With an MBA from the London Sc...2024-11-121h 17
Voice of a LeaderMinisode #2 Humanizing Your Brand: Why Vulnerability MattersIn this second minisode of our podcast, co-founders Stefano Faustini and Marina Byezhanova dive deep into the specifics and tactics of personal branding, focusing on one key question: "How vulnerable do I really need to be when building a personal brand?"They reflect on the inspiring journey of David Shamszad, who shared deeply personal stories as part of his branding process. In David's case, his personal branding journey was an inside-out process requiring him to officially bring his truest, deepest (and darkest) parts of himself to the table in an effort to no longer have "separate" identities (i.e. h...2024-10-2212 min
Voice of a LeaderEpisode #4 David Shamszad: From Addiction to 7-Figure Real Estate CEODavid Shamszad is a CEO, Entrepreneur, and Author. He is expanding a real estate enterprise and changing the dialogue on mental illness and substance abuse. His story is not one you'll hear anywhere else - and it is entirely worth learning about.
As a respite from early symptoms of depression and trauma at home, David turned to drugs and drinking at the age of 13. In early adulthood, he oscillated between debilitating depression, manic episodes, and week-long binges.
After a severe manic and depressive episode at 23, David was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. A decade-long battle with...2024-10-081h 57
Voice of a LeaderMinisode #1 Fitting In, Standing Out: Personal Branding in Corporate LifeIn this inaugural minisode of our podcast, co-founders Stefano Faustini and Marina Byezhanova dive deep into the specifics and tactics of personal branding, especially for leaders in corporate environments. They discuss overcoming common barriers like imposter syndrome and the resistance many face when it comes to visibility and self-promotion. The conversation highlights the role personal branding plays in inspiring teams, creating opportunities, and fostering positive influence. The episode also features insights from former COO of the Verizon Consumer Group Krista Bourne, guest from Episode #2 of the Voice of a Leader podcast, who shares her own journey and...2024-09-2420 min
Voice of a LeaderEpisode #3 Stephan Roche: Integrity and the Dark Side of WealthStephan Roche is a CEO, investor, strategic advisor, and venture capital and family office executive.
Holder of a Bachelor’s degree from Princeton and an MBA from Harvard, Stephan served as the CEO of a family office for one of the wealthiest American families. By the end of his tenure as CEO, he had grown the family office from 50 to 500; helped steer the organization through turbulent social and economic circumstances; and built relationships with best-selling authors, world-renown scientists, athletes, and billionaires.Simultaneously, Stephan also confronted the dark, shadow side of wealth – the impropriety, abuses of powe...2024-09-101h 44
Voice of a LeaderEpisode #2 Krista Bourne: A Life by Choice, not by ChanceKrista Bourne is a global keynote speaker, advisor, and former Fortune 20 executive. After an unstable childhood and leaving college after only one semester, her journey took a remarkable turn when she found an opportunity that became a 25-year career at Verizon. Starting in the mailroom in upstate New York, Krista progressed through key roles in Service, Sales, and Operations. In time, she became the Chief Operating Officer for the Verizon Consumer Group, the first Black woman to hold the position. Leading a distributed team of 30,000 employees, she served over 110 million customers, delivered more than $500M in cost...2024-08-131h 06
Voice of a LeaderEpisode #1 Marina Byezhanova: Radical Authenticity & Personal BrandingMarina Byezhanova is an entrepreneur, global speaker, and co-founder of Brand of a Leader, the world’s leading personal branding agency for GenX CEOs. In this inaugural episode, Marina shares the founding history of Brand of a Leader, the company’s true mission, and the impact she aspires to make on the entrepreneurial world through personal branding. The episode explores the essence of impostor syndrome, starting a business during a global pandemic, and how personal branding and being authentic can be a powerful tool to overcoming imposter syndrome. Sound Bites "When you have a pers...2024-07-0959 min