Leading Emotional Branding Experts

I help leaders turn brand into their most powerful lever for growth. For more than three decades, I’ve operated at the intersection of strategy and competition, guiding Fortune 500s and high-growth startups to create brand advantage. My work spans industries from technology and finance to luxury, healthcare, and CPG. I've advised companies like Coca-Cola, Verizon, and Walmart, as well as VC-backed disruptors from Sequoia, Andreessen Horowitz, and Google Ventures. As Founder and Chief Strategy Officer of Fazer, I've pioneered De-Positioning, a hard-strategy methodology that renders competitors irrelevant by solving customer pain points better than anyone else. I believe differentiation is dead. In today’s hypercompetitive markets, white space disappears instantly. The new era of marketing is the era of problem-solving. Dominant brands like Apple prove this repeatedly. They win not by chasing difference, but by solving customer pain points with relentless clarity and discipline. This is the true engine of market dominance. At Fazer, we work direct-to-leadership, helping executives sharpen their competitive position in markets where rivalry is relentless and advantage is fleeting. De-Positioning is the framework that turns brand into a system of advantage. It's a discipline that unites business, brand, marketing, and sales into one strategic force. I am the author of "De-Positioning: The Secret Brand Strategy for Creating Competitive Advantage", which codifies this methodology into six principles for building brands that don’t just compete, but control the terms of competition itself. We live in a new era where brand is not a marketing function. It is a strategic lever for growth, trust, and leadership. The companies that embrace this truth will define the future of their industries. The rest will be de-positioned.

Kristopher Michael Wood Behavior Design Strategist. Founder of iLLOGICAL iNFLUENCE. Director of Brand Storytelling at Lotos Nile. Kristopher Michael Wood works at the intersection of behavioral science, brand strategy, and storytelling, helping organizations move people to act. He is the Founder of iLLOGICAL iNFLUENCE, a behavior design consultancy that uses ethical influence and human-centered design to shape decisions, build trust, and change outcomes for clients ranging from professionals and nonprofits to Fortune 500 teams. He also serves as Director of Brand Storytelling at Lotos Nile, a Nashville-based marketing and communications firm where he builds brand systems and campaigns rooted in behavioral evidence rather than guesswork. Kristopher is one of a small handful of practitioners trained directly by the three figures often referred to as the grandmasters of human behavior: Dr. Robert Cialdini, Dr. BJ Fogg, and Rory Sutherland. He is a founding member of the Cialdini Institute and a Certified Cialdini Coach and Consultant, applying Cialdini's seven principles of influence to marketing, UX, and brand systems. He completed Behavior Design Expert Training with Dr. BJ Fogg of Stanford University, and he earned the Mark of Distinction in Rory Sutherland's MAD//Masters program. He is also a Certified Member of the Global Association of Applied Behavioral Scientists (GAABS) and holds a certification in Online Influence Fundamentals from the Online Influence Institute. His professional certifications further span Apple Search Ads, Google's Generative AI Learning Path, Google Digital Marketing and E-Commerce, Google Data Analytics, Google UX Design, Google Project Management, LinkedIn Decision Intelligence, and Management Consulting Foundations through Skillfully. Before moving into strategy, Kristopher spent more than two decades working at the highest levels of live production. He served over a decade as an Automated Lighting Programmer for The Late Show with David Letterman and toured worldwide as a programmer and technician for Radiohead, Elton John, Cher, Sheryl Crow, and Roxy Music, every one of whom is now in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. His credits include the Grammy Awards, the Olympics, the Democratic National Convention, and the NBA Finals, along with technical work for Vari-Lite. That career taught him about timing, spectacle, and human response in real time, lessons that now inform how he designs behavior change for brands. He is the author of two books. New York Birds Don't Climb: Ernest Hemingway and the City (2023) is a literary study of Chicago, Paris, and New York as forces that shaped Ernest Hemingway, drawing primarily on Hemingway's preserved correspondence. Business Lessons from Taylor Swift: What Every Business Can Learn from a Global Icon is the first business book to analyze Taylor Swift's career as a case study in storytelling, personal branding, and strategic positioning, and it became a best-seller in its category. His shorter writing appears regularly in McSweeney's Internet Tendency, The American Bystander, Points in Case, Weekly Humorist, Humor Times, and Sorbet Magazine, where he serves as Political Correspondent. His political commentary has run in The Portland Press Herald, the Sun Journal (Lewiston, ME), and the Kennebec Journal. He has completed formal Satire Writing I and II training at The Second City. Kristopher holds a Master of Arts in History and Literature from Columbia University, where he was part of the Hemingway, Italy, and the Literary Imagination program, and a Bachelor of Arts in History from New York University. He completed additional academic work in Literature at École Normale Supérieure and in History at Université Paris-Sorbonne, and earned an Associate degree from Full Sail University. During his undergraduate years at NYU, he was recognized with the Founder's Day Award (2014), the Harvey J. Stedman Award (2014), the McGhee Scholars Scholarship (2011 and 2012), and the Bernard Osher Scholarship (2010 and 2013). He also served as an Editorial Intern at George Mason University's History News Network and earlier worked as an Education Consultant at ENREACH Education in Chengdu, China. His proprietary frameworks include BRAVO for Brand Storytelling, a structured method for applying behavioral science to brand narrative, and his consulting practice covers behavior design, Cialdini-grounded persuasion, UX strategy, brand psychology, decision intelligence, and persuasive copywriting. Kristopher lives and works in Hailey, Idaho.

Emily Lauren Dick is a multi-passionate, feminist, author, brand strategist and designer who helps values driven businesses make money while making the world a better place. Most people think they need a professional logo and a pretty website to fix their business problems. What they actually need is clarity on who they are and what makes them different. Emily helps values driven entrepreneurs create their own brand recipe so they can build a standout online presence that attracts the right clients without copying someone else's approach. Unbuttoned Brands creates brands that stand out without burning you out!

Mike Lynch is the founder and principal of Highly Persuasive, a commercial brand strategy consultancy headquartered in Bangkok, serving clients across ASEAN, Australia, the Middle East, North America, and Europe. With 20+ years of experience across APAC and Western markets, he specializes in closing the gap between how good a company is and how easy it is to choose — applying behavioral science, procurement psychology, and positioning strategy to the specific commercial problem of being technically excellent but commercially undervalued. His proprietary Brand Gravity™ System diagnoses the forces slowing buyer decisions and builds the strategic architecture to reverse them. He works with B2B companies, professional services firms, hospitality groups, and founders whose market position is not yet reflecting their actual capability.

I’m redefining what brand leadership & visibility means for experts and leaders in the age of AI and authenticity. My expertise sits at the intersection of strategy, story, and self-expression - I show leaders, brands and businesses how to turn deep expertise into brand clarity, visibility, & lasting influence. * 25+ years helping business leaders & brands refine their positioning & build brands that have global reach and impact. * Author of Marketing Me®: Take Charge of Your Personal Brand & Make Your Mark on the World (book 2 coming early 2026). * Certified Practising Marketer (CPM), Fellow (FAMI) of the Australian Marketing Institute. AMI State Chair (Vic) for 6 years (2018-2024), In 2022 was recognised as AMI Life Member. * 20 years leading one of Australia’s top marketing agencies (recognised as Best Marketing Agency at the Australian Marketing Excellence Awards in 2018.) * Serial Business owner and dot-com start up founder (with successful exit) - know how to create impact quickly and strategically integrate personal & business brands. * Tech Founder - With 20+ years in the B2B tech space and as the co-founder of Virtually Myself®, strategy-led, human-guided visibility engine for unique, distinct voices, I stay at the forefront of AI and marketing technology. * As a mother of five children (birthing 5 in 8 years!) I understand the nature of business/life challenges and have a pragmatic and refreshingly realistic approach to marketing. *** My passion is taking the timeless marketing principles of strategy, creativity, and influence - adapting them to the current landsacpe, and translating them to make them accessible to people and brands who have a message that matters. Who need that message to be heard, without burning out in the process, so they can play the long game. That’s what I build - and write about. I name what others sense but can’t articulate. Then I build the systems to make it actionable. Ideas that shape culture. Frameworks that shift thinking. Visibility that doesn’t burn you out. Right now I'm helping leaders and businesses build sustainable brand ecosystems for leaders rewriting the rules, those shaping “what next” in this brave new world. Through my books, blogs and speaking I'm leading a conversation around what it means to build a cohesive and sustainable brand ecosystems for experts and founders shaping the future. If you'd like me to contribute to your article or project - reach out, I'd love to chat!

12+ Years of Proven Methods to Increase Your Digital Presence. I help CEOs, founders, and C-level executives increase their online presence through personalized content strategy, and proven methods in personal branding. I am a verified personal branding expert, award-winning digital marketer and SEO consultant. His work has been featured in esteemed publications such as The New York Times, Forbes, HuffPost, and Entrepreneur. My work has appeared in major publications like The New York Times, Forbes, Huffpost, Entrepreneur US, Times of India, Hindustan Times, Buzzfeed, Outlook India, Tribune India, Mid Day, Livemint, The Print, Business Wire India, APN News, Inventiva, Business Standard, Featured.com, CIO Influence, DNA India YourStory, The Hindu, Deccan Herald, Forbes India, Clutch, Goodfirms. Founder of Write Right, Estorytellers, Taletel, KalamKagaz, Bloggism, dealing with B2B Content Writing Services, B2C content and Creative Writing Services. With 1000+ clients, 2000+ Online Reviews, 10M+ words written and 50+ Dedicated Writers, Write Right is currently the highest reviewed Content Writing Agency in India by Google My Business, G2, Quora, Clutch, Goodfirm, Sortlist, Trustpilot and Glassdoor. When I am not reading and solo traveling, I tag myself as a Professional Content Writer and Digital Marketing Consultant, Author of 7 published books including The Weak Point Dealer, Will You Walk A Mile, How to start your own content Writing agency, How to become a Digital Marketing Consultant and The Unproposed Guy. If Gods ask me, ‘What is your purpose in life?’ I would happily answer, ‘I am seeking it via content. I am searching it somewhere in and around storytelling. Sooner or Later, I will find it. The purpose of life is, for me, nothing but EMPOWERMENT of content creators and storytellers. Exited Dad of Ad in 2021, Write Right & all subsidaries in 2023.

Olena Zaitseva is an independent Brand & AI Systems Strategist working at the intersection of brand strategy, emerging technologies, and decision intelligence. She advises founders, leadership teams, and technology companies on how brands are interpreted, ranked, and trusted by AI systems, generative search, and automated decision models. Her perspective is grounded in years of hands-on experience as a creative director and industrial designer, where she led brand, product, and visual systems in high-stakes commercial environments. This background allows her to translate abstract AI behavior into concrete strategic and design decisions. Her work focuses on AI visibility, narrative stability, and entity-level brand integrity, helping organizations understand where authority is lost, distorted, or misread by algorithms. She is the founder of Geonyx, a research-driven framework and platform for diagnosing how brands appear across AI-driven ecosystems, and regularly comments on AI, brand trust, and algorithmic reputation.

R. Scott Armstrong is a wildly different business leader, adventure motorcyclist, and extreme skier with a plain spoken point of view: professionals need to stop proving how smart they are and start earning trust. A marketing professional, lecturer, author, and global agency CEO, Scott helps professional‑services firms turn smart experts into trusted advisors. Over a career leading client work for major brands, he learned the hard way that professional self‑orientation kills relationships and most professionals are never taught how to build trust instead. At his marketing agency Brainrider, Scott leads a trust‑based client model so client work lands on time, on strategy, and on budget. Cleaner execution, fewer surprises, and a client who feels in control again. Through his consulting firm Win the Question and his upcoming book "From Asshole to Ally: Earning Trust, Winning Questions, and Becoming the Professional Clients Want to Work With", Scott teaches practical tools for handling high‑stakes client conversations: listening to learn, framing what is really going on, and “winning the question” before racing to answers. His work is built for ambitious mid‑career professionals in agencies, consulting firms, law firms, accounting firms, and other organizations where people are paid for their judgment, not just their time. Early in his career, Scott was the classic ambitious expert—fast, certain, and focused on winning the room. It worked until it didn’t. After painful lessons with clients like Meta, Miller, and AT&T, he realized that his need to prove how smart he was was quietly killing trust. That experience led him to the Trust Equation and the core idea behind his work today: stop winning the answer, start winning the question. Today, Scott helps professional-services organizations rewire how their people show up when the stakes are high. His keynote, Win the Question: The Asshole Antidote, gives leaders clear language for self-oriented behavior and a practical picture of what “better” looks like in real client conversations. His workshop, Advanced Client Skills for Ambitious Professionals, turns those ideas into repeatable habits. Outside of work, he puts the same judgment and communication skills to use in high-risk environments. He is avalanche safety and wilderness first-aid trained, and believes the thinking that keeps you alive in the backcountry is exactly what keeps professionals useful when the terrain gets risky.

From global newsrooms to celebrity green rooms, I’ve spent over 20 years turning bold ideas and expert voices into stories that resonate. My journey began in journalism, reporting for CNN, NBC and Euronews, where I interviewed world leaders, artists, change makers and entrepreneurs. I later stepped into the world of PR, leading purpose-driven campaigns with iconic figures like Jane Goodall, Dame Judi Dench, and Ricky Gervais, landing headlines and interviews in the BBC, CNN, Reuters, ABC, Newsweek, ITV, and beyond. I’ve written across every format and platform: from news tickers to press releases, video scripts to public speeches. Whether for a major broadcaster or a personal brand, my work helps voices cut through the noise and connect with audiences that matter. Today, I use that experience to help thought leaders, experts and businesses craft their message, shape their public-facing profiles, and connect with global media. Whether you're shaping a brand, sharing a mission, or finding your voice, I’m here to turn your story into something bold, original, and unforgettable.

“If you asked people what they wanted, they would have said faster horses.” – Henry Ford Consumers buy/buy-in emotionally, then justify their decisions logically. They can’t tell you what they want, but they can tell you what they don’t want and, more importantly, what they value. Using creative business strategies to turn their insights into traction for brands - via compelling stories and engagement strategies that surprise and delight - is what I spend my days trying to achieve. I believe that the most effective and awe-inspiring work comes from simple ideas executed in simple but elegant ways. The process itself is anything but simple or elegant. Fortunately, I love this sort of challenge. In fact, I live for it. It’s been described by some as a sickness and, if I’m being honest, it’s probably closer to an addiction – one that I’m just unusually comfortable having. I’ve had the pleasure of struggling over simple and elegant solutions for clients like Carfax, Denny’s, Delsey Luggage, Precision Tune Auto Care, and Music & Arts to name a few and have had the pleasure of being recognized more than 100 times for the effort – including one textbook mention, which I’m particularly proud to call my own. At last count, I have helped our clients generate more than $2.5 billion in net new revenue. I’ve been fortunate enough to start four successful agencies and shared the joy of working alongside the insanely talented people who have joined them. When I’m not pouring over the latest Discovery Survey or chasing the next creative strategy, you can find me at home with my amazing wife, three beautiful children and our nearly-Wookie-of-a-dog, Oreo. It really doesn’t get any better than this.

I help brands bridge the gap between technical visibility and human connection. In an era where digital noise is at an all-time high, I specialize in building organic growth engines that transform standard search presence into lasting market authority and measurable revenue. As the Managing Director of Empire State SEO, my approach is rooted in a rare intersection of disciplines. I combine a rigorous MBA-level strategic framework with deep-level SEO execution and high-stakes brand positioning. This ensures that every campaign isn't just "ranking" on a page, but is actively communicating a cohesive narrative that resonates with the right audience. I believe a brand’s greatest asset is its ability to command attention through a blend of data-driven precision and authentic storytelling. Whether I am consulting for an early-stage startup or a scaled enterprise, my goal is to navigate complex market shifts and technical volatility to deliver sustainable, compounding digital growth. With over a decade of experience across various industries, I have dedicated my career to helping businesses align their brand identity with their core operational objectives. At the end of the day, I don’t just deliver traffic; I deliver the strategic clarity required for brands to own their industry’s digital skyline.

Founder of Keva Epale Studio, a branding and storytelling house for creatives and entrepreneurs. Keva Epale is an illustrator, brand designer, and writer who uses illustration as a strategic language to build meaningful brand worlds. She infuses strategy, emotion, and lived experience as a red thread throughout her identities, content, and products, helping her clients stand out with vision, clarity and creative confidence. Her studio bridges creative direction, visual storytelling, and product design with a desire to empower others to think, play, build, and lead their worlds.

Story before all. I believe in jargon-free copy, singular ideas, and big storytelling. I write a newsletter about business and culture called "Atmosphere."

As the founder of Brass and Honey Marketing Studio, I combine mindset, marketing, and design to help online business owners find success and fulfillment early in their journeys.

Meet Georgi Petrov, the driving force behind AIG MARKETER, a dynamic digital marketing agency. A multifaceted entrepreneur, he not only owns thriving multi-7-figure online stores but also curates insightful content on his blog at georgiadvice.com. On his YouTube channel, he generously shares his vast experience. Holding an MBA and boasting 13+ years in digital marketing, Georgi has helped countless startups, coaches, and Fortune 500 giants across 13+ markets. A Google and Meta certified pro, Georgi personifies digital success.

Figs O'Sullivan is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) and founder of Empathi, a San Francisco-based couples therapy practice. Known as "the guy other therapists and thought leaders call when their own relationships go sideways," Figs has built a community of 5,000+ course members, 30,000+ app users, and 48,000+ email subscribers. Author of the forthcoming book "Sovereign Ground: Being Human in an Unstable World" (2026), Figs brings a lived, personal approach to understanding love and money as nervous system experiences. He has been featured on NPR, Mark Groves, Daddy Issues, and 50+ podcasts discussing relationships, attachment, and personal growth. Creator of the Empathi Method, Figs specializes in helping couples navigate conflict, rebuild trust, and create lasting connection.

Award-Winning Style Coach™ with the International Association of Style Coaching and Founder of Radiant Styling, a global image and style consultancy for founders and senior women in leadership. With a background in luxury retail (Monica Vinader, LV, Bvlgari), a degree in Human Resource Management (CIPD-accredited), and as a Certified and Licensed Style Coach™, I’ve combined my expertise in self-image, fashion psychology, behaviour, and communication to help my clients align their competence with their presence. Through bespoke consultations, corporate trainings, and engaging keynotes, I equip individuals and organisations with the tools to present themselves thoughtfully and powerfully, ensuring their presence reflects the depth of their talent. My clients span industries across finance and consulting, and include British Water, Marsh, and 100 Women in Insurance.

Founder of Portraits de Famille, a brand I launched in 2024 to bridge the worlds of fashion and art through wearable pieces of collectible art in collaboration with distinct artists. My mission is to empower artists, preserve personal narratives and create garments that carry meaning, provenance and enduring value. Each capsule collection is a collaboration with distinct artists, blending Mediterranean elegance and contemporary minimalism with high-quality, limited-edition pieces. As an entrepreneur, I’m passionate about reimagining how brands connect with their communities. Through Portraits de Famille, I developed the Collector’s Club for those seeking the ultimate exclusive and collector experience—a cultural hub that offers exclusive access to our most limited-edition pieces from each artist collaboration. This approach transforms product launches into curated experiences, fostering genuine engagement and a sense of belonging among collectors and fans. Recognizing the broader need for transparent, fair-access and community-driven release systems, I’ve productized the Collector’s Club as a SaaS platform. My goal is to help other brands modernize their drops, build trust through exclusivity, and cultivate high-intent communities around their most unique products. I bring hands-on experience in building a brand from scratch, navigating uncertainty and innovating at the intersection of art, fashion and technology. I’m always interested in sharing insights on artist collaborations, collectible product strategies, community-building and the future of limited-edition retail, whether through interviews, expert commentary or collaborative projects. Let’s connect if you’re interested in the evolution of brand storytelling, the power of provenance or new ways to engage and grow a collector audience.

Communications Consultant | Board Advisor | Speaker | Ex-RedBull, Ex-Intuit | Creator of the TRUST Method | Podcast Host | I help you build a Personal Brand to better communicate your value. I am a communications expert with 25 years of international experience in communications, public relations, content marketing and personal branding. I worked with leading brands, agencies, and influencers in the MEA region, as well as global companies such as RedBull, Intuit, General Motors, to name a few. I speak, deliver workshops & masterclasses, and work with clients on how to use communications & build a personal brand to directly impact and grow their business and career.

Stephanie Armstrong is an executive brand strategist, communications advisor, and CEO of Moxie Creative Studios, a marketing and brand development agency known for blending strategy, storytelling, and measurable growth. She works with founders, executives, and impact-driven leaders to transform their expertise into category authority through personal branding, thought leadership, and omnichannel visibility systems. With more than a decade of experience in branding and marketing, Stephanie has supported companies and leaders associated with over $40 million in revenue growth, spanning Fortune 100 environments, celebrity and influencer brands, and high-growth entrepreneurial ventures. Her work sits at the intersection of positioning, communications strategy, and performance marketing — ensuring visibility translates into tangible business expansion. Stephanie specializes in executive positioning, founder-led brand development, and strategic brand architecture. She advises leaders on how to build credible authority in competitive markets, align narrative with business objectives, and leverage media, speaking, and digital ecosystems to drive sustainable growth. Her approach integrates brand psychology, data-driven marketing strategy, and cultural relevance to help clients move from expert to industry voice. Beyond client work, Stephanie is a speaker and thought leader focused on personal branding, visibility strategy, and women’s leadership in business. Her perspective bridges the gap between influence and infrastructure — helping leaders not only be seen, but strategically positioned for long-term impact. She is available to comment on personal branding, executive communications, founder visibility, marketing strategy, and leadership positioning with a speciality in women’s leadership and human behavior.