I run a community-first swim school. For us, purpose isn't just a slogan; it's our job. We help families build real water confidence and safer habits that lower risks beyond the pool. Profit is important; it keeps our doors open and standards high. Still, our mission drives us to engage with schools, local groups, and seasonal outreach. We aim to provide clear, calm guidance, even if some never become customers. My personal brand is all about consistency. I share information without scaring anyone. I offer practical steps. I also treat parents and adult learners with respect. When your community understands your values, trust grows. As a result, service leads to growth instead of just being a goal.
Hi Chad and Yitzi, Thank you for sharing this. I am interested in being considered for the series. My work takes place across for-profit and purpose-driven environments. I have spent more than two decades structuring and financing large-scale luxury and destination developments, operating inside global finance and complex capital environments where governments, investors, designers, engineers, and operators work with differing incentives and decision-making cultures. In those contexts, profit, clarity, and execution discipline are essential for success. Alongside that work, I founded an Indigenous-led nonprofit to apply the access, knowledge, fluency, and strategy developed at the highest levels of the for-profit world to the new and emerging needs of isolated, rural Indigenous communities. As globalization and corporate systems increasingly encroach on these societies, communities are often required to engage with economic structures that affect their survival. Engaging with for-profit economic systems is often unavoidable, even when those systems were not designed with local realities in mind. The purpose-driven work I do sits inside that contrast. My role has been to guide and structure pathways that allow Indigenous communities across the Global South to access financial and institutional support from the for-profit world while maintaining decision autonomy and cultural preservation. Whether in luxury development or remote community systems, I focus on creating structures that work in practice and are sustainable and human. My public profile has emerged from operating consistently across these worlds rather than from an effort to build a personal brand. My personal brand is an outcome of how purpose, profit, and human-centered leadership are integrated in practice globally. Thank you for your consideration, Stephanie Zabriskie
Name: Amanda Renee Title: Brand Strategist & PR Consultant Specialty: Social Media Strategy, Branding & Visibility I'd love to be included on the Purpose, Profit, and Personal Brand: The New CEO Playbook series. In 2019 when I first started my business I thought I had it all figured out, but within a few years I found myself heavy in burnout. As the first woman in my family to build a business, when I first started, I focused way too much on trying to be everything to everyone. Throughout the course of my career, I had gained so many skills that when I first branched out on my own, I struggled to figure out how to bring everything together. This led to scattered positioning and short-term growth that wasn't sustainable. The turning point came when I realized that profit without purpose creates exhaustion, and purpose without clarity creates instability. Now, I have a clear brand rooted in strategy, storytelling and integrity. My goal is to continue building a brand around trust instead of visibility for the sake of visibility. The biggest thing that sets me apart when working with clients is I let them know that I'm not just a yes person, I'm a strategist. I believe the modern CEO isn't defined by how loudly they lead, but by how clearly they communicate who they are, what they stand for, and how their work fits into the larger picture. When purpose and personal brand are aligned, profit becomes a byproduct of trust—not pressure. I'd welcome the opportunity to contribute to this series with insights on confidence-led leadership, strategic visibility, and how personal branding functions as a long-term asset—not a marketing trend.
Whether I'm coaching football or helping a family with their home, my playbook is the same: focus on guiding people through their next big move, not just winning the game. My purpose is rooted in mentorship and service, from mission trips to coaching my alma mater's team, and I bring that same spirit to real estate. I've found that when your personal brand is built on genuinely helping others navigate major life milestones, profit becomes a natural and sustainable result of that positive impact.
I'm the CEO of 5 SENS and a 5x founder with 3 exits, I've built my career proving that purpose and profit aren't mutually exclusive...they're multiplicative. A few years ago I launched my 5th entrepreneurial venture, 5 SENS, a fine fragrance brand that captures your mood, bottled. t 5 SENS, we've woven purpose into our DNA through two core partnerships: 1. Bring Change 2 Mind: Mental health advocacy isn't a marketing play for us. My cousin committed suicide and it shattered my understanding of mental health and silence. At 5 SENS, we actively support their mission to end mental health stigma because I've lived the devastation of what silence costs. O 2. Oceanic Society - We contributed $25,000 to their Global Ocean Cleanup Campaign, to tackle ocean pollution at scale. Our sustainable packaging (FSC-certified paper, recyclable glass, recycled wood caps, and no magnetic caps despite luxury norms because of rare-earth mining damage) reflects our values, not just our aesthetics. We believe that consumers vote with their wallets and shop brands that reflect their values. Our customers don't just buy fine fragrance; they buy into a brand that is for the people and for the planet. As a serial entrepreneur and investor I have built a personal brand sharing my learnings along the way- particularly on my Tik Tok channel @dgugnani. I'd love to be considered for your interview series as purpose, profit and personal brand are core to my daily life!
Aitherapy's purpose, profit and my personal brand is tightly linked to each other. I started Aitherapy when I couldn't access therapy and I wanted to create a way for myself to get affordable and accessible mental health support with AI. This personal project turned into Aitherapy and today helping thousands of people around the world. Our purpose is making mental health support as accesible as netflix
As a founder and CEO, I have learned that in order to succeed you must align purpose with profit. I created my business and brand by being the most authentic, raw, ugly version of myself. People (and clients) gain trust when things aren't filtered. No one can identify with the rich, beautiful perfect CEO. However, many identify and want to support the recovering addict, single mom, 40 year old who rebuilt her entire life through resilience and grit.
Something I learned about myself after 12 years in the corporate world was how much I truly believe work-life balance, valuing people, and helping others build their careers in a healthy way matters to me. I came to realize that most large companies don't operate that way. On paper, they want to be seen as diverse, supportive, and providing career opportunities, but those values buckled when they were tested in practice. I decided I wanted to start a company where hard work is valued—not posturing and fancy presentations, people get what they deserve, women are truly supported, and people are treated like people—with families and lives outside of work. I decided to leave the corporate world and start my own business. I'm able to maintain a healthy work-life balance, commit to my business, pay people fairly for their work, and show appreciation. Eventually, I will build this into a business where I can hire teams of people. I will give people a company founded in the culture I cultivated for my teams in the corporate world.
As the Founder and CEO of a music marketing and management company, I've perfectly paired profit with purpose and would love to chat further.
I've discovered that aligning purpose with profit requires being deeply rooted in your 'why.' For me, real estate isn't just about transactions--it's about creating win-win solutions for homeowners facing challenges. After reading Rich Dad, Poor Dad in college and building a portfolio that eventually led to financial freedom, I've focused on solving problems rather than just acquiring properties. My personal brand is built on relationship-building and community involvement--hosting meetups, training agents on my 'Triple Dip' concept, and being transparent about my journey. This authenticity has not only strengthened my business but created a legacy of positive impact in Augusta that extends far beyond the bottom line.
I've built my St. Louis real estate business on the principle that transparency creates both purpose and profit. When homeowners face difficult situations with burdensome properties, they need more than just a buyer--they need a problem-solver who genuinely cares. I make it a point to openly share my approach and reasoning behind every offer, which has built a personal brand centered on trustworthiness rather than transactions. This alignment between my values and business practices has created a flywheel effect where satisfied clients become my strongest advocates in the community, proving that when you lead with empathy and clarity, sustainable growth naturally follows.
In my experience, true leadership success comes from the alignment of personal values with business operations. At Dynamic Home Buyers, I've built our brand on genuine care for homeowners facing difficult circumstances--something that resonates deeply as a Myrtle Beach native serving my own community. I've found that when my personal story--as a local, a family man raising two daughters, and someone passionate about creating solutions--becomes intertwined with our company mission, it creates an authenticity that clients trust. This approach has proven that purpose and profit aren't competing forces; they're complementary strengths that create sustainable growth while making a meaningful difference in people's lives.
For me, aligning purpose with profit always comes back to serving my hometown of Detroit. My engineering background taught me to spot inefficiencies, and I apply that to real estate by creating win-win scenarios where we help homeowners in tough situations while revitalizing properties in the community I grew up in. My personal brand is simply a reflection of that commitment to integrity and making a tangible, positive impact right here at home.
As a founder, my purpose and my personal brand are inseparable from the company I run. I didn't build Kyoto Botanicals because I saw a market opportunity — I built it because I'd spent years inside the CBD industry and watched how over-complication, inconsistent quality, and marketing-driven gimmicks eroded consumer trust. My purpose became simple: make wellness feel honest again. Profit matters, but in my world it follows clarity, not the other way around. I stay hands-on in product development, testing, supply chain decisions, and customer communication because transparency isn't a slogan, it's discipline. I talk openly about what I've learned, where I've messed up, how it effects me and why I make the choices I do. That openness forms the foundation of my personal brand, and it's also the foundation of my company. My personal brand isn't about being a polished CEO; it's about being a human. I film unscripted videos on my morning walks, write about routine and presence, and share the behind-the-scenes realities of building a small wellness company in a crowded, restricted and confusing category. People don't connect with perfection or companies, they connect with someone willing to show the work. That credibility translates directly into customer loyalty and into strong relationships with independent retailers who trust that I'm building something with integrity. Purpose shapes my decision-making: I reject isolate-only products; I stay committed to THC-free formulations; I keep ingredients simple and pricing honest and transparent; I partner with small shops who align with my values. Profit grows when I stay anchored to those principles, not when I chase whatever is trending. Your personal brand becomes a competitive advantage when it's not a performance. In my case, it's the same thing that drives my product philosophy: clarity, honesty, and consistency. When you build a company that reflects who you actually are, you don't need to manufacture a message, you just have to live it and show up every day no matter how exhausted you are.
My leadership philosophy revolves around one core idea: a company's purpose should operate as a system, not a slogan. When I launched WhatAreTheBest.com, the goal wasn't to chase growth for its own sake. I wanted to build a tool that helps people make clearer decisions in an environment overloaded with noise. Profit is essential, but it has real meaning only when it reinforces the mission rather than replacing it. One thing I've learned is that a CEO's personal brand is no longer optional. People want visibility into the reasoning behind a leader—values, operating principles, and decision frameworks. I speak openly about systems thinking, long-term compounding, and designing structures that outlast any single contribution. When customers, partners, or employees understand the "why" behind decisions, trust accelerates far faster than through messaging alone. As a founder, my job is to align the system: purpose drives strategy, strategy shapes operations, and operations reinforce the brand. When these loops stay intact, a company becomes resilient. When they fracture, the organization turns reactive. The new CEO playbook isn't about image polish. It's about making your thinking legible so the mission can scale beyond you. Albert Richer Founder, WhatAreTheBest.com
For me, it all comes down to honesty and roots--I built Hudson Valley Cash Buyers by treating every deal like I'm working with a neighbor. That means transparent offers, clear answers, and always respecting the seller's needs, even if it means walking away from a deal. My personal brand is a reflection of those early days of flipping shoes and cars--being straightforward, building trust, and making sure the value I create goes both ways, which has turned our business purpose into sustainable profit and loyal relationships.
My name is Emilie Given, and I'm the founder and CEO of She's A Given, a U.S.-based executive support company built around a belief that has guided every decision I've made as a leader and a mother: delegation is a feminist act. I grew up in foster care. I learned early how much labor — emotional, invisible, unpaid — women are expected to carry quietly. Years later, after a traumatic childbirth that nearly took my life and my son's, that truth became impossible to ignore. I didn't just want to build a business. I needed to build one that honored human limits, protected nervous systems, and didn't require women to sacrifice themselves to be "successful." So I built a company that treats support as strategy, not weakness. She's A Given was never meant to be a faceless agency. It's a values-driven business that centers dignity, expertise, and trust — especially for the assistants who make modern leadership possible. I reject language that treats people like resources to be "rented" or "owned." I believe the way leaders talk about their teams tells you everything about how they lead. My personal brand didn't come from trying to be visible. It came from telling the truth — about burnout, about power, about motherhood reshaping ambition, and about why so many leaders are exhausted despite doing everything "right." I speak openly about delegation as a leadership skill, a cultural shift, and a corrective to systems that reward overwork and martyrdom. Purpose and profit stopped being separate for me the moment I stopped building for ego and started building for longevity. Clear boundaries. Ethical growth. Businesses that work because the people inside them are allowed to breathe. I don't believe CEOs need to be louder online. I think they need to be braver — brave enough to lead with values, to be seen without performing, and to build companies that don't collapse under the weight of hustle culture. I'd love to contribute to this series by sharing: Why delegation is a feminist and leadership issue, not a productivity hack How motherhood fundamentally changed how I define success and scale What personal brand actually means when it's rooted in values, not visibility How humane leadership creates stronger, more profitable companies I believe the future of leadership belongs to people who build with care, clarity, and conviction. I'd be honored to share my perspective with Authority Magazine and the wider audience this series will reach.
For me, purpose and profit align when I focus on being genuinely helpful to homeowners, even if they don't sell to us. I started Fast Vegas Home Buyers to make real estate less intimidating--people deserve clear answers, fair options, and respect for their time. My personal brand is built on that same transparency; I lead with honesty because, in the long run, trust builds both stronger relationships and a more profitable, sustainable business.
I'm the founder of True Dating, a London based company that runs in-person singles events designed to help people connect more naturally in a digital-first world. True Dating was built around the idea that purpose and profit don't have to compete. Our commercial success comes directly from prioritising the quality of human connection, creating environments where people feel comfortable, respected and genuinely engaged. That focus has shaped how we grow, how we communicate and how we operate day to day. As a founder, I've found that sharing real experiences has been the most effective way to build trust with customers and the wider community. My personal brand isn't something separate from the business; it's an extension of the values behind it. Leading with clarity and authenticity has helped us build long-term loyalty rather than short-term attention. I'd be happy to share insights on the growth of my business and how I've built a personal brand as a founder. I'd also be happy to share how aligning values with execution has shaped both the culture and sustainability of my business.
I work at the intersection of emerging technology, business growth, and real-world impact. Over time, I've learned that innovation only matters when it actually makes people's work and lives better. When that happens, profitability tends to follow. In my role as a marketing leader, I spend a lot of time translating complex technologies, like AI and IoT, into practical strategies teams can actually use. That might mean helping a business streamline its operations or finding ways technology can support people in their day-to-day work. I've never been drawn to leading from hype or abstraction. I start with a few basic questions: What problem are we trying to solve? Who is affected by it? And how does this decision hold up over time for both the business and the people doing the work? Connection sits at the center of my personal brand. Online and offline, I'm intentional about creating spaces where people feel comfortable asking questions, sharing ideas, and learning from one another. I've seen how bringing people together across industries and perspectives leads to better conversations and better outcomes for both people and the planet. For me, purpose and profit aren't competing priorities. They strengthen each other. The strongest companies I've worked with are led by people who communicate clearly, connect the right stakeholders, and align their teams around shared values. That approach influences how I build partnerships and decide which opportunities to pursue, especially in fast-changing areas like emerging technology. I think of communication and personal branding as practical tools, not self-promotion. They help create alignment, set expectations, and attract collaborators who genuinely want to build something meaningful together. When people feel informed and connected, progress happens naturally. At the end of the day, my goal is to help people see what's possible when business, technology, and community come together.