Systems + Soul for Modern Brand Building

Think like a creator, build like a brand. How creator brands are rewriting commerce rules.

Happy Sunday fam!

First-ish week of the new year. Some of you may have already returned to your work, and some may be returning tomorrow. For me, brand just building never sleeps, so I have been back at my desk grinding out most of this last week. 

I’ve spent much of this holiday “break” deep in thought, preparing for 2025 and reflecting on the journey so far. I’ve been thinking about how I’m building my companies, the brand I’ll be launching, and even my own personal brand. As daunting as the internet can be, I’ve come to realize how crucial personal brand building is—it’s the thread that ties all of these pieces together and brings them to life.

One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned about modern brand building came from watching kids sprint down grocery store aisles—not for their favorite candy, but for a chocolate bar made by their favorite YouTuber. As an early employee at Feastables, I witnessed something that fundamentally changed how I view the intersection of personal brands and consumer products.

These weren't just customers – they were part of a movement. Kids who'd never thought twice about chocolate brands were suddenly experts on ingredients, manufacturing processes, and launch dates. Why? Because MrBeast had turned his authentic connection with millions into a product that they all wanted. The chocolate could have been average, but his audience's devotion transcended the product itself.

Now fast forward to today where we are witnessing Alex Cooper’s launch of Unwell hydration drink with Nestle’ is a masterclass in translating a personal brand into product gold. The name isn’t just clever—it encapsulates the essence of what made Call Her Daddy a cultural phenomenon: raw, unfiltered, unapologetic energy and the shared experience of life’s messy, unhinged moments. This brand play embraces authenticity over perfection, turning the concept of being “unwell” into a badge of honor, and being hydrated!

Working with creators has taught me something crucial: the principles that make personal brands powerful aren't just for creators with millions of followers. They're the same principles that help any brand build real connections with their customers.

Let’s break down those principles that I have learned and see how you, bestie, can apply it to ANYTHING you are working on today.

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Systems + Soul for Modern Brand Building

These principles aren’t just about going viral or building a massive following—they’re about creating trust, authenticity, and relevance. Whether you’re a solo entrepreneur or a legacy brand, the same strategies that fuel personal brands can be used to forge deeper connections with your audience.

The Authenticity Paradox

Here's what nobody tells you about brand building: calculated authenticity isn't just about connection – it's about driving real business value. I’ve learned this first hand working with creator brands, where even small decisions about product transparency had a direct impact on sales velocity.

When P&G acquired Native deodorant for $100M in 2017, it wasn't just buying a natural deodorant brand – it was buying how strategic authenticity builds brand equity. The acquisition demonstrated how a DTC brand could grow from zero to nine-figure exit in just two years through authentic consumer connection.

Liquid Death is another example that proves this isn't a fluke. Their $70 million raise at a $700 million valuation in 2022 showed that strategic authenticity can turn even water into valuable brand equity. They're not authentic by accident – they're authentic by design.

This translates to three key principles on how we can leverage this:

1. Map authenticity to revenue - Track how transparent communication about your process, ingredients, or mission directly impacts conversion rates and customer lifetime value.
2. Build authenticity systems - Create frameworks for consistent, scalable authentic communication across all channels, from email to packaging
3. Find your authentic edge - Identify the unique aspects of your brand that can be authentically amplified, just like Liquid Death amplified the absurdity of water marketing.

The Scale of Intimacy 

Hot take: The real magic of modern brand building isn't reaching millions – it's making millions feel like one. We saw this at Feastables, where personal touches in customer experience became just as crucial as MrBeast's massive reach. As I used to call it, "giving the audience a piece of the Jimmy pie."

But for brands without a celebrity founder, this means creating systems that scale personal connection. It's about finding moments where your brand can feel as direct and personal as a creator talking to their audience, even if you're shipping thousands of orders a day.

For you bestie, this means mastering three key elements:

1. Design micro-moments - Create small but meaningful touchpoints throughout the customer journey that feel personal and unexpected
2. Scale personal stories - Turn individual customer experiences and feedback into content that resonates with your broader audience
3. Systematize intimacy - Build processes that allow for personalized interactions without breaking your operations (think handwritten notes at scale)

The Innovation Feedback Loop

Here's a counterintuitive truth about modern brand building that I have also learned working with creator brands: social media engagement isn't enough. While we had millions of MrBeast fans engaging with our content, we still needed structured focus groups to truly understand our customers and guide our rebranding.

This reveals something crucial about feedback loops in brand building, it's not about choosing between traditional methods and modern social listening – it's about knowing when to use each. Social media might tell you what people think they want, but focus groups tell you why they want it.

Establish these three types of feedback channels:

1. Structured Research - Regular focus groups and customer interviews that dive deep into motivations and needs
2. Real-time Listening - Social media monitoring and community engagement that captures immediate reactions
3. Data Validation - Systems to test whether what people say matches what they actually do with their wallets

The Consistency Challenge

Here's the truth about brand consistency (IMO), it's not about rigid rules – it's about reliable personality. Think of it like a friendship. Your closest friends can predict how you'll react in any situation, not because you're predictable, but because you're reliably yourself.

The same principle applies to brand building. Your customers should be able to recognize your brand's voice in any context, from a customer service email to a billboard. But this doesn't mean being static. The best brands evolve while keeping their core essence intact.

Here’s my main focus areas for consistency in TOV:

1. Voice Architecture - Develop clear but flexible guidelines for how your brand speaks across all touch points
2. Evolution Framework - Create systems for how your brand can grow and change while maintaining its core identity
3. Team Alignment - Build tools and training that help everyone from customer service to marketing maintain consistent brand voice

Looking Ahead

We're witnessing a fundamental shift in how brands are built and scaled. The old playbook of pouring money into advertising and hoping for the best is dead. In its place, we're seeing the rise of what I call "systematic authenticity" – where brand building is both an art and a science.

The future belongs to brands that can turn authentic connections into repeatable systems. This isn't about automating authenticity (an obvious paradox), but about building frameworks that allow real connections to scale without losing their soul.

And to me, this means preparing for three key shifts:

1. Community-First Development - Product and brand development will start with community input, not market analysis
2. Systematic Authenticity - Building processes that scale genuine connections without losing their impact
3. Integrated Experiences - Creating seamless bridges between content, community, and commerce

The key isn't just to build connections – it's to build systems that scale those connections profitably. This is the new frontier of brand building: creating machines that can deliver authenticity at scale without feeling mechanical.

The tools and platforms will keep changing. New Alex Coopers and MrBeasts will emerge. But the fundamental principle remains: the brands that win tomorrow won't just be authentic, or just be systematic – they'll be both. They'll take what makes personal brands magnetic and turn it into machinery that can reach millions while touching each customer personally.

That's the real lesson from the intersection of personal brands and consumer brands. It's not about being bigger – it's about being better at being yourself, at scale.

That’s that for this week’s edition on brand building. Maybe some of this was already on your radar, or maybe you’re walking away with fresh ideas to implement. Either way, the goal is to help you take the next steps toward building a dope af customer journey in whatever it is that you are a part of!

And as always, if you need help thinking about how to build your brand strategy, retention and lifecycle or even customer experience, hit your girl gang up at OLC.

Same time, same place next week?

Have a Marketing and/or CX-related question for me?

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UPCOMING EVENTS

  1. Headed to NRF in January? Empath Club (Eli and I’s lovely community) and Midcoast (Dillon and I’s founder community) are teaming up to host a fun AF event at 12 Chairs on January 13th. If you are a brand operator or founder either attending NRF or just in the NYC, join us!

    RSVP HERE

  2. The Sheinnovates Girl Gang and I are plotting and planning for Sheinnovates 3 (LA) and Sheinnovates 4 (NYC) next year. Sign up here to be alerted when tickets are available!’

    More IRL events coming in 2025!
    Interested in working together? Hit me up.

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