The Visionary Chronicles

EPISODE 143 CHRONICLE: February 5th, 2024 Generative Artificial Intelligence | How Can Visionary Brands Successfully Integrate AI " Common sense is not so common.” – Voltaire With all the madness around AI, having a clear, definitive plan in place is critical to long-term success; however, you must know the “Who?”, “What?”, “Why?, “When?” and “Where?” with your plan and execution. Before implementing, define the needs, determine resources, outline expectations, and determine the execution timeline. Visionary brands can leverage Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) to enhance the brand lifecycle execution process from ideation and product creation, marketing execution, development, sourcing, and operations, and gain a competitive edge. Here are some ways in which Generative AI can be utilized. Product and Service Innovation | Use generative AI to brainstorm and generate ideas for new products and services. AI models can analyze market trends, consumer preferences, and industry data to suggest innovative concepts. This can accelerate the ideation process and lead to the development of more innovative products. Content Creation | Deploy generative AI for content creation, including writing articles, generating marketing copy, or creating social media posts. Language models can assist in producing high-quality, engaging content, saving time and resources for the business. Personalized Customer Experiences | Implement AI-driven personalization in customer interactions. Generative models can analyze customer data to create personalized recommendations, messages, and experiences, enhancing customer satisfaction and engagement. Automated Customer Support | Integrate generative AI into customer support systems to provide automated responses to common queries. This improves customer service efficiency, allowing team members to focus on complex issues while AI handles routine inquiries. Supply Chain Optimization | Use generative AI to optimize supply chain processes. Predictive modeling can help in demand forecasting, inventory management, and logistics optimization, ensuring a more efficient and cost-effective supply chain. Decision Support | Leverage generative AI for decision support systems. These systems can analyze large datasets, market trends, and various factors to assist brands in making well-informed, data-driven decisions. Design and Creativity | Apply generative AI in design processes for graphic design, product design, or architecture. AI can assist in generating creative ideas, designs, and prototypes, enhancing the overall creative process. Learning and Development | Use generative AI for employee training and development. AI-driven systems can create customized training modules, simulate real-world scenarios, and provide personalized learning experiences based on individual employee needs. Predictive Analytics | Implement generative AI for predictive analytics. These models can analyze historical data to predict future trends, market changes, and potential risks, enabling brands to adjust strategies proactively. Human Resources | Utilize generative AI in recruitment processes for resume screening, candidate matching, and even conducting initial interviews. This can streamline the hiring process and efficiently identify the most suitable candidates. Cybersecurity | Enhance cybersecurity measures by using generative AI to detect and respond to potential threats. AI can analyze patterns in network traffic, identify anomalies, and predict and prevent security breaches. Simulation and Scenario Planning | Use generative AI for simulating and planning various business scenarios. This can help brands test the resilience of their strategies and make informed decisions in anticipation of different outcomes. Generative AI is a powerful tool, however when implementing generative AI in business, it's crucial to consider ethical considerations, data privacy, and potential biases in AI models. Regular monitoring, feedback loops, and continuous improvement are essential to ensure the responsible and effective use of AI technologies. With these tools, which are improving literally by the second, it is important to stay ahead of this curve, or you will lose your competitive advantage, and potentially your foundational vision along the way. 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, 2024 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.

EPISODE 140 CHRONICLE: January 26th, 2024 Content from Bryan’s new Award Winning, Bestselling Book The Visionary Brand, The Success Formula Behind the World's Most Visionary Brands. Readers Favorite Award Winner: Best, Non-fiction, Marketing book Amazon Bestseller. THE VISIONARY BRAND | Product Extinction | How to Eliminate Products & Gain Market Share " Extinction is the rule. Survival is the exception." – Carl Sagan Once a visionary brand successfully executes a breakaway/drawdown strategy, it must build a bridge to maintain the product lifecycle. To sustain a consistent flow of products from your pipeline, you must bring some products to extinction, sometimes at the height of their popularity. Implementing this strategy is critical but risky, as you bet the company on the next generation of products. However, unless you risk something, you gain nothing. As discussed earlier, the Sony Walkman was one of the most recognizable case studies of product lifecycle saturation. This was a breakaway product when first introduced. However, Sony still needed to fully embrace the drawdown and extinction mentality fully, instead deciding to let it ride for some thirty years with only minor revisions. This strategy proved successful for a time, but this is a rare case. The danger with deploying such a strategy is you can get ambushed by your competitors, and you inevitably become a follower, no longer a leader. Having the market perception of being an innovative leader in your category carries with it prestige and privilege. Most companies would assume any brand deploying the breakaway strategy must have a new product in the pipeline that will change the norm, establish a new way of thinking, or redefine a process. This was not the case with Sony and the Walkman—revolutionary in its day, it had a nice run for some 20 years but eventually died slowly in its last 10. The clincher was when Apple introduced the iPod, at which point it was game over for the Walkman. Ironically, the Walkman inspired Steve to find a better way to listen to music that was not so cumbersome or limited in portability. In analyzing the Walkman lifecycle, Apple knew better than to repeat Sony's mistakes, incorporating extinction in their product pipeline and having the courage to pull products at the peak of their popularity to keep their community hungry for what’s coming next. Building a consistent and sustainable product extinction lifecycle flow creates limited supply, increasing demand on both the back end (drawdown) and the front end (breakaway). This has driven many brands, such as Apple, Microsoft, Nike, Adidas, TaylorMade, and Microsoft, to become some of the most valuable. These iconic brands have stood the test of time by building an innovative pipeline of products or services supported by a breakaway culture. Each of these brands succeeds by creating and adapting over a series of product iterations, adopting technologies that drive customer demand, and manipulating supply cycles through planned product extinction. Here are some critical points in adopting an Extinction Strategy and Gaining Valuable Market Share. Build a Breakaway Product Pipeline | This is critical to sustainable innovation. Identify your following Breakaway or Incremental Product | Upon the release of the current product generation, this is the Apple strategy; they already have a product being commercialized that will replace the current version. Eliminate the Current Version at the Peak of the Early Adopter Phase | The Extinction creates an “Innovator” NET GEN NEED and a “Late Adopter” WANT. Release the Next Version | Timing is critical, and product commercialization is vital to pull this off. Rinse, Repeat, & Recycle | The cycle of executing this strategy will align all products along the Supply & Demand Curve. Rare for a Premium brand, and extremely powerful! Building a product innovation pipeline that can sustain continual and more rapid product extinction is where successful visionary brands move beyond their competitors. By holding to this Vision rooted in these Extinction principles, you will also successfully build sustainable brand value for both your shareholders and customers. 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 5

EPISODE 141 CHRONICLE: January 17, 2024 Visionaries | Martin Luther King Jr. " We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope.” – Martin Luther King Jr. Martin Luther King Jr. (January 15, 1929 – April 4, 1968) was a clergyman, activist, and Visionary leader who played a pivotal role in the American civil rights movement, and his commitment to justice, equality, and nonviolent activism was unparalleled. He was a visionary leader who used his powerful vision to inspire and lead the civil rights movement in the United States. His vision was rooted in justice, equality, and nonviolent protest. “Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into a friend.” – Martin Luther King Jr. Martin Luther King Jr. had a true vision, willing to risk his life to ensure it was realized. What were some of the core principles of Martin Luther King’s vision? I Have a Dream Speech | The famous "I Have a Dream" speech, delivered during the March on Washington in 1963, articulated a compelling vision of a racial integration and harmonious America. His vision emphasized the dream of equality, justice, and brotherhood, resonating with millions and becoming a defining moment in the civil rights movement. Nonviolent Protest as a Guiding Principle | A vision grounded in the philosophy of nonviolent resistance. He envisioned a movement that would challenge injustice through peaceful protests, civil disobedience, and love rather than resorting to violence or hatred. Belief in a Beloved Community | A vision extending beyond eliminating segregation. He spoke of the "Beloved Community," a society based on love, justice, and equality. This vision sought racial harmony, economic justice, and the end of poverty. Inspire the Masses | Martin Luther King Jr.'s vision was not limited to a select few; it aimed to inspire the masses. By articulating a clear and aspirational vision, he motivated people from all walks of life to join the civil rights movement and work towards a common goal. Appealing to Core American Values | A vision framed in terms of core American values, appealing to the principles of freedom, justice, and democracy as was in the Constitution. Long-Term Vision | A long-term vision that extends beyond immediate victories. He understood that achieving civil rights required sustained effort and a commitment to transforming the underlying makeup of society. Legislative Goals | A vision that includes specific legislative goals. He actively lobbied for the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965, seeing these laws as critical steps toward realizing his broader vision of equality. Legacy of Inspiration | A vision that left a lasting legacy that inspires movements for justice and equality. His speeches and writings continue to be studied and quoted, resonating with those who strive for a more impartial world. Martin Luther King Jr.'s visionary leadership played a pivotal role in shaping the path of the civil rights movement. King was a charismatic and powerful speaker. His ability to communicate complex ideas in a way that resonated with a broad audience helped mobilize support for the civil rights movement. Dr. King’s speeches and writings are celebrated for their power. He had a long-term vision for transformation beyond the immediate goals of the civil rights movement. He sought to address systemic issues of poverty, demonstrating a forward-looking perspective. His ability to articulate a powerful vision, grounded in moral principles and a commitment to nonviolent action, mobilized people to work towards a more just society. This vision contributed to legal and societal changes and impacted our broader human rights and dignity struggles. King demonstrated unwavering courage in the face of adversity. He faced numerous threats to his safety but remained committed to his principles and the pursuit of civil rights, and his courage inspired others to join this struggle. In summary, Martin Luther King Jr. exhibited visionary leadership through his inspiring vision, moral and ethical principles, courageous conviction, empathy, strategic leadership, inclusivity, commitment to nonviolent resistance, charismatic communication, long-term vision, and a lasting legacy of inspiration for social change. 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, 2024 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 als

EPISODE 139 CHRONICLE: January 12th, 2023 Visionaries | Alexander The Great "There is nothing impossible to him who will try.” – Alexander The Great Alexander was the son of King Philip II and received a classical education under the philosopher Aristotle. After his father's assassination, he ascended to the throne and quickly set out to fulfill his father's dream of uniting the Greek city-states and expanding their influence eastward. Alexander the Great is one of the most successful military commanders in history. He is best known for creating one of the largest empires in the ancient world through a series of military campaigns covering a massive territory stretching from Greece to Egypt, Persia, and India. Despite his remarkable achievements, Alexander's reign was relatively short-lived. He died in Babylon at the age of 32, under unclear circumstances—some theories suggest illness or poisoning. After his death, his empire was divided among his generals. Alexander's legacy has endured and resulted in current military and business leaders embracing many of his military strategies and leadership tactics. Alexander the Great, the ancient Macedonian king and military conqueror, is considered a Visionary leader due to his extraordinary achievements and impact on the ancient world. Several characteristics contribute to his status as a Visionary leader. Ambition and Vision | Alexander had grand ambitions from an early age. His vision extended beyond the borders of Macedonia, and he aspired to create a vast empire that would unite different cultures and peoples. His desire for conquest and expansion demonstrated a visionary mindset. Military Genius | Alexander was a brilliant military strategist and tactician. His innovative tactics, such as using the phalanx (‘FAY-lanks) and introducing combined arms, played a crucial role in his success on the battlefield. His ability to adapt to different terrains and circumstances showcased his strategic vision. Lead from the Front | Alexander led his armies from the front lines, often placing himself in the action, leading from the front. His personal courage and willingness to share the risks with his soldiers earned him their loyalty and admiration, contributing to the cohesion of his military forces. Inspiring Leadership | Alexander possessed the ability to inspire his troops with a sense of purpose and loyalty. His charisma, speeches, and personal example motivated soldiers to endure long campaigns and face formidable enemies. Cultural Integration | One of Alexander's visions was to create a unified empire, surpassing cultural and ethnic differences. He encouraged the integration of Persian and Macedonian cultures, blending customs and traditions to create a sense of unity among his diverse people. Urban Planning and Infrastructure | Alexander implemented innovative urban planning and infrastructure projects in the cities he founded, such as Alexandria in Egypt. These cities became centers of culture, commerce, and learning, reflecting his forward-looking vision for a united empire. Curiosity and Learning | Alexander had a deep curiosity about the world and a love for learning. He surrounded himself with scholars and intellectuals, his version of the “mastermind” concept, and his conquests facilitated knowledge exchange among different civilizations. His appreciation for diverse cultures contributed to a more inclusive vision for his empire. Strategic Diplomacy | While known for his military conquests, Alexander also employed strategic diplomacy to solidify his rule. He incorporated local leaders into his administration, promoting collaboration and cooperation. Vision for Exploration | Alexander's desire to explore the unknown and reach the ends of the known world, shown clearly by his journey to the easternmost regions of Asia, reflects a visionary spirit. His journey for discovery expanded geographical knowledge and cultural exchange. Legacy of Civilization | Although his empire did not last long after his death, Alexander's vision left a lasting legacy. The spread of Hellenistic civilization, a blend of Greek and local cultures, influenced art, philosophy, and governance in the centuries that followed. In summary, Alexander the Great's visionary characteristics include ambition, military genius, leading from the front, inspiring leadership, cultural integration, urban planning, curiosity and learning, strategic diplomacy, a vision for exploration, and a lasting legacy of Hellenistic civilization. His impact on the ancient world and his ability to envision a united and culturally diverse empire contribute to his recognition as a visionary leader. 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, 2024 Bryan Smeltzer is a consumer products business executive and entrepreneur.

EPISODE 138 The Visionary Chronicles Podcast CHRONICLE: January 4th, 2024 Content from Bryan’s new Award Winning, Bestselling Book The Visionary Brand, The Success Formula Behind the World's Most Visionary Brands. Readers Favorite Award Winner: Best, Non-fiction, Marketing book Amazon Bestseller. THE VISIONARY BRAND | The Product Vision | Building a Product Pipeline " Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower." – Steve Jobs Creating or building a Drawdown Product Pipeline is a strategy that the most innovative brands deploy. The strategy allows brands to position products along the entire Product Lifecycle curve, increasing market share while not degrading brand equity. I was a part of the product leadership of several of these brands when they were created. It is challenging to develop and even more difficult to surf for generations. The strategy is to create a breakaway design, creation process, and culture inside the brand. This takes a Visionary leader, one who understands the risk it takes and the rewards for successfully creating a Breakaway product plan. As I mentioned in my previous podcast, you can only create a product pipeline if you have successfully built a Breakaway design and creation culture. A cultural foundation built on anticipating what your customer wants, embracing risk, creating an idea machine, and being a relentless innovator who always strives for disruption! Having these places before building a product pipeline is why so few authentic brands and even fewer can sustain a culture of continuous disruption. A key element to creating a product pipeline is understanding where to “fill the voids” with your price tiers. If you are a premium brand, you are already at the “best” level, and you must stay true to this tier. The question then becomes, “How” do we you build a pipeline that crosses into “good” and “better” price tiers without degrading brand equity? This is the question I always receive from brand leaders when doing our LiquidMind “ideation sessions.” It is a delicate balance, but it can be achieved if you understand the game. The brand that plays this game the best is Apple. Apple always wants to create a breakaway product, load it on the front of the adoption curve for the “Innovators” to adopt and the “Early Adopters” to anticipate, and at the height of its popularity, pull it from the shelves and make it a previous generation product. This is before the “Early Majority” or “Late Majority” are allowed to purchase. This is called the “Innovators” adoption curve, which is much steeper than the traditional curve. In The Visionary Brand book, I provide an example of the “Innovators” curve. Pulling the product from the shelf gives Apple “permission” to reduce the price of the previous generation, as long as there is another generation that feeds the front of the curve. Building this “pipeline” along the adoption curve creates a “product squeeze,” where Apple can secure market share along the entire curve without degrading brand equity—a brilliant strategy and extremely hard to pull off effectively. Most brands we work with at LiquidMind understand the concept but are not always committed to executing it sustainably. This is Apple's lifeblood, along with other brands, and they have stayed committed to this strategy since Steve re-joined Apple. So, having discussed this Product Pipeline strategy, what steps can your brand take toward achieving this generational pipeline? Build a Product Breakaway Ideation, design, & commercialization foundation. Create Authentic products, don’t move down, stay Premium Understand your market and channel opportunities to gain market share Be Relentless with Innovation & Disruption Embrace Risk and Reward Progressive Failures Know when to discontinue and when to release. Timing is everything Build a Sustainable Breakaway Design Culture, regardless of who is in the driver's seat Feed the Innovators, the Early Early Adopters, and their Community is instrumental in achieving sustainable innovation Being a revolutionary innovator is a generational goal, and it takes a commitment from the Visionary leader to sustain its success. If your brand wants to be a generational leader while maintaining market share growth, you will need a sustainable, long-term strategy built around your product pipeline. You can achieve greatness if you understand the rules of the game. Go ahead play the game, have fun, be relentless, be great! 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 Sport

THE VISIONARY BRAND | The Product Vision | Creating A Breakaway Design Culture "The people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones who do.”– Steve Jobs The Product Creation process is unique in its implementation and execution. Implementation must follow a strict Ideation process with the freedom to interact and mindstorm, and the team's makeup must be the Creators who know what it takes to disrupt the status quo. The execution is where the support system comes in, helping bring these Ideas to Reality. To create a Breakaway product culture, you must first have a culture that believes in and embraces Disruption, blowing things up that do not make life easier or more efficient—a culture of risk, which inevitably determines your destiny. Many companies are uncomfortable in this environment, and why they are NOT brands. To achieve “best in class” status, you must create an authentic culture that embraces failure due to risk. The risk results in both rewards and failures. Remember, as I have stated before, NO great product has ever been created without first having failed, most times, again and again before successfully commercializing the Idea. A Breakaway product creation culture demands you are “disruptive by design,” to become a category leader, you must have a clear vision of the future and determine what your community needs, not wants. Want is driven by the current environment; the future determines need. Think of the iPhone or the automobile; each Disruption was driven by a visionary leader who knew what they needed. Visionary brands create what I call a Breakaway Pipeline. If you use the surfing analogy, surfing the funnel, the pipeline is the ultimate thrill. More importantly for brands, being able to surf this creative pipeline for generations and not becoming just another one-hit wonder. If you have your sights set on being a Visionary brand, then one of the most critical ingredients of your formula is the Breakaway Pipeline, achieving category leadership through the following; Give the Creators and the Design team the freedom to dream big and fail! Reward excellent failures, as this moves you closer to success. Success without failure is impossible. Commit to Category Leadership. Build a sustainable product Ideation process. Create, Test, Release, Reload. Stay true to your brand Vision and foundation principles. Without them, you lose authenticity. Break things! Don’t accept the world for what it is; instead, what it can become. This road to achieving a sustainable Breakaway product pipeline is agonizing, bumpy, challenging, and painful but rewarding once you cross the finish line. However, this is not where it ends; it just means you have cut a path to long-term success. Unless you consistently build and sustain your pipeline, you will lose momentum to your competitors, with declining market share and category growth. If you continue to surf this pipeline, it will sustain you for generations. So, stay committed to your Ideation process, create an environment of freedom for your Creators, and build a pathway to realize your ideas and a culture of Disruption that bleeds throughout the entire brand! 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. With the book's release, Bryan created The Visionary Brand MasterCourse. The Master Course site at The VisionaryFiles.com includes a Master Course with 18 Video Learning segments and almost 2 hours of Visionary lessons training. Over the past five weeks, over 1,500 brand leaders and Entrepreneurs have taken the Master Course! Unleash your potential as a brand leader and take the Master Course. Bryan oversees LiquidMind Inc., a global brand strategy firm that partners with start-ups and establishes 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; email | [email protected] Facebook | @bryansmeltzer33 Instgram

EPISODE 137 CHRONICLE: December 7th, 2023 AI Brand Strategy | How to Use Artificial Intelligence in Brand Strategy " Artificial intelligence is the new electricity." - Andrew Ng Today's hot topic is AI, the who, what, when, where, and why. Most global brands we work with at LiquidMind want to know first what it is in definitive terms, how it can impact my brand, who can use it, and where we can apply it, making it measurable and lessening the overall impact. Each of these is always a great question, and when we work with our brands to determine the best fit for AI, we usually bring it down to simplistic terms and data points. We whiteboard for them, write out solutions, and mindstorm ideas for application within the brand where we can measure results and enhance performance. AI is not something to be feared, but you must understand. We have seen firsthand many brands implement AI for the sake of implementing AI. This is the wrong first step, as it creates confusion within the brand and inefficiencies outside the brand. Determining and pinpointing the best areas for implementation, communicating the effects to the team, and measuring results are great first starts. Since we work with many brands on their go-to-market (GTM) strategy and ongoing strategies, I have outlined some starting points for brands to consider when analyzing Artificial Intelligence for their brands. Artificial Intelligence (AI) can play a significant role in shaping and optimizing your brand strategy. Here are several ways you can leverage AI in the process of creating and refining your brand strategy: Market Research | AI tools can quickly process vast amounts of data and provide insights into market trends, customer behaviors, and competitor activities. To understand brand perceptions, utilize AI-powered analytics tools to gather and analyze data from social media and community reviews. Segmentation | AI algorithms can help identify and analyze customer segments based on various parameters such as demographics, behavior, and product preferences. Use AI to create personalized marketing strategies for consumer segments, ensuring more targeted and effective communication. Analytics | Leverage AI to predict future trends and consumer behaviors. This can build your brand strategy by anticipating market shifts and leapfrogging your competition. Predictive analytics can also assist in forecasting demand for your products or services. Chatbots and Virtual Assistants | Implement AI-driven chatbots on your website or messaging platforms to enhance customer engagement. Chatbots can provide instant support, answer queries, and gather valuable customer feedback, ensuring a positive brand experience. Content Creation and Personalization | Use AI tools to generate and optimize content for your brand. AI-powered content creation platforms can assist with copywriting, design, and video production. Implement personalized algorithms to tailor content and experiences based on user preferences, improving engagement. Social Media Monitoring | Create AI tools for social media monitoring to track brand mentions, identify influencers, and gauge overall brand sentiment. Analyze social media data to understand how your brand is perceived and adjust your strategy. Dynamic Pricing Optimization | Implement AI algorithms for dynamic pricing, adjusting prices based on demand, competitor pricing, and other global factors. This can help maximize revenue and increase your brand competitiveness. Supply Chain Optimization | Integrate AI to optimize supply chain processes, predict demand, manage inventory efficiently, and timely deliveries. This can contribute to a positive customer experience and reinforce your brand's reliability. Employee Productivity and Insights | Utilize AI tools to enhance internal processes, automate routine tasks, and provide valuable insights to improve decision-making. This can contribute to a more efficient and innovative organizational culture, positively impacting your brand. While AI can bring tremendous benefits, it's critical to implement it thoughtfully into your brand strategy, ensuring that it aligns with your brand values and enhances the internal support and the overall customer experience. Regularly review and update your AI-driven initiatives to stay current with technological advancements and evolving market dynamics. 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 pr

EPISODE 135 CHRONICLE: November 29th, 2023 Venture Capital | How to Prepare Your Company "Go as far as you can see, when you get there, you'll be able to see farther..." Leadership from JP Morgan In looking at the factors and misconceptions behind why some companies get funded, others get left with no avenue to attaining the funding they feel they need or deserve. Having done many deals, predominantly with Visionary entrepreneurs, start-ups, and mid-tier companies, I have found several reasons why some were able to gain interest, get a meeting, and finally culminate in funding. Most questions I receive from the companies we work with at LiquidMind (LiquidMindsite.com) are how to locate a VC firm, their priorities, where they find deals, and when I will receive a Term Sheet. There are many points of contact, but I have broken these into five areas of focus when dealing with VC firms. The HUNT | Finding Deal Flow 44% of deal flow comes predominantly from through their network, investors, or other entrepreneurs. 30% of deal flow comes from References. From Pitches, although many entrepreneurs think this is the avenue, it is the path least traveled at 10% of Deal Flow. The ODDS | The Funnel 100 Opportunities. 28 get a Meeting. 10 get an internal meeting. 5 go on to Due Diligence. 1-2 get a Term Sheet. The CLOSE | Deal Timeline. Due Diligence | 120 hours, on average. Close | 90-120 days, on average. The FACTORS | Most important to VCs. Founders/Team | 95% Business Plan/Opportunity | 75% Market Size/Exit | 70% Industry | 30% Valuation | low point on the totem pole, valuation determined upon exit, and multiple dollar-to-dollar investments. IRR vs. DCF analysis. The DEAL | After Close Value. Guidance | 90% Investor flow | 70% Connections | 65% Operations | 60% Board | 55% As you can see, this is very definitive outline but can change relative to the deal flow, opportunity, and other factors. Although not an exact science, this gives you a good indicator of what is on a Venture Capital firm's radar, the best chances you may have for striking interest, and hopefully, a Term Sheet. Good luck, and Enjoy the Ride! 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. With the book's release, Bryan created The Visionary Brand MasterCourse. The Master Course site at The VisionaryFiles.com includes a Master Course with 18 Video Learning segments and almost 2 hours of Visionary lessons training. Over the past five weeks, over 1,500 brand leaders and Entrepreneurs have taken the Master Course! Unleash your potential as a brand leader and take the Master Course. 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; email | [email protected] Facebook | @bryansmeltzer33 Instagram | @bryan_smeltzer X | @bryansmeltzer LinkedIn | linkedin.com/in/bryansmeltzer/

EPISODE 133 CHRONICLE: November 24th, 2023 Content from Bryan’s new Award Winning, Bestselling Book Readers Favorite Award Winner: Best, Non-fiction, Marketing book. Amazon Bestseller. THE VISIONARY BRAND | The Product Vision | Innovate Don’t Imitate " Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower.”– Steve Jobs Creating a culture of innovation requires commitment, but most importantly, a top-down brand leadership that embraces failure and proactively pursues risk, both a requirement to be a Visionary brand. This formula creates a foundation for generational success. I know Picasso once said, “Good artists copy, great artists steal,” but it is a short-term gain and not a long-term path to product innovation. Sometimes, this works, but this is the exception, not the rule. Adaptation is one of the most significant IDEA generators, yet few embrace its power. Adapting a technology from another industry to your product innovation pipeline is an awesome way to disrupt an industry. Take the example of Nike’s Flywire, where the innovation team scoped the landscape for product inspiration and found it in suspension bridges. How could they find inspiration for a small product like footwear in such a large structure? Easy, they adapted the structural truss integrity into their shoes. They found a material stronger than steel, Vectran, that could stabilize the foot with minimal construction. From this innovative idea came the Flyknit product line, one of Nike's most successful products ever! Finding ways to Adapt to Innovate vs Imitate is a vital piece of the Visionary formula I discuss in my new bestselling book, The Visionary Brand, The Success Formula Behind the World’s Most Visionary Brands. On sale now across all retailers, including Barnes and Noble, Books-A-Million, Amazon, Target, Walmart, etc. Nurturing a culture of innovation is driven by finding to adapt the world to your products. Being an innovator means embracing a culture authentically and initially created without the need to see what your competitors are doing. Why follow when you can lead? So, how do you create a Culture of Innovation? Create a clear Anchoring Strategy | What do you stand for as a brand? Committ to Failure | Blow things up, recreate, rebuild. Find A Better Way | There is always a better way to do something. Find it! Develop a Pipeline of Innovation | Surf this Pipeline for generations. Always BE the Leader | Let others follow. Visionary brands have all of these in common and commit to their execution. Visionary brands are built around the foundation of originality and authentication. Imitation is the short path to destruction, while disruptive innovation is a clear path to a successful product Vision. 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. With the book's release, Bryan created The Visionary Brand MasterCourse. The Master Course site at The VisionaryFiles.com includes a Master Course with 18 Video Learning segments and almost 2 hours of Visionary lessons training. Over the past five weeks, over 1,500 brand leaders and Entrepreneurs have taken the Master Course! Unleash your potential as a brand leader and take the Master Course. 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; email | [email protected] Facebook | @bryansmeltzer33 Instagram | @bryan_smeltzer X | @bryansmeltzer LinkedIn | linkedin.com/in/bryansmeltzer/

EPISODE 134 CHRONICLE: November 10th , 2023 Life Balance | How to Balance Leadership & Life " Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated.” – Confucius Many Leaders we talk about within our LiquidMind Leadership Sessions have difficulty balancing Leadership and Life. The issue is widespread in leaders but hard to correct. I find most leaders either do not realize they have a problem until someone hits them over the head, or they fear falling behind; they can’t stop a fast-moving train. If you do not try, you will eventually crash and burn; it is not a matter of “if” but “when.” I have seen it play out too many times. Balancing Leadership and Life can be challenging, but with consistent and dedicated planning, effective time management, and taking care of yourself through the process, it is possible to achieve a balance. Through our Leadership Sessions with LiquidMind, I have found the following to be Priorities for finding Leadership and Life balance. Boundaries | Establish clear boundaries between work and personal time. Avoid checking work emails or taking work calls during your Personal Boundary time. Just Don’t Do It! Communicate when you are available and when you are not. Prioritize | Identify your most important tasks, prioritize them, and do them daily. Stick to the priorities, and do not go off course. Delegate tasks that others can handle. Focus | Focus, use time management techniques such as time blocking to organize your tasks and stay focused. Schedule breaks during your workday to prevent burnout. Meditate, and find your quiet space. Delegate | Trust your team and delegate tasks. This frees your time and empowers others. Stressless | Incorporate mindfulness, such as meditation or deep breathing exercises. These practices help reduce stress and improve focus. Organized | Handwrite to-do lists that connect mind and body. Stay organized. Review your schedule and adjust your priorities as needed. Goals | Set goals for yourself and your team. Keeping accurate and realistic expectations can lead to stress and burnout. Health | Prioritize your physical and mental health. Exercise regularly, maintain a balanced diet, and get enough sleep. Family | Make time for your family and friends. Be PRESENT, and avoid thinking about work-related issues. Learning | Assess your Leadership and Life balance and adjustment as needed. What works for you now may need to be adapted in the future. Remember that achieving Leadership and Life balance is an ongoing process that requires self-awareness, adaptability, and effective communication. Evaluate your priorities and make priority choices to ensure that you dedicate time and energy to your professional and personal life. Remember, once the hourglass of time runs out, you can not turn it over and start again! Enjoy Your Life, Find Balance! 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; email | [email protected] Facebook | @bryansmeltzer33 Instagram | @bryan_smeltzer X | @bryansmeltzer LinkedIn | linkedin.com/in/bryansmeltzer/

EPISODE 132 CHRONICLE: November 1st, 2023 Failure | Fail Faster Succeed Sooner "My great concern is not whether you have failed, but whether you are content with your failure." Wisdom from Abraham Lincoln Failure is not fatal, but if you do not embrace Failure and make it a part of your Culture, it can prevent you from realizing your Vision. Many companies profess to be "Innovative" yet squash any new out-of-the-box thinking that disrupts the company's status quo and your business category. Therefore, embracing your failures, learning from them, and adapting to move your IDEAs from paper to people is crucial. Commercializing your IDEA is the inevitable goal, but if the product you envisioned does not match reality, there will be issues with your community and the brand itself. If you are to be a leader, you must embrace Failure and Risk to create what others may not have thought of or felt was impossible. Otherwise, you are truly just a commodity. Having the courage to do what is right for the brand is what all Visionaries have in common. Beyond product, beyond Culture, is sticking to your Foundational Principles, which drive your brand forward. The brands that continually drive innovation embrace Failure as a learning experience and will be the ones to survive any storm. Look at history, and you will see brands that have failed and those who are still with us today. A common thread, stronger than steel, is the will to create what others said was impossible. This challenge brings out the passionate courage in all Visionaries and the satisfaction of proving others wrong. Remember Edison's famous quote when inventing the light bulb. "I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work…." Imagine if Edison had given up at so-called "Failure" on try 9,998? A different world than we live in today. Thankful for his Vision and perseverance not to give up! What are these Failure Stepping Stones to eventual Success? Take Risks | No great product has ever been realized without Risk. Embrace Risks | Different than taking a Risk is embracing Risk as part of your Culture. Fail Faster | Assume Failure will happen and is necessary to create Truly revolutionary products. Succeed Sooner | By Embracing Risk, and Failure, you are on a path to Success. Failure is inevitable when creating anything great! So embrace Failure and Risk and be rewarded with generational products and a culture committed to 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; email | [email protected] Facebook | @bryansmeltzer33 Instagram | @bryan_smeltzer X | @bryansmeltzer LinkedIn | linkedin.com/in/bryansmeltzer/

EPISODE 131 CHRONICLE: October 25th, 2023 Visionaries | Thomas Edison "Genius is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration." – Thomas Edison Thomas Edison was one of, if not the greatest, inventor of our time. He has over 1,000 patents for his inventions and played a critical role in shaping the world we live in today. His legendary ongoing persistence to commercialize his innovations led to the development of electric power, modern communication, and motion pictures. Edison grew up in Port Huron, Michigan, and despite hearing problems at an early age, he showed an early interest in experimenting and product innovation. This interest led Edison to invent some of the world’s most significant innovations. Some of Edison’s greatest creations; Phonograph (1877) Although most do not use one today, one of Edison's most significant inventions was the phonograph, the first device capable of recording and reproducing sound. This invention revolutionized the music and entertainment industries. The classic “vinyl” records and phonographs are still coveted today Electric Light Bulb (1879) Edison's development of the incandescent light bulbs brought illumination to the world. Although he did not invent the light bulb, he improved the design significantly, making it commercially viable. In commercializing the light bulb, it led to one of Edison’s most famous quotes; "I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work." – Thomas Edison Electric Power Distribution: Edison created the development of the electric power distribution system. He laid the foundation for the electric utility industry, allowing electricity to be generated in power stations and distributed to homes and businesses still used today. Motion Pictures (1891-1895): Edison realized the development of motion pictures. He also invented the kinetoscope, an early motion picture exhibition device, along with the kinetoscope parlors, where people could watch short films. He would go on to build the world's first film production studio, the Black Maria. Storage Batteries: Edison created storage batteries, which had various applications, including electric vehicles. His work in this area laid the foundation for future advancements in battery technology. Telegraph Improvements: Edison commercialized the first telegraph, making it both efficient and reliable. These inventions in telegraphy were precursor growth of long-distance communication. In his final years, Edison focused on experimental research. He created a research laboratory in West Orange, New Jersey, where he and his team worked on numerous projects. Edison continued to innovate on new ideas until his death. Thomas Edison passed away on October 18, 1931, in West Orange, New Jersey, leaving a legacy of innovation and entrepreneurship. His contributions have had a lasting impact on the modern world, and he is remembered as one of the greatest inventors in history. Although you may not be an Edison, you can be inspired by his relentless pursuit of greatness! Edison had a Vision no one else had, and it was up to him to realize this Vision no one else could see except him. Take inspiration from Edison. We are fortunate to have had him and can relive his greatness through history. 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; [email protected] @bryansmeltzer33 @bryan_smeltzer @bryansm

EPISODE 130 The Visionary Chronicles Podcast CHRONICLE: October 18th, 2023 Content from Bryan’s new Award Winning, Bestselling Book The Visionary Brand, The Success Formula Behind the World's Most Visionary Brands. 2022 Readers Favorite Award Winner: Best, Non-fiction, Marketing book Amazon Bestseller. THE VISIONARY BRAND | The Product Vision | 6 Steps to Executing Your Vision " There’s a way to do it better…find it.” – Thomas Edison The ability of a brand to establish, stick to, and have a consistent ideation and product lifecycle process is vital to long-term success. Truly Visionary brands are the ones who understand the need to do away with the past to bring in the new, an innovation pipeline that sustains their “best-in-class” positioning. The “process” takes an authentic commitment from the top down. I am not talking about a traditional lifecycle process where competitor's products are thrown on a table, and the product team is asked to create something better. I am talking about genuinely revolutionary thinking and execution. I often say there is nothing more frustrating for a designer than to develop beautiful, disruptive creations to have them watered down to play it safe. The best example is concept car designers who, with their best intentions and efforts, pen out revolutionary designs that are scrapped for incremental improvement. As Seth Godin says, “Safe if Risky!.” What a great quote! It does not resonate with those who are commodity companies and explains why there are so few “true” brands in our world! Risk is required to create a revolution and disrupt your category. So what is your Product Vision, one that carries you for generations? If you can not answer this question, I would suggest this be an immediate priority. Playing “imitator” by copying competitor's products does not move you ahead; playing “integrator” by incrementally improving does not move you ahead of yourself, much less the competition; playing “innovator” is your key to unlocking generational success. Yes, it is risky, but so is playing it safe! So what are the top 6 areas to establishing your Product Vision? Innovate, don’t Imitate Create Breakaway products Build a Drawdown pipeline Lead through Extinction The brand is the Product Take Risks, Break Things! Establishing a Product Vision, a process that has carried you for decades will provide generational success. Make this a priority in your Visionary leadership, communicate this Vision constantly, and engrain it into your Culture! 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. With the release of the book, Bryan has created The Visionary Brand MasterCourse. The Master Course site at The VisionaryFiles.com includes a Master Course with 18 Video Learning segments and almost 2 hours of Visionary lessons training. Over the past 5 weeks, we have had over 1,500 brand leaders and Entrepreneurs take the Master Course! Unleash your potential as a brand leader and take the Master Course. 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; email| [email protected] Facebook | @bryansmeltzer33 Instagram | @bryan_smeltzer X | @bryansmeltzer LinkedIn | linkedin.com/in/bryansmeltzer/

CHRONICLE: October 11th, 2023 Business Success | Key Areas to Succeed in Your Business "Success is not final, failure is not fatal, it is the courage to continue that counts.” – Winston Churchill The ability to build a successful company/brand has several inherent traits. Each has proven itself throughout generations. Those who follow a path already created will find the road forward easier than those who choose to create a new one. I have found, through having founded my brand and working side-by-side with executive teams from many global brands (Nike, Adidas, Puma. TaylorMade. etc.), each has followed these steps in one way or another. Following or eventually finding the path others have created was crucial for building a thriving business. The following factors were integral pieces of the puzzle when looking at the path these brands followed. The IDEA | Every successful brand has started with an IDEA. However, the ones who have created value, defined their POD and built a product roadmap are the ones who are thriving today. The TEAM | Building a team with complementary skills that can self-manage and are proactively solving problems is a winning formula. Also, they provide continual feedback and encouragement and are HUMBLE by choice. The PRODUCT | Every great, successful brand has had a great product. However, successful people have executed their product roadmap to ensure long-term viability. No ONE HIT wonders allowed! The SALE | ensures you have a plan, process, and story to tell that differentiates you from the competition. The FULFILLMENT | Risk management vs. risk recognition. All successful brands ensure they can fulfill their PROMISE. They have built a logistics/operations platform that executes seamlessly. The LUCK | Many successful brands were at the right place at the right time. They rode this wave and never stopped. The PIVOT | Most have had to Pivot in one way or another at least once, but no more than two times. The EXPERIENCE | Brand positioning, marketing, engagement, and fulfillment are all executed perfectly! "Before anything else, preparation is the key to success.…" Alexander Graham Bell With digital e-comm and consumer attention spans shorter and expectations higher, you need to follow these principles others have followed successfully. 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; email | [email protected] Facebook | @bryansmeltzer33 Instragram | @bryan_smeltzer X | @bryansmeltzer LinkedIn | linkedin.com/in/bryansmeltzer/

The Visionary Chronicles Podcast CHRONICLE: September 27th, 2023 Brand Community | How to Build a Brand Social Following "The most important thing in communication is hearing what isn't said.” – Peter Drucker Building a Brand Community is an effective way to engage with your customers, create loyalty, and a group of brand advocates who can help promote your products or services. Building your Community requires precise brand positioning, diligence, consistent voice, values, and Vision. Here are several steps to help you build a brand Community of Followers: Define Your Brand and Values: Clearly define your brand identity, values, and mission. What does your brand stand for, and what is its purpose? This will help attract like-minded individuals to your Community. Know Your Audience: Understand your target audience and their needs. What are their interests, preferences, and pain points? Knowing your audience is crucial for tailoring your Community to their interests. Choose the Right Platform: Select the appropriate platform for your Community. It could be a social media group, a dedicated forum on your website, a mobile app, or a combination of these. Choose a platform where your target audience is active. Create Valuable Content: Share high-quality, relevant content that resonates with your Community. This can include blog posts, videos, infographics, or other forms of content that provide value and encourage discussions. Engage and Interact: Actively participate in the Community by responding to comments, asking questions, and encouraging discussions. Show that you value your community members' input and opinions. Encourage User-Generated Content: Encourage community members to create and share content related to your brand. This can include reviews, testimonials, photos, and stories. Recognize and reward outstanding contributions. Offer Exclusive Benefits: Provide exclusive benefits to community members, such as discounts, early access to products, or special events. This gives them a reason to join and stay active in the Community. Create a Sense of Belonging: Foster a sense of belonging and Community among your members. Use inclusive language and make them feel like they are part of something special. Moderate Effectively: Implement clear community guidelines and moderate the Community to ensure a positive and respectful environment. Address any issues or conflicts promptly and fairly. Host Events and Activities: Organize online and offline events, webinars, workshops, or meetups that allow community members to connect with each other and your brand. Listen and Adapt: Pay attention to feedback and suggestions from your Community. Use this input to improve your products or services and adjust the community experience. Measure Success: Set clear goals for your brand community and track key metrics, such as engagement levels, membership growth, and user-generated content. Adjust your strategies based on the data. Evolve: As your brand community grows, evolve your strategies to meet changing needs and preferences. Be open to trying new approaches and experimenting with different engagement tactics. Celebrate Milestones: Recognize and celebrate community milestones and achievements. This can include anniversaries, reaching a certain number of members, or successful campaigns. Promote Advocacy: Encourage community members to become brand advocates by sharing their positive experiences with your brand outside the Community, such as on social media or through reviews. Building a brand community takes time and consistent effort. It's essential to create a brand journey environment where members feel valued and connected to your brand's values and Vision. Over time, a strong brand community can become a powerful partner for your business, helping you build lasting relationships and driving long-term growth. 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

EPISODE 127 The Visionary Chronicles Podcast CHRONICLE: September 20th, 2023 Content from Bryan’s new Award Winning, Bestselling Book The Visionary Brand, The Success Formula Behind the World's Most Visionary Brands. Readers Favorite Award Winner: Best, Non-fiction, Marketing book Amazon Bestseller. THE VISIONARY BRAND | The Culture Matrix | Leadership " Culture is the widening of the mind and of the spirit” - Jawaharlal Nehru To be a Brand, you must first understand yourself, who you are, and what you do, then engrain a singular voice around these principles and apply this to every segment of your business. In other words, creating an authentic Culture, driven through a passionate Team and Community collectively realizing your Vision. Brands who embrace this authentic Culture are often led through Servant leadership. Servant leadership is proactive and self-sacrificing and leads to a cohesive team loyal to a brand's long-term growth. Many brands, such as Patagonia, are committed to being Servant leaders and giving back whenever and wherever possible. The commitment is carried through in their brand culture; “Patagonia supports environmental organizations with bold, direct-action agenda, and a commitment to long-term change.” What an awesome cultural statement that reflects Servant leadership and consistent brand voice. The Vision of Patagonia through founder Yvon Chouinard’s eyes and carried through the brand and its team's bloodlines! A passion that has led to one of the world’s most successful and admired brands, a Vision to be a Servant leader, and to build a Culture that lasts for generations. For your brand, Servant leadership can be carried through serving others without any hidden agenda for the betterment of the brand, employees, or customers on a global scale. By engraining Servant leadership into your Culture, a brand can better communicate its values and Vision to those looking to join your Tribe. However, always keep it authentic, real, and value-driven; this is the anchor of Servant leadership. Another cultural value that meshes with Servant leadership is Character. A leader's Character, which consistently follows through at all levels of your brand, builds loyalty and trust across your team. A leader with character issues often drives inconsistent or unauthentic leadership. Authentic Character is a Foundational principle of Visionary leaders, and once it is broken, the entire foundation of a brand starts to crack. If severe enough, the whole brand may crumble; this is how vital Character is to a brand’s viability. It is not the brand's success that builds a great team; it is the consistent Vision, Character, and Servant leadership of its Visionary! Diversity and Values leadership are additional areas required to create a solid brand Culture. Most brands fall short in these areas, not for lack of trying but not understanding the importance of maintaining both principles. You can’t simply pick and choose when you are committed to these principles; you need to be 100% committed once they are set. To say one thing and do another creates confusion, breaks trust, and reduces loyalty. While at Oakley, we had a “take no prisoners” attitude, which bled through the entire brand culture and showed throughout our Community. We were the Visionaries, the category leaders, and we knew it. We were cocky and had an attitude. Best in class, or nothing! Can you honestly say you understand “who you are and your culture?” If not, get to work and define it. Otherwise, you are a rudderless boat with no sense of direction or destination. Anchor yourself and your brand in Servant leadership first, with consistent Character, defined Values, and brand Diversity. So, in conclusion, in order to build a Culture that lasts for generations, and is tangible, authentic and genuine you must have the following; Servant Leadership Leadership Character Diversity of People, Opinions and Roles Value Driven Principles These are anchors to the foundation of any great brand, and a Culture which sustains and maintains its passion to succeed. 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 Beh

The Visionary Chronicles Podcast Content from Bryan’s new Award Winning, Bestselling Book Te Visionary Brand, The Success Formula Behind the World's Most Visionary Brands. Readers Favorite Award Winner: Best, Non-fiction, Marketing book Amazon Bestseller THE VISIONARY BRAND | The Power Triad (PART II) "Stay hungry, stay foolish." – Steve Jobs This quote from Steve is a passionate plea for creators never to be satisfied with the status quo. Always ask "Why” and “How” and search for answers to questions others have not yet asked. In response to these questions, find a way to separate your brand from the status quo; you need a transparent, cohesive process to ensure the greatest ideas become a reality! In this podcast, I want to further our discussion on The Power Triad, the three engines that keep a brand thriving; Product, Marketing & Sales. Bringing insanely great products to market is a process, a method to the madness. You will often create a product when there seems to be no demand. The supply and demand problem, what to do, and how to do it? When the Power Triad determines opportunities to disrupt or reinvent how a product works or how a process provides a solution, this is the front end of the ideation process. The Ideation process is driven by and led by the Product and Marketing teams, each responsible for a critical ingredient to a brand's ongoing success formula, starting with a premium product, commercialized when ready, not by Marketing but by the product team. When the Power Triad process is not followed correctly, when marketing gets ahead of Product, or Sales get ahead of Marketing, whatever the breakdown, it always leads to a disaster. One real-life disaster, a case study in my new book The Visionary Brand, is when Under Armour, driven by my marketing success in its early years, decided to enter a new market, football cleats—a category without core expertise. During the commercialization process, marketing had committed a campaign budget to a specific release date, which the Product team had not signed up to. Although the Product team was not on board with releasing the Product, Marketing had commitments, and they took the lead with a product not ready for primetime. The release was a product disaster, having to return most of what was released. The real damage was related to trust and authenticity, which take decades to earn, and weeks to lose. Lesson learned through the following formula. Great Product + Great Marketing = SUCCESS Wrong Product + Great Marketing = FAILURE When building your Power Triad, ensure they follow the process; Product to Marketing to Sales. There is input from each core group along the way, with most being in the front end of ideation, but Product must commercialize the Product, Marketing must market the Product, and Sales must Sell the Product. Simple but challenging for most brands to commit to and follow through. In my new award-winning and bestselling book, The Visionary Brand, The Success Formula Behind the World's Most Visionary Brands, I reference Breakout or Breakdown. You can either Breakout, where each needs each through Interdependence, or Breakdown, where each needs itself through Independence. The Power Triad is an Interdependent group of cross-functional team members working towards a singular goal. To crush the competition! Build a great Power Triad team, and give them the Independence to be Interdependent on one another—the formula for success in building a generational product pipeline and loyal brand following. 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 st

EPISODE 125 The Visionary Chronicles Podcast CHRONICLE: August 16th, 2023 Content from Bryan’s new Award Winning, Bestselling Book The Visionary Brand, The Success Formula Behind the World's Most Visionary Brands. Readers Favorite Award Winner: Best, Non-fiction, Marketing book Amazon Bestseller. THE VISIONARY BRAND | The Culture Matrix " Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power.” – Abraham Lincoln A brand's bloodline, values, and foundational principles are carried out through its Culture. Within a brand, the Çulture is a living, breathing thing; everyone within the four walls can feel it, and those outside can see it. Building a Vision dedicated to sustaining a brand Culture is the core of a brand's ultimate success. Without it, you are merely a company selling products, a Commodity. With it, you gain loyalty from your team and long-term value from your Community. So when you look at Culture, what is it, and how is it built? I am often asked, “What does a brand Culture look or feel like?” It is a phenomenon few experience, as there are so few genuine, authentic brands. I often say, just because you say you are a brand, does not mean you are a brand. A brand is an earned position, and Culture is a crucial ingredient to successfully crossing that bridge. Culture is an intuitive feel. Your products, communications, and bloodline connect everyone to the brand through a common thread called a Vision. To build your Culture, there are four distinct areas to focus on. Authentication | Be authentic in all you do as a company, clearly understanding your brand Vision. It all starts with a Vision executed through others and authenticated with a consistent voice. Character | Do not allow a disconnect between what you say and what you do. As simple as this sounds, it is often difficult to maintain. Ensure you are true to what you stand for; others can see through the nonauthentic company pretending to be a brand. Loyalty | Provide value beyond product, and be loyal to those who are part of your brand through purchase. Consistently and authentically engage beyond purchase, and personalize their experiences. Your Community values your products, but they also appreciate the Lifestyle you promote through your Culture. Trust | Be a brand that is true to what you stand for, with no BS, be authentic, and don’t fake it. Do not trade a short-term reward for long-term pain. Becoming a brand involves many ingredients to build the formula for success. Brands are defined by their Culture, set by a clear Vision. Their Products are consistently excellent, and their Lifestyle is tangible through Products and Vision. If there is a disconnect between a brand's Vision and Culture, it starts to tear it apart, starting small but eventually infecting the entire company. Internal brand Torchbearers and external advocates are the ones who keep the Vision alive and pass along the torch to the next generation. This is how a brand becomes brand and generational; think Nike, BMW, Lamborghini, and Ralph Lauren are iconic and all generational in their success. Build a Culture around becoming a brand through a Vision set by your Visionary. Stay consistently excellent, consistently authentic, and committed to your Vision. Become generational and leave your legacy 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, 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 contac

EPISODE 126 CHRONICLE: August 18th, 2023 Brand Vision | How to Create A Vision for Your Brand "Think Different." - Steve Jobs Think Different, simple, but sophisticated, just like Steve wanted it to be. Not all brand Visions can be as sophisticated, yet having a Vision is critical to your success as a company. Establishing a Vision is one of, if not the most important, things you will do when starting your company. It sets the tone, the culture, the long-term goals, and what you want to accomplish. This is a lot to accomplish, but it must be succinct, and bringing it down to a few simple words will be your most challenging task. Along with Steve’s Vision, think of other brands, BMW and “The Ultimate Driving Machine.” Setting a Vision for your brand is crucial in defining its purpose, direction, and long-term goals. A well-crafted Vision statement helps guide your company's decisions, actions, and strategies. Here's an 11-point step-by-step guide on how to set a Vision for your brand: Understand Your Brand's Purpose | Start by clarifying why your brand exists beyond profit-making. What product does it Create, and what problem does it solve? What value does it bring to your customers' LIFE? Your brand's purpose is the foundation upon which your Vision will be built. Define Your Long-Term Goals | Consider where your brand will be in the next 5, 10, or 20 years. What do you hope to achieve? Consider market share, revenue, geographic expansion, or customer base growth metrics. Analyze the Market and Competition | Understand the landscape in which your brand operates. Analyze your competitors' strengths and weaknesses. Identify gaps in the market that your brand can address uniquely. Consider Your Brand's Values | What foundational principles guide your brand's actions? Consider values like innovation, disruption, brand sustainability, integrity, or customer-centricity. Your Vision should align with these core values. Involve Key Team Members | Engage key team members with “out of the box” thinking in the Vision-setting process. Their insights can provide valuable perspectives and ensure alignment. Craft a Clear and Inspiring Vision Statement | A Vision statement should be concise, memorable, and inspiring. It should capture what your brand aims to achieve in the long run. Use language that brings emotion and paints a clear picture of the future. Make It Ambitious and Realistic | Your Vision should be ambitious enough to motivate and excite but also grounded in reality. Striking a balance between aspiration and feasibility is critical. Ensure Alignment with Mission and Strategy | Your Vision should be aligned with your brand's mission (why you exist) and your strategic plan (how you'll get there). These elements work together to provide a clear roadmap. Communicate Internally and Externally | Share your Vision with your team consistently to get buy-in and commitment. When your employees understand and believe in the Vision, they are more likely to work towards it. Communicate the Vision externally to customers, partners, and investors to build a shared understanding. Review and Update Periodically | Your brand's Vision should not be set in stone. Market conditions and business dynamics change over time. Regularly review and adjust your Vision to stay relevant and aligned with the evolving landscape. Lead by Example | Embody the values and principles outlined in the Vision as a leader. Your actions and decisions should demonstrate your commitment to achieving the brand's long-term goals. Remember that a well-crafted Vision is not just a statement on paper; it's a guiding force that influences your brand's culture, strategies, and actions. It should resonate with everyone associated with the brand and inspire them to work together toward a common purpose. 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

EPISODE 124 CHRONICLE: August 9th, 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 Marketing Book Amazon Bestseller. Brand Positioning | Stay Premium Find Success 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 insufficient food or margin to s. 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, ensuring you stay the course, do not sell out, take shortcuts, or maneuver off course is critical. 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. email | [email protected] Facebook | @bryansmeltzer33 Instagram | @bryan_smeltzer Twitter | @bryansmeltzer LinkedIn | linkedin.com/in/bryansmeltzer/

EPISODE 123 The Visionary Chronicles Podcast CHRONICLE: August 2nd, 2023 PODCAST: Brand Alignment | Managing Marketing & Sales Teams " Great things in business are never done by one person. They're done by a team of people.” Wisdom from Steve Jobs With over 88% of companies indicating a misalignment between marketing and sales on items such as; strategy, branding, and creation, it is an area that needs vast improvement across almost every brand. Our clients at LiquidMind (LiquidMindsite.com), both large-cap through start-up, face the same issues, and most do not either recognize the misalignment or understand the process to improve the alignment. In addition, as more brands move to DTC, the sales cycle becomes more tangible on the direct-to-consumer side and with your retailers as they fight for both dollars and time. As a result, this alignment becomes more critical to a company's short and long-term success. With most brands, you will find these two functional areas run independently when they should be working in parallel, ensuring the brand is in complete alignment across all channels and modes of communication. However, they need each other, and frustration, inefficiency, and misalignment set in when separated. So how does a brand work to correct this misalignment? At LiquidMind, we work with our brands on the following areas, and step by step, piece by piece, the alignment becomes a reality. Content Creation Based on the brand positioning, creative assets, and channels, marketing often makes assumptions that what they are creating is valuable to the sales teams, buyers, and customers. You must understand where, when, who, and how you create and communicate to define what is needed. Is this content a valuable tool for the sales team, and does the marketing strategy take a regular "pulse" check with your brand community, buyers, and sales team? Creating for the sake of producing is not a strategy. Moving does not mean you are making progress. To create alignment with Content Creation, ensure the sales team is mapping your creative strategy, both online and in-store. Also, provide your community with engaging with your content, and they find something "beyond" the product helpful. Understand Need More often than not, these two areas do not understand each other's needs. Always start with Marketing, and end with Sales. Just because you "create" something does not mean it is an effective tool for the sales force. To better understand the need, have the sales team provide regular input on tangible tools to make their lives easier and provide branding, tools, and communications to make your communities' lives easier. Understanding and balancing both is critical to marketing your brand and ensuring you maintain brand equity and loyalty with both sales and customers. Mind Merge Regular sessions with the sales team, communicating marketing efforts, and applying the strategy daily builds trust with both organizations. Merging ideas and concepts with reality will bring the Marketing Strategy to a more tangible level for the sales team. So get them involved, but sales must also understand their role in the process NOT to create, but rather provide details on NEEDS. Tool Generation Ensure marketing has laid out the sales team's tools, resources, and integrated brand strategy. The sales team needs to be seamless with "messaging" to buyers and consumers and the lead driven by marketing. Without a clear strategy, vision, or plan, you can imagine how quickly this alignment can break down. Ensure you provide online and offline marketing tools that both internal sales and external buyers or customers can use. With the fast-paced, digital world we live in, aligning with everyone inside a brand is critical to the successful execution of your strategy. Frustration and misalignment can be replaced by an authentic, genuine passion and excitement for what your brand is doing and yet to accomplish. Together, lock arms, understand shared needs, complement one another strengths, and work on your weaknesses to better the brand! 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. The Visionary Chronicles podcast is the #1 Global Visionary podcast and Top 50 Marketing podcast for 2022 & 2023, ranked by Feedspot. In addition, he recently finis

CHRONICLE: July 25th, 2023 PODCAST: The Art of Competition | Creating a Strategy to Overcome Competitors "Know your enemy and know yourself, and you can fight a hundred battles without disaster." Sun Tzu, The Art of War The Forces of Competition, which determine strategic planning and marketplace execution, are shared among all industries. Those who can anticipate both industry and competitive moves will succeed for generations. Anticipation is the "Art of War," and brands who fight and win the battle without having pulled a sword are the ones who have mastered the "Art of Competition." But unfortunately, many have gone to war and have shown nothing for their efforts; a strategy built on a foundation of brute force inevitably fails. Find a way to determine outcomes before they are fought, and you will build a team and a brand set on a solid foundation, a fortress others cannot enter. Creating a culture where everyone knows their role, works together to ensure the foundation stands, and others envy what you have made and want to know your future Vision. The best they can hope for is to follow your path but never lead. There are several forces brands must be aware of to execute The Art of Competition in the marketplace. New Blood With this scenario, new blood is the latest entry into your category, one who has a new idea and provides a potentially better service or product. Combatting this competitor takes anticipation, an innovation process, and the ability to never look over your shoulder. Each of these allows a brand to advance with its Vision while ensuring this new blood is blocked or eliminated from establishing a beachhead without doing anything different. Changing course is not an option, but pivoting without disrupting your business is critical. Scale The scale was a strategy many were caught off guard by during the pandemic, and most were unable to recover in whole or in part. However, the winning formula is attaining sufficient scale with a manufacturing matrix with the core competencies needed to produce a consistently excellent product and out-innovate yourself first. Community Loyalty, recurring revenue, and value creation are foundational to longevity. These pieces of your foundation will create a wall no competitor can climb. This takes consistency, an understanding of who your customer is, what they value, and why they buy your products and is a strategic weapon built off your team's shoulders. Commodity Players The Imitators, not the Innovators, are the commodity players. They are not to be feared; instead, they are the ones to be called out and challenged at every turn. Imitators churn great Ideas into inferior-quality products and lower-tier price points. As a result, they do not build a trusting, loyal community that embraces the value provided by the brand but rather a following looking for the next significant "draw-down." Some have been successful with this strategy, but this is like building your foundation on the sand vs. rock. YOUR CHOICE. Rivals The most threatening part of a brand executing its future Vision is its direct Rival, those who have authentically built a loyal community, created their innovation pipeline, and stayed true to their foundation. They are to be respected, but the Art of War principles are genuinely beneficial and provide the most benefit. You want to anticipate the moves of your Rivals, find ways to outflank them, diminish their impact, and put the fires out before they start. The Art of War is winning without having gone to battle. So what can you do to anticipate your Rival's next move and step out and take risks, never to relinquish your lead? The Art of Competition is understanding the landscape, anticipating your Rival's moves, outflanking your Competition, and finding ways to win the battles through a strategy where you never have to draw your weapon! Find a way to win! 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. The Visionary Chronicles podcast is the #1 Global Visionary podcast and Top 50 Marketing podcast for 2022 & 2023, ranked by Feedspot. In addition, he recently finished his first bestselling book, The Visionary Brand, The Success Formula Behind the World's Most Visionary Brands. He received the prestigious Readers Favorite Award for BEST Non-fiction,

CHRONICLE: July 10th, 2023 PODCAST: Marketing Metrics | Develop a Roadmap to Success We know that Marketing Metrics matter and are essential to defining brand ROI. They establish marketing discipline, decision-making, investment analysis, assessing the effectiveness of critical activities, and validating how business outcomes are achieved. It is how we determine, assess, and manage these metrics to build an effective marketing strategy that provides tangible brand equity benefits and a realized ROI. The first step in building your Roadmap is determining the most critical data points to construct an analysis of brand investment value. Metric Data Point Analysis Do these metrics impact revenue (P/L) or the brand equity value/goodwill (balance sheet)? Do the metrics define the past (previous) or the future (lifetime value)? Are the metrics static (period demand generation) or dynamic (ongoing demand build)? The Roadmap to the Value of Defining Marketing Metrics: Campaign Metrics | Effectiveness, ROI through click-through rates, and visits. Satisfaction Metrics | Customer satisfaction through NPS (net promoter score) or revenue. Brand Metrics | Brand affinity or brand equity valuation increase. Customer Acquisition/Attrition | Process to determine customer churn rate. Corporate Metrics | Enterprise value translation through corporate Culture, HR, or potential M&A value. You must initial the analysis with metrics that track marketing investment performance, such as promos. Then, determine and measure the outcome and compare it to the expectations, such as; Click-Throughs? Customers Visits? Do the results justify the investment? How effective and efficient was the marketing strategy? Were you able to determine ROI? The most common marketing ROI formulas are; TOTAL: Marketing Return on Investment MROI (%)= Incremental revenue attributable to marketing ($) during the period – Marketing spending ($) ÷ Marketing spending ($)= % ROI FUNNEL: Marketing Return on Investment (LiquidMind action sports customer example) The campaign cost ($30,000) generates 6,000 views of the video. Historical tracking projects 12 of the viewers will become qualified leads within 6 weeks, and 10 % will convert to revenue within 6-9 months = 72 sales. At a profit of $500/sale = $36,000 in revenue. Funnel MROI - $36,000-$30,000/$30,000 = 20% MROI CUSTOMER EQUITY: Marketing Return on Investment (LiquidMind banking customer example) Customer retention/attrition valuation; 10,000 customers, @ $2,000 annual profit/customer. The current attrition rate = 20%, invest $4M, and the goal is to reduce it to 17%. Before; 10,000 * $2,000/20% - $100M After; 10,000 * $2,000/17% = $117M Customer Equity MROI; $17.6M (increase) - $4M(marketing)/$4M (marketing) = 340% MROI These marketing metrics need to be combined with other metrics. Still, the most important ones are revenue growth, which realizes a tangible ROI, and customer satisfaction through the Net Promoter Score. The marketing team can measure the Value of brands equity value growth through other more intangible metrics such as; Brand awareness Brand consideration Brand preference Brand quality and point of difference Brand affinity Brand positioning Brand culture In looking at brand marketing metrics, a recent study of CMOs in 2021 found the following are the most important for determining ROI. Revenue Digital Marketing Performance Lead Generation Content Engagement Lead Generation Customer Engagement/Experience Campaign Costs As you can see, marketing metrics are important, but determining tangible benefits is critical. At LiquidMind (LiquidMindsite.com), we work with our brands to set a cohesive marketing strategy, activation plan, ongoing investment analysis, and brand equity development and growth determination. 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. The Visionary Chronicles podcast is the #1 Global Visionary podcast and Top 50 Marketing podcast for 2022 & 2023, ranked by Feedspot. In addition, he recently finished his first bestselling book, The Visionary Brand, The Success Formula Behind the World's Most Visionary Brands. He 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 Ve

The Visionary Chronicles Podcast CHRONICLE: June 28th, 2023 "Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower." – Steve Jobs Podcast: Product Ideation | 5 Steps to Creating a Product Ideation Process The cornerstone of all generational, Visionary brands is the foundation of a Product Ideation and Commercialization process. Creating a product ideation process involves systematic steps to generate and evaluate innovative ideas for new products or product improvements. Here are five steps to help you establish an effective product ideation process: Define Objectives and Target Audience: Clearly define the objectives and goals for the product ideation process. Identify the problem you want to solve or the need you aim to fulfill. Additionally, specify the target audience or customer segment you are targeting. Understanding your objectives and target audience will help focus your ideation efforts. Create a Cross-Functional Team: Led by Product and Marketing, and supported by Sales. Form a diverse team consisting of individuals from various functional groups and disciplines. Include people from product management, engineering, design, marketing, and customer support. Cross-functional teams bring different perspectives and expertise, fostering creative thinking and comprehensive evaluations. Do your Research: Before generating ideas, conduct thorough research to gain insights into adaptable technologies, the addressable market, industry trends, competitors, and customer desires. Explore feedback, conduct surveys, analyze market data, and gather information on emerging technologies. This research will inform your ideation process, helping you identify gaps, opportunities, and potential areas for innovation or disruption. Idea Generation: In this step, encourage your team to brainstorm and generate various ideas. Create a supportive and open environment that rewards creativity and collaboration. Utilize brainstorming techniques like mind mapping, SCAMPER (Substitute, Combine, Adapt, Modify, Put to another use, Eliminate, Reverse), to stimulate idea generation. Capture all ideas, regardless of their feasibility or practicality, as they can later be refined and developed. Idea Evaluation and Selection: After generating a pool of ideas, evaluate and select the most promising ones. Establish evaluation criteria based on your objectives, target audience, market viability, technical feasibility, and alignment with your organization's strategy. You can use methods like scoring systems, SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) analysis, or cost-benefit analysis to assess and rank the ideas. Prioritize the ideas with the highest potential for success and align with your overall business goals. Remember, the product ideation process is iterative and should be flexible. It's essential to continuously refine and iterate on ideas based on feedback, market research, and evolving customer needs. 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. The Visionary Chronicles podcast is the #1 Global Visionary podcast and Top 50 Marketing podcast for 2022 & 2023, ranked by Feedspot. In addition, he recently finished his first bestselling book, The Visionary Brand, The Success Formula Behind the World's Most Visionary Brands. He 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 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. e-mail | [email protected] Facebook | @bryansmeltzer33 Instagram | @bryan_smeltzer Twitter | @bryansmeltzer LinkedIn | linkedin.com/in/bryansmeltzer/

The Visionary Chronicles Podcast CHRONICLE: June 22nd, 2023 "Great things in business are never done by one person. They're done by a team of people.” Steve Jobs PODCAST: Team Leadership | 5 Things High-Performing Teams Do Consistently Hiring, building, and nurturing high-performance teams has long been a holy grail for brands. Each team has unique needs, personalities, and individual triggers that drive a passion in each team member. So how does a brand build a competent team and one who gets along with one another and consistently produces superior results…consistently, not just one-hit wonders? First, when looking at building a high-performance team, understand there are primary needs of each team and individuals; Autonomy; the ability to perform without hindrance. Competence; having the skill set to perform. Relatedness; being able to interact with other team members. Then there are the three levels of support and building effectiveness in the team; Dependance; INDIVIDUAL, the baby, the newbie, is learning from others. Crucial to have a process for onboarding. Interdependence; TEAM, working with a group and being part of a team, finding a solution together. Independence; LEADER, Leadership level, finding ways to make others successful. Be humble and grateful, and do not take credit for others' successes. So what are the 5 Things that High Performing Teams do Consistently? They are Real with each other; they express personal and professional emotions and share with the team, building a more intimate bond. They Share Praise; they are more likely to share praise with others vs. trying to take credit for themselves. Again, it's all about the team and no friction. They Bond; they spend more time together on non-work-related items and discussions. So it's not all about work! They are Strategic, not only with their work but, more importantly, with their time. They are finding ways to get more done in a shorter period of time. They are working together through Interdependence and Independence. They Communicate Directly; they are more likely to communicate through Voice vs. Text or e-mails. Be honest, be Live. Building, managing, and growing successful teams for your brand takes a commitment to process and action. The approach to getting team members up to speed and the effort to assure they are satisfied with what it takes to be a part of a successful team and brand! 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. The Visionary Chronicles podcast is the #1 Global Visionary podcast and Top 50 Marketing podcast for 2022 & 2023, ranked by Feedspot. In addition, he recently finished his first bestselling book, The Visionary Brand, The Success Formula Behind the World's Most Visionary Brands. He 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 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. [email protected] FB | @bryansmeltzer33 IG | @bryan_smeltzer T | @bryansmeltzer LI | linkedin.com/in/bryansmeltzer/

The Visionary Chronicles Podcast CHRONICLE: June 16th, 2023 Content from Bryan’s new Award Winning, Bestselling Book The Visionary Brand, The Success Formula Behind the World's Most Visionary Brands Readers Favorite Award Winner: Best, Non-fiction, Marketing book Amazon Bestseller. THE VISIONARY BRAND | The Power Triad | Product, Marketing & Sales "Marketing is about values. It's a complicated and noisy world, and we won't get a chance to get people to remember much about us. So, we have to be really clear about what we want them to know about us." – Steve Jobs This quote from Steve rings even more true today. In our world today, we must provide value-anchored brand principles that trickle down to all team members and our community. These voices communicate our brand and what we stand for in a world where few exist, and even fewer thrive! In my new book, I discuss The Power Triad, the three engines that keep a brand alive and thriving; Product, Marketing & Sales. When working in unison with one another, these three engines create a beautiful concerto and realize ongoing success as they continue to grow the brand. The Power Triad Formula; ELEMENT 1; Product as the Idea Generator, Concept Creator, Disruption Machine, and Vision Realizer. ELEMENT 2; Marketing as the Vision Translator, Bloodline Connector, and Bridge Builder between Product, Sales & your Community. ELEMENT 3; Sales as the Executor of the Vision to the World. The Power Triad is led by Product, supported by Marketing, and executed through Sales. They are independent and interdependent on one another, only able to achieve success through continued collaboration and respect for each other’s specific skill sets. If they remain independent, refusing to follow The Power Triad formula, they fail; if they achieve interdependence, relying on each other and following the proven formula, success follows. The Product team is traditionally the visionaries, the crazy ones, who provide the ideas and realize the vision. The Marketing team brings this reality to life, giving it room to breathe and bloodline to match the brand Vision to the reality of a new idea, concept, disruption, or innovation. Without this breath of life, the understanding of the brand bloodline, the idea will never have life, and the concept will never see the light of day. Each piece is integral and crucial to the Product's success and the brand's longevity. From Product to Marketing, then Sales, this stepped formula and interdependence with one another is a formula for building a generational brand. Finally, once the idea and vision have been realized, given life, and been aligned with the brand bloodline, from idea to reality, the Sales team executes the Vision in the marketplace. The Sales team has been along for the ride during the evolution of the idea through concept and commercialization. However, the eventual breathing of life into the idea, understanding the “why,” “what,” “when,” “where,” and “how,” now has the weapons to achieve success in the marketplace. Brands who do not follow a formula for the evolution of their brand do not have a passion for success. The passion for success is what Visionaries build into the brands and WHY they are a brand. As I always discuss, just because you SAY you are a brand DOES NOT mean you are a brand. A brand is an earned right with as much culture as Product. The culture is built through consistently excellent products, communicated through bloodline marketing, and sold to your select community, providing value beyond the Product. Follow The Power Triad formula, building interdependence between each team, following a consistent path to success, respecting the flow of innovation, translating the brand bloodline, and achieving revenue through selected brand channels. 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 Innova

The Visionary Chronicles Podcast CHRONICLE: June 7th, 2023 "The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall." - Nelson Mandela Podcast: Barriers to Success | 5 Priorities on How to Adapt and Overcome Leadership is about overcoming when the challenge is the hardest. It is not when there is clear sailing without barriers to landing at your destination. Becoming a Leader is about adapting, finding ways to achieve success, and providing ongoing, consistent Leadership with a passionate Vision to ensure you stay on course. Becoming a Leader is about failing. Having failed, you are better equipped to understand what it is like to take risks and understand what it takes to succeed. Failing is a prerequisite; if you have succeeded without failing, this was pure luck, or you set the bar too low. Taking risks, failing, and maybe failing again builds resilience in a Leader and the ability to see into the future, a Vision for what can be for a brand. As a business leader, overcoming barriers to success is crucial for achieving your goals and driving your brand forward. Here are five ways you can tackle these barriers and significantly increase your chances of success: Clear Communication: Effective communication is essential in overcoming barriers. Clearly convey your vision, goals, and expectations to your team. Build open lines of communication and encourage feedback, ensuring everyone understands their roles and responsibilities. When challenges come, encourage teamwork to address issues promptly. Adaptability and Agility: Business environments are constantly evolving, and the ability to adapt quickly is vital. Stay informed about industry trends, technological advancements, and market shifts. Embrace change and encourage your team to be flexible. Create a culture that values innovation and is open to new ideas. Continuous Learning: Invest in your personal and professional growth and your team. Encourage a learning mindset and provide training, development, and upskilling opportunities. Stay updated on industry developments, attend conferences, and encourage knowledge sharing within your organization. Being well-informed and adaptable will help you overcome barriers. Build a Strong Team: Business success relies on a solid team that can overcome challenges. Hire individuals with diverse skills and perspectives, fostering a collaborative and inclusive work environment. Foster a culture that promotes teamwork, trust, and mutual support. Provide regular feedback and recognize and reward exceptional performance. Resilience and Problem-Solving: Inevitably, obstacles will arise on the path to success. Cultivate strength by maintaining a positive attitude and learning from failures. Encourage your team to approach challenges with a problem-solving mindset. Break down complex problems into manageable steps and involve your team in finding creative solutions. Celebrate successes along the way to maintain motivation and momentum. Remember, overcoming barriers to success requires patience, perseverance, and a proactive approach. These strategies can enhance your leadership capabilities and guide your organization toward achieving its goals. 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. The Visionary Chronicles podcast is the #1 Global Visionary podcast and Top 50 Marketing podcast for 2022 & 2023, ranked by Feedspot. In addition, he recently finished his first bestselling book, The Visionary Brand, The Success Formula Behind the World's Most Visionary Brands. He 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 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. [email protected] @bryansmeltzer33 @bryan_

The Visionary Chronicles Podcast CHRONICLE: MAY 25TH, 2023 "Leadership is the capacity to translate vision into reality." Life from Warren Bennis Podcast: Principles of Leadership | The New Leadership Formula The new Leadership Formula is driven by the ability of a leader to motivate their teams to passionately embrace a Vision for the long-term benefit of the brand. The formula is not about being the nicest leader or someone with a singular compassion for all. It is finding the one who can skillfully understand the needs and motivations of others and turn this into an engine of progress and eventual pride for all. Being a respected leader is the goal, but few achieve this status. Most are either unwilling to be humble enough to share credit, smart enough to know what they don't know, or compassionate enough to understand what drives others vs. themselves. Knowledge is not what makes great leaders who understand how to empower people and give all the gratitude and praise to others—a leader who embraces others, not themselves. A truly great leader understands that for a Vision to be realized, it must be adopted by all and shared by all until its completion. The Vision is to know that by empowering others, you are empowering yourself to accomplish greater things than you would realize. So take off the cape, understand your limitations and embrace the power of empowering others to succeed! Understanding everyone has different motivations, and usually low on the list is monetary compensation vs. personal acknowledgment of a job well done. Finding the balance is critical for great leaders, and a mix that maximizes everyone's potential and builds passion across your entire team, everyone working together accomplishing a singular goal. The new Leadership Formula is comprised of many elements; following are a few; The Perception vs. Reality; be real, ALL the time. Inevitably you will stop pretending, and trust will be broken. The Ladder; they help team members climb the Ladder to success, vs. pulling it out from underneath them. The Development; provide the tools required for others to succeed. The Social Side; be human. Your team is human; treat them like one. Great leaders are great communicators. The Orchestra; you are the leader of many, each with a distinct skillset. Help them make beautiful music. The Pressure; great leaders absorb and distribute Pressure. Ensure you are not unloading on others. Distribute carefully and with purpose. I am often asked if great leaders are born. This may be both true and false, but I feel that great leaders are born with the ability to lead, be compassionate, and absorb Pressure, and the other traits are learned. So the balance is they are born with the required leadership skills. However, you can understand what is needed to be a great leader, be committed to these traits, be authentic, and be real, and your team will reward you with their loyalty! Stay True, Stay Authentic, be Different, and be Great! Enjoy the Journey! Bryan Smeltzer, President LiquidMind Inc. #TheVisionaryPodcast #TheVisionaryBrandBook @LiquidMindsite.com @BryanSmeltzer.com © All rights reserved, Bryan Smeltzer, 2022 Bryan Smeltzer is a successful 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. [email protected] @bryansmeltzer33 @bryan_smeltzer @bryansmeltzer linkedin.com/in/bryansmeltzer/

The Visionary Chronicles Podcast CHRONICLE: May 18th, 2023 Content from Bryan’s new Award Winning, Bestselling Book The Visionary Brand, The Success Formula Behind the World's Most Visionary Brands. Readers Favorite Award Winner: Best, Non-fiction, Marketing book Amazon Bestseller. THE VISIONARY BRAND | The Omni Channel Strategy | How to Disrupt Industry Norms "Disrupt or be disrupted." - Eric Shinseki This quote from Eric Shinseki, a retired US Army General, emphasizes the importance of brand disruption. In today's fast-paced and constantly evolving business landscape, brands that fail to disrupt themselves and their industries risk being left behind. Disruptive brands challenge the status quo, shake up traditional models, and offer innovative solutions to customer problems. By doing so, they can create a new market or take market share away from established players. This quote is a call to action for brands to disrupt themselves before others disrupt them proactively. Visionary brands are constantly asking the question, “WHY?”. Why do things work the way they do? Why hasn’t anyone updated this process, or why can’t we change an industry? All of these lead to breakthroughs at some point. You are not challenging the status quo unless you ask these questions! While asking these questions, you must ensure the answers fit; who you are, what you do, how you work, and where you engage with your Community. These fit with the brand product, culture, community, and lifestyle. Authenticity is key to success and often takes a back seat to a product the brand feels is the next revolution, but it is an evolution, not a revolution, and you can risk lower adoption rates if it does not fulfill the brand promise. So disrupting is an earned right, earned through trust and authentication. A product is only a product until users say it is awesome. So, trust, consistency, and greatness are earned through loyalty and anticipation. Many brands have built this user experience into their creative process, the ideation of their next great product, which somehow enhances their communities' life—easily explained, extremely difficult to execute, that is the creator's mindset. So what does Omni Channel Strategy for Disrupting Industry Norms look like? Understand your Brand and your Community; building a great product internally does not mean it translates externally. Always be Creating (ABC); ensure you build an innovator pipeline of products that continues to satisfy a community need. Awesome User Experience (AUX); create a seamless UX that your Community will proactively discuss with others. There is no better authentication than a community with a positive voice. Bad news spreads 250X faster than good news. You will not have to work very hard to degrade your brand equity if you screw this up! You must have an authentic culture of risk-takers, idea generators, and brand missionaries to disrupt the norm. All importantly, all are required to build authentic products your Community adopts. Lifetime customer value! 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; [email protected] @bryansmeltzer33 @bryan_smeltzer @bryansmeltzer linkedin.com/in/bryansmeltzer/

The Visionary Chronicles Podcast CHRONICLE: May 10th, 2023 The Visionary Chronicles Podcast was ranked the #1 Global Visionary Podcast & Top 50 Marketing podcast by Feedspot in 2022 & 2023 PODCAST: Courageous Leadership | 5 Principles of Courage in Leadership "Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase." - Martin Luther King Jr. This quote from Martin Luther King Jr. speaks to the importance of courage and faith in leadership. You may not always have a clear vision of the path ahead as a leader, but you must have faith in yourself and your team's abilities to take that first step forward. Doing this creates momentum and builds confidence, which can help you navigate the challenges. This quote encourages leaders to have courage in their hearts and faith in themselves and their team, even when the path forward is uncertain. Courage is a word not often used when describing Leaders, those who are Visionary. Instead, you will use; risk-taker, innovator, or disruptor, but all of these descriptors are built off a foundation of being courageous first. Courage is a trait that dates back centuries and is common in all Visionary leaders today. For a Visionary leader to be considered generational, one who changes our daily lives for the better or disrupts an industry, you must take risks, but the pillar of risk is having a heart full of Courage. Unfortunately, not all leaders have this quality, and those who do are relentless in their pursuit of success, and achieving what others say is impossible. Courage is a vital quality for effective brand leadership. Here are five principles for how to use courage in brand leadership: Take calculated Risks: To make bold moves that differentiate your brand from competitors, you must be willing to take calculated risks. This requires courage, as there is always the possibility of failure. However, you can take risks more likely to pay off through strategic planning and a solid understanding of your brand's strengths and weaknesses. Be willing to challenge the Status Quo: To truly stand out in a crowded marketplace, you must be willing to challenge the status quo. This means taking a fresh approach to product development, marketing, and customer experience. It takes courage to break away from conventional thinking but creates a more compelling brand that resonates with customers. Stand up for your beliefs: A strong brand stands for something. To communicate your brand's values and beliefs effectively, you need to be willing to stand up for what you believe in. This means taking a stance on controversial issues and communicating your brand's position clearly and confidently. Embrace change: Change is inevitable, and it takes courage to embrace it. As a brand leader, you need to be willing to adapt to changing market conditions, customer preferences, and technological advancements. This means being open to new ideas and approaches, even if they challenge the way things have always been done. Lead by example: Finally, to be an effective brand leader, you must lead by example. This means demonstrating courage in your actions and decisions and inspiring your team to do the same. When your team sees that you are willing to take risks, challenge the status quo, and stand up for your beliefs, they will be likelier to do the same. Each of these is a foundational pillar of those who have the courage to risk being different, successful, and relentless in pursuing their Vision. They inspire others through their faith, make others better through creating a culture of success, always stand by their decisions, and are models for others to learn from as they progress in life. 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, and 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. Bry

The Visionary Chronicles Podcast CHRONICLE: April 25th, 2023 PODCAST: Artificial Intelligence in Brand Marketing | 5 Steps to Applying AI in Brand Marketing "The best way to predict the future is to create it." - Peter Drucker The latest buzz in all aspects of business is how to apply Artificial Intelligence to my business model. However, having worked with many brands recently through our © LiquidMind MasterMind development, most are not adequately prepared to implement what they do not clearly understand. We have found Artificial Intelligence to be an extremely useful resource when creating our content platforms across social, podcasts, and BLOGs, each unique and required in building your AI platform. We have used Open AI’s Chat GPT for quite some time and have integrated it into our daily routine. Often, we need to take a step back and understand the intent, purpose, and goal of integrating an Artificial Intelligence initiative into their brands. Doing this lets us understand and determine where AI can best utilize, maximizing investment and time. Here are five steps to applying artificial intelligence in brand marketing: Define your goals: The first step is to define your brand marketing goals and identify the areas where Artificial Intelligence can add value. This could include improving customer engagement, optimizing advertising spend, or enhancing personalization. Collect data: Artificial Intelligence relies on data for accurate predictions and recommendations. So collect as much data as possible about your customers, including their behaviors, preferences, and demographics. You can gather this data from various sources such as social media, website analytics, CRM systems, and third-party data providers. Choose an Artificial Intelligence solution: There are several AI solutions available for brand marketing, including machine learning, natural language processing, and predictive analytics. Choose a solution that aligns with your marketing goals and the data you have collected. Implement the solution: Implementing an Artificial Intelligence solution requires technical expertise. If you don't have an in-house team, consider partnering with a technology provider or a marketing agency specializing in Artificial Intelligence. Once the solution is implemented, monitor the performance and adjust as needed. Measure the results: Artificial Intelligence can help you achieve your marketing goals, but you must measure the results to see the impact. Use metrics such as customer engagement, conversion rates, and return on ad spend (ROAS) to evaluate the effectiveness of your AI-powered marketing campaigns. Artificial Intelligence is a strategic weapon that can provide a significant first-mover value if implemented correctly and appropriately. However, if it is to implement for the sake of implementing, you will fail and set your brand further behind rather than leading your peers. Stay True, Stay Authentic, be Different, and be Great! Enjoy the Journey! Bryan Smeltzer, President LiquidMind Inc. #TheVisionaryPodcast #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, and 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 id 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; [email protected] @bryansmeltzer33 @bryan_smeltzer @bryansmeltzer linkedin.com/in/bryansmeltzer/

The Visionary Chronicles Podcast CHRONICLE: April 19th, 2023 Content from Bryan’s new Award Winning, Bestselling Book The Visionary Brand, The Success Formula Behind the World's Most Visionary Brands. Readers Favorite Award Winner: Best, Non-fiction, Marketing book Amazon Bestseller. PODCAST: THE VISIONARY BRAND | The Omni Channel Strategy | How to Build a Brand Experience "Products are made in the factory, but brands are created in the mind." - Walter Landor Saying you “are” a brand vs. actually “being” is a significant difference. Companies that say they are a brand but have no category pricing power nor a loyal customer base are not truly brands, they are commodities. Calling yourself a brand is an earned right, carefully crafted through knowing who you are, how you are different, and consistently leading your category with the latest revolutionary products your customers eagerly anticipate. Most do not need your latest product but want to be a part of the early adopter crowd. Over the years, building a brand has changed. It used to be where customer acquisition was the goal; now it is customer loyalty, long term customer value, not just transactional. I discuss this Journey in my latest book, The Visionary Brand, The Success Formula Behind the World’s Most Visionary Brands, creating a loyal customer through superior products, adding value beyond the product, and building trust in the relationship. Creating loyalty and consistently providing a product or service that improves a person’s performance at work, at home, or in sports creates a bond that moves them into your brand, “ECO-SPHERE.” However, once they enter your ecosystem, it is up to you, the brand, to ensure they have a reason to stay. Ongoing revenue, and lasting value, that is the trade-off. Brands like Adidas or Nike engage with their athletes or consumers long before they purchase, creating a bond through other athletes who authenticate their product, content which improves their performance, or through retailers who sell their products, creating a merchandising Lifestyle their community wants to be a part of. This is a delicate balance, being authentic while not losing sight of the brand Vision. Creating a Brand Experience is a crucial principle and a foundation element all generational Visionary brands have adopted and is at the heart of their success. In building this experience, what are the pieces of the puzzle put in place along with Journey? Engagement; engage with your community, and help them become part of your brand experience. They ARE your voice, your advocates. Marketing; market to the few, the influencers, and be aspirational. Purchase Cycle; provide steps to complete the Journey, both pre AND post-purchase. Few brands successfully execute both sides. Personalization; make your customer feel special, whether in customer service or providing value beyond product. Do something they get for FREE and is part of your brand Vision. Merchandising; whether online or in-store, ALWAYS have your product and lifestyle imagery match the brand's Vision and Experience. No brand is a brand without executing a consistent brand experience that fits your Vision. Remember… Employees know what is RIGHT for the brand, while your consumers know what to expect from your brand. Building a brand around realizing and consistently making your Vision in your consumer's eyes must be generational. Be a once-in-lifetime brand, and it is not for those not committed to sticking to your brand vision and foundational values! 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

The Visionary Chronicles Podcast CHRONICLE: April 7th, 2023 "I am not afraid of an army of lions led by a sheep; I am afraid of an army of sheep led by a lion." Alexander the Great Leadership Principles | The Pillars of Great Leadership What makes for a Great Leader? Not just one who inspires confidence or provides direction, but someone who has the innate sense to see the future, envision a path to success, and inspire those who do not yet know this path to take the Journey with them. These leaders inspire a team, a company, and a brand. They create a community outside the four walls, building Loyalty and inspiring everyone to reach a common goal with the confidence that they will succeed. With each of these qualities, it is easy to see why there are so few "true" leaders. Many delusional executives feel they are leaders, but it is merely a "chain of commitment" from the Team, not necessarily that they believe in their Vision. For someone to be in this elite class of truly Visionary Leaders, they must embrace the unknown, stay calm amid the storms, show Compassion, learn from past failures, build Loyalty, and provide a Vision for others to follow passionately. I say passionately as this is crucial to execute the leader's Vision through others successfully. No great leader has ever succeeded by themselves, it takes an Army to take a leadership position in your market, and the more your leader has these Pillars, the more likely a brand is to succeed long-term. Success is not a "one-hit" wonder; it is a sustained level of success over generations. In my new book, an AMAZON Bestseller, The Visionary Brand, The Success Formula Behind the World's Most Visionary Brands, I discuss these Visionary Brands and some leaders who successfully navigated their brands to generational success. The following are the Pillars of Truly Great, Visionary Leaders Embrace Change; no leader can avoid Change, but those who do will ultimately fail and lose their sense of direction. Embrace Failure; all great brands have failed to succeed, but you must be committed to Failure and Learn from these Failures. Show Compassion; understand the balance between success and Failure… of your TEAM, not your product. Drive hard, Praise harder. Build Loyalty; be able to build Loyalty to your brand, both inside and outside of four walls. Without Loyalty, the inherent value of your brand becomes either Equity or a Commodity, your choice. Having a Vision; being able to see vs. having a Vision are two completely different attributes. Unless you can see the future, you will only be to visualize what is in front of you. Execute the Vision; having built a Loyal team, ensure they are executing the Vision, and provide ALL the Praise to the Team, not your Vision. So they understand it is your Vision; there is no need to remind them. Overcome Adversity; being able to have a plan when circumstances abruptly change is a key Pillar for a Visionary Leader. Take Covid; who knew the world would stop spinning? What is your Plan? Show Humility & Appreciation; an insecure Leader is NOT a Leader. They are not humble, and they devalue contributions to the Vision. They do not share in successes and do not embrace Failure. Enough said..! Great Leadership does not always mean the most intelligent voice in the room. But, more often than not, it is someone who is cognitive, logical, compassionate, and direct and can see the future when others can not. Stay True, Stay Authentic, be Different, and be Great! Enjoy the Journey! Bryan Smeltzer, President LiquidMind Inc. #TheVisionaryPodcast #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, and 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 id to large-cap consumer brands to empower their businesses to think different, be different, drive a passionate culture, and exe

The Visionary Chronicles Podcast CHRONICLE: March 30th, 2023 "When something is important enough, you do it even if the odds are not in your favor..." Wisdom from Elon Musk ENTREPRENEURSHIP | Becoming an Entrepreneur To become an entrepreneur, most think first of risk vs. reward. However, they must first align and define many principles, strategies, and cultural questions before putting pen to paper, then money to ideas. Being an entrepreneur is not for everyone, and certainly not for those faint of heart. I know, having personally built a brand from scratch, it can put “dog years” on your career but also provide valuable experience only being an entrepreneur can provide. It has significant up-and-down cycles, rewards, and benefits, but it mostly takes a toll on you personally and professionally. I should also preface what being a “true” entrepreneur is and what it is not. A “true” Entrepreneur starts from scratch, finds creative ways to find support, and leans heavily on internal strength, knowledge, faith and humility. What an entrepreneur is not is when they start with enough cash to support the long-term “potential,” has significant resources to provide for daily needs, and has taken risk off the table. There are many of these companies, and the hit rate with both is roughly the same. The former has learned to be resourceful, while the latter has learned to use resources. Both are business owners, but only one is an authentic Entrepreneur. What are the questions to be asked and answered? Becoming an entrepreneur involves defining a well-thought-out plan, represented by the following questions which need to be answered. Do I have definitive Goals? Is my Strategy clear? Can I Execute my Plan? Within these questions are several more areas which need further thought. Within the scope of Goal setting are; Aspirations Probability of Success Risk Tolerance For Strategy, the following need to be defined; Clear Path Forward Profitability and Growth Potential Sustainability Growth Rate On Execution, many areas will determine your success or eventual failure; Resources Infrastructure Skillset of Founder As you can see, many areas must be defined long before you question risk vs. reward. Most people know the answer, but most need help understanding what it takes to lessen the risk portion of the formula for long-term success. Determine your path forward, your Strategy's reliability, and whether you can execute the plan. Each is equally important, but all are part of a vital puzzle that must be put together before venturing into vast ocean of Entrepreneurship. 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 both start-ups and established id 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; [email protected] @bryansmeltzer33 @bryan_smeltzer @bryansmeltzer linkedin.com/in/bryansmeltzer/

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

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; [email protected] @bryansmeltzer33 @bryan_smeltzer @bryansmeltzer linkedin.com/in/bryansmeltzer/

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; [email protected] @bryansmeltzer33 @bryan_smeltzer @bryansmeltzer linkedin.com/in/bryansmeltzer/

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 | [email protected] Facebook | @bryansmeltzer33 Instagram | @bryan_smeltzer Twitter | @bryansmeltzer LinkedIn | linkedin.com/in/bryansmeltzer/

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; [email protected] @bryansmeltzer33 @bryan_smeltzer @bryansmeltzer linkedin.com/in/bryansmeltzer/

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. [email protected] @bryansmeltzer33 @bryan_smeltzer @bryansmeltzer linkedin.com/in/bryansmeltzer/

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; [email protected] @bryansmeltzer33 @bryan_smeltzer @bryansmeltzer linkedin.com/in/bryansmeltzer/

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; [email protected] 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: [email protected] Facebook: @bryansmeltzer33 Instagram; @bryan_smeltzer Twitter: @bryansmeltzer LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/bryansmeltzer/

Podcast: Brand Bloodlines | Be The Best "A brand for a company is like a reputation for a person. You earn a reputation by trying to do hard things well." Jeff Bezos Perception becomes a reality, but this reality must be carefully crafted, honed, and managed each day as a true, authentic brand. Challenging, yes, but this is why there are so few premium brands in our world. By design, to be a brand, you must BE a brand. Being a brand means living a lifestyle representative of what you want your Brand to stand for in the real world. I often quote Ralph Lauren, but his statement is true; "We are NOT selling a product; we ARE selling a Lifestyle." What an enlightening quote that should be shared by all who hope to become a brand at one point. So these Bloodlines that are the makeup, the DNA of premium brands go well beyond product and must be injected into all aspects of the Brand. You can not be a great, premium brand with a superior product but horrible customer service. The result is an awful experience for your loyal customer and is a clear disconnect to becoming a premium brand. The Bloodlines of an excellent brand stretch into all aspects of your company; operations, finance, customer service, marketing, product, and sales. A great analogy is Lamborghini, the ultimate car brand that has finely crafted its premium positioning, and everyone knows it, even those who have not purchased their machines. However, as powerful and beautiful as they are, they do not realize the ultimate performance their cars can produce if they are not finely tuned. The experience does not match the messaging, which would be an apparent disconnect. Be the Best! Good, better, or best, your choice, but if your goal is to be premium, you must commit to being the Best in everything you do. Not just product, but everything! This is a challenge most companies are not committed to, and again why there are so few true, premium brands. Far too many companies overlook the simple things that most customers do not. It is the difference between a four vs. a five-star resort. It makes your customers loyal and provides the "stickiness" to keep them returning. What separates the Good from the Best? It is a relentless, ongoing commitment to the Best at all levels within your Brand and sustaining that as long as the Brand is alive. The foundation is destroyed as soon as you break this link within the Brand. So what are some of these Bloodline traits to being the Best; Commit to being the best at levels inside your Brand. Inject a Passion, and set a Vision all can share. Never take Shortcuts. The storms will pass. Empower your Teams to Succeed. Want Premium, be Premium. These are just some areas where Visionary brands have consistently been committed to succeeding within and outside their brands. It is a difficult challenge, but stay committed, be true to your Vision, and you will eventually succeed. Rome was not built in a day, it is a long haul, but the treasure awaits those who are committed to seeing it through. 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 successful 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. [email protected] @bryansmeltzer33 @bryan_smeltzer @bryansmeltzer linkedin.com/in/bryansmeltzer/

"Leadership is the capacity to translate Vision into reality." Life from Warren Bennis Podcast: Leadership Formula | The New Leadership Principles The new Leadership Formula is driven by the ability of a leader to motivate their teams to passionately embrace a Vision for the long-term benefit of the brand. The formula is not about being the nicest leader or someone with a singular compassion for all. It is finding the one who can skillfully understand the needs and motivations of others and turn this into an engine of progress and eventual pride for all. Being a respected leader is the goal, but few achieve this status. Most are either unwilling to be humble enough to share credit, smart enough to know what they don't know, or compassionate enough to understand what drives others vs. themselves. Knowledge is not what makes great leaders who understand how to empower people and give all the gratitude and praise to others—a leader who embraces others, not themselves. A truly great leader understands that for a Vision to be realized, it must be adopted by all and shared by all until its completion. The Vision is to know that by empowering others, you are empowering yourself to accomplish greater things than you would realize. So take off the cape, understand your limitations and embrace the power of empowering others to succeed! Understanding everyone has different motivations, and usually low on the list is monetary compensation vs. personal acknowledgment of a job well done. Finding the balance is critical for great leaders, and a mix that maximizes everyone's potential and builds passion across your entire team, everyone working together accomplishing a singular goal. The new Leadership Formula is comprised of many elements; following are a few; The Perception vs. Reality; be real, ALL the time. Inevitably you will stop pretending, and trust will be broken. The Ladder; they help team members climb the Ladder to success, vs. pulling it out from underneath them. The Development; provide the tools required for others to succeed. The Social Side; be human. Your team is human; treat them like one. Great leaders are great communicators. The Orchestra; you are the leader of many, each with a distinct skillset. Help them make beautiful music. The Pressure; great leaders absorb and distribute Pressure. Ensure you are not unloading on others. Distribute carefully and with purpose. I am often asked if great leaders are born. This may be both true and false, but I feel inherently great leaders are born with the ability to lead, be compassionate, and absorb Pressure, and the other traits are learned. So the balance is they are born with the required leadership skills. However, you can understand what is needed to be a great leader, be committed to these traits, be authentic, and be real, and your team will reward you with their loyalty! Stay True, Stay Authentic, be Different, and be Great! Enjoy the Journey! Bryan Smeltzer, President LiquidMind Inc. #TheVisionaryPodcast #TheVisionaryBrandBook @LiquidMindsite.com @BryanSmeltzer.com © All rights reserved, Bryan Smeltzer, 2022 Bryan Smeltzer is a successful 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. [email protected] @bryansmeltzer33 @bryan_smeltzer @bryansmeltzer linkedin.com/in/bryansmeltzer/

The Visionary Chronicles Podcast CHRONICLE: November 17th, 2022 "When it is obvious that the goals cannot be reached, don't adjust the goals, adjust the action steps..." Life Wisdom from Confucius Podcast: Goals | How to Set Goals and Achieve Your Vision With the new year upon us and the past year presenting so many challenges, the ability to set and move ahead with your Goals is imperative. It sets the Future, a Vision that moves us beyond the past and allows us to achieve that which seems unattainable. But how do you effectively set and achieve your goals? Interestingly, I engage with companies and leaders looking for answers to increasing innovation, productivity, or efficiency, each seemingly distinct but separate Goals. There is nothing wrong with this thinking other than the intent should be to tie them all together to improve your brand and teams. However, the realization hits them when they consistently fail and do not embrace the risk required to succeed. These scenarios reflect the real world, where only 8% of those who set goals achieve them. In my new Visionary Chronicles Podcast, Goals | How to Set Goals and Achieve your Vision, I address this question, providing insightful principles on setting goals properly and executing them through a step-by-step process. When setting Goals, they must be challenging but attainable. Here are ten proven Principles for assuring Goals are stretched but attainable ; Change your daily Habits or Routines to enhance productivity. Look at your daily/hourly routine, and disrupt it to find more time. Be realistic with your Goals, but offer up a Stretch to achieving them. They must be attainable, but only through sweat and failure. Give everyone a sense of accomplishment. Find support where needed after analyzing your daily Habits/Routine. You can not achieve success consistently without some help…find it. Take Two Steps Forward and one Step back. The path to Success is not a straight line, step back and evaluate the way forward. Share Success, Embrace Failure. Failure is your pathway to eventual Success. Move out of the Status quo to realize your Vision. Break free from Habits, and change your routine to be more effective. Also, don't multi-task; your brain likes to complete one path before moving on to another. Realize progress, find what works and what does not. Then, do more of what works and less of what does not. Simple but powerful! Have Faith, know you are not alone—calming influence in turbulent times. Times change, be ready to make your move. Covid should be a lesson learned when being prepared to Adapt. Always be moving forward. When you take two steps forward, just do not take three back. Within these principles, you will find roadblocks and barriers to achieving eventual Success. But just stick to your path no matter how rocky. The old cliché holds if it were easy, everyone would do it. Set definitive goals, change your habits, find support along the way, and have Faith that all things will work together for good. Stay True, Stay Authentic, be Different, and be Great! Enjoy the Journey! Bryan Smeltzer, President LiquidMind Inc. #TheVisionaryPodcast #TheVisionaryBrandBook @LiquidMindsite.com @BryanSmeltzer.com © All rights reserved, Bryan Smeltzer, 2022 Bryan Smeltzer is a successful 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. [email protected] @bryansmeltzer33 @bryan_smeltzer @bryansmeltzer linkedin.com/in/bryansmeltzer/

The Visionary Brand, The Success Formula Behind the World's Most Visionary Brands “Exceptionally well written, organized, and presented, The Visionary Brand must be considered essential reading for all aspiring entrepreneurs and corporate executives seeking to expand their market share. The Visionary Brand is unreservedly recommended for community, corporate, college, university library Business Management instructional reference collections, and for the personal reading lists of entrepreneurs, MBA students, and corporate executives." James Cox, Editor-in-Chief, Midwest Book Review The Visionary Brand, The Success Formula Behind the World's Most Visionary Brands When I decided to write The Visionary Brand, The Success Formula Behind the World’s Most Visionary Brands, I was very fortunate to have been inside some of the world’s most creative, disruptive, and revolutionary brands. These brands were each different, positioning themselves differently, engaging strategically, creating consistently, understanding why they exist, how they are unique, and building a culture that drives the passion for driving the brand forward. I found each fascinating and having been inside the walls of the executive suite seeing firsthand how these great brands operated was an experience few get to experience and witness. So, this experience, along with having a passion for reading and absorbing how other great brands were able to navigate the path to success for generations effectively, built a great base of knowledge both inside and outside these four walls. These insanely great companies and the leaders behind the curtain, the wizards pulling the brand along and successfully executing a Vision no one else could see or comprehend. The experience was the inspiration, and this is where the Journey started. Having been with these brands and throughout my years, I found that there truly was no ONE Visionary brand, a company that had all the pieces in place. Some had most, but none had all to achieve this status. So as I prepared to write The Visionary Brand, I wanted it to be an outline of the pieces required to achieve Visionary level. Also, I intended to interpret the content quickly and apply it to your day-to-day and long-term strategy. In having read hundreds of books, all either Bios of great leaders or disruptive brands, most were told from outside in perspective or academic standpoint. Neither of these is easily applied, nor are they beneficial unless you are a multi-billion brand with significant resources to execute their strategy. Therefore, I wanted to take an Entrepreneurial spin on building the structure of The Visionary Brand, which can be applied with limited resources, brands both big and small and measurement in results. It has been a passion and longtime goal to write this book, many times wanting to hang up my pen and other times spilling out thoughts that seemed never-ending. Both extremes are why I feel The Visionary Brand is so tangible to leaders at all levels and industries. You will find a clear, tangible path to understanding, achieving, and realizing the pieces of putting your Visionary brand puzzle together. I intended to make it clear, tangible, and fun to execute individually and as a team. Achieving Visionary status seems intangible to most, and it is meant to be by design. However, if you can acquire insight into building your path to generational success while putting these pieces in place, I will have served my purpose in writing The Visionary Brand! Inside the cover of The Visionary Brand, you will step by step insight into what an authentic Visionary brand is, how this machine runs, what their point of difference is, and how these tangible and intangible points of difference allow them to crush their Competition. Journey/Brand It starts with my Journey to writing the book and then defines what a Brand truly is built from a foundational perspective. Vision/Elements The book then moves to Vision from the brand and how companies separate themselves through foresight and a product innovation pipeline. I discuss how this revolution is the difference that defines these Visionary brands and how imitators will never be leaders. The elements that set great brands apart and allow them to sustain their category leadership for generations. Disruption, being Different, and Case Studies around each. Positioning/Omni-Channel From Vision, I move to marketplace positioning and omnichannel strategy. Ensuring you are consistent in all you do, being authentic, ensuring the bloodlines are true to the Vision—strategic competitiveness, Lifestyle marketing, and being the best at ALL times. Power Triad/Culture Product/Marketing & Sales, the Power Triad. How they drive the brand forward, and how each builds a Culture to be envied by all their competitors. Product Vision/Ecosystem Breakaway design, innovation pipeline, drawdown strategy, and commercialization. Each a piece of a strategic arsenal brands deploy every da

The Visionary Chronicles Podcast CHRONICLE: October 26th, 2022 "My great concern is not whether you have failed, but whether you are content with your failure." Wisdom from Abraham Lincoln Failure | Stepping Stone to Success Failure is not fatal, but if you do not embrace Failure and make it a part of your Culture, it can prevent you from realizing your Vision. Many companies profess to be "Innovative" yet squash any new out-of-the-box thinking that disrupts the status quo of the company and your business category. Therefore, it is crucial to embrace your failures, learn from them, and adapt if you are to move your IDEAs from paper to people. Commercializing your IDEA is the inevitable goal, but if the product you envisioned does not match reality, there will be issues with your community and the brand itself. If you are to be a leader, you must embrace Failure and Risk to create what others may not have thought of or felt was impossible. Otherwise, you are truly just a commodity. Having the courage to do what is right for the brand is what all Visionaries have in common. Beyond product, beyond Culture, is sticking to your Foundational Principles, which drive your brand forward. The brands that continually drive innovation embrace Failure as a learning experience and will be the ones to survive any storm. Look at history, and you will see brands that have failed and those who are still with us today. A common thread, stronger than steel, is the will to create what others said was impossible. This challenge brings out the passionate courage in all Visionaries and the satisfaction of proving others wrong. Remember Edison's famous quote when inventing the light bulb… "I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work…." Imagine if Edison had given up at so-called "Failure" on try 9,998? A different world than we live in today. Thankful for his Vision and perseverance not to give up! What are these Stepping Stones to Success? Take Risks; no great product has ever been realized without Risk. Embrace Risks; different than taking a Risk, is embracing Risk as part of your Culture. Fail Faster; assume Failure will happen and is necessary to create truly revolutionary products. Succeed Sooner; by Embracing Risk, and Failure, you are on a path to Success. Failure is inevitable when creating anything great! So embrace Failure and Risk and be rewarded with generational products and a culture committed to Success. Stay True, Stay Authentic, be Different, and be Great! Enjoy the Journey! Bryan Smeltzer, President LiquidMind Inc. #TheVisionaryPodcast #TheVisionaryBrandBook @LiquidMindsite.com @BryanSmeltzer.com © All rights reserved, Bryan Smeltzer, 2022 Bryan Smeltzer is a successful 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. [email protected] @bryansmeltzer33 @bryan_smeltzer @bryansmeltzer linkedin.com/in/bryansmeltzer/

The Visionary Chronicles Podcast CHRONICLE: October 14th, 2022 "First comes thought; then organization of that thought, into ideas and plans; then transformation of those plans into reality. The beginning, as you will observe, is in your imagination." Napoleon Hill Transformation Forces | 4 Forces of Business Transformation If you were to look at most decisions made inside the four walls of a brand, you would find most do not address all the areas within and outside the organization. This transformative decision-making process takes on a whole new level of importance relative to the state of the brand, the economy's condition, and the state of your community. These are incorporated into the decision-making to determine the best path forward and alternatives in case you need to pivot. These critical factors are determined inside and outside your brand, the speed of implementation, and the internal forces applied. With these factors comes strategic planning questions such as, "Is this transformation something that needs to happen over time or immediate?" think pandemic, think recession, and "is this something needed internally or externally?" think processes, think logistics. Each of these pieces of the puzzle is broad but has synergy with one another. The more you can pinpoint the forces requiring transformation, the better prepared you are for the future and your ability to pivot when necessary quickly. The first question, slow or fast transformation, is relative to how easy it is to implement and where the transformation is happening. Quick transitions occur with processes, procedures, management, or forces that can quickly adapt. Slow changes happen when legacy systems or outside forces are integrated. These involve global brands with many tentacles in the marketplace. Usually, this type of transformation involves both an internal and an outer segment. These are more complicated but typically have the most significant impact. So what do these 4 Forces look like in businesses? It is best explained in 4 differing levels, each independent but interdependent on the other. First, the Speed; Slow Fast Second the Location; Internally Externally The four factors may seem simplistic, and that is by design. If this were too convoluted, nothing would get implemented, and your brand will not transform. When determining if something needs to change, ask yourself these questions; What is the issue? Is this immediate, or someone that can wait? Is this impacting our internal team, external partners, or both? How do you outline and address where to start? Transformation is easy to identify but hard to implement. Everyone wants the Status Quo, but this only puts you further behind your competition. Keep change easy to ID and easy to implement. Your brand, your Team, and your Community will thank you! Stay True, Stay Authentic, be Different, and be Great! Enjoy the Journey! Bryan Smeltzer, President LiquidMind Inc. #TheVisionaryPodcast #TheVisionaryBrandBook @LiquidMindsite.com @BryanSmeltzer.com © All rights reserved, Bryan Smeltzer, 2022 Bryan Smeltzer is a successful 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. [email protected] @bryansmeltzer33 @bryan_smeltzer @bryansmeltzer linkedin.com/in/bryansmeltzer/

The Visionary Chronicles Podcast CHRONICLE: October 3rd, 2022 “Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase.” Martin Luther King Jr. Courageous Leadership | Having the Courage to achieve Success With the Visionary Chronicles Podcast, I intend to take what I have learned over my years as a business leader, both as an owner and executive, with global brands and share meaningful, diverse topics. A significant part of leadership is crucial as you face barriers: the ability to have the faith and courage to make a decision and “the right one” at the right time. When I mention “the right one,” companies will often ask what I am referring to when is ask this question. I find that it is easy to make “a decision,” but not always easy to find and make the “right decision .”A decision that is consistent with the brand's foundational values and the company's culture. Taking the time to make the right decision takes both faith and courage, especially when the barrier seems impossible, but doing so will build integrity in your culture. It is a commitment to ensuring that decisions are well thought out from all angles, both financially and culturally. Also, having a transparent process with each angle viewed assures you keep an authentic, passionate culture and your foundational values intact without sacrificing long-term opportunities. We now live in a society where inclusiveness, cultural authentication, and a passion for your brand values are vital pieces to success. Those who believe in the vision set by the brand and see a commitment to it daily are more productive and satisfied in their work. Faith can take on many meanings, but most feel it is believing without yet seeing, a complete trust in someone to see you through. A Vision set by a leader through a path not yet seen, a product not yet built, a service not yet provided, or making a disruptive brand through a leadership committed to ongoing innovation, integrity, or the building of a culture that bonds every team member together, a passionate belonging to a long-term vision. The type of Vision set by Patagonia leader Yvon Chouinard. Some may agree or choose to disagree, but the passion within a leader's heart will drive them to success. Not every brand will want to follow Yvon’s path, but I can guarantee they admire his Vision for doing his part in providing for the other's future. His passion is an example of many who had the faith and courage to BE DIFFERENT! Those who are different, the “square pegs in the round holes,” dare to think differently when everything is the same. So be Different, and have the courage to know that you can conquer all barriers set before you through a solid foundational faith. When I discuss this concept with Visionary leaders, and the need to think beyond product or service and ensure your culture is authentic, they realize it is a crucial piece of their future. When setting your Vision or analyzing your already established vision, you may need to rethink your version of success. You will need to adapt to our new world, just as those working for your brand have adopted. Still, you must also understand the updated thought process to decision making, knowing who is watching and understanding their expectations to be authentic to your foundation. How do you incorporate this Courageous Leadership into your Brand’s Foundation? Build a Culture of Trust; until your team trusts what you say, through action, it is just words. Ensure each Voice is heard; most understand that not all ideas are great, but give them a chance to express their thoughts. Establish a Vision; being able to express where you have been is easy; being able to envision where you are going is Visionary. Empower your Team; Empower your team to be proactive, providing solutions to potential problems that are not yet issues. Most brands are reactive, be proactive. Be Authentic; be authentic around the Vision you have set, both internally and externally. Everyone is watching, be TRUE to your Vision and DO NOT compromise. The barriers you face as a leader will always come, but you can conquer each without fear—your brand, teams, and community count on you to remain calm in the face of adversity. In my new book, an AMAZON Bestseller, The Visionary Brand, The Success Formula Behind the World’s Most Visionary Brands, I discuss these Visionary Brands and some of the Leaders who successfully navigated their brands to generational success. Leadership does not always mean the most intelligent voice in the room; more often than not, it is someone courageous with the faith to know all things work together successfully. If you are logical, compassionate, direct, and have the ability to see the future when others can not. Stay True, Stay Authentic, be Different, and be Great! Enjoy the Journey! Bryan Smeltzer, President LiquidMind Inc. #TheVisionaryPodcast #TheVisionaryBrandBook @LiquidMindsite.com @BryanSmeltzer.com © All rights reserved, Bryan Smeltzer, 20

The Visionary Chronicles Podcast CHRONICLE: September 20th, 2022 "Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase." Martin Luther King Jr. PODCAST: Team Leadership | 5 Things High Performing Teams do Consistently Hiring, building, and nurturing high-performance teams has long been a holy grail for brands. Each team has unique needs, personalities, and individual triggers that drive a passion in each team member. So how does a brand build a competent team and one who gets along with one another and consistently produces superior results…consistently, not just one-hit wonders? First, when looking at building a high-performance team, understand there are primary needs of each team and individuals; Autonomy; the ability to perform without hindrance. Competence; having the skill set to perform. Relatedness; being able to interact with other team members. Then there are the three levels of support and building effectiveness in the team; Dependance; INDIVIDUAL, the baby, the newbie, is learning from others. Crucial to have a process for onboarding. Interdependence; TEAM, working with a group and being part of a team, finding a solution together. Independence; LEADER, Leadership level, finding ways to make others successful. Be humble and grateful, and do not take credit for others' successes. So what are the 5 Things that High Performing Teams do Consistently? They are Real with each other; they express personal and professional emotions and share with the team, building a more intimate bond. They Share Praise; they are more likely to share praise with others vs. trying to take credit for themselves. Again, it's all about the team and no friction. They Bond; they spend more time together on non-work-related items and discussions. So it's not all about work! They are Strategic, not only with their work but, more importantly, with their time. They are finding ways to get more done in a shorter period of time. They are working together through Interdependence and Independence. They Communicate Directly; they are more likely to communicate through Voice vs. Text or e-mails. Be honest, be Live. Building, managing, and growing successful teams for your brand takes a commitment to process and action. The approach to getting team members up to speed and the effort to assure they are satisfied with what it takes to be a part of a successful team and brand! Stay True, Stay Authentic, be Different, and be Great! Enjoy the Journey! Bryan Smeltzer, President LiquidMind Inc. #TheVisionaryPodcast #TheVisionaryBrandBook @LiquidMindsite.com @BryanSmeltzer.com © All rights reserved, Bryan Smeltzer, 2022 This is content from my new book, The Visionary Brand, The Success Formula Behind the World's Most Visionary Brands. I am proud to announce that The Visionary Brand received a Readers Favorite Award for BEST MARKETING Book, and is an Amazon Bestseller! AMAZON: The Visionary Brand Book