We Gave Founders 5 Minutes of PR Advice – Here's What They Needed to Hear

We Gave Founders 5 Minutes of PR Advice – Here's What They Needed to Hear

From early-stage startups to seven-figure brands, every founder is asking the same questions: How do I grow? Where is my audience? What actually works in PR today?  In this SXSW special, we answer those questions in real time – giving founders just 5 minutes each to unlock smarter, more strategic approaches to visibility, storytelling, and growth. From scaling beyond referrals to refining your brand identity and finding the right rooms, these rapid-fire conversations reveal the patterns, mistakes, and opportunities shaping modern business today.  Whether you’re just starting out or looking to level up, consider this your fast-track guide to modern PR. This episode is packed with actionable insights you can apply immediately.  New podcast episodes drop every Wednesday, hosted by Cris Gordon, Head of Beauty at MMC.   🎙️ Subscribe on Spotify [https://bit.ly/brandidlyspeakingpodcastspotify] | Apple Podcasts [https://bit.ly/brandidlyspeakingpodcastapple] | YouTube [https://bit.ly/brandidlyspeakingYT]  👍 Follow @Brandidly_Speaking on Instagram [https://bit.ly/brandidlyspeakingIG], LinkedIn [https://bit.ly/brandidlyspeakinglinkedin], and TikTok [https://bit.ly/brandidlyspeakingTT] and MMC on Instagram [https://bit.ly/MMCInstagram] and LinkedIn [https://bit.ly/MMClinkedin].  📲 We'd love to hear from you: hello@hellommc.com [hello@hellommc.com]

Why The Best Brand Strategy is Alignment | Jen Hayes Lee, Head of Marketing and Content at The Bump

What’s the most powerful metric for your brand? Shares.  This week on Brandidly Speaking, Cris Gordon sits down with Jen Hayes Lee, Head of Marketing and Content at The Bump, to unpack how she’s built a brand that parents are actively recommending to one another.  From scaling one of the most trusted platforms in parenting to fostering a deeply engaged community, Jen shares how a clear understanding of brand values and audience needs has been central to creating content that consistently outperforms. In the episode we dive into the role of strategic partnerships and how to choose the right ones, how brands can create content that feels human, and what it takes to scale while maintaining the feeling of a small, connected community. New podcast episodes drop every Wednesday, hosted by Cris Gordon, Head of Beauty at MMC.   🎙️ Subscribe on Spotify [https://bit.ly/brandidlyspeakingpodcastspotify] | Apple Podcasts [https://bit.ly/brandidlyspeakingpodcastapple] | YouTube [https://bit.ly/brandidlyspeakingYT]  👍 Follow @Brandidly_Speaking on Instagram [https://bit.ly/brandidlyspeakingIG], LinkedIn [https://bit.ly/brandidlyspeakinglinkedin], and TikTok [https://bit.ly/brandidlyspeakingTT] and MMC on Instagram [https://bit.ly/MMCInstagram] and LinkedIn [https://bit.ly/MMClinkedin].  📲 We'd love to hear from you: hello@hellommc.com [hello@hellommc.com]

The Real Way Doctors are Building Credibility Online with Dr. Sheila Farhang

In today’s healthcare landscape, you must have both the expertise AND the ability to communicate it clearly to build genuine trust with your patients.  In this episode of Brandidly Speaking, Cris sits down with Dr. Sheila Farhang, double board-certified dermatologist and founder of Avant Dermatology, to unpack what it really takes to build trust as a medical expert in the digital age. From growing her platform organically over more than a decade to becoming a go-to voice across social media, Dr. Farhang shares how she’s navigated the shift from seeing patients to trusted public authority without losing her patient-first values.   Cris and Dr. Farhang also explore how brand visibility is now shaped by everything from press coverage to digital footprint, and what founders in healthcare need to understand if they want to reach the right audiences in a meaningful way.   This conversation is a must-listen for healthcare founders, doctors, and experts who know they have something important to say, but want to make sure it lands, builds trust, and reaches the people who need it most.  New podcast episodes drop every Wednesday, hosted by Cris Gordon, Head of Beauty at MMC.   🎙️ Subscribe on Spotify [https://bit.ly/brandidlyspeakingpodcastspotify] | Apple Podcasts [https://bit.ly/brandidlyspeakingpodcastapple] | YouTube [https://bit.ly/brandidlyspeakingYT]  👍 Follow @Brandidly_Speaking on Instagram [https://bit.ly/brandidlyspeakingIG], LinkedIn [https://bit.ly/brandidlyspeakinglinkedin], and TikTok [https://bit.ly/brandidlyspeakingTT] and MMC on Instagram [https://bit.ly/MMCInstagram] and LinkedIn [https://bit.ly/MMClinkedin].  📲 We'd love to hear from you: hello@hellommc.com [hello@hellommc.com]

How Lisa Hanna Went From Miss World & Political Leader to Building a Beauty Brand, and What Founders Can Learn

What does it take to build a brand story that goes beyond surface level in the beauty industry?  In this episode, Lisa Hanna, former Miss World, global political leader, and now beauty founder, shares why understanding the entire industry is the foundation for building a brand that truly stands out.  After decades on the world stage and in government, Lisa entered the beauty industry to build something with meaning. And that meant learning every layer of the business, from formulation and finance to global markets and strategy.  This conversation goes far beyond beauty, and it teaches us about the discipline and leadership it takes to build a brand with depth in an industry driven by noise.  If you’re building a brand, or want to, this episode will change how you think about storytelling, strategy, and long-term success.  New podcast episodes drop every Wednesday, hosted by Cris Gordon, Head of Beauty at MMC.   🎙️ Subscribe on Spotify [https://bit.ly/brandidlyspeakingpodcastspotify] | Apple Podcasts [https://bit.ly/brandidlyspeakingpodcastapple] | YouTube [https://bit.ly/brandidlyspeakingYT]  👍 Follow @Brandidly_Speaking on Instagram [https://bit.ly/brandidlyspeakingIG], LinkedIn [https://bit.ly/brandidlyspeakinglinkedin], and TikTok [https://bit.ly/brandidlyspeakingTT] and MMC on Instagram [https://bit.ly/MMCInstagram] and LinkedIn [https://bit.ly/MMClinkedin].  📲 We'd love to hear from you: hello@hellommc.com [hello@hellommc.com]

Building a Trusted Brand in a Crowded Category: The Gut Personal Story with Bridgitte Mallinson

How do you break through in the crowded supplement market where new products are getting launched left and right?    In this episode, Bridgitte Malinson, founder of Gut Personal, breaks down how she built a cult-favorite wellness brand by blending clinical credibility with community-first marketing. From strategic PR placements to organic storytelling, she focused on building trust through earned media and expert validation, positioning the brand as both authoritative and approachable. Instead of relying on paid ads or empty trends, she focused on real connection, education, and personalized experiences that make customers feel seen.  For brand founders, this is a masterclass in modern brand building: how to make your product feel aspirational, how to leverage PR to build credibility and awareness, how to turn affiliates into true brand advocates, and how to stand out in a saturated category without losing credibility.  If you’re building in a space that feels crowded,  this conversation will show you how to make it matter, make it trusted, and make it grow.  New podcast episodes drop every Wednesday, hosted by Cris Gordon, Head of Beauty at MMC.   🎙️ Subscribe on Spotify [https://bit.ly/brandidlyspeakingpodcastspotify] | Apple Podcasts [https://bit.ly/brandidlyspeakingpodcastapple] | YouTube [https://bit.ly/brandidlyspeakingYT]  👍 Follow @Brandidly_Speaking on Instagram [https://bit.ly/brandidlyspeakingIG], LinkedIn [https://bit.ly/brandidlyspeakinglinkedin], and TikTok [https://bit.ly/brandidlyspeakingTT] and MMC on Instagram [https://bit.ly/MMCInstagram] and LinkedIn [https://bit.ly/MMClinkedin].  📲 We'd love to hear from you: hello@hellommc.com [hello@hellommc.com]