The world can be a difficult place, and at the end of the day we can all use a little more kindness in our lives.

As Mr. Rogers said it best in times of trouble, “look for the helpers.”

Well, we’ve found one.

For our final episode of Season 2, we were fortunate to welcome Rafi Yablonsky, the executive director of the Canadian Shaare Zedek Hospital Foundation.

Although based in Toronto, Rafi raises money for Shaare Zedek Hospital in Jerusalem, a pioneering medical facility which exports its research and discoveries to hospitals around the world.

If you’ve encountered Rafi at all or are familiar with his work within the Canadian Jewish community, you would know that his current role is completely on brand. Aside from his professional life working with nonprofits, Rafi has spent years building a personal brand centred around kindness.

With a vast network, he’s usually the first to come to the aid of anyone in trouble. He’s constantly offering to facilitate introductions, make recommendations, or offer strategic advice for others’ benefit.

We had Rafi on the show at a time of serious struggle for Toronto’s Jewish community, where Rafi is an established leader. Antisemitism has been on a steady rise for months, with threats and incidents taking place right in his own backyard. Yet to his credit, Rafi has never stopped leading with kindness.

Alicia and Shaun took the time to ask Rafi about

• His journey into the world of fundraising

• What keeps him motivated to help others

• How he manages to keep a positive disposition in a difficult world

• Whose philanthropy he looks up to

• What advice he has for someone looking to lead with kindness

We also looked at some of our favourite kind celebrities, including a couple of names that may surprise you!

On a personal note, we want to thank you all so much for listening to and watching our podcast. We’ve decided to cut Season 2 a little short, but we’re excited to return to the air for Season 3 with new guests, and maybe even a new format! Stay tuned!

In the meantime, if you get a craving in the off season and want to check out our old episodes, you can do that at:

https://www.brandingandthebeast.com

Or on our Youtube channel

OR wherever you get your podcasts!

Want to follow our professional journeys? You can find us here

Alicia Disantis - 38th and Kip Design and Branding

https://38andkip.com/

IG: @38andkip

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/38th-kip-design-marketing/

Shaun Bernstein - The Write Stuff Agency

https://www.thewritestuff.agency/

IG: @thewritestuffagency

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shaun-bernstein/

So, what would YOU do when your guest has to reschedule at the last minute?

Well, if you're Alicia and Shaun, you improvise! Instead of interviewing our guest for Episode 18 (stay tuned), we did a mini episode asking each other questions about our industry and learning from each other as always.

We spoke about our respective creative processes, how we're handling AI, our favourite parts of our businesses, and the stuff that we just can't stand!

Want us to do more of these? Let us know! Email us at alicia@38andkip.com or shaun@thewritestuff.agency and tell us what you thought of us going off the cuff. If we get some good feedback, we might even make it a regular thing!

To honor International Women's Month, we wanted to turn our focus to some women in leadership, especially within the branding space.

Alicia was lucky enough to find us two amazing guests - Lauren Culp and Robbie Young, the President & CEO, and VP of Strategic Growth (respectively) of CUInsight, a marketing powerhouse within the credit union movement.

Both Lauren and Robbie are leaders within their space, and also happen to be female leaders navigating a traditionally male-dominated world of finance. Together, we looked at:

• How to create a psychologically healthy and safe workspace
• Recognizing the biases that each of us carry
• Integrating various generations within the workplace
• When we can stop saying 'female CEO' and just say 'CEO'

Plus, hear Alicia wildly mispronounce the word 'Peloton,' and learn why Season 3 is going to be our spiciest one yet!

Follow our website or subscribe to us on Youtube to see video recordings of each of our episodes, or follow Alicia and Shaun professionally and personally at:

Alicia Disantis, 38th and Kip

Website: https://38andkip.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/38th-kip-design-marketing/

Instagram: @38andkip

Shaun Bernstein, The Write Stuff Agency

Website: https://www.thewritestuff.agency/

LinkedIn (personal): https://www.linkedin.com/in/shaun-bernstein/

Instagram: @thewritestuffagency

In the earliest days of a small business, a new brand likely won’t be a household name. Most founders get things started while they’re still fleshing out their vision, finding their product market fit, and really learning what their ‘brand’ actually is. As that business grows though, the most important thing that a brand can have to support it becoming more widely known is clear and consistent messaging. If people don’t understand what you do, or don’t know how they can help, they’re highly unlikely to reach out to you. It’s great to pique someone’s interest, but it’s way too easy to get lost in the shuffle. In this episode, hosts Alicia Disantis and Shaun Bernstein speak with Christine Campbell Rapin, who is one of the finest branding experts north of the border. She understands intimately well how to package a message into bite-size, easily-understood pieces that are memorable, and that resonate with an audience instead of confusing them. In this episode, we explore: 1. The biggest mistake that new businesses make as they launch new brands and services. 2. Top tips to distil down a complex message. 3. Real-world examples of marketing that has just the right amount of clarity? 4. Christine's three top branding tips. 💯About Our Guest: Christine Campbell Rapin https://christinecampbellrapin.com/ 

LinkedIn: christinecampbell1   👋About Your Hosts: Alicia Disantis, Founder of @38andkip Website: 38andkip.com LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/38th-kip-design-marketing/ Instagram: @38andkip Shaun Bernstein, Founder and Chief Storyteller of The Write Stuff Agency

Website: www.thewritestuff.agency LinkedIn (personal):   / shaun-bernstein   Instagram: @thewritestuffagency Listen, Watch, Review and Subscribe!

In a time when skilled labor is hard to come by, how do you attract, and retain the level of talent needed to be successful as a business owner? Especially when running a business in an industry that's high-turnover and highly-saturated, like a marketing agency? The answer: a strong internal brand. Internal branding (also known as employee branding) is as important as corporate branding, yet discussed far less often. Your employees are your brand, and if they don’t believe in your company, you’ll never succeed. In this episode, hosts Alicia Disantis and Shaun Bernstein interview Aaron Metzger, Founder of Genius Digital Marketing and a stellar example of how to build a team through powerful internal branding. Whether it’s a strong mission and beliefs, paid “wellness” days, or hilarious photoshoots, business owners from all industries can learn a thing or from Aaron’s business acumen. In this episode, we explore: 1. Aaron's path to agency ownership and being “the boss.” 2. One of Aaron's most challenging things about leading a team in 2023. 3. Walking the line between company values and ethics. 4. Aaron's top three tips for leaders and companies to create a passionate, engaged team. 💯About Our Guest: Aaron Metzger: https://www.geniusdm.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/aaronmetz... 📖 Chapters: 👋About Your Hosts: Alicia Disantis, Founder of @38andkip Website: https://38andkip.com/https://38andkip.com/ LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/38th-kip-design-marketing/ Instagram: @38andkip Shaun Bernstein, Founder and Chief Storyteller of The Write Stuff Agency Website: www.thewritestuff.agency LinkedIn (personal): https://www.linkedin.com/in/shaun-ber... Instagram: @thewritestuffagency Listen, Watch, Review and Subscribe! 👉 Like what you watched? Subscribe to Branding and the Beast on YouTube @brandingandthebeast

In this special part 2 of our series on invisible disability, your hosts Alicia Disantis and Shaun Bernstein speak with Tim Reitsma about how invisible disabilities continue to remain just that - invisible.

The disability community is one of the largest forgotten minorities, but it's even harder for those with invisible disabilities.

So many of us are walking around with challenges that impact our daily lives, from how we take in information to how we move around in the world, and most of those around us may not have a clue. For this episode we spoke with Tim Reitsma out of Vancouver, BC, a workplace culture expert and now a disability activist.

Tim has been wrestling with his own invisible condition for decades, but when his health took a turn several months ago and he wound up in emergency surgery, he realized it was important to shed light on what was previously unseen. Tim is in the process of launching his own podcast on invisible conditions, and we were fortunate enough to have him on our show. Topics in this episode include:

1. How Tim made the decision to go public with his illness and the reaction that followed 2. How Tim's employer and colleagues responded to his illness, both negatively and positively 3. The impact that the pandemic had on those within the disability community 4. How those stradled with fear can begin to work through disclosure Join us for the second part of our two-part series on disability. 💯About Our Guest: Tim Reitsma: https://www.linkedin.com/in/timreitsma/ 📖 Chapters: 👋About Your Hosts: Alicia Disantis, Founder of @38andkip Website: 38andkip.com LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/38th-kip-design-marketing/ Instagram: @38andkip Shaun Bernstein, Founder and Chief Storyteller of The Write Stuff Agency

Website: www.thewritestuff.agency LinkedIn (personal): https://www.linkedin.com/in/shaun-ber... Instagram: @thewritestuffagency Listen, Watch, Review and Subscribe! 👉 Like what you watched? Subscribe to Branding and the Beast on YouTube @brandingandthebeast 👉Prefer to listen? The audio version is on Google Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts @ Branding and the Beast

In this episode, your hosts Alicia Disantis and Shaun Bernstein discuss the power of marketing specifically towards the disability community - a large portion of the population that often goes unnoticed.
We've spoken about marketing within various communities before, but the disability community flies so far under the radar. 
One in four adults in the United States have some form of disability, and the statistics are similar in Canada. These can range from visible disabilities that impact mobility or vision, to invisible disabilities such as anxiety and depression, or a bleeding disorder. 
While the community gets painted with a broad brush, there are countless differences that should not be ignored. A person with hearing loss has different needs than a wheelchair user, and not everyone is impacted in the same way. One person with low vision might read braille, while another may not. 

In this episode we speak with Lori Frisher, the Denver, Colorado-based owner of Ready Or Not! Media. Lori herself is hearing impaired, and relies on internal implants to hear. Lori is also a sought-after speaker, and an expert on marketing to the disability community.

Topics in this episode include:

1. How Lori works with companies to better engage persons with disabilities
2. How negative stereotypes regularly impact persons with disabilities
3. How those with disabilities often become advocates out of necessity
4. What brands can do when they've made a misstep in communicating disabilities

Join us in our first of a two-part series about learning how to better work with those with disabilities.

About OurGuest: Lori Frisher: 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/lorifrisher/

 https://readyornotmedia.com/

About Your Hosts:

Alicia Disantis, Founder of 38th & Kip Studio: 

Website: 38andkip.com 

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/38th-kip-design-marketing 

Instagram: @38andkip

Shaun Bernstein, Founder and Chief Storyteller of The Write Stuff Agency

Website: www.thewritestuff.agency

LinkedIn (personal): https://www.linkedin.com/in/shaun-bernstein/

Instagram: @thewritestuffagency

Listen, Watch, Review and Subscribe!  

Like what you watched? Subscribe to Branding and the Beast on YouTube @brandingandthebeast

Prefer to listen? The audio version is on Google Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts @ Branding and the Beast

In this episode, your hosts Alicia Disantis and Shaun Bernstein discuss the power of authenticity in your digital presence and the impact it can have on your business and career. We’ve spoken a lot about personal branding - in episode 9 with Anna Hockett, we talked about the importance of building your personal brand, and in episode 10 with Jared Kligerman we talked about having a brand as a CPG founder, and injecting your personality into what you do. Building your brand with authenticity, though, takes things to a whole other level. It’s one thing to build an exterior shell as a professional - it’s another thing entirely to do so with vulnerability, letting your audience see behind the business formalwear into how you market yourself not just based on your professional resume, but as YOU. In this episode, we speak with Victoria Asikis, an Ottawa-based lawyer with Gowling WLG, a major international law firm. Victoria is no stranger to having to put on a professional veneer, yet she’s also incorporated her personal struggles and vulnerability - including with mental health and anxiety - into part of her professional brand. Topics include: 1. How Victoria has turned her hardships into some of her greatest strengths 2. How to include vulnerability in your branding 3. Victoria's top three tips on sharing personal content 4. How to maintain a balance between professional and personal within your digital presence Join us as we learn how to become more authentic as professionals. 💯About Our Guest: Victoria Asikis: https://www.linkedin.com/in/victoria-...https://gowlingwlg.com/en/people/vict... 📖Reading: Crying at work: https://www.forbes.com/sites/bryanrob... 👋About Your Hosts: Alicia Disantis, Founder of 38th & Kip Studio:

38andkip.com www.linkedin.com/company/38th-kip-design-marketing @38andkip Shaun Bernstein, Founder of The Write Stuff Agency:

www.thewritestuff.agency

www.linkedin.com/in/shaun-bernstein

@thewritestuffagency Listen, Watch, Review and Subscribe! 👉 Like what you watched? Subscribe to Branding and the Beast on YouTube @brandingandthebeast