Podcast · 39 episodes
Anatomy of a Brand Podcast With Chris Cruz
by Anatomy of a Brand Podcast with Chris Cruz · English
We make founders & leaders smarter about building brands that win. This podcast is for founders, creators, and teams who aren’t here to play it safe. Anatomy of a Brand explores the mindset, strategy, and creative decisions behind brands that make history. Produce by Kidagain. Here you’ll find: • Candid conversations with founders, CMO's and execs • Deep dives into brand launches, rebrands, and reinventions • Behind-the-scenes strategy and storytelling
Latest episodes
What It Means To Build Against The Algorithm | Episode 40 w/ Aaron Underwood.Brand identity design that resists “algorithmic” cleverness by prioritizing story, craft, and emotional connection; plus how Aaron Underwood builds client relationships through process, vintage…26 Aug 2026 · 41 min
What Nobody Tells You About Betting Your Life on an Idea | Episode 39 w/ Aubrey & Tyler O'LaskeyThe episode argues that “betting your life on an idea” isn’t just external risk; it changes who you are internally—especially when there’s no plan B.11 Aug 2026 · 46 min
How to Stop Waiting For Leads and Get Fully Booked | AOAB Episode 37 w/ Laura HigginsLaura Higgins (The Next Level Club) explains how burnout derailed her coaching business and how she rebuilt lead generation with a “chooser not beggar” mindset and a repeatable content-to-funnel…29 Jul 2026 · 1 h 5 min
All episodes
What It Means To Build Against The Algorithm | Episode 40 w/ Aaron Underwood.Brand identity design that resists “algorithmic” cleverness by prioritizing story, craft, and emotional connection; plus how Aaron Underwood builds client relationships through process, vintage…26 Aug 2026 · 41 min · 21 chapters
What Nobody Tells You About Betting Your Life on an Idea | Episode 39 w/ Aubrey & Tyler O'LaskeyThe episode argues that “betting your life on an idea” isn’t just external risk; it changes who you are internally—especially when there’s no plan B.11 Aug 2026 · 46 min · 20 chapters
How to Stop Waiting For Leads and Get Fully Booked | AOAB Episode 37 w/ Laura HigginsLaura Higgins (The Next Level Club) explains how burnout derailed her coaching business and how she rebuilt lead generation with a “chooser not beggar” mindset and a repeatable content-to-funnel…29 Jul 2026 · 1 h 5 min · 27 chapters
5x Ironman, 15+ Brands: The Customer-Acquisition-First Playbook w/ Eric Hinman | AOAB Episode 38Eric Hinman explains his “customer-acquisition-first” playbook for DTC/CPG wellness brands, built on human relationships, product seeding, community events, and ROI/LTV-to-CAC discipline rather than…28 Jul 2026 · 43 min · 20 chapters
Taste Is Your Only Unfair Advantage (And AI Can't Touch It) | AOAB Episode 36 with Matt LehmanVisual identity design and brand confidence—why “taste” and judgment stay human even as AI grows; how creative confidence forms through failure and evidence; tactical process for rebrands/new brands…30 Jun 2026 · 1 h · 24 chapters
Why She Bet Everything on a $5 Cookie | AOAB w/ Whitney Miller Episode 35Episode 35 of AOAB features Whitney Miller, MasterChef winner (age 21) and founder of Whitney’s Cookies.16 Jun 2026 · 40 min · 20 chapters
How to Build a Content Team That Actually Works | AOAB Episode 34 w/ Oren JohnEpisode 34 of Anatomy of a Brand is about building a modern content team that runs a “content flywheel” with measurable ROI.2 Jun 2026 · 43 min · 26 chapters
Dave Ramsey’s 5 Stages of Growth (And Why Most Businesses Stall) | AOAB Ep. 33 with John FelkinsHow businesses scale when success once depended on one charismatic founder; John Felkins explains Dave Ramsey’s “5 stages of business growth” from working in the business to building leadership,…19 May 2026 · 54 min · 21 chapters
What Therapists Know About Founders That Founders Won't Admit | w/ Three Percent Co. Ep. 32Vulnerability as a competitive advantage for founders and therapists; how “3%” (the small part people hide) fuels shame, loneliness, and business dysfunction; practical ways to notice resentment, set…5 May 2026 · 1 h · 28 chapters
What the Man Behind 3 Billion Organic Impressions Actually Thinks About Virality w/ Caleb Ralston Ep. 31Caleb Ralston argues against chasing virality; instead he emphasizes “hidden growth,” trust-building, and iteration over tactics.21 Apr 2026 · 1 h 4 min · 39 chapters
The Brands Winning Right Now Are Weird, Human, and a Little Embarrassing | w/ Mike Payne Ep. 30Why today’s winning brands focus on human, “weird/camp” content and slow, steady audience growth instead of chasing virality or AI-only production.7 Apr 2026 · 45 min · 28 chapters
The More You Talk About the Pain, the Better Your Product Sells | W/ Donald Miller Ep. 29Episode 29 of Anatomy of a Brand features StoryBrand CEO Donald Miller, interviewed by Chris Cruz.24 Mar 2026 · 1 h 7 min · 30 chapters
A Family's Unexpected Path to Brand Success | AOAB w/ Ben Eggebrecht Episode 28How Consider the Wildflowers turned Emily’s handmade side work into a fine-jewelry brand trusted for life milestones, including engagement moments and heirloom legacy—without sacrificing family peace.10 Mar 2026 · 44 min · 17 chapters
How To Get Really Good At Branding: A Branding Masterclass With José Pablo | AOAB Ep. 27Branding masterclass arguing that trust comes from a connected, real-world “universe” of every touchpoint (not logos or isolated design).17 Feb 2026 · 1 h · 35 chapters
Why Creators Burn Out Even When They Are Winning (And How To Avoid It) | w/ Giancarlo Ep. 26Why creators burn out even when they’re “winning,” arguing the industry overfocuses on gear and ignores leadership, communication, and sustainable life design.5 Feb 2026 · 44 min · 20 chapters
How to Grow Revenue Without Diluting Brand (Inside Red Bull, Fjällräven & Benchmade) | Joe Prebich Episode 25How to grow revenue without diluting brand—using long-form storytelling, customer listening, and bold experiential/media bets tied to long-term lifetime value.23 Jan 2026 · 51 min · 19 chapters
Two Moms Who Bet on Themselves and Built An Authentic Brand | With Nic + Maude Founders Ep. 24Nic + Maude founders Leah Loren LaRue and Nicole Johnson discuss building their custom hat brand through friendship, risk, and motherhood—starting from garage/basement production to opening a retail…6 Jan 2026 · 45 min · 20 chapters
From Start-Up to the Fastest Growing Cookie Brand (How They Did It) | With Toto Cookies Ep. 23Toto Cookies’ origin and scaling story—turning founder Sydney Webb’s Crohn’s and colon-cancer scare into a “Toll House 2.0” natural cookie brand, then growing from hand-mixed batches to 400,000…16 Dec 2025 · 41 min · 15 chapters
How to Know if You're Content is Really FailingThe episode argues that “content failure” is often a metric mismatch.9 Dec 2025 · 32 min · 13 chapters
How to Break The Freelance Spiral and Scale a Business | With Paul Weaver Ep. 21Paul Weaver, a freelance photographer turned educator, explains how creatives escape the “freelance spiral” by building business systems and scaling through six pillars: positioning, portfolio,…25 Nov 2025 · 41 min · 20 chapters
The Unconventional Lesson Behind This Brand’s Decade of Success | Dave Allee Ep. 20David Alley, founder/CEO of Almond Surfboards, explains how the brand built decade-long success by serving “everyday waves” (often 2–4 ft, small and windy) instead of chasing surf-mag hype.19 Nov 2025 · 43 min · 20 chapters
How He Turned a Tattoo Idea Into a Viral Product | Episode 19 with Corbin BriggsCorbin Briggs (Illumino Heart Inc.) explains how he turned a tattoo-artist problem into a viral, $100k/month product—using scrappy prototyping, organic social content, and IP protection against…11 Nov 2025 · 55 min · 24 chapters
The Sales Advice Every Entrepreneur Needs to Hear | Trey Dunavant Ep. 18How entrepreneurs and sales leaders should sell by helping prospects make decisions, avoiding “sales at all costs,” and coaching teams through consultative inbound selling.4 Nov 2025 · 50 min · 23 chapters
Inside Pink's Window Services Playbook Worth Millions | With Carter Smith Ep. 17Pink’s Window Service’s origin and growth from two laid-off Baylor grads cleaning windows in Austin (2020) to a nationwide franchised brand (~100 locations in five years), emphasizing “flip the…21 Oct 2025 · 32 min · 15 chapters