In this episode of the Fully Managed Podcast, Shannon sits down with creative strategist Jose Alonso for a deep and honest conversation on branding—from viral missteps to founder identity to building brand loyalty that actually lasts. They kick things off with a game of Brand Therapy, where Jose must diagnose and fix a fictional eco-brand’s public crisis. From there, Jose shares real-life stories of brand disasters he’s helped resolve, offers a practical framework for handling public backlash, and unpacks why empathy is the most underrated brand tool in today’s AI-saturated, always-online landscape. Whether you’re a founder trying to scale, a marketer rethinking strategy, or just someone who wants to better understand what makes a brand truly stand out—this episode will challenge how you think about branding.
Three Things You’ll Learn:
How to respond to a brand crisis without panicking—and the one thing every founder forgets to do first.
Why empathy is your brand’s most powerful advantage—especially in an AI-driven world.
How to create a brand that lives beyond the founder—and avoid the trap of “personal brand dependency.”