What happens when you build brand love from the ground up – and actually mean it?

You get an approach that’s part Nike discipline, part Bugaboo heart, and it works.

Dives into the tactical how of scaling a brand through hyper-local community building, influencer relationships that last years, and turning your customer service team into your brand’s secret weapon.

Paul sits down with Jeanelle Teves (Chief Commercial Officer @ Bugaboo | ex-Nike) to unpack the brand’s standout growth in North America, hearing exactly how they’re rewriting the rulebook for consumer-first marketing.

Jeanelle’s expertise in blending brand heritage, innovation & Advocacy offers a masterclass in what today’s fashion, beauty & lifestyle brands should be laser-focused on.

Turn this one up to learn how to...

• Niche Down to Scale Up: Bugaboo’s local-first strategy is a sharp reminder that deeper beats wider. Jeanelle shares how focusing on key territories and growing real-world communities supercharges digital brand perception, and why brands spreading themselves too thin risk irrelevance.

• Build Advocacy That Outlasts Campaigns: From long-term creator relationships to micro-level community events, Jeanelle lays out why the future is loyalty over reach; and how Bugaboo turns everyday parents into lifelong Brand Advocates.

• Mine Your Service Team for Gold: Forget surface-level insights. Bugaboo’s customer service team solves more than problems – they’re shaping product development, content strategy, and sales. Jeanelle explains how integrating service into marketing unlocks growth most brands miss.

• Let Creators Lead, Their Way: Authenticity is more than a buzzword. Jeanelle breaks down Bugaboo’s philosophy of letting creators share stories their way – without rigid scripts – and how that trust translates into Advocacy that’s credible and contagious.

This is a rare look at what it really takes to build brand equity in a crowded market – straight from a leader who’s done it at the top.

Listen. Note-take. Implement.

Chapters

00:00 How Engagement Builds Real Community

02:06 Brand Lessons from the School of Nike

05:40 Designing Products Around the Consumer

09:52 Customer Listening: Where The Insight Starts

11:43 Making DTC Work

12:12 Bridging Customer Service & Product Innovation

17:13 What Modern Parents Really Want

20:52 Why Awards Still Shape Consumer Trust

22:32 Turning Advocacy into a Marketing Engine

24:31 Driving Community Through Local Events

27:01 The Impact of Personal Connection

28:32 Building Your Personal Board of Directors

30:13 How Strong Relationships Drive Loyalty

32:37 Meeting Consumers Where They Scroll

35:05 Localisation that Scales

39:31 Double Down on Core Communities

45:04 Sustainability as a Non-Negotiable Brand Value

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Connect with Jeanelle:

On Bugaboo's US Instagram

On Bugaboo’s Website

Disruption isn’t a claim. It’s a commitment.

This week, Verity sits down with Leah Uka (Chief Brand Officer @ Jewells) who shares how to build a brand that actually does things differently. From Combat Medic to Founder to global Brand Leader, Leah’s path defies the expected – and so does her approach to brand-building.

Jewells is set to reframe the jewelry space by making every product personal, every store unforgettable, and every customer a potential Advocate. Leah’s insights are razor-sharp; cutting through the noise around content, community, and scale to deliver real lessons for fashion, beauty & retail marketers.

Dive in. Unpack how to:

• Find Your First 10 Advocates & Grow from There: Leah explains why early believers are the backbone of any successful brand, and how to identify and nurture them from day one.

• Create Products That Do More Than Look Good: Jewells’ Memory Stacks are designed to layer meaning and memory – not just metal. A product strategy built on emotion, beyond aesthetics.

• Build an Omnichannel Experience That’s Worth Talking About: From scent to sound, Jewells’ in-store experience extends online – seamlessly. It’s about making every customer touchpoint memorable and Advocacy-ready.

• Scale at Speed, Without Cutting Corners: The myth of "selling out in five minutes"? Leah calls it bad planning. She’s lifting the lid on "community events” that don’t translate to revenue, too. This is how to build systems that support real, sustainable growth.

If you’re tired of copycat tactics and looking for original thinking, this conversation’s for you.

Listen in. Rethink what disruption should look like, when it’s done right.

Chapters

00:00 The Real Power of Brand Advocacy

02:10 Retail Disruption: What’s Changing Fast

08:07 A Career Path Like No Other

12:03 How to Build Trust in Emerging Categories

18:15 Engaging Advocates Who Drive Growth

20:05 Crafting a Consistent Global Brand

21:43 Delivering a True Omni-Channel Experience

23:39 How to Scale & Scale Fast

24:23 Making Customer Experience Seamless

25:51 Why Team Engagement Is Non-Negotiable

29:26 When Employee Advocacy Pays Off

30:32 The Must-Know Steps for Global Scaling

32:53 The Brands Breaking New Ground

34:11 Authenticity vs. Content Overload: Striking the Balance

40:40 What’s Fueling Excitement for New Launches

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Connect with Leah:

On Instagram

On LinkedIn

Affiliate links? No thanks.

Pop-ups over panels? Think again.

A content creator using AI to replace herself? Now we’re listening.

Season 2 of Building Brand Advocacy is officially in-swing.

This week, Verity’s in New York with Gigi Robinson – a Creator Expert, Social Specialist, Founder, Chronic Illness Advocate, and trusted partner to brands like Liquid IV, obé Fitness, and Stanford University (yes, really).

If you want a real-time pulse check on how creators are thinking (and how your brand should be collaborating) you won’t find a realer guide than Gigi.

The partnerships that worked in 2017? They don’t land in 2025. The best creators now expect co-creation, cross-platform collaboration, and a seat at the strategy table.

It’s time to ditch the playbook, and build something better.

Turn this episode on & up to learn how to…

• Bin the Conversion-at-All-Costs Model: Gigi breaks down why affiliate deals often miss the mark, and how misaligned incentives turn creators into unpaid salespeople. Instead: hybrid models, consent-first structures, and a focus on value over volume.

• Build with Creators, Not Just Through Them: The smartest brands are already collaborating before content hits the feed. When creators understand the “why,” they deliver work that moves people – not just products.

• Rethink the Role of Real-Life: Pop-ups get attention. Panels and curated dinners create Advocates. Learn why deeper, more intentional offline moments are the real unlock for connection.

• Use AI the Way Creators Actually Are: From replacing assistants to scaling content across five platforms from one idea, creators are using AI now. Marketers who embrace this shift can brief better, expect more, and move faster.

• Understand the Creator Lifecycle: Micro, macro, mega – it’s not a straight line anymore. Learn what marketers are missing when creators ‘grow out’ of their lane, and how to evolve with them instead of cycling them out.

This isn’t about more than content. It’s about connection.

This conversation will challenge you, while giving you the steps to start again, smarter.

Listen. Rethink. Build better partnerships.

Chapters

00:00 – Finding What Authenticity Really Looks Like

07:05 – The Creator Economy Has Only Just Begun

13:04 – Why Affiliate Models Are Missing the Mark

18:56 – How Brand-Creator Relationships Are Evolving

25:10 – AI, Live Shopping & the Future of Content

32:06 – What Brands Still Get Wrong About Advocacy

Rate & review Building Brand Advocacy:

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Connect with Gigi:

On LinkedIn

On Instagram

On TikTok