The Undeniable Leader with Rob Cressy

How to Build a Brand That Can’t Be Replaced by AI

• Rob Cressy

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0:00 | 12:34

When everyone else is outsourcing everything to AI, there’s one skill that will still separate the best. In this episode of Built for the Game, Rob Cressy shares how authentic communication is becoming the real advantage on stage, on camera, and in business. He breaks down a powerful insight from Andy Frisella about brand building, plus shares why he committed to joining Jesse Itzler's Built To Speak retreat to help become Undeniable.

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Hey, it's Rob. You know that gap between who you are today and who you're capable of becoming? That's where I live. And I've built something for leaders who are done playing small. Undeniable is my group coaching program where you get the support to step into your next level. We work on the identity, the mindset, and the way of being that turns your vision into who you are. You get me as your coach, a community moving at your speed, and the belief that you belong at the top. If you're ready to become undeniable, go to joinundeniable.com. One of the biggest concerns that people have right now is that AI is going to replace them and their brand. And what I want to do with you is share two things that I'm seeing and that I've learned from two of my mentors, Andy Frisella and Jesse Isler, that shares the strategy of what I'm going all in on right now in the AI era to build an undeniable brand that will serve me and you into perpetuity. What's good? I'm Rob Cressy, and man, I feel 15 out of 10 excited right now because 2026 is starting off like a rocket ship and because I am designing it this way. And one of the things that I'm always going to do is share the signals of what I'm seeing and what I'm learning as it relates to the AI era. And of course, we all know that one of the biggest fears in the market right now is being replaced, right? And this past month, I got an opportunity to ask my mentor, Andy Frasella. I'm a part of uh his elite group called the RT Syndicate, a question around um, it was a brand building call. And the question was, hey Andy, do you see live streaming and podcasting being more important in the AI era because so much of what's out there is outsourcing their authenticity to AI. And what did he say? 100%. And the reason for this is because right now, when you look at content on social media, you're not sure what's real and what's fake, and this is only going to grow significantly bigger. So the thing that becomes an absolute superpower in the AI era is authenticity. That's why I've always been such a big believer in podcasting and in live streaming. Because you can see me, you can hear me, you can feel me and know this dude is real. Because while AI can create a story, it can't tell you a story of a call you were on with your mentor and what you learned and what the question was that you asked, and how that relates to building your business and brand, and then sharing that with all of the people that you want to serve and that you love. And the main point on all of this, aside from the authenticity, and this is the word that I'm tripling down on in the AI era to build an undeniable brand that cannot be replaced, it is communication. This is a skill, it's a soft skill, one that might not seem very sexy, right? You don't pop out of bed and be like, hey, I want to be a world-class communicator. But guess what? In the era with what we see and what we know going on, right? There's going to be more automation. Things are going to be more sterile. Once again, you don't know what is real and what is fake. So it's going to take the heart out of things, right? It's why I'm such a big believer in the human first, heart first approach to growing in the AI era. Because for me, this is an inside out strategy, not an outside in strategy. So much of the world in AI right now is talking about tech and tools and coding and automation. And I get it, and there's a place for that. But I would prefer to be swimming in the other direction, starting from an inside out perspective. Hey, what's alive in me right now? How can I build better humans, not replace humans? So when Andy said 100% live streaming and podcasting, because of the authentic connection, I was like, cool. The signals that I'm seeing, he's seeing too. Let's go, let's double down on this. And if you're sitting there right now and you're like, hey, I've never done a video, I've never done a podcast, I've never done a live stream, it's all good because now is the best place to start. And you can even just think about this strategically and say, hey, what is my company doing for this? Or what am I doing for this? Because this is where the market is going for the best in the world. So then, number two thing here is one of my mentors for the last, I don't know, five to 10 years has been Jesse Itzler. And I love Jesse because he brings an energy to life. Uh, design your life before your business, right? Build your life resume, 30 Days of Excellence, the big ass calendar club, right? Jesse is the one who helps you live your best life ever. And Jesse has a new program that he created, which is Built to Speak, a three-day speaking retreat about being world class at workshops, at speaking from stage, at communicating in boardrooms, and being a world-class storyteller. And this is something the second that I saw that, I was like, boom, shakalaka. I need to be in that intimate room because I am one of those dudes. And I'm someone who has already published over a thousand episodes. I've been hired professionally as a host of shows in the world of sports. So my coaching and my creating and my videos, I've got the reps and I've got that skill. I've got a background in improv and comedy writing. I spent four years at Second City learning this stuff, not to become a comedian, but instead to learn this skill set of one so that I could apply it to the way that I create value in the world. So when I'm sitting here and my goals for this year are to create more impact on a higher level, to speak on more stages, to create partnerships that I can create one-to-many relationships and serve and impact more people. And I'm like, you're telling me I get an opportunity to learn from the best in the world, right? Jesse is arguably the best speaker in the world. If you've ever seen Jesse speak, it is unlike anything else. He's got a DJ on there. He makes you feel something. Man, you feel alive. I want to learn from him. And because of that, I am doubling down my commitment on communication, right? So when the rest of the world is saying, let's outsource everything, what am I seeing? I got it, world. I see what you're saying with the AI error. I'm all in on this, and I'm gonna swim in a different direction, and I'm gonna build a long-term asset and skill in myself of being the best communicator in the world. Because one of the things that I learned early on in my uh journey as an entrepreneur is there's two things no one can ever take from you. Number one, your mindset, and number two, what you learn. And communication is a skill that improves as you get better at it. It is also something that has nuances, right? The way that you tell a story, the way that you make people feel things. And so much of what I'm seeing in the AI era right now is misplaced focus or shiny object syndrome. It's like, oh my God, there's just lottery tickets being given out everywhere. I got it, but the thing that I don't believe most people are seeing is you gotta put in the work. Uh, with the unlimited method that I created, uh, personalize, think, create, those are the three words for you. In the create section, creating is all around your ability to take your ideas and turn them into action. Because our goal is not to play Chat GBT, our goal is to leverage Chat GBT, to build the strategy, the clarity, and the roadmap so that we can take faster action, more decisive action to have that discernment in everything that we're doing. So, so many of these things that I share, they're nuances, they're stacking ones over zeros, and on a journey of greatness, it is often inches. And one of these inches for building a brand that AI can never replace is communication. So, my encouragement for you is as you look at 2026 and creating this into your best year ever, how are you leveling up your communication skills? And what does that look like? You don't have to live stream or podcast, but my encouragement for you is if you've never done it, take an improv class. Or I've got a lot of friends who've taken something from landmark, right? Or just go somewhere, try and go on stage as a comedian, right? And do a little five-minute set. Because one of the holistic things for success in the AI era is experience. The more you do it, the better you get. And the same is true with communication. And this is something you're not gonna hear from any of the gurus, right? Because they're just gonna try and sling tech and tools and coding and prompts and automation. And once again, I got it. I know where that lives. I can do that with my eyes closed, and so can you if you want to learn? But the true reality is what are those things that nobody else is seeing that no one can take away from you? And it is your ability to communicate better, to tell better stories, because you can do that for your company, for your brand, for your messaging, for your offers, for your family, for your relationships, right? It's the gift that keeps on giving. So this is my encouragement for you. This is what I'm doing. I'm going to be sharing over the next month and probably the entire year my journey of going through Jesse Itzler's Built to Speak retreat. It's three days, it's in Atlanta, it's in February. The things that I learn, the things that I see. And then uniquely for me, I'm coming in with an AI lens. I'm expecting, I'm expecting it to be a small, intimate room. I don't even really know what's about to go on, and that's totally cool with me. But it's gonna be a small, intimate room where I'm gonna learn from Jesse Itzler, and I'm probably gonna be one of the only ones there rolling in with AI being that thing that I'm talking about. But it's actually not about AI, it's all about this human first, heart-first approach to AI and how we can build ourselves to be better. And then once we can do that, we can do anything. So I would love to hear from you on this. When you look at building your brand in 2026 and not being replaced with AI, what are you seeing right now in the market? And how do you think about communication? And if this conversation vibes with you and you want this to be an undeniable year for you, hit me up at Rob Cressy and all social media platforms. Would love to have a conversation to see how I could support you on that journey and make this a year you will never forget. Sending tons of love and good vibes away. Here's to having an amazing rest of the day!