“I Had to Stop Building Someone Else’s Empire” — Rande Vick on Reclaiming Creativity and Control

Cut The Tie Podcast with Rande Vick

What happens when your dream job becomes the thing that drains the joy out of you? In this episode of Cut The Tie, Thomas Helfrich sits down with branding strategist, author, and musician Rande Vick. After spending more than two decades in the musical instruments industry with iconic brands like Yamaha and Fender, Rande learned the hard way what happens when your identity gets tied too tightly to your job.

When the pandemic hit, and his corporate role disappeared overnight, Rande was forced to confront a deeper truth. He had spent years building someone else's brand while quietly sidelining his own ideas, creativity, and entrepreneurial drive. That moment became the catalyst for launching The Vick Agency and developing his science-based Neuro Brand Method, helping companies create brands that live rent-free in the minds of their customers.

About Rande Vick

Rande Vick is the founder of The Vick Agency, a branding and strategy firm known for its Neuro Brand Method, a brain science driven approach to building memorable, emotionally resonant brands. Before becoming an agency owner, Rande spent more than twenty years in the musical instruments industry, holding roles at major brands including M Audio, Avid, Yamaha, and Fender.

A lifelong musician, songwriter, and storyteller, Rande blends creative instinct with neuroscience, helping brands create immersive experiences, activate subconscious triggers, and connect with customers at a deeper level. He is also the author of the book Neuro Branding and works closely with founders, solopreneurs, startups, and local retailers who want to stand out in a crowded digital world.

In this episode, Thomas and Rande discuss:

Why memories beat marketing

Rande breaks down his Neuro Brand Method, explaining how immersive experiences, storytelling, and subconscious triggers help brands live rent-free inside customers' minds.

Choosing meaning over metrics

Rande discusses why success now means working with the right clients, spending time with family, and doing creative work that lights him up rather than chasing titles or corporate prestige.

Key Takeaways

• A setback can become the turning point
  Losing his dream job forced Rande to finally pursue entrepreneurship with intention instead of hesitation.
• Great brands create memories, not just attention
  Storytelling, sensory cues, and emotional resonance determine whether customers remember you.
• If your brand is not being recommended, it is not working
  Referrals and reputation reveal whether your message is living rent free in people’s minds.
• Security can become the excuse that holds you back
  Rande spent years choosing stability over potential. The moment he stopped doing that, everything changed.

Connect with Rande Vick

💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/randevick
🌐 Website: https://vickagency.com

Connect with Thomas Helfrich

🐦 Twitter: https://twitter.com/thelfrich
💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomashelfrich
🌐 Website: https://cutthetie.com
📧 Email: t@instantlyrelevant.com
🚀 InstantlyRelevant.com: https://instantlyrelevant.com

Chapters

• 0:00 Define Success On Your Terms
• 0:40 Meet Randy And The VIC Agency
• 1:33 The Neurobrand Method Explained
• 3:08 Subconscious Triggers And Store Design
• 4:35 Redefining Success After Corporate
• 5:32 Cutting Ties With The Dream Job
• 7:49 What Big Guitar Brands Do Right
• 9:19 From Layoff To Helping Local Shops
• 11:06 Would You Ever Go Back To Corporate
• 12:21 Inspiration, Music, And Creative Flow
• 13:23 Best Advice And The Golden Rule
• 14:14 Is Your Brand Failing Or Forgettable
• 15:00 How To Reach Randy And Final Takeaway

Transcript

SPEAKER_00: 0:00

Welcome to the Cut the Tie Podcast. And I am your host, Thomas Helfrick, on a mission. Cut the tie. Whatever it is holding you back from success. And you better define that success yourself because if you don't, it's someone else's definition, it's someone else's dream. And you won't be happy when you get there and you won't know what's holding you back from that because it's not where you want to go. So define it yourself, cut the tie. Today I'm joined by Randy Vick.

unknown: 0:24

Rand.

SPEAKER_00: 0:25

A little Randy. I want to say Rand. Randy, how are you?

unknown: 0:28

Mr.

SPEAKER_00: 0:28

Vic.

SPEAKER_01: 0:28

I'm good. I'm good. You can call me whatever you like, as long as it's not an expletive. I'm good, man. I'm glad to be here and it's good to be with you.

SPEAKER_00: 0:35

I appreciate it. You take a moment, introduce yourself, where you're from, what it is you do.

SPEAKER_01: 0:40

Sure. I'm out here in the burbs of Los Angeles. Uh it's a nice, beautiful 95-degree day today. Uh, but I am a Randy Vic. I um am the founder of the Vic Agency, which is a branding agency, and we work with uh all kinds of folks, uh, lots of times solopreneurs, lots of times startups. Um, particularly my background is in musical instruments, so I do some of that as well. So I'm all over the place. But what I am uh you know most proud of is that we help businesses uh kind of cut through the noise and get their message clear and uh position them strong.

SPEAKER_00: 1:20

You know, there's a lot of branding agencies. I asked this question, you know, what makes you guys different? Why do customers pick you?

SPEAKER_01: 1:26

Yeah, so I mean, uh you know how you know how this is because you're in the you're a lead guy. This is what you do too. Um, but for for me, what really is the the differentiator is that I have developed a framework called the neurobrand method. I wrote a book called Neurobranding, and uh it's really kind of a science uh brain-based way of making sure that brand we focus really on making memories over getting attention. So that's kind of our our big thing. We are really strong on uh on creating extraordinary experiences for our for our brands that we work with.

SPEAKER_00: 2:03

Talk about that like a little in that book, though, because I that is a differentiator for you that you've written, you have a point of view on it. There's it's a different take. Can you peel the onion on that one a little bit of what you mean by you know a neurobrand neurobranding is that how you said it?

SPEAKER_01: 2:14

Yeah, I mean it's it's really based around some, you know, um, and we can talk about no, we we can we'll get into this a little bit more, but really it's just uh these these three basic concepts to you know put this all in layman's terms, uh, is really you know immersive experiences. This is something that we focus on, immersive extraordinary experiences, uh, neurocoupling and storytelling. So I know storytelling is all the rage and everyone talks about it, but if you know the science of storytelling, you know that that there's this thing that happens when you tell a story a certain way where people connect. And it's called neurocoupling. It's it means that your brains actually sync up with the storyteller. So you have you have an emotional tie to it. And then the other piece of it is uh we really focus on subconscious uh triggers.

SPEAKER_00: 3:02

So what would be what would be an example of the subconscious trigger?

SPEAKER_01: 3:05

So well, I'll give you a clear one. We we work with a music store, mom and pop brick and mortar store, uh, which is a kind of a dying breed in this in this day and age. Um, because you can, you know, there's a million reasons for people to shop online or do other things. But if you can create an experience in store that uh that kind of tags, you know, all these things that we're talking about, experience, uh storytelling, and then the subconscious trigger in this case is something we did, aside from kind of structuring the store in zones where you kind of walk through and have an experience. Uh a subconscious trigger would be that we also uh scented, we brand scented the place. So when you walk in the door, you're you're met with the smell of like wood and leather. And that's a subconscious thing. You know, you'll you'll remember that when you, you know, and then when you get that smell again or somewhere else, you'll think, oh, I've smelt that before. And it was this guitar store and you know, such and such California. So those are the things that those are kind of that's a one idea, but that's the first thing that popped into my head.

SPEAKER_00: 4:05

But no, yeah, well, and that's it's actually interesting because it's that that experience makes you, you know, especially you can go there, let's say, and there's added value, like you know, oh maybe someone's playing there. They meet it's a great place to get coffee, or they have like a little unique whatever, they have Jenga or something, like whatever it is. Yeah, go there, it's just more than that. It's like you get that as well. And and hey, um, I might as well buy some strings from here, or exactly something extra.

SPEAKER_01: 4:29

Right.

SPEAKER_00: 4:30

Uh we'll talk before we get into your journey and and you know, the the metaphoric ties you've had a cut. What's what's your definition of success?

SPEAKER_01: 4:39

Um, well, it's changed, right? I used to uh I used to be a corporate guy. So uh that whole system is different because success is pre predetermined and pre-packaged for you. Now, success for me is a lot more about living the life I want to live, uh, choosing the clients I want to work with, spending time with my family, uh, the the things that are really important, making music. I I was in the musical and uh musical instruments industry for uh 23, 24 years, and to the point where music stopped being fun because it was just all my you know, my time, my my hours, my work, all of it. It just stopped uh making it stop being fun. And now I can do that, you know, for leisure.

SPEAKER_00: 5:24

Yeah. Uh well uh tell me about your journey a little bit and you know maybe identify the major tie you had to cut to achieve that success.

SPEAKER_01: 5:32

Okay, yeah. Uh I know I've I've listened to your show, so I know that you know it's that tie cutting comes in many different forms, but I'll tell you my story is that I um I I'm a musician, I've been a musician since I was 11, I think. And um my first gig was at Stan's guitar shop uh in in the little town that I lived in. And uh he hired me when I was like 13. Don't tell anybody because it was under the table. But he just, you know, he paid me a little bit of money to tune the guitars, mind the shop. Well, he went down to the bar down the street, and uh it was a lot of fun. But um that you know, through that journey, I I ended up uh working for some big brands in the space, uh including like MAudio, Avid, um, and then Yamaha, uh in music, and Fender finally. And um, and it was a series of like falling forward all the time. And I was, you know, a lot of times those were sales jobs or uh those types of things. And uh man, there's a couple things. I just I I I was in the wrong world. You know, I thought this is what I wanted to do because I love the instruments, I love making music, I love even some of the products that we're we're producing that are allowing people to have this experience in their life, but it was just not the the the the world, the measurements, the things that uh became obsessive or got me in trouble, all those things were just because it wasn't it wasn't who I was, and so uh yeah, I ended up uh I got uh I got let go of my dream job at Fender.

SPEAKER_00: 7:11

Well, I've been there. I got let go. I've I've been there. I don't know, I know exactly how that feels. Yeah, uh and at the time it's definitely happening to you. Uh you know what uh but then here you start your own business, you're doing your own thing. Do you do you feel like that happened for you now?

SPEAKER_01: 7:27

Yeah, yeah. I mean, I do. And the yeah, like you said, it sucks when it happens, right? Like it was uh I I'm a I'm a guitar player and Fender sought me out. They found me on LinkedIn, and and you know, amongst all these people that were applying for the gig, they they kind of courted me. And so I was like, oh man, this is ideal. I love it. I'm I'm kind of a um I've been a Fender guy since I was 17. You know what I mean? The whole thing just aligned, and I and and I was in love with it and I identified all the stuff was wrapped up, and this like leaving that because not because I necessarily was going to or at the time wanted to, but because it happened at the beginning of COVID, um, it made me do two things, right? I had to kind of come to terms with why I was so tied up in that brand. And in doing so, I discovered the truth about how brands work. And so I really started to, you know, I was already working with some people in marketing and doing those types of things, and then I really started understanding now what what they need is a stronger brand. And so, and even doing some self-work in that, you know what I mean? I started realizing that's where the subconscious piece comes in. Like I was really identified as a fender person, and now I'm not.

SPEAKER_00: 8:40

How do you think just I'm curious, how do you think like a fender, what's their strategy versus a Gibson uh or even like a Taylor? As as far as uh their like their brand, like like you know, they're all guitars, they do slightly different, you know, things, if you will. Uh, but how do you think they what's their conscious strategy decision? Like, and maybe translate that a little like kind of to the thing you had to let go and what you discovered from it. Because I think that's really important.

SPEAKER_01: 9:05

Yeah, I mean, I think that the what Fender does strategically very well is uh they're they're uh focused on new players, right? Because they've got the rest of us old guys hooked, right? So they're focused on like kind of bringing up this whole thing. You can go to Cole's or you know, probably like JCPenney or whatever and buy a Fender t-shirt because it's everywhere, it's a brand that people recognize who aren't even musicians, and so they've really done a good job of kind of roping in people, I think, and in the levels of guitars, you know, from squires to custom shop. They've done a really good job of seeding the entire, you know, playground of musicians. And uh, you know, everybody, like you said, I think the the all of those big those are the you know, the big three that you mentioned, right? And maybe like Martin, um, the top four guitar manufacturers, and they all kind of have this similar, you know, they appeal to different people for different reasons. A lot of that's influencer marketing, a lot that's just be you know, the artists that use those instruments, those types of things. And and that was certainly for me why you know when I walked in to uh a guitar store when I was 17 and I saw a fender stratocaster for the first time, I was like, that's the that's the one because I've seen you know Stevie Ray Bon playing that one or somebody of that sort.

SPEAKER_00: 10:25

I went with a dockamini myself, I'll tell you what. There you go. 20 some years ago, and I decided to put my stickers on it. Yeah, I ran forward it now, and I certainly couldn't afford it then, just to be clear. Uh I would that's I should say this way I shouldn't buy it now. Could could pay for it, easy, right? Definitely should not have back then. But I'm like it, but it's been sitting there. Like it's good value. Like I don't even take care of it well. Um it does and holds tooth. It's crazy. Uh along your journey, right? You you know, there's one thing identify it in your tie. And and and you know, but how did you make that adjustment? Like, what were the kind of steps, practical things you did to kind of go from dream job to your own of you know, to cut the tie?

SPEAKER_01: 11:08

Yeah, I immediately uh uh like I said, there was some self-work involved in in kind of cutting the tie because I was I was literally devastated for for a minute, and and that still comes up, right? I still feel those feelings sometimes. It's been a long time now, but but um that product immediately after that happened, I had all these relationships and all these connections in the industry, and I knew because of the thing that was happening at COVID with COVID everywhere, was that all these mom and pop shops uh weren't prepared to be digital resellers, they were just mom and pop shops, you know, and they were keeping paper receipts at the time and and not really, you know, now they're forced into the digital age. So I immediately started helping those kinds of businesses get online, you know, develop their their uh their e-commerce and those types of things. And that was that was the fora, that's what got me started into what I'm doing now. Uh but you know, there's an emotional piece to all that too, because I'm you know, building I'm building e-commerce sites, selling vendor stuff still. And I'm like, ugh, um, I'm just kidding, I still play fenders. But that's uh that's you know, that's that was the world. And so yeah, I had to kind of, you know, um there's there's a moment in this, I think, the cut the time moment for me is is realizing like, man, I've been I've been building somebody else's empire, right? I've been adding value to somebody else's logo. And um, and at the point of, you know, when you say that out loud, you're just like, man, what if I would have started this 10 years ago? What if I had to start this for the first time? My gut said do it. And and this isn't my first entrepreneur, you know, entrepreneurial journey either. I've done this, I've done this before, but I've never given it the time to become what it needs to become. I've always, you know, there's always been some lucrative offer or something that came along that was too tempting not to pass because, you know, I'm a family man. And so like security means something, and uh, and those things are hard. Those things are hard to move around.

SPEAKER_00: 13:10

Um what happens if Thender came to you right now and said, Hey, I want you to lead up creative for us, and it makes more than you make.

SPEAKER_01: 13:19

I I couldn't, I couldn't go back. I I mean there's some there's some temptation in that for sure. And I and maybe it's because I wouldn't trust them. Maybe Gibson said that.

SPEAKER_00: 13:29

I'd have to really consider my well you could contract around the trust. Now now you would know to contract around it if they're coming at you again. Like, listen, we're gonna get a guarantee out of this one. And I didn't have a way.

SPEAKER_01: 13:40

So yeah, I mean, how about you? Would you, would you, would you go back?

SPEAKER_00: 13:45

Well, what's interesting, uh, you know, my own cut to tie journey is addressing adult ADHD this year and and in and getting kind of into that with medications and stuff. Uh, what I found is I think I actually could work for somebody again if it was the right environment, which is a crazy concept because that was certainly not anywhere on any table that I would even consider any time before or since then. Uh, but yeah, I think I think I could, if it was the right setup of you know equity and what what I'm building towards, and it was paid well, and there's a you know, there's money on the backside of it, I wouldn't give up the podcast. But yeah, sure. Uh, but you come through these phases of your life, you're like, hell no, I'm bitter, and then you're like, yeah, I probably would if it's paid right. I also didn't want to travel though. Like Lance, like I wouldn't want to go back to my like, you know, four days a week traveling every week.

SPEAKER_01: 14:29

That's yeah, it was it's rough.

SPEAKER_00: 14:31

That is that's no point at all. Um, the uh, you know, in your own journey here, like right, you know, if you could go back though to any part of your timeline, you know, when would you go back? What would you do differently?

SPEAKER_01: 14:43

Oh, that's it's a free question. That I mean, you know, the official answer is like to go back to whenever Bitcoin was cheap.

SPEAKER_00: 14:50

Everyone answers that. A lot of people didn't. I agree. That is the right answer. Next question.

SPEAKER_01: 14:55

Uh but uh you know, in career-wise, uh, yeah, there is there's something. I I was working for uh Yamaha, right? And Yamaha is a is a phenomenal company to work for. Um a little bit slowly.

SPEAKER_00: 15:11

Four wheelers and guitars. I mean, what could go wrong?

SPEAKER_01: 15:13

Yeah, they do they do it all. And literally, if you're in Japan, and I think that you know, I found out recently there's a there's a whole line of like luxury hotels that are Yamaha branded.

SPEAKER_00: 15:22

So there's a there's a yeah, it's a huge like it's all over the place that what that company owns.

SPEAKER_01: 15:27

It's like a yeah, yeah, it's wild. But it was but they're also a good company because they uh there's a little I think it's the the culture is a lot more loyal, and uh yeah, it was a good company. And that's that's literally where I was working when Fender came a knocking and I and I bailed because I'm a Fender guy.

SPEAKER_00: 15:46

So yeah, that's there's no regrets in that. You got your dream job. I did. You know what I mean? In my own case, I got a dream job, what I thought was dream for my you know, like what was ideal setup. But when I got there, I gotta tell you, it wasn't as cool and satisfying to make it a crazy amount of money. It was like you know, it was it just it didn't it didn't hold the value uh that I thought it would. And it distracts you to some degree when you get you like this is not that cool. Yeah, but uh, you know, and I'm sure you felt the same thing at times in your own journey, uh, as many people do. So uh much better to be on your own if you can make it, right? Uh what uh what kind of gives you inspiration today though?

SPEAKER_01: 16:24

What gives me inspiration? Yeah, I mean, I find inspiration, obviously, like you know, family stuff. My my wife is a uh she's a really good big picture uh visionary, and so I I run everything by her, like work-wise, if I'm you know uh design-wise, uh strategies on me, but like design-wise, I'm I'm always having her check things because she sees things that I don't. So I I appreciate that. I'm inspired by that. I'm really inspired by um uh you know, even what you're doing in encouraging entrepreneurship. I think that's and and whenever I see that, I mean that's that's what you're doing here. Whenever I see that in general, I think I'm inspired by entrepreneurs who are who are putting it all out there and moving forward.

SPEAKER_00: 17:10

You try, right? You just keep putting it out there. I appreciate that. Uh, you know, and I'm equally inspired by meetings of people who just tried stuff. You can see some were struggling, some are still figuring it out, some are hopeless, some are crushing it. Like it's all over, but they're they're still out there not quitting, which is uh a big key component. Uh do you have like a favorite book? Or in your case, do you have a favorite song? Maybe we'll go differently. Do you have a favorite like stock? You need to you need to get that vibe right? What's the music you go to?

SPEAKER_01: 17:38

So I am uh when I'm working, I'm listening to like flow state, you know, almost new ageies high music because it helps me be creative. But if I'm listening, uh and I'm a songwriter, right? I've been I've been writing songs since I was 16. So I'm an old man now. So I I really love like I love Bob Dylan, and most people cringe when I say that, but I love Bob Dylan. I love his his uh his poetry. I love Jason Hisbull, if you're familiar, kind of Americana artist. Um, yeah, so I I love that kind of stuff. Uh there's a there's a grip of songwriters in that in that in that stream. Um, I read a book. I want to come back to that because there is a book that that really inspired what I the neurobranding aspect of what I'm doing. It's called Immersion by Dr. Paul Zach. Um fantastic for for marketers, for uh business owners. I think everyone should be reading it. He's a neuroscientist, but he's broken it, he's broken this down to like you know why what's important for business.

SPEAKER_00: 18:37

What's some the uh the best business advice or worst? You can choose either way, which way you'd like to go with that. You'd ever read it.

SPEAKER_01: 18:43

You know, I I don't know. Uh thinking about this too. I I don't know, you know, people people are sure to give advice. When my my dad, I come from a long line of entrepreneurs, by the way. So uh I've seen this my whole life. My my dad, my mom and dad owned an antique store when I was growing up. And um and I'd worked there summers, you know, refinishing furniture from England. Uh my dad, uh, he he kind of was, you know, he's a he's a simple man, he's a he's a strong uh leader. And his whole thing was always, even when, you know, I remember whenever he said this multiple times, and this is apply he applied this to his business just as much as he did to his personal life. And it was literally just treat people well, treat people the way you want to be treated. And you know, so anytime he was just an honest businessman, and I feel like, man, I wish there were more people that were honest businessmen. Uh and I think that that whole idea, I mean, it's just the golden rule, right? Like it's just what what you learn in, you know, summer camp. But I think that uh there's something profoundly missing in business because we're all everyone's trying to get ahead at the expense of everybody else. And I think that there's something about just being genuine and authentic and wanting to help people that uh you know, I think people find value in that.

SPEAKER_00: 20:08

Yeah, I agree. Uh that's really good advice. Just, you know, I'm there's not much more I can add to that's that's fantastic. Uh, if there's a question I should have asked today, though, and I didn't, what would that question have been?

SPEAKER_01: 20:20

Well, I mean, you could have asked me uh lots of things. How many songs have you written? Uh, you know, but but well, you know, for the business side of this thing, you could have said, you know, how do you know when a brand is failing or when a brand isn't serving you anymore? Oh, and I think that yeah. I mean, I think, you know, you uh you you can ask yourself, like, what do people say about you when you're not in the room, or what are people, are people recommending you or referring you? Those are all good signs that things are working well for you. But if you're not getting those types of things, and you know, you you're you know, what I like to say is that we build brands that uh live rent-free in people's minds. And uh the flip side of that is you're just renting space on their timeline. So you know how this is content is is important, but a lot of people are just throwing content and there's a lot of noise. And if you uh if you can find the signal and if you can find the right strategy that you're actually speaking into people, into their minds and living rent-free in their in their brains, then you're on to something good. If you're not, then you got it's time to take a look at your brand.

SPEAKER_00: 21:33

Yeah, that's that's that's very good advice. Uh by the way, thank you for coming on. Who should get a hold of you? How do they do that?

SPEAKER_01: 21:40

Yeah, I mean, anybody who's struggling with their brand, anybody who's uh in startup phase or uh struggling phase, whatever it might be, I'm happy to help. Uh you can find me at VicAgency.com. You can find me on LinkedIn, it's uh Randy Vic. Randy with an E. Randy Vic. Uh, you can find me there.

SPEAKER_00: 22:01

Your parents, I'm sure you've had words with them. Why? I guess you could change it, but then it's like, oh, I'm spiding my parents. Well, randy.

SPEAKER_01: 22:09

If you must know, it's it's actually I'm junior, so my dad had the same problem growing up, and he decided to pass it on. I guess he didn't want to suffer by himself.

SPEAKER_00: 22:18

You're like, Dad, you know, you didn't learn anything. You just like thanks. I appreciate it. Yes. At least you're not a boy named Sue. That's true. Uh thank you, by the way. I appreciate you.

SPEAKER_01: 22:31

Yeah, man. Thank you.

SPEAKER_00: 22:33

If you guys are still here with us, listen and watch, and uh go check out uh Vic Agency. Uh get out there, go cut a tie to something holding you back. Be sure to define that success first because you're gonna be chasing someone else's dream. Thanks for listening.