The Arise with Anita Podcast

Branding Beyond the Logo: The Intersection of Soul, Story & Strategy Ft Juliana Goldberg & Amy Schildknect

• Anita Karadalian-Girgis Mindset Transformation Coach & Breathwork Guide • Season 2 • Episode 31

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What if your brand didn’t start with a logo, but with a feeling? I sat down with photographer Juliana Goldberg and strategist Amy Schildknect the duo behind JG Brands to unpack how story, values, and clarity do the heavy lifting that trends never can. From the moment a woman sees herself as powerful through Juliana’s lens to the way Amy translates vision into copy that converts, this is a blueprint for building brands that are brave, empathetic, and effective.

We get honest about visibility, comparison, and imposter syndrome, and why service dissolves self-consciousness. Juliana shares how branding photography can spark confidence that lasts beyond a photoshoot, while Amy maps a practical path to an authentic brand voice: define your audience, speak their language, name the emotion you want them to feel, and align every touchpoint. You’ll hear how they “dated” as collaborators before formalizing their partnership, the values that keep them steady: family first, trust, and radical communication and how they divide roles so each can work in her zone of genius.

Expect tangible takeaways: message before logo, clarity before aesthetics, and alignment across web, copy, and imagery so your brand actually converts. You’ll learn simple rituals to stay grounded, smart ways to celebrate wins that build momentum, and the mindset shift to stop apologizing for taking up space. If you’ve ever felt your brand is “good but not great,” this conversation shows how strategy meets soul to create presence that feels true and sells because it’s true.

If this conversation moved you, subscribe, share it with a friend who’s building something bold, and leave a quick review so more women can find their voice and rise.

To connect with Juliana & Amy: 

Website: https://www.jg-brands.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jgbrandsagency/  

https://www.instagram.com/JULIANAGOLDBERG/ 

https://www.instagram.com/askinternetamy/

https://www.instagram.com/virada.ai/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/juliana.goldberg/ 


If you felt something shift inside you today… hold that. Honor it.

This is how we rise — one choice, one voice, one brave breath at a time.

If you’re ready to go deeper, download your free ARISE Activation Workbook at www.arisewithanita.com

And if this message landed in your soul, subscribe, leave a review, and share it with a woman who’s done playing small.

Because we don’t just rise alone — we rise together.

I’ll see you in the next episode. And until then… stay rising.

SPEAKER_00:

So here makes the full episodes for me and interviews with school driven leaders, the best in their field, who live what they teach and rise by example. Each conversation is a callus for your next breakthrough. You're not broken, you're breaking through. Let's go ahead and rise together.

SPEAKER_02:

Welcome back to the Rise with Anita podcast. On today's episode, I am joined by two women whose lives show us that our stories, no matter how different, can come together to create something extraordinary. Juliana Goldberg is born in Brazil, a self-taught photographer who has spent years capturing the essence of women, not just their beauty, but their passions, their power, and their truth waiting to be seen. Through her lens, she's helped hundreds of women reconnect with themselves and step into confidence that they were always meant to carry. Amy Shill Connect journey has been one of resilience and reinvention, from the stage lights of Las Vegas as a showgirl to two decades in digital marketing to navigating net motherhood as the parent of a cancer survivor. Amy has shh lived many lifetimes in one. She embodies adaptability, compassion, and the courage to rewrite her story again. Together, they are the women behind JG Brands, a creative agency that blends strategy with soul to help entrepreneurs build brands they don't just stand out, but truly reflect who they are. So this conversation is more than just branding. We're diving into joy, identity, visibility, and the messiness of stepping into your power, the beauty of entrepreneurship, and the practices that keep us grounded while we rise. I cannot wait to share this conversation with Amy and Juliana. Welcome to the show, ladies. Thank you. We're so excited to be here. Thank you for having us. I'm so excited to have you. I mean, this is my first three person interview, so all right. We're just not with Amy. All right. So before we dive in, I always start off my interviews with something a little friskier, which is what is currently bringing you ladies' joy right now?

SPEAKER_03:

What's currently bringing me joy is the little moments like walking the dog every day, laughing with my kids, my teenagers, and spending time with them in the car before they're both off driving themselves everywhere. So that's really what's bringing me joy is just spending time with my family and being outdoors. Beautiful.

SPEAKER_04:

Yeah, I'm I'm pretty close to Amy's answer. It's just like really enjoying the little moments. Kids are growing. Soon they're gonna be gone. I mean gone, right to come. And that's you know, that's how it is. Time, it's like they grow in the blink of an eye. Time flies when you realize it's just three years went by, five years went by, and just really like also another thing that I'm adding is like really spending time with the people that lift you higher and bring you joy and take time for myself with girlfriends.

SPEAKER_02:

Beautiful. I love that you guys brought it back to relationships and family because I fully believe that we don't just focus on business, it's about integrating your business and your life together. Absolutely. So, Juliana, you're from Brazil. Ah yeah. So your journey from Brazil to international photography is so inspiring. What have you learned about yourself in the process in helping women be seen through your lens?

SPEAKER_04:

What I have learned is that little ac little actions, you know, empowering a woman can be so helpful to help them see themselves as a strong woman and how beautiful they are. And so really like turn the camera, show them who they really are. That's wonderful. Like to me, it's very empowering. It makes me happy. It's very therapeutical. I enjoy every second of it.

SPEAKER_02:

Beautiful. So, Amy, your story spans so many worlds from Vegas Showgirl to digital marketer to mom and advocate. What mindset shifts have helped you reinvent yourself through all these different transitions and identities?

SPEAKER_03:

Uh, reinvention. You know, I also grew up a military brat. So moving every three years was reinventing myself continually, constantly. And then through all the different phases of my life as a showgirl, I danced for Siegfried and Roy for over a decade. And then having my kids and being in digital marketing since the wild, wild west days of Google. Really, it's about staying grounded. It's not about shifting my mindset every single time. It's about really holding on to the core values and having those be the driver. And so that way I could reinvent myself, but still stay true to who I was the whole time.

SPEAKER_02:

Beautiful. I love that you bring up bringing, being grounded, because I feel like so many times we're trying to float to the next scenario when sometimes you just have to anchor on to what you are part of. Absolutely. So both of your journeys remind me that branding is never just about business. It's about identity, self-worth, courage. What mindset challenges do you personally have to overcome to step into visibility yourselves?

SPEAKER_04:

I think it's authenticity, right? To remember who you are. We get so caught up like looking at everybody's posts and everybody else's brand. And it's very easy to say, okay, everybody's going for this style, you know, this is really what's popping on social media and all that, but we have to really be truth to our core, who we are, you know. Yes, go with the trends a little bit, but stay true to who you are and be authentic. Beautiful.

SPEAKER_03:

Yeah, and to add on to that, it, you know, so much of it is comparison. You don't want to be comparing to other people and then get stuck in a perfectionist loop. So you have to know that you can be authentic and you can be real, you can show the bright side, the dark side, and be a well-rounded authentic person and not just try to show one flat facet of yourself.

SPEAKER_02:

Beautiful. I love that. I think comparison is the peep of joy.

SPEAKER_03:

Absolutely.

SPEAKER_02:

So we often think branding is fonts and photos, but it's really so much deeper than that. Yeah. From your perspective, what is a brand at its core?

SPEAKER_03:

Brand at its core is the story that you tell. I think brand at its core is truly kind of the heart of your vision and why you created your business or who you are. Again, it all comes back to authenticity and just being real with what your vision is, your goals are, whether it's a personal brand or whether it's a retail business. It really has comes down to why you're doing the business. And so the brand is your visibility and getting other people to see exactly what all of that encompasses and how you created who you are. Who you are should show up in every aspect of your brand.

SPEAKER_04:

Yeah, and if I can add to that, it's about the emotions, right? You want to convey to attract and connect with your ideal clientele.

SPEAKER_02:

Beautiful. I really believe you had a whole segment on that a couple of months ago. Probably. I talk about that a lot. Like, yeah. Brands have emotions. They do. So Juliana, when you were behind the camera and you see what shifts for a woman when she finally sees herself reflected back as powerful.

SPEAKER_04:

What do I see?

SPEAKER_05:

Mm-hmm.

SPEAKER_04:

Well, it it's like they light up when they see themselves in a different way, right? We have that thing of doubts, you know, and not believing who we really are, who we see, but when they see themselves in the camera, you know, their image, they really light up. It's beautiful. Like women, they tend to minimize themselves and diminish their beauty. And sometimes they have to see out over there and just like, oh my gosh, this is me, how amazing, you know. They're all put together, they're hair and they make up, their outfits, they're posing. It's really a beautiful, beautiful, right? Yeah, builds a lot of confidence. And I said, keep a picture near you, you know, from one of your photo shoots and keep revisiting so you can see who you really are, you know. Another thing is that I love as silly as it is. I love when my clients, when they put their pictures on Facebook, a new profile picture, everybody goes bananas. 500 comments and everybody loving it. I mean, what a great boost of confidence just to to you know get all those compliments. It's wonderful. I think it makes me so, so happy.

SPEAKER_02:

Beautiful. I love your answer, especially because it stems back to that confidence. Having them see themselves.

SPEAKER_04:

Sometimes you need people telling you what you don't believe. So that's why I love what the Facebook profile is, because it's everybody's loving them and they're like, oh, that's awesome.

SPEAKER_02:

Amy, after 20 years in digital marketing, what really works when someone wants to create an authentic brand voice that's aligned with who they are and not just themselves?

SPEAKER_03:

It's aligned with who they are. It's really boils down to clarity and it's kind of peeling back the layers again of the core of who you are, what you stand for, what your values are, who you want to attract, and the emotion that you want to convey. So really it's um it's an attraction method, so to speak. It's yeah, for people, for their brand, for anything online, for marketing, you really want to get that emotion across because people do buy off of emotion. So if your end goal is to actually make money, which is not a scary thing, some people think it is, but if you really do want to have revenue coming in and attract the right people, you've got to get them to trust you and to know you and to like you. And the only way to do that is to truly understand the clarity of what you're bringing.

SPEAKER_02:

Beautiful. So let's be honest, branding can feel messy. There's imposter syndrome, uh, comparison, the fear of being seen. What inner box do you see women face the most and how do you help them move through it?

SPEAKER_04:

I think one of the biggest things we see when you start working with the clients are clarity. They're a little bit confused. Right? Yeah. They wanna some of them wanna do it all. Some of them, you know, there might be, you know, I wanna do this, but they really don't know how to get there. Or they, you know, there's a lot of confusion. So what we do that's really different, I think, from a lot of other brand agencies, like we really we want to know who they are, the legacy they want to live in this world. And from there, we start to create clarity. So I think it's really clarity and knowing exactly who they are, what they want to do, who they want to touch.

SPEAKER_03:

Yeah. And another big one I want to touch on is the imposter syndrome. One of the other things, you know, once we get that clarity, and a lot of that also is who they're speaking to, making sure that they're speaking to the right audience and the way their their audience will actually hear them. When it comes to imposter syndrome, you want to help take the client from kind of focusing on, oh my gosh, I'm not good enough. I sh, you know, who's gonna listen to me to serving those people that we just got clear on. Because when you're in service mode and you're focused on other people instead of yourself, then you really get to shine. Because, you know, George Balanchine, I was a dancer my whole life. So George Balanchine was a choreographer from New York City Ballet, and he always says, you know, why are you so stingy with yourself? You know, don't keep everything to yourself, let it shine in the world. So you don't want to be stingy with yourself. And you can't be stingy when you're giving it away, right? So you want to give it away to the people that you're serving.

SPEAKER_02:

Beautiful. I love that you brought it back to being from a place of service. Because once you get yourself out of the picture, yeah, it becomes how can I transform the life of the other person in whatever way I do it. And it makes it more about service and heart and ultimately when everything changes, right?

SPEAKER_04:

Yeah. We have like clients that are speakers, they're beginning, you know, becoming speakers. I'm like, when you're there, don't think of my fear, am I gonna mess up? Think of like this is my message, how many people am I gonna be able to touch? Just if you flip that and you're able to the same thing with branding and whatever you're doing, right? Yeah, if you flip that thought and it's like it's not about me, it's not about me messing up, it's about them. How am I gonna contribute to their lives with this message? So then I think that's when everything changes.

SPEAKER_02:

So you guys built JG brands together. How did this partnership even begin? That's a great question. And when did you know that you're better together?

SPEAKER_03:

Don't even know how we met. We got the validity, right? You know, some things come around in your life just because they're meant to be. And Juliana and I have actually known each other probably for almost 20 years now. And if you ask either one of us how we met, we have honestly have no idea.

SPEAKER_04:

No, I'll have just one day all of a sudden we were like, wow, we just I know and we like like right now we talk every day, of course. But like back then it's like here and there, right? Yeah. Or, you know, then we start creating doing projects together. But yeah.

SPEAKER_03:

Yeah, and what was your oh so we we started by doing little projects together here and there. And you know, me with the online space and digital marketing, and I'm very much a strategist and like you know, I like to think of myself as like an architect online putting things together. And Juliana was the creative. I'm the messy artist. Yeah, she's the messy artist, but I'm like, well, let's put this all together. And then we realized wait a minute, we were doing projects together and projects together. So we said, well, why don't we date for a while and like actually put this together and do more things actually as a team? And so then we were kind of a team together for a year at least before we decide we decide to create a partnership.

SPEAKER_04:

So we we our jokes that we dated before we got married. To make sure you test the waters. I think this is like one of the biggest mistakes with business partners that they get really excited, they meet each other, they love the business plan, they get really excited, it's like, let's just do it, let's just dive in. And in reality, it's like a marriage. If you don't have the same values, the same morals, the same goals, you know, the same drive, it's really hard to make it work. So we're like, okay, we're gonna do a test run for a year, see how we work together, really, you know. And and sets, right? Sets all your expectations. And there are certain rules in our relationship. Like, you know, if there's something that's bothering you, we're gonna meet up for coffee and have a conversation.

SPEAKER_03:

And communication is huge. And one of the things that we really held on to because we had known each other for so long is we said, you know, our relationship, our friendship comes first. So during that year, like if if it turns out that we really are like getting on each other's nerves, we can't work together, we'll set the work aside and we'll just continue on as we have been as friends. But we really found out that we can communicate, we can get through hard conversations, you know, we can get over those little speed bumps and have a great time too at the same time.

SPEAKER_04:

I know we have so much fun together. And I think like I get really excited about the subject because I really am very proud of our business partnership. One of the things that I think it works really well is because we both family is first, no matter what. Business second. And we both have, you know, dealt with similar scenarios as a caregiver. Uh, Amy with James and myself with uh Jared. And so we know, like we're in a Zoom call. I'm like, Amy, Jared needs my help. I gotta step up for a minute. And there's no like, I feel so badly. Like, we get each other, you know. We we know where we are and we respect each other and we support each other.

SPEAKER_02:

It's beautiful. I love that you guys has have such a great synergy and it's so evident. While you're so different, you have We are you're so different, but you can tell you guys work really well together just off of even the way you communicate and how you nurture each other, even just how you're doing the podcast right now. We love each other. What is the thing?

SPEAKER_04:

Don't put this on.

SPEAKER_02:

So, what unique gifts do you each bring that make this collaboration work? Uh yeah, because we are very different.

SPEAKER_04:

Very different. I always say that we are very different.

SPEAKER_03:

We are we there are ways that we're very opposite, but then our core values are the same, and that's why it works. You know, you can have different personalities and different things. I definitely bring more boundaries.

SPEAKER_04:

I'm definitely the one texting at 11 p.m. and at seven, I had this idea, Amy. I know it's late and I'm like, I'm not responding till tomorrow.

SPEAKER_03:

And I'm like, you respond to one. So yeah, I've I'm pretty strict on on my my space and boundaries, but it works really well because we keep each other in check. Because sometimes, you know, I say, Oh, it's great to have boundaries, but sometimes mine are a little bit too sweet. She's like, okay, we gotta get stuff done. Yeah. So we actually um she brings the creative. Like Juliana is by far the most talented photographer I've ever seen at getting the essence of women. Like, really, when she takes a photo, you're like, oh my god, that's the like you see me. Like you see the absolute best. Taking up for dinner after this. That's true. So it's so good. And I actually was a photographer as well, not near as talented. I found out that I'm not the creator in that way. I'm more the strategy and the structure. And that's what's so great for our clients. They get kind of both angles, you know, they get the right and the left, the up and the down. And uh so they get both angles of the structure and the creative.

SPEAKER_04:

Yeah, even though we're we have very different skills, we still collaborate really well in the same. So for example, uh I'm the creator and she is, you know, all about like she's great of copywriting, she's great of structure, and all that's the technical. Oh my gosh, like the technical. Like, I don't even read a manual. I'm like texting, I'm like, just like, did you read the instructions? Like, no, Amy, I have uh anyway, so even though we have very separate skill sets, we still work together in creating a brand. So, right, we we we give each other, we gift each other. Good, yeah, we give each other each other uh what what we're good at it and what we're not.

SPEAKER_03:

And brainstorming really work. We work really well. I mean, our clients don't realize what we do behind the scenes to really pull their brand out because you know, we talked earlier about logos and fonts, and it's like it's not just a logo, it's not just a font. And then we go deep into the messaging. I love helping get clarity on the messaging, but a lot of times the messaging and that clarity kind of creates the logo, if that makes sense. Like it goes from the underside to create the logo instead of starting with the logo. Interesting. So we do things in a unique way because we want the heart and the essence to really come through every touch of your brand.

SPEAKER_02:

And very interesting. I've never seen it being done that way. Usually most people start with the logo and then they're like, Well, you got a tagline.

SPEAKER_04:

So this is the thing. Again, when people start a business, they get excited, right? And they're like, Oh my gosh, I have this name, I have this idea, I love pink. If my clients are you know, men on their 60s and mechanic men, like they're not gonna get connected, but I love pink, I'm gonna do pink and butterflies on my logo. That's how people tend to do. Like they get excited, they get a hold of, you know, Canva or whatever it is, which is fine. I I think Canva is great. I I think it's great that people can get a hold and do these things, but it has to be very specific and very specific to reach their clientele. But what happens is people get excited. So they create this logo, right? And then they come to us and they're like, so this is the business thing. Oh, and then they go, We have a a website already. So the website is completely done with this nonsense brand. Yes. I mean, we respect. And saying nonsense sounds really rude, but like not nonsense. Well, it's not in alignment. So fully in the alignment. And it's a polished word. Yeah. Like not.

SPEAKER_03:

I mean, so yes, people will come to us, they have their logo, their name, their website, and they're like, I have a business. And we're like, but it's not converting, right? And they're like, Can you help me? And then we're like, great. So who are we talking to? Like, what is your product? What is your clientele? You know, who's your target market? And then we realize, oh my gosh, the words on your website will not speak to these people. Like the words on the copywriting and the words that you're saying, your messaging is not going to reach the people that you want to reach. So there's a disconnect. And, you know, sometimes our website is pretty.

SPEAKER_04:

Yeah, but it's not, it's not the right website for your brand. The same thing. I've seen so many people with amazing brands and horrible picture images. And the opposite, right? Amazing images and horrible websites. Or sometimes they're both wonderful, but they're not speaking to each other.

SPEAKER_02:

They're not commutative, right?

SPEAKER_04:

So that's the whole thing about branding photography. You really need to really know their brand before we create the images. So it is speaking to each other.

SPEAKER_02:

Love this.

SPEAKER_03:

So the whole ecosystem, like it's all, you know, it's a whole thing.

SPEAKER_02:

This is essentially a master class in branding and identity. Yeah, we'll give our fam. So going back to partnerships, okay, especially between women, can be both healing and challenging. So, what was your journey together? That's excuse me, let's redo that. What has your journey together taught you about trust, communication, and honoring each other's strengths?

SPEAKER_04:

I think I think we have really I mean we trust each I trust Amy with my life. Yeah. I do like she got my back. I'm like, I have we have no secret from each like it's it's really like we're really I tell her like I feel emotional because I feel that we're so blessed and so lucky to have each other, you know, as friends, but as business partners. And I mean, there's I really don't have much to complain except when she doesn't text me back.

SPEAKER_03:

Well, you know, and for me, I think a lot of it too is letting go of like expectation, like really holding space for who each other is, you know, because we've known each other a while, it's like she respects who I am and I really respect and honor who she is. Like I love Juliana dearly. And when we have things going on in our personal life or business life, we tell each other we're not trying to pretend to be something we're not, you know, or if we're like, man, I don't want to do that task. Like that is not me, this isn't gonna work. We let each other know and we work through. We're like, how are we going to work through this? What can we do? And then we find out, oh, we can delegate. You know, we've we've got a team that works with us now that really has made a huge difference in being able to just stay in our zones of genius.

SPEAKER_04:

And I think another thing that's really about us is that, you know, as any business, you're learning, you're going through the the process, and we're like, okay, this is working, this is not working. But we're very respectful of ha when we have very different, you know, ideas or very different opinions. We're very respectful of each other. Yeah. And I think that's one of the really respect is a big deal.

SPEAKER_03:

Respect big, big thing for us. And trust, respect, and communication. I think that's really you have to have all of those elements to create a solid partnership if you want it to continue.

SPEAKER_02:

Beautiful. Also, about the texting boundaries. Apple has a schedule sending. Like, you know, you can schedule that.

SPEAKER_03:

Like, you can just schedule. And she told me she'll she'll actually now she'll preface the text with you don't have to respond. I just need to get this out there. And I'm like, okay, good.

SPEAKER_04:

My brain just go like I if I don't message her, I won't remember later on.

SPEAKER_03:

Oh no, that's that's terrible. Well, and then if if you scheduled though, I'd be like, are you okay? So but then I text her sometimes too, totally off. Like we don't have work hours. We have between us. We have work hours with our clients between us, you know. Although, I mean, we have you have more work hours than I do.

SPEAKER_02:

Well, I was just trying to help the situation a little bit because that is something I've used a couple of times during our process of even getting this podcast set together. So you put it on your phone. No, you can literally schedule it. Like you cat ball. Yeah, like a post that in your thread.

SPEAKER_03:

Oh, that's lame. No, I've done that before. Like I had to text one of our clients, and it was like 11 o'clock and I was like, oh my god, I forgot to text the client. So then I was like, okay, schedule for 9 a.m. And it sent it at 9 a.m. Oh, yeah. Cool. I'm gonna send text at 3 a.m.

SPEAKER_02:

I learned the lesson. I love that. You guys have a really good synergy between you two, I have to admit. Thank you. So for women listening who dream of building something in partnership but fear conflict, what mindset agreements or agreements have helped you thrive as a team?

SPEAKER_03:

Kind of what we were just saying. It's it's the trust. It's really the trust about the communication and honoring the other person for who they are and meeting them where they're at. You know, because we've had times where we're both just like just flying high where things are going great, and we're like, oh my gosh, this is amazing. And then a week later, one of us will have something going on, either in business or in personal life. We're like, okay, we need to talk, like we need to figure something out. And it's really listening to really listening to the other person and kind of, you know, sometimes reframing what you hear so that we can make sure that we're on the same page. And again, if you're gonna be business partners with somebody, I think one of the first things you have to do is understand the vision of the partnership. You have to be on the same page with your vision and then your values. So the vision and the values, once those are in hand, all the rest is just stuff. Stuff you can work out, you know?

SPEAKER_04:

I think having the same values is super important. So important. And we like have like a contract, right? We all need like, even if it's not like I mean, everybody should have a business contract of where you are, you know, like the financials and all that, you know. We we work through everything you can possibly imagine. But have like sit down and say, okay, this is how I work best, right? Like, I don't like when people are like they come and say, don't do this way, blah, blah, blah. And some people are more like, I need direct, because if you don't tell me direct, I won't see it. So like really get to know their personality of each other and also say, okay, I really think it's like set the foundation and know what to expect from each other and know that you always need to meet in the middle, right? Yeah. One of us is an extrovert.

SPEAKER_03:

And one of us is a little needs a lot more alone time, like for working. You know, I'm like, okay, I have about a two-hour limit on like in person or on a Zoom, and I'm like, and then I gotta go into my cave and do my work behind the scenes. Yeah. So as long as we know how each other works, and I'm like, okay, Juliana, go.

SPEAKER_02:

But that one. You want to speak in good, go for it.

SPEAKER_04:

Yeah, that's why like I'm probably most uh the face, not that she's not, but like a lot of the in person events I'm the one doing it. It doesn't make sense for both of us to do it. So we do what we're we thrive, you know.

SPEAKER_03:

Well, that's another thing, too, is Focusing on your time, where to spend your time, where your time is spent most valuably, right? So that we aren't wasting time doing everything together all the time. It's like, no, you go do your thing, I'll do my thing, and we'll come back to it.

unknown:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03:

Because we like to spend time together.

SPEAKER_04:

I'm like, why don't we do it together? It's like, no, it doesn't make sense. I'm like, okay.

SPEAKER_03:

But you're like, I like hanging out with you. Pedicures. And we brainstorm, and then you can write it off.

SPEAKER_02:

Okay, so what are some of the values you've brought into your business that help you make this partnership work?

SPEAKER_03:

Family first. Number one, right?

SPEAKER_04:

God and family first. God family. Yeah, the values. That that's what it is, you know. Be truthful to each other. Um understand each other, be compassionate with each other.

SPEAKER_03:

Yeah, integrity. Really being in integrity with our clients, with each other, with ourselves.

SPEAKER_04:

Oh, if we travel together, I mean good coffee starting. Oh yeah.

SPEAKER_03:

I think good coffee for you and Brazilian coffee.

SPEAKER_04:

Otherwise, she'll be cranky, I think. Yeah, we have fun. So one of the things that we do, like if we have a client out of town, out of state, whatever, we travel, you know, to visit the clients, and we always kind of like have one day off just for girls' time. So we were in New York not too long ago, and they're like, okay, we're taking one extra day so we can just have our time and have fun together as girlfriends.

SPEAKER_03:

And remember why we're doing the business and it to change people's lives and have a good time. Beautiful.

SPEAKER_02:

What's your favorite client experience that you've had where maybe you've built a rant from scratch with them that you can think of that made you actually feel like, oh, this is why I do what I do.

SPEAKER_04:

There's so many things to say. We have really hard to speak, and I think the clients are watching it.

SPEAKER_03:

Well, I will say this. One of the most exciting things is when you do get a client who already has a business and they're making money and they're doing their thing, but they're feeling either not in alignment or there's like something off with them. They're like, it's good, but it's not great. There's something that more, right? And so then we do our thing and we spin, do the magic, and all of a sudden they light up, and there's nothing that feels better than when a client says, You nailed it. Like you got me. Like I've been doing this for a few years. You know, I've had my personal brand for years. I've got my podcaster, I've got this, and they're like, but I didn't realize that I was off the mark because they thought they knew themselves, but we actually really knew what they wanted.

SPEAKER_04:

Yeah, I think the best thing, and we're talking about it the other day, the best thing for us is to see when they walk out so proud of their brand and they feel so good about themselves, you know. It's like it's like, I mean, I'm not into cars, I don't even know what I'm saying. The like are you driving an old beat up, you know, 74, everything's falling apart car, or you're driving a brand new, beautiful Mercedes. So it's like it gives them confidence, yeah, and it really shows in their business. But they're happy, they're excited, they're like out to conquer the world after they get their pictures or their brand.

SPEAKER_03:

Like it's exciting. Yeah, it reminds you makes you think of you can't see the forest through the trees. So when people do their own branding, there's things that you know, blind spots that they miss, and we really bring those to light to give them a little bit of a little bit of a little bit.

SPEAKER_04:

Look how different we are. I'm talking about Mercedes that's you can't see the forest through the tree.

SPEAKER_02:

Well, it's part of your synergy. I mean how to get them from the forest for the. I mean, right before we started this recording, I think the description of you two was one likes clamping.

SPEAKER_04:

It's more like camping, so I've gone camping once. It was horrible. I've got darts under your nails, or like you know.

SPEAKER_03:

Oh, and see, I love grounding. We're talking about staying grounded because I love Mother Earth and doing all the things.

SPEAKER_02:

I know. Crazy. So what steps do you take to slow down for yourselves? What does that look like? As business owners and like dailies? It can be daily, it could be weekly. You pick the cadence.

SPEAKER_03:

Mine is taking walks. Mine is being outdoors. No, mine is really like spending time with my family to slow down and going for walks, being in nature and writing. I love writing. I'm so yeah. You're the copywriter, right? Yeah, I am. Yeah.

SPEAKER_04:

I know, just like calling some good food, watch some TV with doing gratitude. I know. Well, we like both of us, I think we do have, you know, I have my daily routine, which is don't talk to me in the morning. I get my cup of coffee, and now that my dog is starting to bark before breakfast, and I interrupt my morning, you know, routine. Very rude. And so, but anyways, I get my cup of coffee, I sit quietly, I do my prayers, my meditation.

SPEAKER_02:

Your manifestation will be.

SPEAKER_04:

Exactly. And I don't meditate that far, but I kind of like do my quiet time where I think and I set my intentions and I do my manifestation board every day. And then we can talk. Yeah. And then I get the text.

SPEAKER_02:

And I'm like, What about you? Do you have a manifestation board?

SPEAKER_03:

I do not have a manifestation board, but I I do live in gratitude every day. Like that's one of the things I do is I always am grateful for three things every morning, three things every night. Like, I just thank God for the life that I get to live. We really are blessed. Like, and we we let each other know it too.

SPEAKER_04:

You know, we We often like thank each other for being each other's lives.

SPEAKER_03:

So, yeah, for me, it's just again, it's kind of the outdoors and just family. Beautiful. I love screw the outdoors.

SPEAKER_04:

The outdoors. It's spots, they're mosquitoes, no thank you. I mean, we live in Vegas, so I I could have some perspective. I think that'll have some appreciation from far owned. You'll do a photo shoot outside though. No, I'm uh that's why I'm like, I'm like, I like to shoot inside.

SPEAKER_02:

Okay, noted. Okay, so going back, looking back at your own past, uh resilience, artistry, and strategy. What do you most want women to know about? Building a life and a brand that feels true to themselves.

SPEAKER_04:

Not being afraid. I think a lot of people hold themselves back. Don't be afraid, show up, you know, be your true self. And don't really compare yourself to anybody else. You are your own beauty, your own magic. There's nobody like you. So yeah, to me, it's like really just leave your life with gratitude, with love in your heart, and just shine bright. Yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03:

And I was gonna say, you know, somebody somewhere needs your story. Somebody somewhere needs your story, and your story should be before strategy. So many women in business, they want to do the strategy first. And then they want to create the story. But you are your story, you know, especially as you live your life authentically. That's what you really want to bring in. Just like you said, Juliana, be visible, show up, don't be stingy with yourself, you know. The more you give it away, the more it will come back to you. So that's how you really build an authentic brand.

SPEAKER_02:

Beautiful. I love that answer. And you brought us back the soul meet strategy. So, what's one soulful practice that keeps you grounded and connected to your vision?

SPEAKER_04:

The suppressed in the morning.

SPEAKER_03:

That's my answer. I'm not negotiating. And mine is walking my golden retriever. Like honestly, that's the thing because I do. I every morning that's say by 6 a.m. I'm outside and walking and thinking and thinking about the business and the future and the vision, and it really keeps me grounded in that while she's drinking her coffee.

SPEAKER_02:

Balance.

SPEAKER_04:

Exactly right.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah, that we are and then I come home and have my coffee. So, what's one practical branding strategy you'd recommend to a woman who's just starting out?

SPEAKER_03:

Don't start with your logo. That's the practical branding strategy, is figure out who you want to speak to and then figure out what how they want to be spoken to. Yeah, learn their language. Learn their language.

SPEAKER_04:

So it's like speaking Chinese with the Italian, right? You need to know their language, you need to know everything about your ideal client. And a lot of people miss that. Beautiful.

SPEAKER_02:

And finally, before we get to my favorite part, what is what does it mean to each of you to rise into your next level right now? What does it mean to rise to the next level? Professionally, personally, it does not matter.

SPEAKER_04:

I don't necessarily like I I don't necessarily am thinking I'm I'm really proud of what we have accomplished professionally in the past year, two years. And we have a lot happening in the near future. So we're really excited about that. But to me, what is the most important thing is to celebrate your win, regardless if they're tiny little wings, huge wings. When you celebrate, just things just they expand and you're happy about it and you're proud of yourself. I think I have I'm sure I did not answer your question. But I think this is important.

SPEAKER_03:

For me, as I say, to to rise kind of to the next level is really getting more clarity because there's always another level, right? There's always a little deeper you can go and shifts and getting real clarity on what your zone of genius is. You know, figuring out what our zones of genius are and then delegating the rest or getting rid of the other things that don't serve you, and that way we can serve more people in the way that's at our highest.

SPEAKER_04:

Yeah, and I think what is really cool is as we grow, we change, right? We change, we discover different things, we start liking different things. So it's like we always come back and we're like, okay, how can we shift things, right? To best serve us and our clients.

SPEAKER_02:

Yes, beautiful. Actually, I want to go back for a moment based off of your answer, which was about celebrating your wins. So, what is your both guys' favorite ways to celebrate a major win? Food. Food. I was also food.

SPEAKER_04:

And you know, and we're like, we're not gonna talk about business and just talk about business.

SPEAKER_03:

I know one of our favorite though is we had a client who actually performs on the strip. And so for our big celebration, one week we went to see her perform at a restaurant and we ate a really nice meal, and it was just it was kind of like full circle to be there with a client. We had just finished her brand and it was performing and she was performing, and that was beautiful. But yeah, we've done that for you even before we had our business partnership. We used to we used to go out for eat Gabby. So a little side note before our partnership, we could then afford a nice dinner. Yeah, before we could afford the nice dinner, we would go down to the strip and go to like the nicest restaurant and just get dessert. And they'd feed us, we're like, we'll tip you well, but we're just getting because that's all we could afford. Now we go out for dinner. So we have we're like, okay, we can actually have the full meal now. It was like, can have more bread, please. So and now that's actually a really good practice because it was what we were doing is we were like manifesting, we're like, this is where we want to be. You know, we're like, okay, so we could afford chilies, but we're gonna go to the nice restaurant, we're gonna get dressed nice, and we're gonna be who we want to be in the future. And who we want to attract. And so we want to be able to.

SPEAKER_04:

This is one of the things that it's I I love the whole brand and the whole marketing, you know, the whole experience. So it's about the experience. It wasn't really about the food for us, about to be in that environment and being catered, stretching yourself. Yeah, yeah. And so that's like that's what brand is all about, right? A big part of the brand is the experience, the journey experience, and yeah. And we love that. That was so fun. That is really fun. We do love food.

SPEAKER_02:

You know, I love that you brought up that story of like going back and getting the desserts though, because full circle moment. Right. So beautiful. I love that. Like I said, you guys have really good synergy together. We still get the dessert though.

SPEAKER_03:

Oh yeah.

SPEAKER_04:

All right. So if you see us getting just this Oh my goodness.

SPEAKER_02:

Well, I don't think we're manifesting.

SPEAKER_01:

No.

SPEAKER_02:

Okay, quick fire round. This is one of my favorites, and just for you, I added a question.

SPEAKER_04:

Okay, go ahead.

SPEAKER_02:

What is your favorite coffee order?

SPEAKER_04:

Okay, so I like French press. I like several types of coffee, depending on my mood. I like espresso, double shots with lots of sugar, and with some iced water afterwards. So the funny thing about it, I go to Starbucks quite often when, especially when I'm traveling, but I'm not a Starbucks fan. But the reason why I go to Starbucks is because I know it's safe. They nail their brand, it's consistent, it's safe. I know it's not gonna be weak. So that's the whole thing about branding, right? Why do you go? Because you create that trust in their relationship. So there's no surprises, even though it's not my favorite, but there's no surprises.

SPEAKER_03:

Yeah. I can give you clarity on Juliana's coffee order. But she likes strong. The end. Strong coffee. So is this is it strong? Yeah.

SPEAKER_04:

We're at a restaurant. So before I travel, I check and see if there's coffee in the hotel in the bedroom, a coffee maker. I have brought a coffee maker before with me.

SPEAKER_01:

Now, was that a flight you had to take that you took the coffee machine with you?

SPEAKER_04:

Yeah, Florida.

SPEAKER_01:

Dedication.

SPEAKER_04:

Yeah. What about you? My coffee coffee with it? My coffee. Yeah, yeah. Mine is black with sugar. Strong black with sugar.

SPEAKER_03:

Mine, well, if I were to go to like Starbucks or coffee, it's always caramel. Anything with caramel, iced caramel, lots of sugar. Anything that's more like a milkshake.

SPEAKER_04:

Coffee milkshakes. I do like a caramel iced, no caramel frappuccino with extra caramel.

SPEAKER_03:

Two extra shots of espresso and I'll weave cream. Yeah. If I'm in a restaurant, I'll just have whatever coffee with cream and sugar. The other day I had blueberry. Blueberry coffee was cream. That's a scene.

SPEAKER_04:

I know. That's so wrong.

SPEAKER_02:

That does sound wrong. But okay, now I know how to bribe you both. A book that you recently read that has changed your life. Recently. Or a book.

SPEAKER_04:

Atomic Habits is a great one. I was actually telling my son to read, and he kind of ignored me. And then he said, Oh, my friend told me to read this book. I'm like, Yeah, what is it? Oh, Atomic Habits. I'm like, dang it. But it's okay.

SPEAKER_02:

At least he's reading it now, I hope.

SPEAKER_04:

Uh, it's there. I know.

SPEAKER_03:

Of course, my lifelong book is the Bible, but recently, Essentialism by Greg McAllen. Don't know if you've ever heard of it. It is how to kind of peel away the unnecessary thing so it's only what's essential. And I that's that's my thing. I love to be simple, essential. Minimal. Minimal.

SPEAKER_04:

It's just less is more, and then more is more.

SPEAKER_03:

If you notice, like I don't have more is more. And she's always got the jewelry.

SPEAKER_02:

It's okay. Duality. Yeah. All right. So one word that describes your current season. Okay. Together.

SPEAKER_04:

Because we went over the questions and we both said the same thing. One, two, three, expand. Expansion. Yeah, they have the same word. It's expansion. Which is awesome. It's a great expansion.

SPEAKER_03:

Beautiful synergy.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah. A daily non-negotiable that fuels your power. Please do not say coffee. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03:

Well that's a daily non-negotiable. Oh, there's a few. But my coffee is like the same. It's walking the dog. Like if you actually it's it's alone. It's time with my thoughts in the beginning of the day. You know, instead of getting up and just going, go, go, go, go, I have to like set the intention, say my prayers, my gratitude. And I usually do that while I'm walking the dog. Mine is I need my sleep.

SPEAKER_04:

No matter what, I need my sleep. If I don't sleep. Do you have an hour account? No. But I have a nap account. So a good I don't know if it's a great thing or a bad thing. I can lay down right here and take a nap without a problem. It could be any time of the day. I could have had a shot of espresso. I'm just like, it's I can't sleep like this. If I lay down in a quiet place, even if it's not that quiet, I can sleep. So I I love my power nap, 45 minutes nap if I'm really tired. If I woke up too early, went to bed too late. I wake up referring. I need my sleep that's like still from.

SPEAKER_03:

And that's how you know you have a good business partner is when you can text them and you say, I need a nap. And they're like, Okay, no problem. I'll see you in 45 minutes. We'll talk air nap, power nap time.

SPEAKER_02:

Love that. Okay. So what is the best advice you've received in one sentence?

SPEAKER_04:

Mine is for my mom. She always said, treat the janitor with the same respect as it treats the principal of the school. So that one always, you know, is respect. And no matter who they are, how much money they have, you treat everybody the same.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03:

Mine actually comes from my dad. And it's this two shall pass. And he always added on to this two shall pass for the good things and the bad. So most people think of this two shall pass as when you're hitting a wall or up against something tough. But he always reminded me that the good times also will pass. So really appreciate them in the moment and take it all in and don't miss snelling the roses.

SPEAKER_02:

Beautiful. We just got deep. So to go flip a switch, what's the song that instantly lifts your mood?

SPEAKER_04:

I don't know a song name, so we're just getting that out of the way. I love any 80s or 90s party like college time.

SPEAKER_03:

So I the song that just came up for me was Kelly Clarkson's Stronger. But at the same time, on basically a daily basis, this is actually almost a non-negotiable too. My daughter's a competitive cheerleader, so we listen to cheer music. Competitive if you've ever listened to competitive cheer music, it's like kind of crazy. And that always we listen to it every day. We have a 30-minute drive to school every morning, and she turns it on, and we can be in the worst mood, and by the end, we're in a great mood and dancing to cheer music. I need to know what that is.

SPEAKER_04:

I have not uh Yeah, it's it's funny. You need to share with me. See? Something you guys can connect on. I was like, man, you're not.

SPEAKER_05:

Sure.

SPEAKER_03:

Like, little guy. Well, yeah, it's not like a lot of screaming because not a lot of screaming, it's a lot of like dizzing on the other teeth.

SPEAKER_04:

Uh when you went to cheer competition, oh my gosh, I'm like, God bless Amy.

SPEAKER_03:

Oh yeah, she'll call me and I'm like, I'm in a cheer competition, and I'll answer. She's like, oh, that's loud.

SPEAKER_04:

That is loud. It's like, I'm here since 6 a.m. in this room, and I woke up at four to put my hand together.

SPEAKER_02:

To do the high pony.

SPEAKER_04:

Like, you're such a good mom.

SPEAKER_02:

So if you weren't doing this work, what would you guys be doing? Ladies.

SPEAKER_04:

I'll be a nun.

SPEAKER_03:

Kidding. You can't cut that. That sounds horrible. If I wasn't doing this work, I would be I'd be finishing my book. Probably I'd be writing.

SPEAKER_04:

I don't know. I really don't know. Like I love what we do. I can't think of anything else right now. Probably.

SPEAKER_03:

Like I can think of anything else right now, but I can say that if if we weren't doing this, I don't know that I'd be as happy. Like I can't believe it's true though. Because I think about it. Yeah.

SPEAKER_04:

And I think, hmm, if I wasn't doing this, what would I be doing? I wouldn't be a chef. I don't know. I know enough for I would not be a chef.

SPEAKER_02:

She's like, I can tell you what else I would not be doing. Yeah. That wouldn't work. Okay, morning person or night owls?

SPEAKER_03:

For the most part, I'm a night owl, but I've had to be a morning person while the kids are in school. Only a couple years left till they're done. I think I'm very balanced.

SPEAKER_04:

Yeah. Yeah. I mean, I'm I don't like to be up before 6 a.m. and I don't like to go to bed after midnight. So I'm kind of like none.

SPEAKER_03:

Like um Yeah, I'm balanced like that too.

SPEAKER_02:

She's like, actually, I'm an afternoon person.

SPEAKER_03:

As long as I have a little nap here and there. I'm an after 11 a.m. person. Like is one of my energies most. I get up early I get up about five every day and then do my thing and the kids, but my energy peaks after 11 a.m.

SPEAKER_02:

Final question. One thing you both want women to stop apologizing for.

SPEAKER_03:

For taking up space. I want them to stop apologizing for showing up and for being themselves. Don't always scoot over on the sidewalk. Don't be rude. But you know.

SPEAKER_04:

I think mine is guilt, especially for moms or for caregivers, right? I really believe that we do need as moms or caregivers, we do need to recharge. Right? I do travel a lot, you know, for work, but I always make sure I take a few hours or a day if I can, and just like, this is for me, for me to recharge when I come back. I'm happier, I'm stronger. But for people, you know, for women not to feel guilty to take that time, go out with a friend and to just have a little me time and have fun. And, you know, we're all living life. You know, a lot of times I think moms, they are like, this is all I am, I'm a mom. It's just wonderful being a mom. But you also have to, you know, take the time without guilt and enjoy life for yourself.

SPEAKER_03:

I think both of those kind of almost go hand in hand because the core message is that you're important. You're important enough to take up space and you're important enough to take some time for yourself.

SPEAKER_02:

Well, this was a beautiful conversation. Um what I love most about you ladies is that your wisdom goes beyond your branding. You remind us that our voice, our story, and our essence are the foundation of everything we create. And branding isn't just about the perfect logo. It is five at least five times. Thank you. It's about the courage to be seen. So if you leave this conversation, I invite you to ask yourself, where am I ready to show up more fully in my life and business? Where can I bring more soul into my strategy? Thank you for tuning into the Rise with Anita podcast. Until next time, keep rising, keep leading with heart, and keep trusting that the vision that lives inside of you is meant to come to fruition.

SPEAKER_00:

Thank you, Pink. Thank you for rising with me today. If this episode moved you, share it, tag me at Arise with Anita, and make sure to subscribe so you never miss a future activation. And if you feel cold, leave a quick review. It helps more women find the space and rise into their power. Your next level is already waiting. Now go clean it. I'll see you in the next episode.