Feel like networking events leave you cold, or your business connections never go deeper than a quick card swap? In this solo episode of Brand On The Rocks, Ryan Holck cuts through the noise on transactional networking and dives into why building real, relational networks is the secret to brand growth and long-term business success.

Here’s what you can expect:

Discover the pitfalls of transaction-focused networking, and why chasing just “the next sale” leaves businesses floundering and leaders feeling isolated. Ryan Holck shares hard-won stories from entrepreneurial life, real-world examples of communities that get networking right, and the three unshakeable qualities you need in every business “room” you enter.

Highlights include:

• Straight talk about why most networking events frustrate more than they help, and how to spot the difference between empty transactions and meaningful relationships.
• A behind-the-scenes look at communities and events that foster genuine connections, including lessons learned from the Thing and select entrepreneur masterminds.
• The three essential signs of a network that will actually elevate your business: environments that encourage, challenge, and grow you (and how to find them).
• Practical, actionable advice for evaluating the rooms you enter, plus permission to leave any group that isn’t helping you thrive.
• Inspiring stories of how showing up to serve, not just to sell, radically changes the ROI you get from every handshake and coffee.

Takeaways? You’ll walk away knowing how to filter the networks that matter, build relationships that truly compound, and start showing up as the kind of leader people want in their circle.

Ready to leave shallow “networking” behind? Pour yourself a drink and join Ryan Holck for an episode that will challenge you, encourage you, and give you a roadmap for building the business relationships your brand needs to thrive. Be sure to follow Brand On The Rocks for more candid insights, bold ideas, and real-world strategies every single week.

00:00 Why Transactional Networking Doesn’t Work
02:02 The Love-Hate Reality of Entrepreneurial Networking
03:47 Flipping Your Mindset: Service Over Sales
05:19 How Community Changes Everything
06:46 Collaboration Over Competition: The Power of Peer Groups
08:38 Inside ‘The Thing’: Curated Connections and Relational Culture
11:19 Disney Creativity, Business Lessons, and Serving First
13:09 How the Right Community Transforms Your Future
14:04 Event Preview: The Thing Nashville
16:02 Case Study: Helping a Client Build Story-Driven Connections
18:38 Purpose-Driven Networking in Action
19:50 Building Deeper Referral Relationships
20:26 The Secret: A Rolodex of Real Relationships
21:32 Three Rules for Finding Powerful Rooms
22:23 Surround Yourself with Encouragers
24:13 Find the Group That Pushes You to Grow
26:23 Outgrowing Rooms—and Why That’s Okay
28:30 Investing in the Right Connections (and Why It’s Worth It)
30:20 Brand, Health, and the Company You Keep
31:13 Making Connection a Business Priority
32:25 A Personal Invite to Join The Thing Community
33:30 Ditch Transactional Networking for Good
34:28 Let’s Continue the Conversation

Connect with Ryan Holck

https://distillyourstory.com/ - Brand Messaging and Website Services

https://ryanholck.com - Fractional CMO and Strategy work

https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanholck/

Trust isn’t just a “nice to have”—it’s the lifeblood of successful brands. In this episode of Brand On The Rocks, Ryan Holck sits down with digital branding leader Gal Borenstein to pour out straight insight on what it really takes to build, protect, and monetize trust in the age of AI and digital disruption.

Here’s what you can expect:

Get candid on how brand trust is facing erosion—why your internal culture is now visible to your customers, and how authenticity has become the true currency of business. Gal Borenstein dives deep into real-world examples (like Boeing, Facebook, and Coca-Cola) that reveal the cost of broken trust and the steps brands must take to fix it.

Highlights include:

• How internal failures can quickly become public—and why every promise matters, from Glassdoor reviews to viral news stories
• The new rules for monetizing trust—and the actual dollar impact of losing credibility
• Navigating the AI explosion: why robotic content might look slick but can destroy authenticity with just a hint of “fakeness”
• Practical frameworks: the “Guardian Trust System” for benchmarking trust internally and externally, and building resilience before disaster strikes
• Why CEOs and business owners must step up as authority leaders—and how honest, visible leadership turns crisis into opportunity

You’ll walk away with actionable steps to audit your brand’s trust, blend technology with soul, and lead your organization with credibility that sticks—no matter the storm.

Pour yourself a glass, hit play, and find out how to anchor your brand in trust that drives real results. Be sure to follow Brand On The Rocks for more bold conversations, practical audits, and real-world advice—served straight up, every week.

00:00 Trust as the Core of Brand Success

01:25 Digital Age Erodes Business Trust

03:41 Monetizing Trust: Boeing’s Brand Crisis

07:46 Facebook, Data, and Loss of Consumer Faith

10:02 Internal Culture Always Becomes External

11:27 The Risks of AI Breaking Brand Trust

14:35 Why Branding Needs Human Touch

18:29 Coca-Cola’s AI Ad Backfires

20:45 The Guardian Framework: Benchmarking Trust

24:34 Tylenol and Preparing for Brand Crises

25:56 Online Footprint and Reputation

29:46 Internal Alignment Builds External Trust

32:06 Cybersecurity, Authenticity, and Brand Impact

34:02 Own Mistakes and Listen to Feedback

35:37 Personal Authority Strengthens Business Brands

Connect with Gal Borenstein

• www.BorensteinGroup.com
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/galborensteinexecutiveprofile/
• Amazon: Don't Believe The Hype-When Trust is On The Line: Book Link: https://a.co/d/08TUBvPe

Connect with Ryan Holck

• Schedule a call https://DistillYourStory.com
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanholck/
• https://www.facebook.com/rholck

Ever wonder why your marketing sometimes misses the mark—or how to make sure it actually resonates? In this episode of Brand On The Rocks, brand strategist Ryan Holck chats with Ashley Goldsmith, founder of Blue Chair Communications, about bringing clarity, empathy, and true audience-focus back to your messaging.

What you'll get from this episode:

• Discover the secret to avoiding wasted marketing spend by starting with context, not just content.
• Hear real-world examples of how talking directly to your audience can totally transform your strategy (like reaching new language communities with simple, practical tweaks).
• Learn how to set (and keep) realistic expectations—whether you’re DIY-ing or ready to get help.
• Get actionable questions you can ask before hitting “send” on your next email, social post, or campaign.

You'll walk away with practical tips to cut through the noise, make smarter marketing decisions, and ensure everything you do speaks to the right people.

Ready to boost your brand’s clarity and connect with your audience? Pour yourself a glass and listen in—then follow Brand On The Rocks for honest insights and straight-up advice every week.

00:00 Stepping Into Your Audience’s Shoes

01:16 Meet Ashley Goldsmith & Blue Chair’s People-First Focus

03:35 Finding Mission-Aligned Clients

05:51 How to Uncover Real Pain Points

08:09 Solving ‘Caring More Than the Client’

12:50 Why Intentional, Quality Marketing Wins

16:34 Measuring What Matters—Audience Audits

18:48 Changing Tactics: New Audiences, New Strategies

25:27 Audience-First Approaches You Can Use Today

29:29 The Power of Candid Feedback

35:15 Setting Realistic Marketing Expectations

39:16 Connect with Ashley & Blue Chair Communications

Connect with Ashley Goldsmith

https://bluechaircommunications.com

https://instagram.com/bluechaircommunications

Connect with Ryan Holck

Schedule a call https://DistillYourStory.com

https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanholck/

https://www.facebook.com/rholck

00:00 “Is Anyone Actually Listening?—How to Step into Your Audience’s Shoes”

01:16 “Meet Ashley Goldsmith: Building Blue Chair Communications Around People”

03:35 “Mission Fit: Choosing the Right Clients and Learning from Mistakes”

05:51 “Discovery Calls that Work: Vetting Pain Points and Expectations”

08:09 “The Problem with Caring More Than Your Client—And How to Fix It”

12:50 “Quality Over Quantity: Why Fewer, Intentional Actions Win”

16:34 “Audience Audits: Measuring What Actually Matters”

18:48 “Real Case Study: Reaching Non-English Speakers the Right Way”

23:12 “Testing, Not Guessing: Saving Hours and Marketing Dollars with Research”

25:27 “Easy Audience-First Questions for Every Campaign”

29:29 “Feedback Loops and Building a Truth-Teller Circle”

31:22 “Never Lose Sight of the Bigger Strategy”

32:22 “Details vs. Story: Striking the Balance in Brand Communication”

35:15 “Setting Realistic Expectations (and When to Hand Off the Marketing)”

39:16 “Where to Connect with Ashley & Blue Chair Communications”