Laura Bull: Redefining Success and Leadership at The Brand Management Co.

Please share a brief introduction about yourself and your business

I turn people into brand names. I'm the founder and CEO of The Brand Management Company, a bestselling author, and a brand strategist who specializes in transforming people into competitive and sustainable business brands. Now an Amazon instant bestselling author in multiple categories like Marketing, Direct Marketing, and Marketing for Small Business, From Individual to Empire: A Guide to Building an Authentic and Powerful Brand offers insurmountable knowledge to teach others what it takes to become a powerful "influencer." A consultant and speaker, I also spent six years as an adjunct professor teaching disciplines in marketing and music business at multiple colleges and universities, including SMU's Temerlin Advertising Institute. And I have a BBA from Belmont University’s Mike Curb School of Music Business and a Master of Liberal Studies from Southern Methodist University.

‍Who are your customers?

I work with creative entrepreneurs, thought leaders, public figures, and celebrities who need to solidify and grow their personal brands in order to explore new revenue streams. Our clients come from Canada, Dubai, Singapore, Croatia, and all over the United States. We are not teachers or coaches. We do the work - whether that's developing a brand with someone just starting out, or helping revive a brand that may have millions of followers.

‍What was your background prior to starting your own business?

I spent ten years with Sony Music Entertainment, becoming one of the company's youngest executives at the age of twenty-eight. While there, I was responsible for the artist development and marketing of globally recognized brands, including Carrie Underwood, Brad Paisley, and Johnny Cash, among hundreds of other artists from Arista, RCA, Columbia, Epic, and Monument records. 

‍What made you take the leap to start your own business?

The music industry was shifting drastically, with the revenue streams switching from record labels to management teams. This made it possible to become a free agent and work directly for management teams and the artists. 

‍Did you always know you wanted to be an entrepreneur?

Not at all! I always thought I'd be working at a corporation.

‍What is the biggest challenge you have encountered along the way so far and what have you learned from it?

The biggest challenge over the years has probably been the backend administration and making sure it evolves with you as you grow. I am very hands-on with the creative side of my job and would much rather be working directly with my clients than handling operations.

‍What accomplishment are the most proud of to date in your business?

Our client's testimonials and recommendations over the years have not only proven our worth, but have made us a Top 2.5% of women-owned businesses in the United States based on revenue.

‍Do you have any recent wins from the last year that you'd like to celebrate with our community?

We recently launched our personalized brand identity report! We had a waiting list to work with us, so we spent the past year perfecting our proprietary process so that we could turn a 25-30 page brand report in just 5 days for 1/4th of the price tag of our traditional packages. This project took multiple programmers and caused my team and me to lose many nights of sleep, but for us, everything we do is to reduce barriers for entrepreneurs to nail down their competitive brand identity. Time and money are huge barriers to most, so now there's no excuse!

‍What's next for your business? What can we expect to see over the next few years?

The goal for us is to get out and keep educating more people about the power of personal branding - whether that be more webinars or conferences - I find that face-to-face interactions are the best catalyst for inspiration. It's one of the reasons we developed the brand identity report.

‍What is your top productivity tip?

Time blocking is amazing. Stick to it.

‍On the flip side, how do you avoid burnout?

Sleep is the answer for everything that ails ya.

‍What is your approach to work-life balance / integration?

I don't believe there is such a thing. Either your priority is life, or it is work. These will see-saw back and forth, and that's okay.

‍What is one thing you wish you had known when you started your Entreprenista journey?

I was pretty well-informed by other members before joining. 

‍What's the one app on your phone you absolutely cannot live without and why?

Messenger. 

‍What is your favorite business tool or solution and why?

Asana. I was a slow adapter, but as my team grows and my clients expand, it has become essential.

‍What advice do you have for aspiring Entreprenistas?

Get your personal brand solidified at the same time as your business. Why? Because it'll save you so much money in the long run. Your business and your personal brand go closely hand in hand, but they are separate identities. Treat them as such. When you are doing interviews to promote your business or networking, you'll help your business grow 10-fold with a solid personal brand that complements your business brand. If you want brand loyalty from brand advocates, you'll have to build a compelling brand story that they will want to support from a person they trust. Help them, help you.

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