Advertise on podcast: Brand Up: Build an Unstoppable Brand That Conquers Sales (with Marian Esanu)

A lot of people want to start a business, but they're afraid to commit because they don't know if it's going to work. So they wait. They overthink. They start doing things halfway. And sometimes, they end up wasting an entire year that could've been spent building something. In this episode of Brand Up Podcast, I break down some of the biggest mistakes new business owners make when they're getting started, especially when it comes to branding, marketing, content creation, and setting up the business properly. We talk about why your business name should be consistent across Google, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and other platforms, and how building a strong online presence can help potential customers find and trust you. I also explain why you should be repurposing your videos across multiple platforms instead of creating content for Instagram alone. And if you're uncomfortable being on camera, I share two simple ways to start recording content without having to talk directly into your phone. We also get into something that a lot of business owners overlook: making it ridiculously easy for people to book and pay for your services. Because you can have great marketing, amazing reviews, and beautiful content, but if someone has to jump through five different steps just to book an appointment, you're making it harder to get customers. Finally, we talk about setting up your business structure, opening a business bank account, building business credit, and why I believe it's worth thinking about these things early instead of waiting until your business gets bigger. Here's the biggest lesson: If you're serious about building a business, start making decisions like a business owner. You don't have to have everything figured out. But you do need a plan, a professional presence, and the willingness to commit to what you're building.

Most business owners spend so much time trying to get new clients that they forget what happens after someone actually reaches out. Getting the lead is one thing. Turning that person into a paying customer is a completely different skill. In this episode of Brand Up Podcast, I break down how to build a simple customer acquisition and conversion system using referrals, advertising, follow-ups, reviews, and social media. We talk about why not every potential client should be treated the same way. Someone who's never tried your service needs a different conversation than someone who had a bad experience with a competitor or someone who's simply looking for a new provider. I also explain why video testimonials can do a lot of the selling for you, how to follow up with people who didn't book the first time, and why referrals typically convert differently than leads coming from Google or Instagram. We also get into choosing the right advertising platform, building your online presence, knowing when to raise your prices, and getting comfortable creating content even when you don't feel ready to be on camera. And because building a business goes beyond marketing, we touch on reinvesting in your business, understanding the difference between personal and business debt, and why having the right financial structure matters as you grow. Here's the biggest lesson: Stop measuring your marketing only by how many people contact you. Start paying attention to how many actually become paying clients. Because you don't build a successful business by collecting leads. You build it by converting them, delivering a great service, and giving people a reason to come back.

Most business owners have heard of ChatGPT, but very few actually understand how to use it beyond writing captions or asking basic questions. And that’s where they’re missing out. In this episode of Brand Up Podcast, my wife Cosmina puts me in the guest seat as we break down how beginners can start using ChatGPT to save time, create better content, and grow their businesses. I explain why the way you ask ChatGPT a question matters, how to avoid generic answers, and why giving AI a specific role and clear instructions can completely change the results you get. We also talk about how I organize ChatGPT across multiple businesses, why I separate conversations by topic, and how to use projects, instructions, and saved information to keep everything organized. I share practical examples of using ChatGPT to brainstorm podcast topics, create Instagram Reels, identify your ideal audience, improve your marketing, and even practice speaking on camera. And here’s one of the simplest things you can do if you’re a beginner: Stop asking ChatGPT basic questions and expecting advanced answers. Give it context. Explain what you’re trying to accomplish. Tell it who your audience is and what kind of expert you want it to act as. You don’t need to be an AI expert to start using it. You just need to learn how to ask better questions. This is the first episode in our ChatGPT series, where we’ll break down how to use AI for business, marketing, content creation, and everyday productivity.

If ChatGPT keeps giving you generic answers, the problem might not be ChatGPT. It might be the way you’re prompting it. In this episode of Brand Up Podcast, I break down how I organize ChatGPT for different parts of my businesses, why I separate conversations by topic, and how giving AI the right context can completely change the quality of what you get back. I share one of the simplest prompting tricks I use: write the basic version of what you want, then ask ChatGPT to rewrite your prompt from the perspective of the right expert before answering it. We also talk about giving ChatGPT a specific role, asking it to question you when it needs more context, and training it around your actual communication style so your captions and content don’t sound like they were written by somebody else. I also explain how I use my best-performing content as data. Instead of constantly guessing what thumbnail, hook, or topic might work next, you can analyze what already performed and create new variations around those patterns. The goal isn’t to become a prompt engineer. It’s to learn how to give ChatGPT enough context so it becomes far more useful for your business, content, and personal brand.

Most people use ChatGPT to write a caption, answer a question, or rewrite an email. That’s barely scratching the surface. In this episode of Brand Up Podcast, I break down how I actually use ChatGPT across my businesses and everyday life—from branding and content creation to productivity, research, planning, reminders, design ideas, and solving random problems that would normally take hours. We talk about using voice instead of constantly typing prompts, giving ChatGPT context about who you are, creating systems you can come back to, and asking it to act as a specialist depending on the problem you’re trying to solve. I also share real examples of using it to rebrand businesses, improve social media profiles, generate content ideas, create files and productivity systems, redesign spaces, plan meals, practice languages, and help new business owners figure out where to start. And if you have no idea what to ask ChatGPT, start with this: Tell it who you are, what you do, and what you’re trying to accomplish. Then ask it for 10–20 ways it can help you save time and make more money. You don’t need to understand everything AI can do. Start using it every day, solve one problem at a time, and you’ll quickly realize how much time you’ve been wasting doing things manually.

Getting clients is only one part of building a business. What happens when you’re with a client and the phone rings? Who follows up with new leads? Who sends reminders? Who gets the next appointment booked? In this episode of Brand Up Podcast, I break down the basic systems you should start building before your business gets busy. We talk about why a CRM should be one of your first tools, how to automate follow-ups and bookings, and why choosing the right software early can save you a massive headache later. I also get into using ChatGPT as an everyday business tool, turning one hour of recording into a week of content with Opus Clip, and creating posts with an actual purpose: educate potential clients, attract new people, and occasionally make an offer. We also break down how to think about Google and Instagram campaigns when launching a local business, setting a monthly client goal, and reverse-engineering the marketing needed to hit that number. Don’t wait until you’re overwhelmed to build the systems. Set them up early so when the clients start coming, the business can actually handle them.

A lot of businesses say they want “more clients.” That’s too broad. In this episode of Brand Up Podcast, I break down how to identify the type of client who can actually afford your service, stay with you long term, and become worth thousands of dollars per year to the business. We talk about building a real customer avatar based on income, lifestyle, profession, location, and buying habits instead of just guessing who you want to work with. I also explain why your best referral partner may be another professional who already has direct access to your ideal customer. That could be a doctor, another service provider, a recovery facility, or anyone already serving the same person before they ever find you. We also get into referral commissions, adding complementary products and services, increasing lifetime value, using partnerships to create new business, and even using a podcast as a relationship-building tool. The bigger lesson is simple: Stop trying to reach everybody. Figure out exactly who spends the most, comes back the longest, and already has a reason to need what you sell. Then build your marketing around that person.

Most business owners know what they do. The problem is they don’t know how to turn that knowledge into content that actually brings people through the door. In this episode of Brand Up Podcast, I break down how to use your expertise, your story, and simple tools like ChatGPT, Opus Clip, and short-form video to create content that builds trust before a potential client ever calls you. We get into why your differences matter, how to use your background and credentials as part of your positioning, and why being uncomfortable on camera is not a good enough reason to stay invisible. I also explain how to make content easier by recording interview-style videos, how to turn one long conversation into multiple Reels, Shorts, and posts, and why every piece of content should either educate, attract, or lead to an offer. We also talk about offer strategy, why some promotions work better than others, how to use a lower-entry offer to get people through the door, and why the content that performs best should get more attention instead of constantly creating something new. If you run a local service business and you’re struggling with what to post, how to get comfortable on camera, or how to turn content into actual clients, this episode will give you a simple framework to follow.

Most business owners post content and hope the algorithm gives them reach. That’s not a strategy. In this episode of Brand Up Podcast, I break down how to build a content system around search, SEO, Google, YouTube, and short-form video so your content can keep working long after you post it. We talk about why YouTube is still one of the strongest platforms for business owners, how Google can become one of your biggest sources of clients, and how to use tools like ChatGPT and Opus Clip to turn one hour of recording into multiple pieces of content. I also explain how to look at the topics that perform best, feed that information back into ChatGPT, and create more content around the exact questions your audience is already searching for. From there, we get into Google Business Profile, keyword themes, local search campaigns, business naming, DBA structure, and why keeping your brand information consistent matters when you want to rank and get found. The goal is simple: create content around demand that already exists. Stop guessing what people want. Start answering what they are already searching for.

Getting a few clients through word of mouth is a great sign. But if you want to build an actual business, you can’t depend on luck. In this episode of Brand Up Podcast, I break down how to turn early clients into a repeatable client acquisition system using referrals, content, social media, and simple tools like ChatGPT, Canva, and CapCut. We talk about why beauty and personal care services are luxury services, why that changes the way you market them, and why your reputation as the business owner becomes part of the brand. I also explain how to create a referral program that gives existing clients a reason to send people your way, why one bad review can cost you far more than fixing a customer problem, and how to start creating content even when you’re uncomfortable speaking English or being on camera. One of the biggest lessons in this episode: your accent, background, and personality are not things you need to hide. They can actually become part of what makes people remember and trust you. We also get into using captions on every video, batching content instead of creating something every day, using ChatGPT to solve everyday business problems, and turning the results you’re already getting into content that attracts more clients. If you’re starting from scratch, getting most of your business through referrals, or struggling to turn social media into actual appointments, this episode gives you a simple place to start.

A lot of business owners make the same mistake: they upgrade the overhead before they upgrade the revenue. In this episode of Brand Up Podcast, I break down how to decide when it actually makes sense to move from working at home into a salon or commercial space. If you’re making around $500–$1,000 a month, jumping into a $1,000 monthly lease can put unnecessary pressure on the business. A smarter move may be taking the cheaper space and putting the difference into Google and Instagram campaigns that actually bring people through the door. Because having a beautiful salon doesn’t automatically create customers. I also get into the sales side most new business owners overlook: every Reel, Story, photo, and client interaction needs a clear next step. If you want people to book, you have to ask them to book. We talk about using offers without automatically destroying your pricing, creating urgency around available appointments, asking for the next booking before the client leaves, and turning content into actual revenue instead of posting just to stay active. The goal isn’t to look bigger than you are. Build the revenue first, make the numbers work, then let the business fund the next level.

A lot of new business owners think they need the perfect salon, office, logo, website, and setup before they can start taking themselves seriously. You don’t. In this episode of Brand Up Podcast, I break down why starting from home can actually be one of the smartest ways to build your first real customer base without burying yourself in expenses too early. We talk about how to position a home-based service properly, price yourself against local competitors, communicate the experience clearly, and accept that some people simply won’t be the right client for that stage of your business. I also explain why you should keep separate businesses separate, even when you’re collaborating with family, and how referral programs can bring in new clients without spending heavily on ads. The bigger lesson is simple: don’t take on $1,000 a month in rent just because you think having a commercial space makes you a “real” business. If the business isn’t producing that money yet, your first move should be getting more clients, building reviews, improving your offer, and creating recurring revenue. Build the demand first. Then let the business pay for the next level.

A lot of business owners avoid creating videos because they are worried about their accent, their grammar, or what people from their past might say. But your clients are not paying you to teach English. In this episode of Brand Up, I explain why your accent can become one of the strongest parts of your personal brand. It tells people where you came from, gives your content personality, and helps you connect with others who share a similar background. I also break down why criticism usually comes from people who were never going to become clients in the first place. The only feedback that deserves serious attention comes from the people who trust you, pay you, and experience your service. We also discuss how to rebrand an Instagram account under your personal name when you offer multiple related services. Instead of building an account around one narrow service, your personal brand gives you room to add new offers, create educational content, work with other companies, and eventually launch your own products. You’ll also learn why captions can increase your reach, how to use ChatGPT to create content that reflects your culture and personality, and why YouTube Shorts can help your videos appear in search results long after you post them. Stop hiding the thing that makes you memorable. Your accent is part of your story. Use it.

Most business owners post content and hope people figure out what to do next. That’s the mistake. In this episode of Brand Up, I explain how to use the “jab, jab, jab, right hook” approach: give value, teach something useful, build trust, and then make a clear offer. I break down how to turn simple Instagram Stories into a sales system, why every promotion needs urgency, and why people will rarely buy unless you actually ask them to take action. We also cover the basic online setup every local service business needs, including Google Business Profile, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, YouTube, and Pinterest. Your business name, contact information, and branding should stay consistent across every platform so customers and Google can clearly connect them. I also explain why your logo is not the priority at the beginning, how to create a simple referral program with Canva and ChatGPT, and when it makes sense to pay for tools that save your time. Once your business is ready to accept clients, Google and Instagram ads can help you reach people who are already looking for the service. With a small daily budget, one recurring client can cover the cost and continue producing revenue long after the first appointment. This episode is for local service providers who want a simple system to create content, attract clients, generate referrals, and turn attention into appointments.

Most people don’t fail because they lack talent. They fail because they expect to feel ready before they start. In this episode of Brand Up, I break down how to go from learning a new skill to building confidence, getting your first clients, and eventually turning it into a real business. We talk about why YouTube Shorts is one of the strongest short-form platforms, how ChatGPT can help improve your content, and why Google, Instagram, and Facebook still matter even if you don’t personally use them. I also explain why there’s no perfect way to start. You can begin from home, practice on real people, offer a few services for free, and reinvest your early money into marketing before taking on expensive rent. The main lesson is simple: you do not need to have everything figured out. You need to keep practicing, stay visible, and avoid quitting before you get good. In this episode, you’ll learn how to build confidence in your skill, when to start charging, when to invest in ads, how to use social media as a business owner, and why the best business decisions depend on where you are right now. If you’re learning a new skill, starting a side business, or trying to turn your talent into consistent income, this episode will help you make the next move.