Welcome Brandon Kaplan
How Brandon Kaplan Got His Inspiration for Skilled Creative (Episode 154)
In episode 154 of The Voice in Canada podcast, Teri interviews Brandon Kaplan who is the CEO and Founder of Skilled Creative, a full-service voice agency located in NYC.
How Brandon Got the Inspiration for Skilled Creative
Brandon got the inspiration for his company back in 2016 when he went to an Amazon workshop and was introduced to voice. Brandon was always obsessed with technology and even as a child, he loved taking electronics apart but did not have an interest in putting them back together. Back when Brandon was running a content marketing agency, he got introduced to the service industry. His passion was unpacking people’s problems and helping them find solutions.
The Venn Diagram Exercise
Brandon described the “Venn Diagram” exercise in which you put your three biggest passions on paper or a whiteboard and at the center is the company you should create. Brandon’s “Venn Diagram” consisted of these three aspects:
1. Obsessed with technology
2. Creativity
3. Educating
Brandon believed that “voice was really the only tech that wasn’t an activation but rather it was shifting consumer behavior.” About 2 ½ years ago, Brandon shifted his focus again primarily to voice.
Projects that Brandon has worked on include lifestyle experiences for PepsiCo, voice-activated kiosks on college campuses, Entertainment Weekly, and a 14-day affirmation journey with Health Magazine. Additional projects include Real Simple Relax, HBO, and Warner Music Group.
The majority of the focus has been on media, entertainment, and CPG.
How to Get Market Share
Brandon believes that the work has to be structured as a program and not a project. Furthermore, it has to be creative and come from the right consumer insights. Furthermore, it requires you to double down and invest in marketing, retargeting, and engaging people.
Brandon summarized, “hyper-focusing on the creativity makes a good experience.” He also made the distinction between a program and a project. In a program, you have a longer-term commitment; whereas a project is something you launch.
How Brandon Mastered the Skill of “Healthy Hustle”
Brandon loves what he does and really believes in the technology. He also has a great team behind him that shares the same passion for technology as he does. If anyone on his team is ever feeling burnt out, Brandon provides them the flexibility to rotate off that project and have the ability to work on a different project. Brandon is a believer in mixing things up to keep things fresh.
Entrepreneurs Supporting Entrepreneurs
Brandon loves helping other entrepreneurs as well and is always open to hearing other entrepreneur’s challenges and helping them work through those challenges.
What Brandon Learned from His Mentors
Brandon had a boss that taught him that he shouldn’t be nervous about talking to anyone; even a CEO because they too are dealing with real-life situations that may be stressful.
The life lesson that Brandon learned from his 2nd boss was that “quality comes from not micro-managing but from being focused on quality and attention to detail.”
Brandon’s own philosophy is that “focus on the details and try to have as much fun along the way.”
Learn More About Brandon Kaplan and Skilled Creative
Connect with Brandon Kaplan on LinkedIn
Visit the Skilled Creative website
Follow Skilled Creative on Twitter
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