Five years ago, we did something that felt a little like a risky move and a lot like a revolution. We moved away from our 16-year-old identity as &quot;Workbrands&quot; to become Shaped By, an independent B2B creative agency for the tech world.In this very special episode of The Changemakers, Dave Corlett sits down with our Founder and CEO, Nick Farrar, to reflect on the half-decade journey of bringing bold creativity and brand momentum to the B2B tech market. Nick pulls back the curtain on why he decided to go all in on a new brand, a new geography, and a new strategy during a global lockdown.We’re unpacking:<ul><li>The rebrand reality: Why finding a name was harder than expected and the &quot;lightbulb moment&quot; that led to Shaped By.</li><li>The US market slog: How we built a reputation in the US without a physical office in the country by focusing on &quot;Human-First&quot; relationships.</li><li>Values over ego: Why culture and values are entwined and how we protect our &quot;people-first&quot; mentality as we grow.</li><li>The AI inflection point: Why we aren’t an AI-first agency, but rather use it to augment human creativity to help our clients differentiate.</li></ul>Whether you&apos;re an agency founder struggling with your positioning, or a B2B leader curious about the agencies operating in your world, this episode is a masterclass in staying curious, being bold, taking risks and resisting the path well-trodden.Timestamps<ul><li>00:00 - The 16-year-old startup: why it was time to evolve Workbrands.</li><li>05:26 - The name-search struggle and finding the &quot;Shaped By&quot; identity.</li><li>10:19 - Handling the &quot;wobble&quot;: investing in sales and marketing when it felt like a luxury.</li><li>14:27 - Why effective B2B new business is about nurturing, not quick fixes.</li><li>17:01 - Building a &quot;People-First&quot; culture as a sole director.</li><li>24:05 - Winning the US: why a physical office isn’t necessary, but being present is.</li><li>31:00 - Selling talent, not software: the motivation behind the metrics.</li><li>34:07 - The AI &quot;Human Sandwich&quot;: using tech to augment, not replace, creativity.</li><li>42:12 - Growth pains and the secret to success: letting the &quot;applause&quot; follow great work.</li><li>47:43 - The next five years: becoming the employer of choice in B2B.</li></ul><a target="_blank" href="https://www.buzzsprout.com/2057233/fan_mail/new">Send us a message if you enjoyed this episode</a>If you enjoy the chats then there are more ways to quench your thirst for creative inspiration in the world of B2B tech. 👉 Watch episodes on <a href='https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLvnlkJwGYRFgc0BZMSft9nAHLHPLfKWCu&amp;si=uEaJ3dnO8ApffhTx'>YouTube</a> 👉 Follow us on <a href='https://www.linkedin.com/company/shaped-by'>LinkedIn</a> for regular snippets in your feed 👉 <a href='https://shaped-by.com/'>Visit our website</a> for more in-depth thinking on topics 👉 <a href='https://shaped-by.com/subscribe-for-b2b-inspiration/'>Subscribe to Beyond</a> our monthly collection of insight, opinion and inspiration And finally please <a href='https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-changemakers/id1599320479'>rate our podcast on Apple</a> if you enjoyed it! ✌️

<description>&lt;p&gt;Five years ago, we did something that felt a little like a risky move and a lot like a revolution. We moved away from our 16-year-old identity as &amp;quot;Workbrands&amp;quot; to become Shaped By, an independent B2B creative agency for the tech world.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;In this very special episode of &lt;em&gt;The Changemakers&lt;/em&gt;, Dave Corlett sits down with our Founder and CEO, Nick Farrar, to reflect on the half-decade journey of bringing bold creativity and brand momentum to the B2B tech market. Nick pulls back the curtain on why he decided to go all in on a new brand, a new geography, and a new strategy during a global lockdown.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;We’re unpacking:&lt;/p&gt;&lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;The rebrand reality: Why finding a name was harder than expected and the &amp;quot;lightbulb moment&amp;quot; that led to Shaped By.&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;The US market slog: How we built a reputation in the US without a physical office in the country by focusing on &amp;quot;Human-First&amp;quot; relationships.&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Values over ego: Why culture and values are entwined and how we protect our &amp;quot;people-first&amp;quot; mentality as we grow.&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;The AI inflection point: Why we aren’t an AI-first agency, but rather use it to augment human creativity to help our clients differentiate.&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;p&gt;Whether you&amp;apos;re an agency founder struggling with your positioning, or a B2B leader curious about the agencies operating in your world, this episode is a masterclass in staying curious, being bold, taking risks and resisting the path well-trodden.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;Timestamps&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;b&gt;00:00 &lt;/b&gt;- The 16-year-old startup: why it was time to evolve Workbrands.&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;b&gt;05:26 -&lt;/b&gt; The name-search struggle and finding the &amp;quot;Shaped By&amp;quot; identity.&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;b&gt;10:19 &lt;/b&gt;- Handling the &amp;quot;wobble&amp;quot;: investing in sales and marketing when it felt like a luxury.&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;b&gt;14:27 &lt;/b&gt;- Why effective B2B new business is about nurturing, not quick fixes.&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;b&gt;17:01 &lt;/b&gt;- Building a &amp;quot;People-First&amp;quot; culture as a sole director.&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;b&gt;24:05 &lt;/b&gt;- Winning the US: why a physical office isn’t necessary, but being present is.&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;b&gt;31:00 &lt;/b&gt;- Selling talent, not software: the motivation behind the metrics.&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;b&gt;34:07 &lt;/b&gt;- The AI &amp;quot;Human Sandwich&amp;quot;: using tech to augment, not replace, creativity.&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;b&gt;42:12 -&lt;/b&gt; Growth pains and the secret to success: letting the &amp;quot;applause&amp;quot; follow great work.&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;b&gt;47:43 &lt;/b&gt;- The next five years: becoming the employer of choice in B2B.&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a target="_blank" href="https://www.buzzsprout.com/2057233/fan_mail/new"&gt;Send us a message if you enjoyed this episode&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;If you enjoy the chats then there are more ways to quench your thirst for creative inspiration in the world of B2B tech. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;👉 Watch episodes on &lt;a href='https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLvnlkJwGYRFgc0BZMSft9nAHLHPLfKWCu&amp;amp;si=uEaJ3dnO8ApffhTx'&gt;YouTube&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br/&gt;👉 Follow us on &lt;a href='https://www.linkedin.com/company/shaped-by'&gt;LinkedIn&lt;/a&gt; for regular snippets in your feed &lt;br/&gt;👉 &lt;a href='https://shaped-by.com/'&gt;Visit our website&lt;/a&gt; for more in-depth thinking on topics&lt;br/&gt;👉 &lt;a href='https://shaped-by.com/subscribe-for-b2b-inspiration/'&gt;Subscribe to Beyond&lt;/a&gt; our monthly collection of insight, opinion and inspiration&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;And finally please &lt;a href='https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-changemakers/id1599320479'&gt;rate our podcast on Apple&lt;/a&gt; if you enjoyed it!&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;✌️&lt;/p&gt;</description>

Five years ago, we did something that felt a little like a risky move and a lot like a revolution. We moved away from our 16-year-old identity as "Workbrands" to become Shaped By, an independent B2B creative agency for the tech world. In this very special episode of The Changemakers, Dave Corlett sits down with our Founder and CEO, Nick Farrar, to reflect on the half-decade journey of bringing bold creativity and brand momentum to the B2B tech market. Nick pulls back the curtain on why he dec...

Five Years of Shaped By: Nick Farrar, Shaped By

We’re back! After a little hiatus between new guest episodes, we return in style as Dave sits down with Aviv Canaani, Chief Revenue Officer at Datarails, to discuss his firm belief that there is no real way to grow a B2B company without building a brand - especially not today.Aviv shares his unique journey from marketing leader to Chief Revenue Officer, and how he transformed a traditional outbound sales machine into a high-growth inbound powerhouse through a constant process of experimentation, risk-taking, learning and iterating. Along the way, he and Dave dismantle the myth (prevalent amongst many scaleup marketers) that brand is just &quot;fluffy&quot; creative work. We also dive into:<ul><li>The CRO’s case for brand: Why revenue leaders should obsess over brand as the ultimate &quot;revenue tomorrow&quot; engine.</li><li>The outbound/inbound shift: How Datarails moved from 90% outbound to 90% inbound through intentional brand-building and community.</li><li>Balancing short-term &amp; long-term: Managing separate growth and brand teams to hit this quarter’s targets while fueling future demand.</li><li>B2B doesn&apos;t mean boring: How memes, a niche podcast, and sponsoring the Microsoft Excel World Cup drove massive engagement in the typically corporate finance space.</li></ul>If you’re a marketing leader looking to learn more about brand-building’s impact on revenue growth, or moving beyond over-reliance on short-term outbound activity, this masterclass in modern B2B growth is for you.🎧 Listen nowTimestamps :<ul><li>01:57 - The DataRails story: Flipping the script from outbound to inbound.</li><li>03:41 - Removing friction: How brand makes the sales call easier.</li><li>06:21 - The inflection point: Why DataRails triggered a rebrand early.</li><li>07:45 - Memes &amp; CFOs: Proving that &quot;boring&quot; industries can be fun.</li><li>10:26 - The 1% Rule: Breaking through the 99% of B2B noise.</li><li>11:50 - Revenue today vs. revenue tomorrow: The CRO’s perspective on brand.</li><li>13:28 - Structuring for success: separating growth and brand teams.</li><li>15:30 - Measuring soft metrics: Why engagement matters more than vanity views.</li><li>20:53 - The CEO relationship: Speaking the language of the C-Suite. </li></ul><a href='https://www.linkedin.com/in/avivcanaani/'>Aviv&apos;s LinkedIn Profile</a><a target="_blank" href="https://www.buzzsprout.com/2057233/fan_mail/new">Send us a message if you enjoyed this episode</a>If you enjoy the chats then there are more ways to quench your thirst for creative inspiration in the world of B2B tech. 👉 Watch episodes on <a href='https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLvnlkJwGYRFgc0BZMSft9nAHLHPLfKWCu&amp;si=uEaJ3dnO8ApffhTx'>YouTube</a> 👉 Follow us on <a href='https://www.linkedin.com/company/shaped-by'>LinkedIn</a> for regular snippets in your feed 👉 <a href='https://shaped-by.com/'>Visit our website</a> for more in-depth thinking on topics 👉 <a href='https://shaped-by.com/subscribe-for-b2b-inspiration/'>Subscribe to Beyond</a> our monthly collection of insight, opinion and inspiration And finally please <a href='https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-changemakers/id1599320479'>rate our podcast on Apple</a> if you enjoyed it! ✌️

<description>&lt;p&gt;We’re back! After a little hiatus between new guest episodes, we return in style as Dave sits down with Aviv Canaani, Chief Revenue Officer at Datarails, to discuss his firm belief that there is no real way to grow a B2B company without building a brand - especially not today.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Aviv shares his unique journey from marketing leader to Chief Revenue Officer, and how he transformed a traditional outbound sales machine into a high-growth inbound powerhouse through a constant process of experimentation, risk-taking, learning and iterating. Along the way, he and Dave dismantle the myth (prevalent amongst many scaleup marketers) that brand is just &amp;quot;fluffy&amp;quot; creative work. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;We also dive into:&lt;/p&gt;&lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;b&gt;The CRO’s case for brand: &lt;/b&gt;Why revenue leaders should obsess over brand as the ultimate &amp;quot;revenue tomorrow&amp;quot; engine.&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;b&gt;The outbound/inbound shift: &lt;/b&gt;How Datarails moved from 90% outbound to 90% inbound through intentional brand-building and community.&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;b&gt;Balancing short-term &amp;amp; long-term: &lt;/b&gt;Managing separate growth and brand teams to hit this quarter’s targets while fueling future demand.&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;b&gt;B2B doesn&amp;apos;t mean boring: &lt;/b&gt;How memes, a niche podcast, and sponsoring the Microsoft Excel World Cup drove massive engagement in the typically corporate finance space.&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;p&gt;If you’re a marketing leader looking to learn more about brand-building’s impact on revenue growth, or moving beyond over-reliance on short-term outbound activity, this masterclass in modern B2B growth is for you.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;🎧 Listen now&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;Timestamps :&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;01:57 - The DataRails story: Flipping the script from outbound to inbound.&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;03:41 - Removing friction: How brand makes the sales call easier.&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;06:21 - The inflection point: Why DataRails triggered a rebrand early.&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;07:45 - Memes &amp;amp; CFOs: Proving that &amp;quot;boring&amp;quot; industries can be fun.&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;10:26 - The 1% Rule: Breaking through the 99% of B2B noise.&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;11:50 - Revenue today vs. revenue tomorrow: The CRO’s perspective on brand.&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;13:28 - Structuring for success: separating growth and brand teams.&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;15:30 - Measuring soft metrics: Why engagement matters more than vanity views.&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;20:53 - The CEO relationship: Speaking the language of the C-Suite. &lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.linkedin.com/in/avivcanaani/'&gt;Aviv&amp;apos;s LinkedIn Profile&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a target="_blank" href="https://www.buzzsprout.com/2057233/fan_mail/new"&gt;Send us a message if you enjoyed this episode&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;If you enjoy the chats then there are more ways to quench your thirst for creative inspiration in the world of B2B tech. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;👉 Watch episodes on &lt;a href='https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLvnlkJwGYRFgc0BZMSft9nAHLHPLfKWCu&amp;amp;si=uEaJ3dnO8ApffhTx'&gt;YouTube&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br/&gt;👉 Follow us on &lt;a href='https://www.linkedin.com/company/shaped-by'&gt;LinkedIn&lt;/a&gt; for regular snippets in your feed &lt;br/&gt;👉 &lt;a href='https://shaped-by.com/'&gt;Visit our website&lt;/a&gt; for more in-depth thinking on topics&lt;br/&gt;👉 &lt;a href='https://shaped-by.com/subscribe-for-b2b-inspiration/'&gt;Subscribe to Beyond&lt;/a&gt; our monthly collection of insight, opinion and inspiration&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;And finally please &lt;a href='https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-changemakers/id1599320479'&gt;rate our podcast on Apple&lt;/a&gt; if you enjoyed it!&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;✌️&lt;/p&gt;</description>

We’re back! After a little hiatus between new guest episodes, we return in style as Dave sits down with Aviv Canaani, Chief Revenue Officer at Datarails, to discuss his firm belief that there is no real way to grow a B2B company without building a brand - especially not today. Aviv shares his unique journey from marketing leader to Chief Revenue Officer, and how he transformed a traditional outbound sales machine into a high-growth inbound powerhouse through a constant process of experimentat...

Growing a scale-up brand through iteration and experimentation: Aviv Canaani, Datarails

In this episode of The Changemakers, which was recorded as part of our virtual summit Bring Your Own Bold, Wei Kee (Client Services Director at Shaped By) sat down with Maria McLaughlin (Senior Director, Global Brand and Creative at Abnormal AI) and Tom Ovens (Creative Director at Shaped By) to explore how they successfully navigated a full-scale rename and rebrand, and unpack:<ul><li>How a partnership based on chemistry and mutual respect delivered an extraordinary outcome.</li><li>The criticality of getting key internal stakeholders, including the CEO, fully committed to a pivotal project.</li><li>How to manage and deliver meaningful work under &quot;audaciously ambitious&quot; and brutal time scales.</li><li>The tangible business success of the rebrand, including Abnormal AI&apos;s best financial quarter ever post-launch.</li></ul>This is an essential conversation if you&apos;re looking to understand how to drive ambitious change and prove the commercial value of a bold brand identity.🎧 Listen now2. Timestamps<ul><li>01:21 - The evolution of the client-agency partnership.</li><li>02:55 - Why chemistry is one of the key pillars of a successful partnership.</li><li>04:19 - Stakeholder engagement: The importance of having the final decision-maker in the room.</li><li>07:55 - Building trust and rapport with the CEO.</li><li>10:48 - Geeking out: How commonality in thinking helped the connection.</li><li>13:35 - The power of positive inter- and intra-team dynamics.</li><li>14:58 - Navigating &quot;brutal&quot; and rigid time scales collaboratively.</li><li>17:08 - The rewarding outcomes: a durable brand and the best financial quarter ever.</li><li>19:30 - The internal and external market reception to the new identity.</li><li>24:18 - Advice for achieving extraordinary results with a creative agency.</li><li>25:54 - What&apos;s next? Up-leveling the work and having fun in 2026.</li><li>30:35 - Closing remarks: Success comes from surrounding yourself with good teams.</li></ul><a target="_blank" href="https://www.buzzsprout.com/2057233/fan_mail/new">Send us a message if you enjoyed this episode</a>If you enjoy the chats then there are more ways to quench your thirst for creative inspiration in the world of B2B tech. 👉 Watch episodes on <a href='https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLvnlkJwGYRFgc0BZMSft9nAHLHPLfKWCu&amp;si=uEaJ3dnO8ApffhTx'>YouTube</a> 👉 Follow us on <a href='https://www.linkedin.com/company/shaped-by'>LinkedIn</a> for regular snippets in your feed 👉 <a href='https://shaped-by.com/'>Visit our website</a> for more in-depth thinking on topics 👉 <a href='https://shaped-by.com/subscribe-for-b2b-inspiration/'>Subscribe to Beyond</a> our monthly collection of insight, opinion and inspiration And finally please <a href='https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-changemakers/id1599320479'>rate our podcast on Apple</a> if you enjoyed it! ✌️

<description>&lt;p&gt;In this episode of The Changemakers, which was recorded as part of our virtual summit Bring Your Own Bold, Wei Kee (Client Services Director at Shaped By) sat down with Maria McLaughlin (Senior Director, Global Brand and Creative at Abnormal AI) and Tom Ovens (Creative Director at Shaped By) to explore how they successfully navigated a full-scale rename and rebrand, and unpack:&lt;/p&gt;&lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;How a partnership based on chemistry and mutual respect delivered an extraordinary outcome.&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;The criticality of getting key internal stakeholders, including the CEO, fully committed to a pivotal project.&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;How to manage and deliver meaningful work under &amp;quot;audaciously ambitious&amp;quot; and brutal time scales.&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;The tangible business success of the rebrand, including Abnormal AI&amp;apos;s best financial quarter ever post-launch.&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;p&gt;This is an essential conversation if you&amp;apos;re looking to understand how to drive ambitious change and prove the commercial value of a bold brand identity.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;🎧 Listen now&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;2. Timestamps&lt;/p&gt;&lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;01:21 - The evolution of the client-agency partnership.&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;02:55 - Why chemistry is one of the key pillars of a successful partnership.&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;04:19 - Stakeholder engagement: The importance of having the final decision-maker in the room.&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;07:55 - Building trust and rapport with the CEO.&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;10:48 - Geeking out: How commonality in thinking helped the connection.&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;13:35 - The power of positive inter- and intra-team dynamics.&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;14:58 - Navigating &amp;quot;brutal&amp;quot; and rigid time scales collaboratively.&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;17:08 - The rewarding outcomes: a durable brand and the best financial quarter ever.&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;19:30 - The internal and external market reception to the new identity.&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;24:18 - Advice for achieving extraordinary results with a creative agency.&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;25:54 - What&amp;apos;s next? Up-leveling the work and having fun in 2026.&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;30:35 - Closing remarks: Success comes from surrounding yourself with good teams.&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a target="_blank" href="https://www.buzzsprout.com/2057233/fan_mail/new"&gt;Send us a message if you enjoyed this episode&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;If you enjoy the chats then there are more ways to quench your thirst for creative inspiration in the world of B2B tech. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;👉 Watch episodes on &lt;a href='https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLvnlkJwGYRFgc0BZMSft9nAHLHPLfKWCu&amp;amp;si=uEaJ3dnO8ApffhTx'&gt;YouTube&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br/&gt;👉 Follow us on &lt;a href='https://www.linkedin.com/company/shaped-by'&gt;LinkedIn&lt;/a&gt; for regular snippets in your feed &lt;br/&gt;👉 &lt;a href='https://shaped-by.com/'&gt;Visit our website&lt;/a&gt; for more in-depth thinking on topics&lt;br/&gt;👉 &lt;a href='https://shaped-by.com/subscribe-for-b2b-inspiration/'&gt;Subscribe to Beyond&lt;/a&gt; our monthly collection of insight, opinion and inspiration&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;And finally please &lt;a href='https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-changemakers/id1599320479'&gt;rate our podcast on Apple&lt;/a&gt; if you enjoyed it!&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;✌️&lt;/p&gt;</description>

In this episode of The Changemakers, which was recorded as part of our virtual summit Bring Your Own Bold, Wei Kee (Client Services Director at Shaped By) sat down with Maria McLaughlin (Senior Director, Global Brand and Creative at Abnormal AI) and Tom Ovens (Creative Director at Shaped By) to explore how they successfully navigated a full-scale rename and rebrand, and unpack: How a partnership based on chemistry and mutual respect delivered an extraordinary outcome.The criticality of gettin...

A cybersecurity giant going back to the future : Maria McLaughin, Abnormal AI

In this episode of The Changemakers, recorded as part of our Bring Your Own Bold series, Simon, Design Director, and Justin, Associate Creative Director of Messaging, discuss the importance of visual and verbal branding working together. Two complementary forces essential for a brand’s harmony, balance, and effectiveness.They look at the whole from their two professional perspectives. That essential balance and interplay between visual identity and verbal identity. They explore how powerful brands use design, logos, and visuals in perfect harmony with their voice, tone, messaging, and storytelling.Because harmonious, balanced brands better connect with their audiences to win hearts and minds, trust and loyalty.🎧 Listen nowTimestamps:02:45 – The Yin and Yang analogy: why visual and verbal identity are inseparable forces.04:30 – Beyond the box: creating agile visual systems that evolve with culture.06:40 – More than a logo: how brand systems should cover every touchpoint.08:30 – The &quot;Feeling&quot; piece: why humans are feeling creatures who think.10:30 – Verbal branding: giving life and breath to brand strategy through language.12:30 – The organising thought: using a succinct brand story to kick off ideation.15:40 – Case study (Shaped By): why we use &quot;Shapelings&quot; and &quot;Studios&quot; to stay human.20:00 – Point of view: standing for (and against) something to avoid being &quot;wallpaper&quot;.23:10 – Bold examples: how Monzo changed banking with a single color and no photography.31:00 – Deep dive: positioning Censys as the &quot;map of the internet&quot;.40:19 – Closing thoughts: why bold brands should be more “Yoda&quot;.<a target="_blank" href="https://www.buzzsprout.com/2057233/fan_mail/new">Send us a message if you enjoyed this episode</a>If you enjoy the chats then there are more ways to quench your thirst for creative inspiration in the world of B2B tech. 👉 Watch episodes on <a href='https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLvnlkJwGYRFgc0BZMSft9nAHLHPLfKWCu&amp;si=uEaJ3dnO8ApffhTx'>YouTube</a> 👉 Follow us on <a href='https://www.linkedin.com/company/shaped-by'>LinkedIn</a> for regular snippets in your feed 👉 <a href='https://shaped-by.com/'>Visit our website</a> for more in-depth thinking on topics 👉 <a href='https://shaped-by.com/subscribe-for-b2b-inspiration/'>Subscribe to Beyond</a> our monthly collection of insight, opinion and inspiration And finally please <a href='https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-changemakers/id1599320479'>rate our podcast on Apple</a> if you enjoyed it! ✌️

<description>&lt;p&gt;In this episode of The Changemakers, recorded as part of our Bring Your Own Bold series, Simon, Design Director, and Justin, Associate Creative Director of Messaging, discuss the importance of visual and verbal branding working together. Two complementary forces essential for a brand’s harmony, balance, and effectiveness.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;They look at the whole from their two professional perspectives. That essential balance and interplay between visual identity and verbal identity. They explore how powerful brands use design, logos, and visuals in perfect harmony with their voice, tone, messaging, and storytelling.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Because harmonious, balanced brands better connect with their audiences to win hearts and minds, trust and loyalty.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;🎧 &lt;/b&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;em&gt;Listen now&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;Timestamps:&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;02:45 – The Yin and Yang analogy: why visual and verbal identity are inseparable forces.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;04:30 – Beyond the box: creating agile visual systems that evolve with culture.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;06:40 – More than a logo: how brand systems should cover every touchpoint.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;08:30 – The &amp;quot;Feeling&amp;quot; piece: why humans are feeling creatures who think.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;10:30 – Verbal branding: giving life and breath to brand strategy through language.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;12:30 – The organising thought: using a succinct brand story to kick off ideation.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;15:40 – Case study (Shaped By): why we use &amp;quot;Shapelings&amp;quot; and &amp;quot;Studios&amp;quot; to stay human.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;20:00 – Point of view: standing for (and against) something to avoid being &amp;quot;wallpaper&amp;quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;23:10 – Bold examples: how Monzo changed banking with a single color and no photography.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;31:00 – Deep dive: positioning Censys as the &amp;quot;map of the internet&amp;quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;40:19 – Closing thoughts: why bold brands should be more “Yoda&amp;quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a target="_blank" href="https://www.buzzsprout.com/2057233/fan_mail/new"&gt;Send us a message if you enjoyed this episode&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;If you enjoy the chats then there are more ways to quench your thirst for creative inspiration in the world of B2B tech. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;👉 Watch episodes on &lt;a href='https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLvnlkJwGYRFgc0BZMSft9nAHLHPLfKWCu&amp;amp;si=uEaJ3dnO8ApffhTx'&gt;YouTube&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br/&gt;👉 Follow us on &lt;a href='https://www.linkedin.com/company/shaped-by'&gt;LinkedIn&lt;/a&gt; for regular snippets in your feed &lt;br/&gt;👉 &lt;a href='https://shaped-by.com/'&gt;Visit our website&lt;/a&gt; for more in-depth thinking on topics&lt;br/&gt;👉 &lt;a href='https://shaped-by.com/subscribe-for-b2b-inspiration/'&gt;Subscribe to Beyond&lt;/a&gt; our monthly collection of insight, opinion and inspiration&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;And finally please &lt;a href='https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-changemakers/id1599320479'&gt;rate our podcast on Apple&lt;/a&gt; if you enjoyed it!&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;✌️&lt;/p&gt;</description>

In this episode of The Changemakers, recorded as part of our Bring Your Own Bold series, Simon, Design Director, and Justin, Associate Creative Director of Messaging, discuss the importance of visual and verbal branding working together. Two complementary forces essential for a brand’s harmony, balance, and effectiveness. They look at the whole from their two professional perspectives. That essential balance and interplay between visual identity and verbal identity. They explore how powerful ...

Yin needs Yang - Your visual and verbal brands in powerful harmony : Simon Tandy and Justin Ballantine, Shaped By

In this episode of The Changemakers, recorded as part of our Bring Your Own Bold series, Dave Corlett sits down with Li-Anne Dias, Executive Creative Director at Brex, to explore the vital practice of &quot;creativity without permission&quot;. They discuss:<ul><li>Utility vs. creativity: why designers must break free from the &quot;mandate of utility&quot; to rediscover their creative instincts.</li><li>The power of physical constraints: how forcing a &quot;one-mile distance&quot; from your laptop can spark the muscle memory of true art.</li><li>Building a cinematic universe: why viewing your work as a holistic body of output, rather than a collection of corporate briefs, changes your perspective.</li><li>Subversive inspiration: how finding beauty in old matchboxes and cartoons can sharpen your instincts for high-stakes tech design.</li></ul>Whether you’re an in-house creative feeling the burnout or a leader looking to inspire your team, this conversation is a masterclass in reclaiming your creative soul. Don&apos;t let your &quot;professional self&quot; swallow your &quot;creative self.&quot;🎧 Listen nowTimestamps:01:43 - What is &quot;creativity without permission&quot;? 02:22 - The trap of utility and the fundamentals of design. 03:35 - Operating within business constraints vs. creating for yourself. 04:29 - Li-Anne’s personal rituals: Sharpies, sketchbooks, and Berkeley trees. 05:55 - The discipline of the &quot;forcing function&quot; to stay off screens. 08:28 - How outside art translates into sharper instincts at Brex and Handshake. 10:31 - Finding influence in matchboxes and subversive cartoons. 13:00 - Your &quot;Cinematic Universe&quot;: Looking at the whole body of work.  <a target="_blank" href="https://www.buzzsprout.com/2057233/fan_mail/new">Send us a message if you enjoyed this episode</a>If you enjoy the chats then there are more ways to quench your thirst for creative inspiration in the world of B2B tech. 👉 Watch episodes on <a href='https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLvnlkJwGYRFgc0BZMSft9nAHLHPLfKWCu&amp;si=uEaJ3dnO8ApffhTx'>YouTube</a> 👉 Follow us on <a href='https://www.linkedin.com/company/shaped-by'>LinkedIn</a> for regular snippets in your feed 👉 <a href='https://shaped-by.com/'>Visit our website</a> for more in-depth thinking on topics 👉 <a href='https://shaped-by.com/subscribe-for-b2b-inspiration/'>Subscribe to Beyond</a> our monthly collection of insight, opinion and inspiration And finally please <a href='https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-changemakers/id1599320479'>rate our podcast on Apple</a> if you enjoyed it! ✌️

<description>&lt;p&gt;In this episode of The Changemakers, recorded as part of our Bring Your Own Bold series, Dave Corlett sits down with Li-Anne Dias, Executive Creative Director at Brex, to explore the vital practice of &amp;quot;creativity without permission&amp;quot;. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;They discuss:&lt;/p&gt;&lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;Utility vs. creativity: why designers must break free from the &amp;quot;mandate of utility&amp;quot; to rediscover their creative instincts.&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;The power of physical constraints: how forcing a &amp;quot;one-mile distance&amp;quot; from your laptop can spark the muscle memory of true art.&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Building a cinematic universe: why viewing your work as a holistic body of output, rather than a collection of corporate briefs, changes your perspective.&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Subversive inspiration: how finding beauty in old matchboxes and cartoons can sharpen your instincts for high-stakes tech design.&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;p&gt;Whether you’re an in-house creative feeling the burnout or a leader looking to inspire your team, this conversation is a masterclass in reclaiming your creative soul. Don&amp;apos;t let your &amp;quot;professional self&amp;quot; swallow your &amp;quot;creative self.&amp;quot;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;🎧 &lt;/b&gt;&lt;em&gt;Listen now&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;Timestamps:&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;01:43 - What is &amp;quot;creativity without permission&amp;quot;? &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;02:22 - The trap of utility and the fundamentals of design. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;03:35 - Operating within business constraints vs. creating for yourself. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;04:29 - Li-Anne’s personal rituals: Sharpies, sketchbooks, and Berkeley trees. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;05:55 - The discipline of the &amp;quot;forcing function&amp;quot; to stay off screens. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;08:28 - How outside art translates into sharper instincts at Brex and Handshake. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;10:31 - Finding influence in matchboxes and subversive cartoons. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;13:00 - Your &amp;quot;Cinematic Universe&amp;quot;: Looking at the whole body of work. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a target="_blank" href="https://www.buzzsprout.com/2057233/fan_mail/new"&gt;Send us a message if you enjoyed this episode&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;If you enjoy the chats then there are more ways to quench your thirst for creative inspiration in the world of B2B tech. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;👉 Watch episodes on &lt;a href='https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLvnlkJwGYRFgc0BZMSft9nAHLHPLfKWCu&amp;amp;si=uEaJ3dnO8ApffhTx'&gt;YouTube&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br/&gt;👉 Follow us on &lt;a href='https://www.linkedin.com/company/shaped-by'&gt;LinkedIn&lt;/a&gt; for regular snippets in your feed &lt;br/&gt;👉 &lt;a href='https://shaped-by.com/'&gt;Visit our website&lt;/a&gt; for more in-depth thinking on topics&lt;br/&gt;👉 &lt;a href='https://shaped-by.com/subscribe-for-b2b-inspiration/'&gt;Subscribe to Beyond&lt;/a&gt; our monthly collection of insight, opinion and inspiration&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;And finally please &lt;a href='https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-changemakers/id1599320479'&gt;rate our podcast on Apple&lt;/a&gt; if you enjoyed it!&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;✌️&lt;/p&gt;</description>

In this episode of The Changemakers, recorded as part of our Bring Your Own Bold series, Dave Corlett sits down with Li-Anne Dias, Executive Creative Director at Brex, to explore the vital practice of "creativity without permission".  They discuss: Utility vs. creativity: why designers must break free from the "mandate of utility" to rediscover their creative instincts.The power of physical constraints: how forcing a "one-mile distance" from your laptop can spark the muscle memory of tru...

The art of unplugging - Practising creativity without permission : Li-Anne Dias, Brex

The Changemakers is a podcast about how the world’s most authentically bold B2B brands are built and grown. Brought to you by the team at the B2B creative agency Shaped By. Find out more about Shaped By on our <a href="https://shaped-by.com/">site</a>, and follow us on <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/shaped-by/">LinkedIn</a>.

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