The Beauty of Business

The Beauty of Business

by Alexander Johannessen
EntrepreneurshipMarketing
Why Every Personal Brand Looks the Same | Simeon Stanford | The Beauty of Business ep. 27
Simeon Stanford spent a decade in sales, then a decade running two companies with clients like 3M, Tefal, and EA Sports. Last summer he closed both. Not because the work was bad, but because the vision was no longer shared, and because a decade of what he calls unsexy products left him wanting the opposite: the cool economy. Now he's rebuilt himself as a brand of one. Registered as a company, designed from scratch, down to a logo drawn on paper and a name with two meanings. In this episode, Simeon and Alexander get into what it costs to walk away from a decade of work, why most personal brands are template copies of each other, and what luxury brands keep getting wrong about the next generation of buyers. What's covered: Why he closed both companies, and what happens when partners stop sharing a vision The £99-a-month website builder that corporations loved and tradesmen couldn't hear him sell "That's not a personal brand, that's borrowed ideas": building an identity nobody can copy Which luxury brand does exclusivity best right now, and why Breitling wins on humbleness The AP x Swatch collab, off-the-cuff partnerships, and a Chanel x McDonald's thought experiment Why 65-year-olds shouldn't be deciding how luxury speaks to 25-year-olds If you're for everyone, you're for no one Connect with Simeon: https://www.linkedin.com/in/simeonstanford/ Email him: simeon@distinktt.io Two episodes ago, Tommaso Pierini named his brand the one word fashion refuses to say: basic. Simeon named his after the same idea: 101. Watch the Tommaso episode next: https://youtu.be/72ZMdNXjlFQ T he Beauty of Business is a podcast about the business of luxury, produced by DEUS Marketing. Work with us: https://www.deusmarketing.io
E27
Jul 28, 2026
51:50
He Built Bestsellers for Gucci. Then He Named His Brand "Basic" | Tommaso Pierini | Beauty of Business ep. 26
Tommaso Pierini spent twenty years building menswear collections inside Gucci, Dolce & Gabbana, Valentino, and Caruso. Then he left, because no brand represented him anymore, and named his own label the one word fashion marketing refuses to use: basic. In this episode, Tommaso opens up the parts of luxury the industry prefers to keep quiet: what a designer jacket actually costs to make, why the giants tripled their revenue and lost their customers, and why the quiet houses like Loro Piana and Brunello Cucinelli are winning while the loud ones discount. Then he explains the opposite path he's betting BASICO MILANO on: five perfect pieces, four Italian mills, no logos, no ads, sold by appointment in Milan, and discovered rather than advertised. What's covered: The real markup inside luxury fashion, and why a 70 percent sale still turns a profit Why Gucci went from 4 to 12 billion and got lost, while consistent brands keep growing The "cringe phase" every new brand goes through before people fall for it Why truly basic design can't hide mistakes, told through the Loden coat Inside the Italian fabric supply chain: Biella vs Como, and why small brands wait four months behind LVMH Building a brand with your wife, a newborn, and a job title of "anxiety manager" The Saks Fifth Avenue deal, and why he'd rather build a 10 million euro brand than a 100 million dollar one Visit BASICO MILANO: https://basicomilano.com Connect with Tommaso: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tpierini/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/basico_milano/ The Beauty of Business is a podcast about the business of luxury, produced by DEUS Marketing. Work with us: https://www.deusmarketing.io
E26
Jul 21, 2026
48:45
He Sold $1M of Wine Without a Winery | Bruno Golombek | The Beauty of Business ep. 25
Bruno Golombek spent ten years running growth in mobile gaming. Then he walked into the most tradition-bound category in commerce and sold over a million dollars of wine in his first year. No distributor. No tasting room. No retail. The winemakers behind his bottles are under NDA, so his name goes on every bottle instead. In this episode, Bruno and Alexander get into what happens when performance marketing collides with an industry built on provenance, and what every premium brand can learn from it. What's covered: The négociant model: selling wine from winemakers who can't reveal their names Why discounting hasn't killed his brand, and where the luxury doctrine actually applies The growth mechanics he ported from mobile gaming into wine "Wine isn't dying, it's coping": why the critic, the culture, and the shelf stopped doing wine's branding Building a brand on one person's accountability, and whether it can scale past him Visit Bruno: https://bruno.wine Connect with Bruno: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brunogolombek/ The Beauty of Business is a podcast about the business of luxury, produced by DEUS Marketing. Work with us: https://www.deusmarketing.io
E25
Jul 14, 2026
1:05:11
Make Video People Trust ⎹ The Beauty of Business ep. 24 ⎹ Will George
This episode is a practical blueprint for brand video that people actually believe. We break down where AI helps—storyboards, pre-viz, faster approvals—and where humans win: credibility, emotion, and on-camera proof. You’ll learn how smaller, multi-skill crews speed up production without losing quality; why real customer testimonials beat templated spots; and the revision guardrails that keep momentum (lock music early, limit rounds, stick to a clear decision maker). We also cover cadence and repurposing: plan one thoughtful shoot, then slice it into dozens of assets that feed your channels for weeks. If you want video that ships faster, performs better, and still feels human, start here. A DEUS Marketing podcast. Visit us here; https://www.deusmarketing.io/ Visit Rolling Wave Media here: https://www.rollingwavemedia.com/ Connect with Will here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/will-george-%F0%9F%8C%8A-b8b490174/
E24
Nov 6, 2025
1:04:56
The Psychology of Getting Things Done ⎹ The Beauty of Business ep. 23 ⎹ Daniel Osen
From time management to mindset, Daniel Osen brings a performance coach’s view of work and life. Topics include planning rest, warming up with easy tasks, using environment design to increase follow-through, and building stamina over time. Alexander and Daniel also discuss community, policy, and entrepreneurship in Norway and why launching imperfectly beats waiting. Visit Daniel here: https://www.mentaltrenerosen.no/en/home/ Connect with Daniel: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-osen/ The Beauty of Business is a podcast by DEUS Marketing. Visit us here: https://www.deusmarketing.io/ Please subscribe to the podcast and give us a boost!
E23
Oct 30, 2025
1:43:24
Word of Mouth, Behavioral Science, and Building Brands ⎹ The Beauty of Business ep. 22 ⎹ Tom Ridges
What if you could predict where your next customer conversation will start? In this conversation, Tom Ridges breaks down how Herdify uses data and behavioral science to scale what most brands treat as luck—word of mouth. Together with host Alexander Johannessen, he dives into social influence, cultural differences in consumer behavior, and why location-based advocacy is making a comeback for challenger and luxury brands alike. Visit Herdify here: https://www.herdify.com Connect with Tom: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomridges/ The Beauty of Business is a podcast by DEUS Marketing. Visit us here: https://www.deusmarketing.io/ Please subscribe to the podcast and give us a boost!
E22
Oct 23, 2025
1:17:12
How to Build Profitable Brands with Purpose ⎹ The Beauty of Business ep. 21 ⎹ Armandas Puckus
In this episode, Alexander Johannessen sits down with Armandas Puckus, a young e-commerce founder who built his business from humble dropshipping beginnings to a full-scale creative powerhouse based in Bali. Armandas shares his journey from football dreams to building viral brands, diving deep into how mindset and relentless execution separate winners from wishful thinkers. He opens up about scaling content production, managing an in-house creative team, and preparing for Q4 like a pro. You’ll hear insights on: Why a ‘you can’t lose’ mentality defines success in e-commerce The biggest mistakes founders make (and how to avoid them) Scaling with high AOV and smart bundling strategies The importance of bringing marketing in-house for real creative control His plans to launch a luxury brand and tap into Norway’s untapped info-product market Whether you’re a solo entrepreneur or scaling a team, this episode is packed with tactical wisdom, mindset shifts, and a grounded look at what it takes to win long-term in e-commerce. www.deusmarketing.io
E21
Oct 16, 2025
38:04
How Cognitive Science Builds Category of One Brands ⎸ The Beauty of Business ep. 20 ⎹ Ella Pamment
A DEUS Marketing podcast. Cognitive science meets brand strategy. In this episode, Ella Pamment, founder of thebitecreative, breaks down how scripts, schemas, and prototypicality can help you “break the script” without confusing your audience and build a true category‑of‑one brand. We get practical about culture curation, pop-ups and OOH, social content that prioritizes quality over quantity, and how to avoid the classic pitfalls of disruption done wrong. In this episode, you’ll learn: 💜 What scripts and schemas are, and how they shape customer expectations. 💜 How “secondary prototypicality” lets you stand out while staying recognizable. 💜 A DIY research framework you can run before your next launch. 💜 Ella’s research workflow: 1–2 weeks, 3–5 direct competitors, plus 10–50 adjacent brands to map the market. 💜 Why culture curation, tactile brand moments, and smart OOH drive belonging and shareability. 💜 The danger of “quantity over quality” and how to build content that actually converts. 💜 Lessons from rebrands that missed the mark and how to avoid them. Connect with Ella here; https://www.linkedin.com/in/ellapamment123/ Interested in The Bite Creative? Check it out here; https://www.thebitecreative.com Follow The Beauty of Business, leave a rating, and share it with someone who’s ready to build a category of one. www.deusmarketing.io
E20
Sep 23, 2025
1:05:25
Building beauty, Design and Community ⎸ The Beauty of Business ep. 19 ⎸ Andrew Waldron
A Deus Marketing Podcast. www.deusmarketing.io Andrew had a big idea years ago, but didn´t jump on it right away. Now, he´s launched his idea - DesignSnitch, a highly curated application only marketplace partnering with high level makers and creators in art, homeware, and lifestyle products. Hand-picked creators partner with Designsnitch to sell their work on an exclusive level acting as a true extension to the brands themselves.. In this episode we discuss entrepreneurship, art and the beauty of business. Links: https://designsnitch.com/ https://www.instagram.com/design.snitch/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-waldron-11325410/ The Beauty of Business is a podcast where you meet entrepreneurs from all aspects of life and different parts of the world. We discuss why we love business, how to become better at business, and how to build an intentional life.
E19
Jun 5, 2025
39:44
SEO, Agency-life and Marketing ⎸ The Beauty of Business ep. 18 ⎸ Matt Demers
A Deus Marketing Podcast. www.deusmarketing.io Matt has been running his marketing agency for 7 years, focusing on SEO for his clients. Recently, he has made some big changes in his business model and is looking to future-proof his agency. In this episode. Matt shares his business and SEO insights in a value-packed 50 minutes! Links: https://diffusedigitalmarketing.com/ https://www.instagram.com/diffuse_digital/ https://www.youtube.com/@diffuse_digital The Beauty of Business is a podcast where you meet entrepreneurs from all aspects of life and different parts of the world. We discuss why we love business, how to become better at business, and how to build an intentional life.
E18
May 12, 2025
53:44
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