Announcer: 0:00

The views expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of this station, its management or Beasley Media Group. Entrepreneur, founder, author and financial advisor, Marc Bernstein helps high-performing business owners turn their visions into reality. Through his innovative work and the Forward Focus Forums, Marc connects entrepreneurs to resources that fuel their success. Founders Forum is a radio show and podcast where entrepreneurs share their journeys, revealing the lessons they've learned and the stories behind their success. Join Marc and his guests for a mix of inspiration, valuable insights and a little fun. Now let's dive in.

Marc Bernstein: 0:38

Good morning America. How are you? We're here in kind of quasi-sunny Philadelphia it's not always sunny in Philadelphia, but it's a nice day nevertheless and we're in the studio. With me this morning is Branden, who I'll formally introduce in a minute, although after talking to him for a few more minutes I realized he's branding Branden and we'll explain that in a few minutes. But anyway, I had a little thought on the way in and Branden had a little thought on the way in, so we're going to turn that into a little conversation, and my thought was I had a post about, somebody was posting about AI on LinkedIn this morning, and LinkedIn is our vehicle, by the way, that's how Branden and I met, that's how I meet a lot of our guests and that's where a lot of business networking is done. If you're not on it, if you're listening to shows, chances are you're on it, because the chances are. That's where you heard about it, but if you're not be on it, it's important. So, anyway, um, there was a thing about AI and there's talking about the post was don't, don't give up.

Marc Bernstein: 1:44

Strategy like strategy has to be done by humans and and I think my, my thought was something like you know, you can't give away your thinking, and I find that to be true, and I'm realizing more and more that so much can be done for me. I have Shan, who's a virtual assistant, who is amazing, who does all the things related to the show I have we have a staff at work that do a lot of things that I don't do, so I've been able to delegate all the things that aren't in my unique ability. But one of the things I recognize is that strategy is my unique ability and I'm spending more and more time on it and I sometimes I think maybe there'll be a day when I don't have to be the strategist anymore. But then I thought, the day I do that, I'm done. You know, I don't want to be done so. So strategy is is something that you've got to if you're an entrepreneur. You've got to, you got to retain. But you had a related thought about that, Branden, so tell me your thought.

Branden Moyer: 2:45

Yeah, I did so like on the way in all of a sudden just hit me that you know there's a lot of people, even young people, getting into the workforce, seeing on social media just to be helpful, maybe a social media coordinator or content creator, but in reality it seems all forced and faked. A lot of these kids and young adults honestly don't know their own story. So how can you help somebody to their fullest ability without you knowing even who you are and what you're actually good at? So that's something that really hit me. And everyone can have good business ideas, but if you can't articulate the strategy, it's just a business idea.

Marc Bernstein: 3:31

I like that. So, taking it another way and relating it back to what I said, you can't just go through the motions and have enough depth behind you to really be a strategist, right? Is that a fair way?

Branden Moyer: 3:44

to say it Yep, it's very fair, cool, so food for thought.

Marc Bernstein: 3:48

But strategy is. You know, I've mentioned on the show a lot, but I went to a program called the Strategic Coach Forever and what we did is entrepreneurs got together and I never really thought about this, but what we did is we worked on our strategies. We'd call it working on your business plan. Get away from the office to work. You know, work on your business instead of just working in your business. And it was all about strategy and it's something I've done for a long time. You know, I started as a lawyer, so all the things I've done have all been about strategy forever and the more and more I think about it. And in my business for a while I was a case strategist, literally called a case strategist, the guy that people would come to and say, how do you know, help us solve this problem. Like, how do you do that? So, yeah, strategy is everything. So let me now introduce Branden to you.

Marc Bernstein: 4:38

Branden Moyer. Branding Branden Moyer, his founder at Buzz Brands. Yep, boy, that's a tongue twister. Let me say that real quick. Branding Branden Moyer is a founder of Buzz Brands. That was pretty good. Say that three times fast. Yeah, he's a bold brand strategist, creative entrepreneur and founder of Buzz Brands, a powerhouse agency known for building unforgettable, story-driven identities. With a passion for transforming ideas into movements, Branden specializes in creating immersive brands that fuse design, storytelling and disruption. Just by what he wrote here, you can tell he's a brand new guy. It's really good. He's the driving force behind ventures like the Sticky Badger Made to Be Clean, made to Be Clean. We'll tell you that story and Crew 1912, each built to challenge the ordinary and make a lasting impact. Welcome officially, Branden. Thank you. I appreciate it. So happy to be here, great to have you here.

Marc Bernstein: 5:35

And he came all the way to Ballot Kinwood from Berks County, reading, berks County, pennsylvania home of Taylor Swift in case for the rest of the country, and if you need a frame of reference and he is, as we mentioned, he founded, Made to Be Clean and B is B-E-E. And let's start with your journey, which I think started at Disney World, if I'm not mistaken.

Branden Moyer: 5:58

Yeah, sure did. After high school I graduated in 08, moved down to Florida. Uh, the initial goal goal was to be a Disney Imagineer and, uh, you had to get your foot in the door. I did the college program down there and the only position that was really available at the time was a custodian and housekeeping position at the hotels.

Marc Bernstein: 6:20

Well they say you start at the bottom, you know right.

Branden Moyer: 6:22

Exactly. I mean, as someone with an 18-year ego is like, yeah, I'm going to be this rock star engineer for the Walt Disney World Company. And I start at the bottom.

Marc Bernstein: 6:33

Well, I started the entertainment business too, as a music major, then lawyer, and I was offered and in hindsight I should have done it a job in the mailroom at William Morris or the opportunity to have it. I'm not even sure I would have gotten the job, but that's. You know, that's the story, and many record company executives started there and you know I was one of those guys. I was too anxious, I didn't want to. I felt I could do better quicker.

Marc Bernstein: 6:59

But yeah, would have been a great experience, but anyway. So so tell us us about being custodian at Disney World.

Branden Moyer: 7:05

Yeah, I'll tell you what. It was actually the best experience at my age and I got to meet people you'll never ever get to meet, including President Obama, celine Dion, brendan Fraser you name it. Yeah, they've stayed at the resorts there. I've seen them. So I've also got to meet people who've worked with Walt Disney himself, who've built these parks, and it was such a humbling experience as a 20-something year old.

Branden Moyer: 7:34

So I was taught a lot there and I sort of came back to Pennsylvania seven years later because I got tired of surviving. The money is not good down there, at least at the time, but the experience was priceless. So I always wanted to start my own company and I got the idea. Well, I know cleaning, been trained by this world-renowned resort, and I started Home Care Solution in 2014. And not knowing branding or much of it, even marketing, 23 just came up with the name. I'm taking care of people's homes. Home care makes perfect sense. Got the website. I was about four years in until I started having trouble, you know, having some brand awareness. Started having trouble, you know, having some brand awareness, getting more clients, and I realized that my messaging was completely off. People thought I was a home health agency and not a cleaning company. We even rented out an office building.

Marc Bernstein: 8:39

I do want to tell you I've had a couple of companies like that on this show and that's what it sounds like. Yeah, but at 23, I've had a couple companies like that on this show and that's what it sounds like.

Branden Moyer: 8:44

Holy Care Solutions yeah, but at 23, I don't know. So I was able to secure financing to buy out a competitor here in Berks County and that came along with an office building. So as soon as I put the office sign out beautiful office sign I thought you know what this is going to change.

Marc Bernstein: 9:04

We're going to get a lot more business, so you bought the business and the building.

Branden Moyer: 9:07

It was a lease to own deal, yep, yep during that time, and this was right before COVID in September of 2019. And then the world kind of stopped a year a little less than a year actually and branding was super important. During that time, again, I was still a home health agency in the community's eyes, and we struggled through the entire pandemic. We lost business, could not keep employees, so something had to happen. And then, during this time, I experienced a divorce too, and the pressures of balancing a business and my personal life, and then also running for office too At the same time. It was just it was too much, I took on too much.

Marc Bernstein: 9:58

What office were you running for?

Branden Moyer: 10:00

State representative position, really yeah.

Marc Bernstein: 10:03

Well, you had a lot of moving parts there.

Branden Moyer: 10:05

I had a lot of moving parts because I saw a lot of opportunity Right, Um, and sometimes, yeah, not knowing again, not knowing your story and your true purpose can lead to disastrous results.

Marc Bernstein: 10:18

So what I'm imagining? Some clarity eventually came out of that.

Branden Moyer: 10:22

Oh yeah. So while everyone was staying home getting those $600, $700 checks from the government each week, spending them on flat screen TVs and Xboxes, I spent that money on beekeeping and equipment, so I was up all night.

Branden Moyer: 10:40

Why beekeeping YouTube? Okay, so it was one of those random scrolling videos you see and you watch one video, then it cascades into the next and the next, and now it's 2 am in the morning and you haven't fell asleep. And something about it was just fascinating to me that we as a human species can control insects in a way that we can create a business out of it. But it wasn't the business part that attracted me, it was more of the therapy of it.

Branden Moyer: 11:16

I was going through so much during that time that when I got my first beehive and I started raising the colony, the buzzing sound actually calmed me down and eliminated my anxiety and depression that I had, so I was just naturally attracted to it then. So I was just naturally attracted to it then and I didn't want it to blow up into a business because I didn't want it to ruin the passion that I had for it. And eventually I did have it into a business and it did ruin the passion a little bit. So, but during that time the cleaning company, which was my main source of income, continued to struggle.

Branden Moyer: 12:01

You're not still beekeeping, then oh, I'm still beekeeping, I'm balancing both. Ah, okay, but I needed to do something. So, once the divorce was finalized, I had to rethink, re-strategize. I had to rethink, re-strategize and I was in the office late at night writing ideas down on the whiteboard on how we can rebrand. And your hive, our purpose came up and that moment was when, okay, storytelling had to play a big role right here in the rebranding process. So people loved the story um of me coming back, you know, bigger, better, buzzier than ever, if you will. And um, that really resonated with a lot of people and my clients loved the switch. And made to be clean really evolved from that tagline. Made to be E-E clean, yep, and here's the funny part when we changed the office sign again, we were there four years prior. People came to our office building for the first time thinking we had just moved in, but we had been there for four years. So that's the power of storytelling and branding.

Marc Bernstein: 13:18

So you've obviously had a lot of. I always ask about challenges, but you've already announced them. You had the pandemic you had messaging problems, you had a divorce. You had this distraction also of running for office. I imagine it was a distraction in the end right, and then you found some clarity through beekeeping Yep. What strengths did you develop?

Announcer: 13:44

Obviously, branding is part of it.

Marc Bernstein: 13:47

Branding is part of it.

Branden Moyer: 13:52

So tell us about what the strengths are that you came out of all this with. Yeah, so the strengths of seeing people for who they are and for what they can be as well. We had created a culture committee in our company where every I think it was every at least twice a month at least we would all get together a committee of our cleaners and they would actually volunteer their time to come in for an hour and I would help develop them as individuals and show their weaknesses and show their strengths and how they can actually exist in this company in a greater way than just being a cleaner or a maid. So that was very, very powerful for me.

Marc Bernstein: 14:34

That sounds like developing a culture company, culture, yep, and you mentioned to me before the show that you've. You're introducing me to somebody who is a mentor to you and you said the culture was everything there.

Branden Moyer: 14:45

Yep, yep. Brad Stevenson from Newcastle Lawn and Landscape.

Marc Bernstein: 14:49

And what did you learn from him about that?

Branden Moyer: 14:52

Well, brad is a unique person. Uh he, I just I just have to look at him and how he operates his company and how he speaks to his people, just on the videos he posts. But meeting Brad, he's very down to earth and he's real, he's authentic, and authenticity is very rare in entrepreneurship because everyone's trying to sell you something.

Marc Bernstein: 15:16

Right.

Branden Moyer: 15:16

And they're selling you a personality.

Marc Bernstein: 15:18

I don't even think it's rare in the world.

Branden Moyer: 15:20

Yeah, yeah, well, that's very true, yeah.

Marc Bernstein: 15:22

Yep. So he represented culture, authenticity and you picked up on that.

Branden Moyer: 15:28

I picked up on that buzz.

Marc Bernstein: 15:30

You picked up on that buzz and with that buzz that's a great chance to take a quick one-minute break and we'll be right back on Founders Forum.

Announcer: 15:44

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Marc Bernstein: 16:41

With our guest today Branden Moyer. Branden buzz branding, brand, brand. Let's see if I can do this. Branding Branden buzz Moyer. So anyone call you buzz as a nickname uh, not yet.

Branden Moyer: 16:55

My uncle is actually uncle buzz, oh yeah it's in the family.

Marc Bernstein: 16:59

Yeah, it's in the family. So, um so we talked about your strengths, so what's happened with the company since then? And you have a couple other brands that you've established that I'd like to talk about as well.

Branden Moyer: 17:10

Yeah, so with Made to Be Clean last year was a challenge for us. Not just the political climate has changed, the economy has also changed as well, and people are fearful of really spending money on a luxury item like cleaning and maid services. So being able to pivot was very difficult for us and we're still recouping. But we've also noticed that people are starting to come back in terms of wanting to spend more money because they went the cheaper alternative and they're finding out that paying an actual company, rather than somebody with a mop and bucket, actually has benefits.

Marc Bernstein: 17:54

So you're on the mend, I'm on the mend yes. And in the meantime you're still motivated. I think you can't help yourself with branding and moving forward.

Branden Moyer: 18:04

I can't Every day I can come up with a whole new company.

Marc Bernstein: 18:07

So tell me about the Sticky Badger first.

Branden Moyer: 18:10

Yeah, so the Sticky Badger. It was originally called Uncle B's Honey Company, which was me, uncle B and I even wrote a children's book, the Adventures of Uncle B and Ruby Catching a Swarm and it was my first children's book, the Adventures of Uncle B and Ruby Catching a Swarm and that was my first children's book published book. It's on Amazon and again, the community really created an image for me and needed me in so many areas that I could not be and I realized I created myself a job that I didn't want or a brand that I didn't want. So I had to rethink and re-strategize this and I came up with the Sticky Badger, just like the Honey Badger. So now the Sticky Badger is not just a symbol of just me, but it's a symbol of the nonsense that this brand is going to create in the honey industry.

Marc Bernstein: 19:09

Is it a honey company? It's a honey company yep.

Branden Moyer: 19:11

So it's going to be a subscription box model company where it will offer unique experiences, and that subscription box model is something that's growing in the market. So it's not just honey, it's experiences, it's experiences, and Buzz Brands is only going to be creating experiential branding brands, if you will. So that's our niche. We want to be able to give experiences to all companies.

Marc Bernstein: 19:44

But you're selling honey too with it.

Branden Moyer: 19:45

Oh yeah. So this, the buzz brands will have its own companies that will run help generate revenue and stuff Okay Interesting. So it'll all be under that umbrella.

Marc Bernstein: 19:53

What kind of experiences can you give us a preview?

Branden Moyer: 19:56

Yeah, so I can give you a preview with the crew 1912, which is actually going to launch soon. So I was watching a National Geographic documentary about Titanic and it just came out, I think in May this year, and it got me thinking about the crew of the Titanic sacrificing themselves to keep the lights on, to keep the steam going until the very last moment. And I'm thinking you know what that's lost within the story of Titanic. It's always focused on the wealthy passengers and the creators, the architects.

Branden Moyer: 20:34

It's like, how about the crew? That's a little bit of sacrifice.

Marc Bernstein: 20:37

You hear about the captain a little bit, but that's about it, yeah but like the people at the bottom of the ship.

Branden Moyer: 20:43

So I came up with a concept called Crew 1912 Coffee. That really just signifies to people blue-collar workers, hardworking people that you're not forgotten. So yeah. So these boxes again a subscription box model. When you get them, they'll have the pictures of the victims in there, with beautiful artwork done as well. So when you hover your phone over it, the picture actually comes alive with an augmented reality and tells them their story and whether they survived or not too, Wow yeah and whether they survive or not, too?

Branden Moyer: 21:20

Wow yeah, and it comes with a 12-ounce bag of coffee locally grounded and a mug and a few other goodies that I don't want to give away.

Marc Bernstein: 21:31

How close to market are you with that Two months Early?

Branden Moyer: 21:34

Interesting Yep two months away. Pretty cool, yeah, I move pretty quick on things.

Marc Bernstein: 21:38

Yeah, you've got a lot of things going on and you mentioned your book. You quick on things. Yeah, you got a lot of things going on and you mentioned your book. You have another book on the way, I understand called Beyond the. Logo the Art of Storytelling, Yep, storytelling Brian, yep, yep. And there was a. G, missing one here. All right, that's okay, and while that's obvious, what that's about, yeah.

Branden Moyer: 21:58

So people think well, what is your branding? Well, my logo is this and the name is this and honestly, that's like step 14 and 15 of my branding process. So we actually tell your story first and we show you how to do that before you even come up with a name or a logo. But coming up with a name and a logo is so easy for people, but that's where the messaging gets lost.

Marc Bernstein: 22:22

So this goes to what you learned. This is your thought of the day, which was people don't know their own stories and if you can't explain your story, it's going to be hard to be authentic. It's going to be hard to influence anyone else to do whatever it is you're trying to get them to do.

Branden Moyer: 22:35

Yep, exactly I love that.

Marc Bernstein: 22:37

So we don't have that much time left. Believe it or not, time flies on the show. So we don't have that much time left. Believe it or not, time flies on the show. But let's talk about if this were July, which it is of 2028, and you and I are talking, Branden, and we're looking back on the last three years. What would have to happen during that time for your vision, for that time to have become a reality, for that to be a successful period of time in your life?

Branden Moyer: 23:02

Yeah, so my goal is to help 100 companies in three years Wow. So if I can help 100 companies with their stories, then I have secured that goal and reached it. And then the next five years, obviously the number will increase. But experiential branding is going to take a whole different, new level, including with AI, and I want to be able to be on the forefront of this in our industry to allow even small mom and pop stores to take advantage of experiential branding in their stores or in their products, with packaging that will just blow the customer out of the way.

Marc Bernstein: 23:44

So you're, I love that idea, but you'll still be going on with Made to Be Clean.

Branden Moyer: 23:49

Yes, oh, yeah.

Marc Bernstein: 23:51

Crew 1912. Yep.

Branden Moyer: 23:52

Made to Be Clean has a really wicked three to five-year plan and I can't give away too much with it. But it's sort of leveling the playing fields with solo cleaners and I've learned that there's power in many and cleaning companies right now. They're suffering because people can find cheaper cleaners with a solo cleaner, so I'm using that as a way to level the playing field in the next three to five years.

Marc Bernstein: 24:22

Interesting. Well, we won't go into too much detail. We don't want to give away the secret sauce. It's all right. What challenges do you see over the next three years? And again, your strengths to overcome those in terms of building what it is you want to build.

Branden Moyer: 24:37

Yeah, so people is always the challenge. Financing is there as well, too, with raising funds for these ideas, but it's people that would be the most challenging, because they're going to have to run it. So culture building, believing in people and really getting them excited for these brands is super, super important, but probably the most challenging.

Marc Bernstein: 25:07

Gotcha, I'd like to ask you a question which you chose, which is knowing what you know. Now, if you could speak to your younger self, what advice would you give you?

Branden Moyer: 25:19

Follow your gut. Yep, follow your gut. There's a lot of noise out there. People are going to be chirping in your ear saying this, this, do that, follow your gut and I imagine know your story. Yes, know your story Be part of that, right? Yeah, absolutely.

Marc Bernstein: 25:35

So I kind of rushed you through that. We do have a couple minutes left, so I'm going to pop some other questions at you which you don't expect. Are you a reader?

Branden Moyer: 25:44

I'm an audio book reader, yeah.

Marc Bernstein: 25:45

And what audio book are you listening to now?

Branden Moyer: 25:49

Let them Ah, me too. Yes, that's funny. Yep, it's very powerful and it's amazing. It solves a lot of issues.

Marc Bernstein: 25:57

Isn't it interesting? I'm in a personal development group and we were talking yesterday about if you give people their own kind of sovereignty which is a version of that and let them do what they will do, it doesn't matter if it's your wife, your children, your coworkers, your boss, whoever it is. Whatever it is, it takes so much off of you, you know.

Branden Moyer: 26:25

The amount of energy we use because we're afraid to upset somebody and we try to reframe things. It's exhausting, it's simply amazing, and I don't think a lot of people have lived a life with the let them theory.

Marc Bernstein: 26:42

Right, I think you're right, so let them also. What is is you can't change what is and work with that, right? I mean, it's such an important life lesson. It's amazing Absolutely how about music? You're a music guy.

Branden Moyer: 26:59

I am. I listen to a lot of actually movie trailer, music soundtracks. That is actually. I'm a movie buff. Um and that is something that really inspires my creativity.

Marc Bernstein: 27:15

I have one for you to listen to. So my dream in music school was to write a movie score. And I did that, a film you'll never hear. It's called the Hypnotist's Passion, but you can get the soundtrack. Oh, nice. Anyway, so that's great. It was great having you here, Branden. We can probably talk a lot longer about a lot of things.

Branden Moyer: 27:31

Sure can.

Marc Bernstein: 27:32

Thank you all for listening and look forward to seeing you again or talking to you again next week on Founders Forum.

Announcer: 27:42

We hope you enjoyed your time with Founders Forum and that you found value to take with you throughout your day. Join us again next week for another episode of Founders Forum.