It’s been about three weeks since I appeared on the BRAND TALK podcast by Jakub Kantor – Brand Strategist & Architect. Kuba invites inspiring guests to his podcast, traveling across the country to discuss branding, marketing, brands, and business. And that’s exactly what we went through together in the spaces of the DARK Concept Store, which we shared with one of my five brands za5dvanáct. What are the other brands? And did I manage to build a brand?
You can listen to (and watch on YouTube) the entire podcast, including the bonus, on all available streaming platforms.
From fashion to fashion
The place where I met Kuba was not chosen by chance. As I mentioned in the introduction, we shared the space of the DARK Concept Store, a shop with original fashion, with za5dvanáct – a brand that covers the sale of watches, accessories, and jewelry, for over two years. It was actually a place where two brands helped each other. While someone might see it as competition, we saw the potential in it and complemented each other perfectly for over two years.
We stayed with fashion, but moved on to my next brand byAndré, which saw the light of day last spring with the first collection of unconventional T-shirts – completely designed and sewn in the Czech Republic. Why does the teaser for the T-shirt collection look like a rap video? And how did I end up as a model on the website of Trenýrkárna? You’ll find out everything in the podcast.
5 brands, dozens of projects, and one common
When asked how many brands I actually have, I hesitated a bit and started counting. I ended up with the number 5:
- E-commerce Calendar – Google calendar with the most interesting e-commerce events in the Czech Republic and abroad
- Meet&Deal – a networking event with a unique and unprecedented concept in the Czech Republic, which took place on 5 October 2023, how it looked you can find out in my summary!
- IMBase – a database of 10,000 CZ & SK influencers with advanced, manually collected data
- za5dvanáct – sale of stylish watches, accessories, and jewelry
- byAndré – the mentioned collection of T-shirts with an original cut
I talked mostly about IMBase. It’s a long-standing story. I’ve been active in influencer marketing since 2016 – over time I collected data and information about influencers, until at one point I realized I had a database of 700 influencers. And that’s a great opportunity to build something out of it. After a long night conversation with Jonáš Čumrik, I decided to launch the database fully. So I’m founding my first start-up. In my opinion, this start-up has an interesting future, although I don’t plan to expand abroad, for example. Each influencer market is specific and frankly, I lack knowledge of other markets. What works for us does not mean it will work in Poland. In the podcast, you’ll also learn how I perceive the Slovak or Polish market and what else I’m planning with IMBase. You’ll also get a tip on how to avoid collaborations with Slovak influencers that would cost you much more money than here in the Czech Republic.
Did I build any brand?
And what about me and the brand? For myself, I can say that I haven’t built any yet. For me, a brand means that you have something that everyone knows. All my brands actually revolve around my person. To make it clear that I’m behind it. I try to be visible everywhere, participate in events, post on LinkedIn, make videos on Instagram, write articles, and so on. It’s something I have to work on constantly, and in the long run, it brings very positive results.
Of course, it costs a lot of money. If you’re considering something like this, factor it in as part of your marketing budget from the very beginning. My main business card is my website. I’m fully aware that I can’t collaborate with everyone. So before you contact me, you can check out my website or social networks and find out what I’m like.
I’m the King of Networking
Networking! A part of me, without which I wouldn’t be where I am, because (regardless of what anyone says) networking is an essential part of the business for anyone who takes it at least somewhat seriously.
I don’t go to lectures where you just sit for several hours, because it simply bores me. I occasionally get lost in one, but you’ll always find me in the foyer, chatting with people who have the same mindset as me. Every such conversation always generates a new idea. Quite often, I find out things I wouldn’t learn elsewhere. That’s how the idea for my Meet&Deal event, which took place on October 5 at Opera, was born. Be sure to check out the mitdyl.cz website and follow the official event Instagram.
Bonus in the end: If you had the opportunity to watch any of the BRAND TALK podcasts, you surely know that Kuba always adds a bonus. In the bonus, you’ll learn which brands shape my image, without which I don’t leave the house, and which brand can take me back to my childhood.
