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In this episode of the podcast, we discuss building a personal brand with Devon Levesque. We discussed:
(00:00) Intro
- Devon introduces the importance of building relationships through shared experiences and challenges, like climbing mountains or doing hard workouts together
(02:47) Devon's early life and career
- Attended military academy in high school, played sports in college
- Started promoting and bartending at bars/clubs to make money, brought in hundreds of people
- Dropped out of college to pursue managing a hotel nightclub at the W, hosted famous athletes and built connections
- Brief stint in the restaurant industry that didn't work out
(09:03) Transition into personal training
- At age 24, decided to become a personal trainer after advice from a friend
- Got first few clients in an apartment building, got a quick online certification
- Built up a successful training business working with high-profile clients in NYC
- Key insight: high-powered people like being pushed hard and told what to do by an authority figure
- Eventually sold the training company and meal prep business
(14:09) Lessons learned in early career
- If something seems too good to be true, it probably is - success doesn't come that easy
- Diversify your revenue streams
- Work with people you love and enjoy the journey, don't get caught up in the rat race
- Be present
(16:44) Transition into brand building and investing
- Always interested in the psychology of marketing and consumer behavior
- Started providing more value to brands beyond just social media posts - capital, distribution, events, etc.
- Formed DML Group to invest in and grow promising consumer brands
- Brought together experienced advisors like Ryan Loen who have successfully exited major brands
- Invests in brands they believe are category leaders - Super Coffee, Alipop, Beam, Promix
(21:01) Devon's superpowers
- Ability to ask the right questions and connect the right people together
- Stems from his background in creating networks and communities
(23:04) Keys to brand success
- Having the right partners in place - legal, distribution, formulation, marketing
- Authentically communicating the founder's vision across all touchpoints
- Devon will only work with a founder if he feels he could grab a beer with them and deeply connect
Key Takeaways:
- Building genuine relationships through shared challenges is powerful
- Don't expect overnight success, diversify revenue, and enjoy the journey
- Provide real value to brands beyond just promotion
- Invest in authentic founders and category leading products
- Align all partners to communicate a consistent brand vision
(00:00) Intro
- Devon introduces the importance of building relationships through shared experiences and challenges, like climbing mountains or doing hard workouts together
(02:47) Devon's early life and career
- Attended military academy in high school, played sports in college
- Started promoting and bartending at bars/clubs to make money, brought in hundreds of people
- Dropped out of college to pursue managing a hotel nightclub at the W, hosted famous athletes and built connections
- Brief stint in the restaurant industry that didn't work out
(09:03) Transition into personal training
- At age 24, decided to become a personal trainer after advice from a friend
- Got first few clients in an apartment building, got a quick online certification
- Built up a successful training business working with high-profile clients in NYC
- Key insight: high-powered people like being pushed hard and told what to do by an authority figure
- Eventually sold the training company and meal prep business
(14:09) Lessons learned in early career
- If something seems too good to be true, it probably is - success doesn't come that easy
- Diversify your revenue streams
- Work with people you love and enjoy the journey, don't get caught up in the rat race
- Be present
(16:44) Transition into brand building and investing
- Always interested in the psychology of marketing and consumer behavior
- Started providing more value to brands beyond just social media posts - capital, distribution, events, etc.
- Formed DML Group to invest in and grow promising consumer brands
- Brought together experienced advisors like Ryan Loen who have successfully exited major brands
- Invests in brands they believe are category leaders - Super Coffee, Alipop, Beam, Promix
(21:01) Devon's superpowers
- Ability to ask the right questions and connect the right people together
- Stems from his background in creating networks and communities
(23:04) Keys to brand success
- Having the right partners in place - legal, distribution, formulation, marketing
- Authentically communicating the founder's vision across all touchpoints
- Devon will only work with a founder if he feels he could grab a beer with them and deeply connect
Key Takeaways:
- Building genuine relationships through shared challenges is powerful
- Don't expect overnight success, diversify revenue, and enjoy the journey
- Provide real value to brands beyond just promotion
- Invest in authentic founders and category leading products
- Align all partners to communicate a consistent brand vision
Creators & Guests
What is The Meat Mafia Podcast?
The Meat Mafia Podcast is hosted by @MeatMafiaBrett and @MeatMafiaHarry with the mission of addressing fundamental problems in our food and healthcare system. Our concerns with our healthcare system can be drawn back to issues in our food system as far back as soil health. Our principles are simple: eat real foods, buy locally, and cook your own meals.
When you listen to our podcast, you will hear stories and conversations from people working on the fringes of the food and healthcare system to address the major crises overshadowing modern society: how do we become healthy again?
themeatmafiapodcast.substack.com