GAP: A Legacy Brand Finds Its Relevance Again By Reclaiming Its Soul

August 30, 2025Nina KovnerPodcast

    In the 90s and early 2000s, GAP wasn’t just a store; it was a cultural force. Then came overexpansion, distraction, and one of the most infamous logo fails in branding history. For years, GAP drifted in a sea of sameness, losing clarity and connection.

    But today, under the leadership of CEO Richard Dickson, GAP is staging a reclamation, not by chasing trends, but by staying true to its original brand promises and reclaiming who they are.

    Their latest campaign proves that legacy brands don’t need to reinvent, per se, to stay relevant; they need to evolve while protecting the soul of what made people fall in love with them in the first place.

    In this episode

    ·       Why growth without clarity leads to confusion and broken trust

    ·       How cosmetic fixes like logos rarely solve deeper brand problems

    ·       The leadership lesson: brand clarity first, then building a team of brand stewards

    ·       How to evolve your brand in ways that feel relevant today without abandoning your core brand promises

    At the end of the episode, I also share a personal note on closing A School and the launch of my next chapter, MENTORED, an accessible, affordable, and actionable way to help thousands more people, and meeting you where you’re at on Instagram. Be sure to follow @passionsquared on IG to join MENTORED. when we open on September 15th. OMG, it’s all happening!

    Thank you for listening and sharing with your business besties!

      e.l.f. Cosmetics Revisited: The Broken Brand Promise We Didn’t Expect

      August 21, 2025Nina KovnerPodcast

        In this short follow-up episode of BUILDING & BREAKING, we’re revisiting e.l.f. Cosmetics, a brand we recently celebrated for its clarity, consistency, and connection with its audience. But something shifted. After releasing their most recent ad campaign that contradicted their values-forward brand and staying silent when their audience called it out, e.l.f. showed us just how fragile brand trust can be.

        In this episode

        • Why your brand promises aren’t mission statements or marketing, they’re a commitment
        • What happens when brands veer from the values they’re known for
        • Why silence can speak louder than any campaign
        • And what salon owners, hairstylists, and pro beauty brands can learn about consistency, courage, and listening when it matters most

        Because brand trust isn’t built by perfection, it’s built by consistency and alignment.

        You can listen to the original episode on e.l.f. Cosmetics here.

        Thank you so much for listening and sharing with your business besties.

        PS: Mentored. with Nina L. Kovner is coming soon. Be sure to follow @passionsquared on Instagram to be the first to know when Mentored. launches!

        Red Lobster: Losing and Rebuilding Brand Trust, One Decision at a Time

        August 15, 2025Nina KovnerPodcast

          In this episode of BUILDING & BREAKING, I’m diving into the story of Red Lobster’s recent comeback and what it teaches us about brand clarity, decision-making, leadership, and trust.

          From the chaos of the Endless Shrimp promotion to the arrival of new CEO Damola Adamolekun, this isn’t a story about flashy reinvention or performative PR. It’s about showing up, listening, simplifying, and making decisions that align with your brand promise.

          In This Episode:

          ·       How Red Lobster lost alignment with its brand promise and how it showed up to fix it

          ·       Why visible, responsive leadership builds trust (and what that looks like on TikTok)

          ·       The power of simplifying your menu, service offerings, or product offerings

          ·       How to make decisions that strengthen, not dilute, your brand

          ·       Why transparency is one of the most powerful trust-building tools you have

          ·       The role consistency plays in turning things around for good

          And, as always, I connect the lessons back to you, as salon owners, hairstylists, creatives, and pro beauty brand leaders, so that you can apply them in your businesses.

          Plus, I give a little sneak peek into MENTORED. with Nina L. Kovner at the end of the episode. Be sure to follow @passionsquared on Instagram to be the first to know when MENTORED. launches!

          Thank you for listening and sharing this episode with your business besties!

           

          Rihanna & Fenty: The Power of a Personal Brand in Business, Leadership, and Building Trust

          August 8, 2025Nina KovnerPodcast

            In this episode of BUILDING & BREAKING, we take a closer look at Rihanna, not just as an artist, but as a personal brand that has redefined what it means to lead, serve, and build businesses that matter.

            We explore how Rihanna’s brand began with a purpose, to challenge the lack of representation in beauty and culture, and how that clarity shaped everything from Fenty Beauty to Savage X Fenty. This isn’t about celebrity. It’s about service, trust, and an emotional, human connection.

            You’ll also hear why I’ve decided to transition Passion Squared to a personal brand after 13 years (spoiler: I’ve resisted this for a long time), and why personal brands, when built in service to others, are becoming more powerful than ever in today’s trust economy.

            In this episode

            • The difference between personal and business brands and why both are built around who you serve
            • A breakdown of Rihanna vs. Fenty using Nina’s brand story framework
            • How to leverage your personal brand to grow your business brand
            • What the Red Lobster CEO and ELF’s Twitch strategy have to do with personal brands and leadership
            • Why your brand is not what you do, it’s how people feel when they experience your brand

            Whether you’re a hairstylist, salon owner, creative, or a pro beauty brand exec, this episode will help you rethink how your personal brand can impact your business.

            Thank you so much for listening and sharing this episode with your business besties.

            Southwest Airlines: What Happens When You Abandon What Made Your Brand Different

            July 31, 2025Nina KovnerPodcast

            In this episode of BUILDING & BREAKING, we take a closer look at how Southwest Airlines went from beloved to broken by abandoning the very promises that made them different.

            Southwest wasn’t built by analysts. It was built by Herb Kelleher, a rebellious, people-first founder who believed business and air travel could be joyful, human, and accessible.

            From the single aircraft model to the “bags fly free” benefit to the heart in their logo, everything they did reflected clarity, consistency, and care.

            But over time, the brand lost its edge. Systems aged. Culture shifted. The Southwest key differentiators disappeared. And with them, so did the trust, and also, their customers.

            In This Episode

            • How simplicity creates consistency, efficiency, and builds trust
            • How real culture is built through everyday decisions, not contrived mission statements on a wall
            • What happens when you remove the things that differentiate your brand
            • How brand identity is meant to help tell your brand story
            • How beloved brands break, not all at once, but decision by decision

            Whether you’re a salon owner, hairstylist, or beauty brand leader, this is a reminder: Your brand is a promise. And every decision either keeps it or breaks it.

              If you are a salon owner, educator, coach, or independent stylist seeking more clarity and simplifying your decision making, click here to learn more about Creating Your Awesome Brand, a complete course for beauty professionals.

              Thank you so much for listening and sharing this episode with your business besties!