In this episode of The Inspire Podcast, Bart speaks with Barry LaBov—CEO, founder, author, and former rock musician and producer—about his new book The Power of Differentiation. Barry explains why differentiation is critical for brands, businesses, and leaders, and how clarity around what makes you unique is essential in today’s crowded marketplace
He shares stories from his early days in the music industry and his unexpected transition into marketing, highlighting how great bands, great companies, and great leaders all know what makes them distinctively unique, and they double down on it. Barry also walks through his approach to finding and naming your differentiators, and why leaders must launch and celebrate them by engaging the people who bring them to life.
Whether you want your business to stand out or you’re looking to elevate your own leadership brand, Barry’s insights offer practical guidance for differentiating in an increasingly crowded marketplace.
Shote Notes:
00:22 Show intro
00:56 Introducing Barry
02:05 What is differentiation?
02:53 It's so important today to have authenticity
03:15 Harley Davidson's differentiation
03:58 Elon Musk
04:42 Bart talks about differentiating brands
04:59 Music and unique artists
06:07 Barry's early days in a band and as a producer
06:58 Wrote songs for famous performers
07:19 Band members were all doing something unique
07:47 From music to marketing
09:49 Someone asked him to take on a marketing role – and he declined!
10:18 We trust YOU
10:49 Writing a book
11:09 Why write the book on differentiation?
11:48 How the COVID great resignation changed his thinking
12:11 Hearts, minds and market share
12:46 How can people discover their unique proposition?
13:20 Talk to humans about the brand
14:21 Observing the biz to see what is unique
14:53 Example of a unique process in a business
15:50 Jam session with the client
16:07 Taking the differentiators and executing in marketing and business
16:21 The Launch
16:26 Launch to the most important people first
16:58 You're often too close to your own work to see the differentiators
17:47 How to do this personally
19:08 These are things I do well — but it's not for everyone!
20:14 Celebrating your differentiators
24:03 Morale slipping — leaders need to reframe
25:26 How to maintain enthusiasm for your core strengths
25:57 Don't wait for the holiday party — tell them every day
26:28 Don't talk about profit unless you are sharing it
27:03 Cheerleading vs authentic celebration
28:41 Music acts that are unique today
30:53 Where can people get more
31:28 Thank-yous and outro
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In this episode of The Inspire Podcast, Bart speaks with Barry LaBov—CEO, founder, author, and former rock musician and producer—about his new book The Power of Differentiation. Barry explains why differentiation is critical for brands, businesses, and leaders, and how clarity around what makes you unique is essential in today’s crowded marketplace
He shares stories from his early days in the music industry and his unexpected transition into marketing, highlighting how great bands, great companies, and great leaders all know what makes them distinctively unique, and they double down on it. Barry also walks through his approach to finding and naming your differentiators, and why leaders must launch and celebrate them by engaging the people who bring them to life.
Whether you want your business to stand out or you’re looking to elevate your own leadership brand, Barry’s insights offer practical guidance for differentiating in an increasingly crowded marketplace.
Shote Notes:
00:22 Show intro
00:56 Introducing Barry
02:05 What is differentiation?
02:53 It's so important today to have authenticity
03:15 Harley Davidson's differentiation
03:58 Elon Musk
04:42 Bart talks about differentiating brands
04:59 Music and unique artists
06:07 Barry's early days in a band and as a producer
06:58 Wrote songs for famous performers
07:19 Band members were all doing something unique
07:47 From music to marketing
09:49 Someone asked him to take on a marketing role – and he declined!
10:18 We trust YOU
10:49 Writing a book
11:09 Why write the book on differentiation?
11:48 How the COVID great resignation changed his thinking
12:11 Hearts, minds and market share
12:46 How can people discover their unique proposition?
13:20 Talk to humans about the brand
14:21 Observing the biz to see what is unique
14:53 Example of a unique process in a business
15:50 Jam session with the client
16:07 Taking the differentiators and executing in marketing and business
16:21 The Launch
16:26 Launch to the most important people first
16:58 You're often too close to your own work to see the differentiators
17:47 How to do this personally
19:08 These are things I do well — but it's not for everyone!
20:14 Celebrating your differentiators
24:03 Morale slipping — leaders need to reframe
25:26 How to maintain enthusiasm for your core strengths
25:57 Don't wait for the holiday party — tell them every day
26:28 Don't talk about profit unless you are sharing it
27:03 Cheerleading vs authentic celebration
28:41 Music acts that are unique today
30:53 Where can people get more
31:28 Thank-yous and outro
S7 E5: Building the Women of Burgundy with Anne Maggisano
The Inspire Podcast
41 minutes 43 seconds
6 months ago
S7 E5: Building the Women of Burgundy with Anne Maggisano
In this episode, Bart is joined by Anne Maggisano, Vice President, Investment Counsellor at Burgundy Asset Management. Anne shares the story behind founding The Women of Burgundy—an initiative that has reached over 1,000 individuals and is dedicated to building a community that inspires women to make investing a priority and take a leadership role over their wealth.
She reflects on the early spark that inspired the initiative, how she garnered support within the firm, and the ways it has grown over more than a decade into the impactful community it is today. More than just an initiative, The Women of Burgundy also became the place where Anne found her own authentic voice as a leader. Throughout the conversation, she offers candid insights on her journey and how tapping into her values became the foundation of her leadership.
Anne’s journey is rich with lessons for anyone wanting to create meaningful, lasting impact: from navigating the inevitable ebs and flows of support, to staying personally energized, to evolving your work to meet people where they are. The Women of Burgundy is a true inspiration and so is Anne’s story.
Learn more about The Women of Burgundy here: https://www.burgundyasset.com/women/
And find Anne's Sharing Our Stories speech here: https://www.burgundyasset.com/views-insights/sharing-our-stories/
Show Notes:
00:58 Welcoming Anne
02:06 What is the Women of Burgundy?
02:41 Her personal experience that kicked it off
03:59 The investment business doesn't speak to women very well
04:36 The reason why women have been less involved, historically
05:06 Over time, women have built wealth
05:55 Realization her women clients were not being as well served
06:14 When women lose their husband and have to take over wealth management
06:58 Story of her mother's experience
08:20 She brought this to Burgundy
08:34 What was the reaction like?
09:16 Wanted to ensure it was empowering and educational
09:49 Her manifesto that she pitched
11:21 Finding her own voice as a leader
11:47 It was hard!
12:40 It takes time for others to "get" what you're doing
13:41 The story of the very first event
14:34 Changing women’s and men’s roles around wealth
14:54 Not data, but lots of anecdotal experience
15:40 The milestones of The Women of Burgundy
16:22 Moving online with COVID
17:08 Launching the magazine to widen outreach
17:41 The summit
18:46 CIBC report: women will control $4 trillion by 2028
21:15 Longer lives, but not health spans
21:35 Families will have to care for the elderly
23:05 Talking about setbacks and challenges
23:21 When you're leading, take a long time
25:23 Leadership requires self-conviction
27:48 Advice for those starting a leadership journey
28:00 Make sure you're surrounded by supportive people
28:34 Having agency in your environment
29:58 The "How" evolves, but the "Why" stays consistent
31:07 You have to cultivate the support!
31:26 Examples of people coming around to support
34:07 The long game
34:33 The rocking chair test
35:57 Who do you want to be in that rocking chair?
37:01 Always stay true to your values
38:10 How to learn more about Anne & Burgundy
39:02 Last piece of advice
39:07 You're responsible for your own vision and future
40:05 Thank yous
The Inspire Podcast
In this episode of The Inspire Podcast, Bart speaks with Barry LaBov—CEO, founder, author, and former rock musician and producer—about his new book The Power of Differentiation. Barry explains why differentiation is critical for brands, businesses, and leaders, and how clarity around what makes you unique is essential in today’s crowded marketplace
He shares stories from his early days in the music industry and his unexpected transition into marketing, highlighting how great bands, great companies, and great leaders all know what makes them distinctively unique, and they double down on it. Barry also walks through his approach to finding and naming your differentiators, and why leaders must launch and celebrate them by engaging the people who bring them to life.
Whether you want your business to stand out or you’re looking to elevate your own leadership brand, Barry’s insights offer practical guidance for differentiating in an increasingly crowded marketplace.
Shote Notes:
00:22 Show intro
00:56 Introducing Barry
02:05 What is differentiation?
02:53 It's so important today to have authenticity
03:15 Harley Davidson's differentiation
03:58 Elon Musk
04:42 Bart talks about differentiating brands
04:59 Music and unique artists
06:07 Barry's early days in a band and as a producer
06:58 Wrote songs for famous performers
07:19 Band members were all doing something unique
07:47 From music to marketing
09:49 Someone asked him to take on a marketing role – and he declined!
10:18 We trust YOU
10:49 Writing a book
11:09 Why write the book on differentiation?
11:48 How the COVID great resignation changed his thinking
12:11 Hearts, minds and market share
12:46 How can people discover their unique proposition?
13:20 Talk to humans about the brand
14:21 Observing the biz to see what is unique
14:53 Example of a unique process in a business
15:50 Jam session with the client
16:07 Taking the differentiators and executing in marketing and business
16:21 The Launch
16:26 Launch to the most important people first
16:58 You're often too close to your own work to see the differentiators
17:47 How to do this personally
19:08 These are things I do well — but it's not for everyone!
20:14 Celebrating your differentiators
24:03 Morale slipping — leaders need to reframe
25:26 How to maintain enthusiasm for your core strengths
25:57 Don't wait for the holiday party — tell them every day
26:28 Don't talk about profit unless you are sharing it
27:03 Cheerleading vs authentic celebration
28:41 Music acts that are unique today
30:53 Where can people get more
31:28 Thank-yous and outro