In this episode, Dan connects with marketing strategist, researcher, author, and sought-after brand therapist Evelyn J. Starr, whose strategic insights have been instrumental in the revitalization of household names including Dunkin’ Donuts, Hasbro, Gilette, Veryfine, and more. Through decades of research and work helping brands in stagnation, she saw a pattern: brands in distress share characteristics that look a lot like rebellious, sullen, angry, confused, overconfident, misguided teens. In other words, brands go through adolescence, and it can take some serious therapy, nurturing, and guidance to help them reach successful adulthood. She lays it all out in her recent book,  Teenage Wastebrand: How Your Brand Can Stop Struggling and Start Scaling, and in their discussion, she and Dan discuss some of the highlights, including the eight symptoms of brand adolescence, how to diagnose brand issues, the importance of solid values, and much more. Listen in and learn how to: Investigate the value of carving out a unique niche for a standout brand image. Recognize the potential hazards of ego-driven business practices and how to avoid them. Examine the relationship between well-defined values and a supportive company culture. Design a brand strategy anchored in purpose and value-driven principles. Excel in maintaining an authentic and dependable brand presence through effective messaging and actions. Here's what you can expect from the show: Corporations and brands are just like people which is why they all have life cycles.  How companies can correctly identify and diagnose their brand issues if they’ve stalled.  Understanding attitudes and behaviors and how they impact buyers.  Fear and misunderstanding of marketing and how it can limit business leaders and brand growth. Marketing is a risky investment because the ROI can often be ambiguous, but it’s a risk worth taking. Business owners must learn how to parent their brands through the various stages of life.  How to identify the eight symptoms of brand adolescence. Being brave enough to have hard conversations with your brand about your brand.  Brands have life cycles, and so do customers.  Discipline is necessary to determine your niche.  The need to protect the integrity of your brand through the people you hire. The importance of making a list of values you want to be a part of your culture and your brand.  Notable Quotes “During a summer internship I learned more about what I did not want to do than what I did want to do.” – (10:02)- Evelyn. “When someone says, ‘I hate marketing’, I’m not running from that, I’m digging a little bit deeper” – (13:20) – Evelyn.  “I started to try to find ways to explain marketing in non-marketing terms” – (14:15) - Evelyn. “You can’t see things when you’re too emotionally close” – (15:55) - Evelyn. “As my brand grows, I’m going to become more of a coach and less of a controller.” – (19:05) - Evelyn. “Identity crisis is the most common one (symptom) I see.” – (23:40) - Evelyn. “In order for a brand to get known and grow, it needs to be focused at least during the beginning.” – (37:15) - Evelyn. “Brands can fall out of favor very quickly due to their self-centered behavior being revealed” – (50:15) - Evelyn. “People bring their values to work, and you want to attract people who subscribe to the way you would like to serve your customers.” – (55:06) - Evelyn. “You cannot be crappy to your employees and great to your customers and not have that get out.” – (1:02:10) - Evelyn. Resources and Links The Dan Nestle Show  The Dan Nestle Show Daniel Nestle | LinkedIn The Dan Nestle Show | Facebook Dan Nestle (@dsnestle) / Twitter Evelyn Starr E. Starr Associates Evelyn Starr | LinkedIn Teenage Wastebrand: How Your Brand Can Stop Struggling and Start Scaling Timestamped summary of this episode (Generated by Capsho): 00:00:00 - Introduction,  Dan Nestle introduces the podcast and talks about the importance of understanding the life cycle of br