Podcast Summary: The Entrepreneur DNA

Episode: What Every CEO Must Know About Branding in Today’s Digital World | Dawson Gibbs
Host: Justin Colby
Guest: Dawson Gibbs
Date: December 1, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode dives deep into the modern realities of personal and corporate branding in the digital era, with a strong focus on practical, applicable strategies for entrepreneurs, founders, and CEOs. Branding expert and content agency owner Dawson Gibbs joins host Justin Colby to discuss the necessity of social media presence, the process of rebranding, best practices for content creation, the evolving landscape of influencer marketing and AI, and the crucial mindset shifts needed to succeed in a crowded digital environment.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Necessity of Social Media for CEOs and Founders

[02:10 – 03:14]

• Both speakers stress that every entrepreneur must have a social media presence to build credibility and attract opportunities.
• Dawson emphasizes that potential partners and clients often do their due diligence by reviewing someone’s online presence.
  • Quote: "If you have a business in general, you’re just trying to grow something... and you don’t have any social media, then you’re kind of leading your brand blind.” — Dawson [02:26]
• Social is not just about vanity metrics—it's fundamentally about building trust and authority.

2. Rebranding: Why and How to Do It Authentically

[03:14 – 06:55]

• Justin shares his decision to rebrand from a wealth-building real estate angle to a transparency-focused brand that helps peers avoid common pitfalls.
• Dawson recounts his own rebrand, transitioning from fitness influencer to marketing and entrepreneur content.
  • He lost followers but gained more engaged and high-value connections.
  • Quote: “If you want to attract big clients, you want to attract a really core audience, you have to be vulnerable and you have to be relatable.” — Dawson [05:58]
• Both stress rebranding as a process that takes time and courage, with results coming from genuine connection and value offered to the audience.

3. Overcoming Fear and Mindset Blocks in Content Creation

[06:55 – 11:24]

• Most people hesitate to show up on social media due to fear of judgment. Dawson urges listeners to “just post it” and stop overvaluing others’ opinions.
  • Quote: “Fear of man fails everyone. When people put their head on the pillow at night, they're caring about their bills, worrying about their family. They're not thinking about you, dude.” — Dawson [09:43]
• Justin reframes the act of content creation as a moral imperative: if you have value to offer, withholding it is doing others a disservice.

4. Dawson’s Agency Approach: Fast-Paced Execution and Mass Content Creation

[13:12 – 20:20]

• Dawson describes his company, Evo Marketing Agency, and its model: matching brands with thousands of creators, producing and testing huge amounts of content, and iterating rapidly.
  • Quote: “It’s not about the quality response or the quality thing that you’re going to put in place. It’s really just do it faster.” — Dawson [14:22]
• Evo offers full-service packages, from content production to creative testing, influencer collaborations, and ad scaling.
• Their process involves testing content organically, identifying winning formats, and pushing those out through influencers and paid channels.

5. Practical Content Strategies for Entrepreneurs Rebranding

[22:24 – 26:08]

• Dawson advises mixing three main content types:
  • Educational/Expertise: 40% (e.g., real estate or business advice)
  • Entrepreneurial/Mindset: 40%
  • Behind-the-Scenes/“Day in the Life”: 20%
• Stories and organic, “selfie-style” content create deeper audience connections. Authenticity outperforms over-produced, hyper-edited videos.
  • Quote: “Half of it needs to be just talking to the camera... like you’re FaceTiming your friend.” — Dawson [24:38]
• Document over create: focus on sharing real experiences rather than chasing perfection.

6. Testing, Iteration & Doubling Down on Winners

[28:41 – 34:24]

• Both discuss A/B testing content to discover what resonates (hooks, formats, settings).
• Review top-performing content every 2 weeks and iterate content strategy accordingly.
  • Quote: “Every two weeks you’re assessing the top 10% performing videos... and then just doubling down on that next week.” — Dawson [32:52]
• Patience and persistence are key: “overnight success” is an illusion built on years of consistency.

7. Who Needs to Do Content and How? Outsourcing and the Rise of AI

[35:52 – 40:03]

• If you don’t want to make content, hire people who do. Brand founders don’t have to be the face—user-generated content (UGC) creators or even AI-generated personalities can represent a brand.
  • Quote: “If you don’t want to do it, but you want the benefits, you just have to hire someone that’s good at it to do it. It’s simple as that.” — Dawson [36:25]
• AI is evolving, but for now, human authenticity still prevails. However, the technology is rapidly approaching undetectable realism.

8. Content Ecosystem: Where to Start & Scaling Production

[40:03 – 43:57]

• Recommended for beginners: start with selfie videos or have someone interview you and clip out the content.
• Repurpose content across platforms (Instagram, TikTok, YouTube Shorts, etc.), but monitor platform feedback.
• Post frequency: ideally 3–4 times per day, repurposed across channels.
• Podcasting is a rich source of content—clip long-form conversations into micro-content.

9. Practical A/B Testing and Platform-Specific Tips

[45:55 – 51:08]

• Justin introduces “trial reels” on Instagram as an A/B testing method for hooks, which Dawson relates to similar TikTok strategies.
• Continual experimentation, even with the same video/hook, is necessary as performance varies widely.

10. Feedback, Iteration, and Product Development via Social Content

[49:45 – 51:16]

• Dawson highlights how real-time organic feedback from social can inform product development as much as sales strategies.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Social Credibility:

  • “It gives you even more credibility as a CEO, as a founder… when someone wants to partner up with you and they have no idea who you are, but they can go to your Instagram or your TikTok and you have all these videos.” — Dawson [02:26]

• On Facing Fear of Judgment:

  • “Fear of man fails everyone... When people put their head on the pillow at night, they’re caring about their bills... They’re not thinking about you, dude.” — Dawson [09:43]

• On Rebranding and Losing Followers:

  • “I started connecting more with the audience that was following me. Lost a pretty good amount of followers... which is totally, totally okay. Because now I’m rebranding towards helping entrepreneurs.” — Dawson [05:04]

• On Content Mindset:

  • “People love the destination... but you have to actually love the journey in the process of doing what you love every single day. Eventually it will happen, you just have to keep going.” — Dawson [35:24]

• On Outsourcing Content:

  • “If you don’t want to do it... that’s totally fine. But just don’t make the excuse that you don’t have enough attention on your brand… you need to hire someone to be the face of your brand to do the videos.” — Dawson [36:25]

• On Brand and AI:

  • “I think in the next 6–12 months [AI] will probably be undetectable.” — Dawson [39:46]

Actionable Takeaways & Best Practices

• Be visible—every CEO/founder should have a public social media presence.
• Rebrand authentically: Don’t be afraid to pivot, lose followers, or show vulnerability. Long-term brand equity comes from authenticity.
• Overcome fear: Post content despite anxiety about judgment; most people don’t really care.
• Content mix: Balance personal narrative, expertise, and behind-the-scenes to deepen audience texture.
• Test relentlessly: Constantly A/B test video hooks, formats, topics, and settings. Iterate based on data every 10–14 days.
• Document, don’t over-create: Share real moments and lessons in a face-to-camera, unscripted style.
• Consider outsourcing: If you lack time or passion, use agencies, UGC creators, or even AI avatars to handle content.
• Patience + Consistency: Success on social is built over years—not weeks or months.
• Feedback loop: Let early organic content inform your product/service offering before spending big.

Resources & Contact

• Dawson Gibbs:
  • Instagram/TikTok: @evodawson
  • YouTube: Dawson Gibbs
  • Agency: Evo Marketing Agency
  • Website: evomarketingco.com

Closing Inspiration

“Doesn’t matter how long it takes, doesn’t matter how hard... If you love what you do and you’re passionate about it and you’re willing to put 10 to 20 years into it... it’s worth it at the end.”
— Dawson Gibbs [52:31]

Recommended for anyone looking to build a personal or business brand, especially those wrestling with self-doubt or seeking actionable insights to break through on social media in 2025.