In this episode of the SEO Leverage Podcast, Gert Mellak welcomes Kristina Reiser, brand strategist at Recognized, for a deep dive into what it really takes to build a brand that resonates — and sells.

💡 Kristina explains why personal branding often outweighs corporate branding, especially for small and medium-sized businesses. From her years of experience helping founders and companies communicate with clarity and purpose, she reveals how branding is more than just a logo or a color palette — it's your company's soul and long-term strategy.

🎯 Topics covered:

1. The difference between corporate vs. personal branding — and how they work together
2. Why founders should lead with their personal brand to build trust and loyalty
3. How branding supports SEO and AI-driven search visibility
4. Actionable tips to start building your brand — even if you're short on time
5. How to measure personal brand impact (yes, you can track this!)
6. Why consistency across platforms is essential in the era of AI and multi-channel marketing

Whether you're growing an e-commerce site, launching a personal consultancy, or scaling a digital agency, this episode will help you approach branding with clarity, confidence, and strategic focus.

Podcast Highlights:

01:38 - Why Branding Is More Than Marketing

Kristina explains how branding isn’t just a function of marketing — it’s a long-term business strategy that defines how a company connects emotionally with its audience.

02:50 - Corporate vs. Personal Branding: What’s the Real Difference?

Kristina breaks down the core differences between corporate branding and personal branding, and why the latter is often more effective for SMEs and founders.

07:49 The Power of a Personal Brand in E-Commerce

Kristina delivers the episode’s core message: For small and medium e-commerce businesses, your personal brand is the most valuable asset.

10:48 Start Here: Actionable Steps to Build Your Personal Brand

Kristina shares practical advice for founders starting from scratch: Build a small team, focus on the right platforms, and avoid spreading yourself too thin.

25:36 Consistency Across Platforms: Why It Matters for Google & AI

Gert and Kristina discuss how inconsistent messaging across social platforms confuses not just people, but also Google and AI.

16:36 How to Know Your Personal Branding Is Working

Kristina shares tangible KPIs to measure branding success — from increased direct traffic to brand mentions and authority in your niche.

Guest Website Info:

• Name: Kristina Reiser
• Role: Brand Strategist | Founder at Recognized
• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/kristinarajzer

Connect with Gert Mellak:

Website: https://seoleverage.com/

Email: info@seoleverage.com

In Episode 139 of the SEOLeverage Podcast, host Gert Mellak sits down with Lloyd Thompson, founder of VirtualDOO, to unpack the chaos of business operations and how founders can stop being the bottleneck in their own companies. Lloyd shares his insights on how to transform operational disorder into smooth, scalable systems through fractional operations management, helping business owners free up time and energy while driving growth.

From defining clear accountability and crafting a vivid vision, to streamlining SOP ownership, team rhythms, and introducing feedback loops, Lloyd reveals the keys to building a well-oiled business machine. They also explore the rise of Revenue Operations (RevOps), leveraging CRM data to maximize ROI, and dive into the exciting world of AI agents and how they’re reshaping operations today.

Whether you’re drowning in tasks or looking to level up your team’s performance, this episode is packed with actionable insights and real-world examples that can help you reclaim your time and scale your business effectively.

In this episode, you'll learn about:

• How to get out of daily operations with a fractional COO
• The 4-step method to assess and fix operational bottlenecks
• How to reclaim your time with a simple Task Audit
• Tips for creating smooth team workflows and feedback loops
• An intro to Revenue Operations (RevOps) for better CRM use
• How to leverage AI tools and agents to boost efficiency

01:24 – What is VirtualDOO?
Lloyd explains how his company helps founders delegate operations through flexible, fractional COOs.

05:29 – Diagnosing Operational Chaos
The importance of an operational health assessment and how it uncovers key business inefficiencies.

12:17 – Reclaiming Founder Time
Lloyd shares a simple Task Audit method to free founders from day-to-day tasks.

19:54 – Creating Operational Smoothness
How rhythms, dashboards, and feedback loops lead to smoother team operations and growth.

27:02 – Introduction to Revenue Operations (RevOps)
Connecting sales and marketing in the CRM to maximize lead and customer value.

38:09 – Leveraging AI in Operations
How businesses are starting to use AI agents and automation to increase efficiency and reduce workload.

Links:

• VirtualDOO Website:
  https://virtualdoo.com

• Free Resources & RevOps Self-Assessment:
  https://virtualdoo.com/resources

Guest Website Info:

• Lloyd Thompson
• Founder of VirtualDOO
• Helping founders escape operational chaos with fractional COOs and streamlined systems.

🌐 Website: https://virtualdoo.com
📄 Free Resources & RevOps Self-Assessment: https://virtualdoo.com/resources
📧 Email: lloyd@virtualdoo.com

Connect with Gert Mellak:

Website: https://seoleverage.com/

Email: info@seoleverage.com

In episode 138 of SEOLeverage Podcast, host Gert Mellak sits down with Nick Penev, founder of Extreme Power Brands and expert in partnerships and e-commerce growth strategy. They explore the art of leveraging partnerships to scale your business, create meaningful connections, and dominate the Amazon and e-commerce landscape.

Nick shares his fascinating journey from a young entrepreneur in Bulgaria to running multimillion-dollar businesses and his shift to building a thriving partnership model. Learn about his innovative "Partnerships as a Service" approach and how connecting with the right partners can outperform paid marketing.

This episode covers:

• The power of partnerships in growing e-commerce brands
• How to build and monetize a community of engaged followers
• Practical steps for creating impactful collaborations like webinars, content swaps, and proactive referrals
• Why newsletters and communities are vital assets in today’s competitive digital space
• Insights into modern tools and processes for partnership management

Whether you're just starting your e-commerce business or looking for advanced strategies to scale, this episode is packed with actionable advice and inspiration.

Guest Website Info:

Nick Penev
Founder of Extreme Power Brands and the partnership agency Hello Tax, Nick Penev is an expert in partnerships, e-commerce strategy, and community building. With over 15 years of experience in the e-commerce space, Nick has developed innovative approaches to partnership management and scaling businesses through strategic collaborations.

Learn more about Nick and his initiatives:

• Website: Extreme Power Brands
• LinkedIn Profile: Nick Penev
• Partnership Platform: Hello Tax

Connect with Gert Mellak:

Website: https://seoleverage.com/

Email: info@seoleverage.com

In episode 137 of the SEOLeverage Podcast, Gert Mellak and guest Joe Fier talk about Delphi, an innovative technology that lets you create an AI clone of yourself. Additionally, they explore how AI tools can transform workflows, boost productivity, and enhance daily life. From writing content to making phone calls, these advancements are reshaping what's possible. Tune in to uncover the future of AI and how it transforms the way you live and work.

Can you imagine having an AI clone of yourself that can answer questions, write content, and even talk to people on the phone?

In this episode, I talk to Joe Fier about the latest advancements in AI, including a new technology called Delphi that allows you to create an AI clone of yourself. We discuss the possibilities of this technology, as well as other AI tools that can help you automate your workflows and live a better life.

In this episode, you'll learn about:

• The Delphi AI technology that allows you to create an AI clone of yourself

• How AI can be used to automate your workflows and live a better life

• The latest advancements in AI, including tools that can help you write content, answer questions, and even talk to people on the phone

Tune in to learn more about the future of AI and how it can help you achieve your goals.

Podcast Highlights:

00:00 Prologue

1:14 Gert introduces Joe Fier

3:04 Joe discusses the current state of AI

8:15 How AI is changing the way we learn

16:20 How AI can give you superpowers

20:37 Joe introduces the Delphi AI technology

29:53 The importance of consistent synchronization with AI

37:51 How to create enhanced versions of AI bots

42:36 How to clone your voice with AI

56:28 The future of AI

1:02:27 How to be a first mover in AI

Links:

• Delphi

• Future Tools

• Hustle and Flowchart

• Joe Fier on YouTube

• Buy Back Your Time by Dan Martell

Guest Website Info:

• Joe Fier is an AI advisor and fractional worker who helps businesses automate their workflows and create better engagement with their brands.

• You can find Joe on social media or email him at joe@hustleandflowchart.com.

Connect with Gert Mellak:

Website: https://seoleverage.com/

Email: info@seoleverage.com

In Episode 136 of the SEOLeverage Podcast, Gert Mellak delves into the concept of custom GPTs and their utility for business owners. He introduces custom GPTs as specialized AI tools tailored to specific roles, such as SEO tasks or social media content creation. By creating GPTs with detailed instructions and examples, users can save time and achieve consistency, avoiding the need to repeatedly explain tasks. Mellak emphasizes the ease of setting up these custom tools using the premium version of ChatGPT, making them invaluable for tasks like LinkedIn post creation or content optimization.

Mellak discusses the strategic advantage of custom GPTs in business processes, particularly in marketing and SEO. He describes breaking down workflows into smaller tasks that can be trained into GPTs, ensuring high efficiency and precision. For instance, an SEO-focused GPT can analyze top-ranking articles to identify missing terminology or semantically relevant topics. This helps businesses create optimized, competitive content while avoiding irrelevant or cluttered information. The approach streamlines operations and leverages AI to focus on what truly matters in content creation.

The episode concludes with Mellak encouraging listeners to experiment with custom GPTs and seek expert help if needed. He highlights the benefits of professional guidance for businesses looking to integrate AI seamlessly into their workflows. Additionally, Mellak directs listeners to a detailed written summary on his website and invites them to share their own GPT creations, reinforcing the collaborative potential of these tools in advancing business success.

Connect with Gert Mellak:

Website: https://seoleverage.com/

Email: info@seoleverage.com

AI Tools mentioned:

• ChatGPT

In episode 135 of the SEOLeverage Podcast, Gert Mellak discusses the need to convert website traffic into buyers. He stresses understanding search intent and how other platforms influence user behavior and purchases. Additionally, Gert talks about the value of a multi-platform strategy, researching audience habits, and engaging effectively.

In today’s episode of the SEOLeverage podcast, Gert discusses the importance of not just attracting traffic to a website but ensuring that traffic converts to buyers. He emphasizes the significance of understanding search intent and how platforms like Reddit, Facebook, and Quora are increasingly influencing user behavior and purchases.

Gert also highlights the need for a multi-platform strategy, including audience platform research to identify key platforms where the audience spends time, and a platform strategy to engage effectively on these platforms. He also mentions the use of tools like ClickUp to manage tasks and maintain consistent visibility.

Podcast Highlights:

00:00 Prologue

00:49 SEOLeverage Podcast Intro

01:11 Discussion on the challenges of finding buyers in a crowded online space

02:05 Explanation of how search engines are surfacing content from various sources

04:08 Real-world examples of how users find and choose products/services online

05:49 The importance of brand presence on platforms beyond Google

06:56 Introduction to the Platform Leverage program

08:15 Overview of creating a multi-platform strategy for consistent online engagement

09:40 Closing thoughts and invitation to learn more about leveraging multiple platforms

Connect with Gert Mellak:

Website: https://seoleverage.com/

Email: info@seoleverage.com

Resources:

Platform Leverage - A new project focusing on essential marketing strategies in the AI era

AI Tools mentioned:

• ChatGPT

• Perplexity

• CoPilot