Career Lemons to Branding Lemonade: Kristen Pucci on Awards, Adversity & Building Cray Consulting

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What happens when you’re laid off at 4:30 p.m. on a Friday, 60 days into a new job—and decide you’ll never let anyone else decide your fate again? Meet Kristen Pucci, 40-under-40 honoree, Top-100 Power Player and founder/CEO of Cray Consulting. In this episode, Kristen sits down with host Brandon Stanchock to unpack her roller-coaster journey from misfit athlete to award-winning marketing guru—and why she believes the world is starving for real, unfiltered voices online. Brandon & Kristen

In this candid convo you’ll learn

• How a COVID layoff became startup jet fuel—and the “exclusivity ecosystem” that landed Cray six clients in week one.
• The truth behind those headline awards (40-under-40, Top-100) and why external trophies will never top inner wins.
• Personal-brand myth-busting: why your audience cares more about who you are than what you sell—and the quickest way to 10 K authentic followers.
• Dealing with “keyboard warriors,” gender double-standards, and the loneliness tax of entrepreneurship.
• Kristen’s 3-step LinkedIn playbook for 2025: laser-target connections, tell scar-after-it-heals stories, and learn the algorithm’s unbreakable rules.
• Upcoming Cray announcement: why their pants are “six sizes too small” and what’s next for the agency. Brandon & Kristen

Whether you’re a side-hustler dreaming of full-time freedom or a seasoned CEO battling imposter syndrome, Kristen’s raw stories and tactical tips will help you own your narrative—and build a brand that actually means something.

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