Ep. 542 | Branding for sales success: Likeability, podcasts & B2B growth

OnBase: Smashing Sales and Marketing Misalignments

Episode Summary

In this episode of OnBase, host Chris Moody sits down with Jessica Rhodes to talk about branding, likeability, and how podcasting can transform your sales conversations. Jessica reflects on how she turned a favor for her dad into a thriving business and why bringing your whole personality to the table is key to building buyer trust.

From tactical takeaways on content repurposing to deeper insights on the neuroscience of decision-making, this conversation is equal parts actionable and human. Jessica explains why likability isn’t fluff—it’s foundational—and how being authentic across every marketing touchpoint builds a brand that wins even in a competitive sales process.

If you’re in B2B marketing, sales enablement, or looking to boost your thought leadership through podcasts, this one’s for you.

Key Takeaways

• Likeability is a Sales Strategy:
  Strong brand identity isn’t just about logos and messaging—it’s about trust and connection. Jessica and her team win business because people like them, not just because of features.
• Show, Don’t Tell:
  You can’t just say your team is amazing—your content has to prove it. Brand personality needs to shine across marketing, not just in sales calls.
• Podcasts = Trust Accelerators:
  Podcasts create long-form, unfiltered content that lets buyers hear your voice, beliefs, and expertise—way before they hit the sales funnel.
• Repurpose with Purpose:
  From sending podcast links in pre-sales calls to clipping interviews for social content, podcasts can fuel your entire marketing strategy.
• SEO Goldmine:
  Each podcast appearance builds your online footprint with backlinks, blog posts, and YouTube videos—an underrated SEO boost.
• Decision-Making Requires Gut & Calm:
  Jessica shares how understanding her "sacral authority" through human design and regulating her nervous system has helped her make clearer, less reactive decisions.

Quotes

“Your brand identity is letting your personality come through your marketing. People logically assess vendors—but they choose the one they like most.”

Best moments

02:00–04:30 – Jessica’s journey from door-to-door canvasser to podcast agency founder.

05:30–07:00 – Likeability and brand identity: why it matters more than features.

08:45–11:00 – The challenge (and power) of bringing your full self to work.

11:30–13:30 – What to do right after you record a podcast: behind-the-scenes content, repurposing, and engagement tips.

14:45–15:30 – Podcasting’s secret SEO advantage.

16:15–18:00 – Using gut instinct and a calm nervous system to make better decisions.

Tech recommendations

• Aloware – for outbound dialing and bulk SMS.
• Opus Clip – for repurposing podcast content.
• HubSpot – for marketing automation and CRM.

Resource recommendations

Books:

• $100M Offers and $100M Leads by Alex Hormozi

Podcasts:

• The Game with Alex Hormozi

Shout-outs

• Margy Feldhuhn, Co-Owner and CEO, Interview Connections
• Melanie Ann Layer, High-Performance Business Mentor, MLI Coaching

About the Guest

Jessica Rhodes is the founder of Interview Connections, the world’s first podcast booking agency, launched in 2013 before podcast guesting was on anyone's radar. As a trailblazer in the podcasting space, Jessica Rhodes has helped more than 800 clients land over 30,000 podcast interviews, establishing herself as a thought leader in how businesses can leverage podcasting to grow. Her mission is simple yet powerful: to help entrepreneurs who feel like the best-kept secret increase visibility and build trust through the human-to-human connection that only long-form podcast interviews can provide.

Connect with Jessica.