People Build Brands – How to Build Yours.

This morning, I had the chance to sit by the beach, immersing myself in an inspiring video by Jon Cropper. Interestingly, he’s not on LinkedIn, so I’ll share his video within this article. Cropper, an award-winning marketer, shared his impactful SEDUCTIVE framework—a synthesis of his extensive experience and lessons meant to inspire brands to effectively communicate their mission, purpose, and story.

As a published author and entrepreneur (building my personal brand), Cropper’s insights were particularly valuable. Reflecting on my career, which includes time at iconic brands like Apple, Starbucks, and Gap—companies renowned for their mastery in marketing and storytelling—I found his breakdown both nostalgic and affirming. His emphasis on the importance of storytelling in retail and luxury brand success, as well as the visual and experiential elements, resonated deeply with me. For this reason, I felt compelled to share this with you.

Two key takeaways from Cropper’s talk stood out:

1. Out-teach your competition, don’t out-sell them.

Having spent a lifetime in sales and leading retail stores where driving sales was the main focus, hearing this perspective felt refreshing. It was a powerful reminder that sustainable success comes from educating and empowering, not just selling.

1. Focus on projects that inject optimism into the world.

Cropper shared advice Quincy Jones once gave him when he asked what kind of projects to pursue: “Focus on projects that inject optimism into the world; this is our sole purpose.” With the recent passing of one of the greatest storytellers—a loss overshadowed by the noise of U.S. election news—this point resonated even more. It served as a meaningful reset for my mindset, reminding me why I started my current journey; leaving behind the security of the executive salary and entering the world of entrepreneurship in 2020 has not been an easy one.

Building a personal brand can be challenging. It’s easy to get caught up in day-to-day pressures, like paying bills and making sales, and lose sight of the bigger purpose. This reminded me of the relentless pressure I faced while running retail stores—constantly needing to hit sales goals. But one invaluable lesson from that time was that no matter how compelling the product or marketing was, the in-store experience was the deciding factor for success. This is why our tagline at RetailU has always been, “People build brands; we build people.” You could even say, “People build experiences; we build people.”

Steve Jobs famously asserted that a brand transcends the product itself; while the tangible aspects are important, it’s the emotional connection and the experiences surrounding the brand that create true loyalty. One of Cropper’s poignant questions was: Do you know exactly what you stand for? My best friend, who is an inspirational leader, has always asked her team - who and what do you want to be known for? This question can align you with a focus and shared vision.

This is a 17-minute watch - but it may be the best 17 minutes of your day! Watch it.

In the work environment, this principle becomes even more critical. Leaders manage teams that, in turn, build brands, making belief and behavior—the two B’s—paramount. What people believe in and how they behave shapes the company culture and impacts performance, which ultimatley can shape a brand.

When you factor in the dynamics between a boss and an employee, the complexity deepens. If people truly build brands, then leaders must genuinely believe in and positively interact with their teams for the best of their potential to emerge.

Today, as I watched his video, I was reminded to ask myself this question: why do we exist? We exist to ignite and foster the positive intersection of employees and leaders, ensuring that the workplace is a source of inspiration and growth. It’s about more than just hitting targets; it’s about creating an environment where people thrive and bring their best selves to the table. Where did I learn to nurture this? Leading teams of 10 - 5000. DAVID'sTea was the perfect experiment for this; we sold tea. But we created magic. Our teams loved tea and unleashed their positivity in the world. I was very fortunate to be part of the era when we cultivated communi TEAs.

As I think about the newest addition to "The Positive Effect" book series (for teachers) that is about to be unleashed into the world, it's a good reminder that we all get to participate in meaningful pursuits; it's what differentiates humans from technology. If you are feeling a lack of this right now, here's your perfect opportunity to join our mission, which is to "ignite global positivity in leaders" now in the school system.

AI can not and will never replace the human connection, so we will continue to focus on building the people who have the power and responsibility to build others. We love AI, but let's face it: If we don't focus on building the people who will build our future brand builders, then where will we be in ten to twenty years?

Click the link to learn more. HERE .

You can ignite your schools and companies to spread positivity to those who lead and influence our students and young people. And I hope you will read this and answer the call. We all get to participate.

I was inspired again today and felt compelled to share this with you. We all need to be reminded of what and why we exist.

This isn't just a book series—it's a call to action, a movement to inspire and ignite positive leaders worldwide. LEARN MORE HERE.

Let's define leaders for a moment - anyone who has influence...it's not a title.

I've learned that it takes a village to build something, and this is your invitation to join our village - Angee Costa and Channon Essex M.S.Ed and I, are genuinely inspired and grateful to have come together on this project that we know will shape beliefs and behavior.

How do we know? We've received so many emails, texts, and reviews from the first book that we knew the A.C.T framework had to be shared with more leaders. As there is a massive connection between retail and young people (retail hires first-time job seekers and young people), we know that teachers are the next leaders to invest in. Plus, you will learn an entire backstory about this in the book of how this came together.

"The book is chock full of best practices, tactics, and approaches. I heard Nurtured Heart Approach, Capturing Kids Hearts, Declarative Language Usage, Discipline With Dignity, Restorative Practices, and Trauma-Informed Practice to name?a few. These practices and approaches were skillfully woven throughout the book with great examples for application.

I am a big fan of the flattened leadership model - the school Leo and Lucía attended K-8 (Chico Country Day School) modeled their leadership structure after visiting Design 39. More schools should adopt this model.?

The Positive Effect is a perfect fit for educators because it assumes positive strength and intention - something educators naturally bring with them into their first classroom. Staying positive and student - centered can be the challenge but these reminders make the difference.? Can't wait to buy a copy!!" Dena Kapsalis - Director, Student Services, Paradise Unified School District.

And if you take anything away from reading this today - remember you are here to CREATE, this starts with acceptance, acceptance of your gifts and of those around you. Then start to approach life as a teacher, which is what Jon eludes to when he says "out teach not out sell". You have gifts to share, make sure you do it positively.

This is how to put the ACT framework into your every day. How we ACT matters now more than ever.

And of course you could spend your eyes and ears in so many other places, so for that reason, I want to thank you for reading.

We appreciate you, and remember the best is yet to come.

- April

Founder & CEO April Sabral leadership | retailu

The Positive Effect is a Book Series that aims to ignite global positivity in leaders.

p.s

And we need your help! This is bigger than me and our small but passionate team, and we welcome the support of those of you who want to make a positive impact in the world! GET INVOLVED.