00:00:00 Linda talks about how she got into the industry and how she decided to niche down her focus to working with independent restaurants.

20:18 Ben, the host, asks Linda about the benefits of niching down her focus. Linda says that it has helped her to create a more personal connection with her clients and to be able to provide them with more specialized services.

22:20 Lily Elsner was born in Georgia, nut yes… North Carolina then South Carolina. #17 Positive pessimist startup Founder & CEO Lily Elsner | What Do They Do?

24:11 Ikigai - https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/40534545

26:42 The Power of Moments, by Chip and Dan Heath has a section about how purpose beats passion. 

27:08 What did you want to be growing up? Ambitious young Linda!

32:35 Growing a love of food through a Buddhist, Cambodian family and learning that this can influence the niching process.

37:05 Ben asks Linda about her typical day-to-day work as a brand strategist. Linda talks about the different tasks she performs, such as conducting research, developing marketing strategies, and creating branding materials.

01:06:20 Ben asks Linda about the most rewarding part of her job. Linda says that she loves being able to help independent restaurants succeed and to make a positive impact on their communities.

01:24:07 Ben asks Linda about the challenges of her job. Linda says that one of the biggest challenges is working with tight budgets. She also says that it can be difficult to get independent restaurants to invest in marketing and branding.

01:37:07 Ben asks Linda for her advice to aspiring brand strategists. Linda says that it is important to be passionate about the industry and to be willing to work hard. She also says that it is important to be creative and to be able to think outside the box.

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