Part 2: Building Legacy Through Leadership: Activating Purpose in the Senior Living Industry | Isabelle Guarino

Welcome to Wickedly Branded: Marketing, Magic, and The Messy Middle, the podcast where real conversations meet real strategies. I'm your host, Beverly Cornell, founder and fairy godmother of brand clarity at Wickedly Branded. With over 25 years of experience, I’ve helped hundreds of entrepreneurs awaken their brand magic, attract the right people, and build businesses that light them up.

From stepping into her father’s vision to scaling a company that’s changing senior care education, Isabelle shares how authenticity, courage, and systems create real growth. Together, they unpack the power of brand activation, overcoming imposter syndrome, and leading with both heart and strategy.

Three Key  Marketing Topics Discussed:

1. Authentic Leadership: How Isabelle modernized her father’s legacy and made the brand her own.
2. Confidence in Visibility: What it really takes to step into the spotlight as a visionary.
3. Systems for Sustainability: Why structure, clarity, and delegation are the backbone of long-term success.

Follow Isabelle:
Isabelle | LinkedIn
RAL Academy | Instagram
RAL Academy | Facebook
RAL Academy | TikTok
RAL Academy | Website

Dare to be Wickedly Branded

Transcript

Speaker: 0:11

Welcome back to the Wickedly Branded Marketing podcast and to part two of this very powerful and inspiring conversation. In our last episode, we laid the groundwork and shared insights you won't want to miss, and today we're picking up right where we left off and taking that conversation deeper, unpacking the strategies, the stories, and the inspiration that will help you bring your brand boldly to life. If you haven't listened to part one yet, I recommend starting there. The link is in the description. So you can follow the full journey. So without further ado, let's jump back into the conversation.

Beverly: 0:47

So if you're listening to this chat today and you're finding some things like about I need to get clear, I need to get more intentional, or, someone who needs to get clear and more intentional about their business, the focus that activating their brand needs to happen. They live more authentically, and in their purpose, then please share this episode or leave us a comment and review. Let us know that this is like hitting home for you, that you've needed to hear this right now. we'd love that if you did that, you'd tell us your biggest takeaway. because other people to discover more of this kind of magic so that more women can find their power, sit in their power, and do that thing. such great insights. Isabel. How have you found clarity in your approach to building a strong team while maintaining your mission? And how is the team related to your brand and marketing as well? Like having a strong team matters as part of your brand. So talk a little bit about that challenge and what you've been able to do to help solve that.

Isabelle: 1:40

Staffing, I think is the hardest part of any business, right? To grow and evolve and to delegate and elevate, you're gonna have to bring on team members.'cause at some point you can't do it all right? In the beginning, you can do it all. And then you start to say, okay, things are slipping and I need to see what's getting to the bottom line and get rid of those things. so when it comes to staffing, I have made so many mistakes along the way, whether that's hiring people with a great resume and an amazing background, to think that they can come in and really dominate in the small business space isn't always a fit, right? just'cause someone's, expensive doesn't mean that they're always the best. or haven't really checked how they line up with our core values and seeing how are they going to act? How are they going to lead and manage So things I've learned along the way the biggest cliche of them all, but it is so true. Which is be slow to hire and quick to fire. And I think that it really comes down to you need to take the time and energy to get to know who this person is, how they work and if their work style matches yours. some business owners, set the deadline and they actually want it done three days in advance, right? If that's you, you need to know that about you. And then you need to hire according to that. So when you give them that deadline and they do it a week later, that's gonna trigger you if you are a more impatient boss, right? So I think the biggest thing I've learned on hiring is you have to know yourself first. Your triggers what you actually want, because it's one thing to write it down, and it's another thing when someone does it. You might actually be like, oh, actually I wanted this or that. So you need to know you and what you want, and then it will help you with hiring so much. And, we've had some just really difficult things I've had to fire all sorts of people and it has not been fun. And the biggest thing, is that you need to listen. Be slow to hire, quick to fire, and know yourself, throughout that hiring process.

Beverly: 3:33

Again, a therapy thing. if you don't know yourself, you can't lead well. I always tell everybody I hire, bring onto the team that, I care deeply about my team I feel like they're humans first, like all those things. But when I'm going through my checklist of things to do, I might not say, Hey, how was your weekend? I'm just gonna tell you what I need. And that doesn't mean that I'm being passive aggressive. It doesn't mean that I'm mad. and are you okay with that form of communication? Yes. Okay. So I just wanna make sure, because that is how I communicate and I don't want you to take it personal.'cause if I have a problem, you're gonna know I have a problem. It's very rare that I ever have a problem. I'm really upfront with people who are in the interview process about that, because there are some people who could really be like, that would be a trigger for me, and I cannot do that. And they have to be also aware of their things. you have to have people who are emotionally, well enough to be able to go, that's gonna be a trigger and I cannot handle that. Or I can get through that, or whatever. there's like a two-way street in there, but I feel as I've gotten a little older. I'm much more clear about what my expectations are. My core values are really unique for lots of reasons. and I talk about them often about these are my expectations and communication is huge to me. I believe communication is all about building a trust bank. When you can communicate before, during, and after, you are. Establishing that, that the client knows you're taking care of the thing, and that's honoring you, that's honoring them, that's honoring the team. It's honoring the brand. So that trust bank is huge. knowing yourself and knowing what is really important to you is incredibly key for successful hiring. And that goes along with your brand too.'cause if this is what you stand for, knowing your core values, knowing your mission, knowing your vision, and the things that you want everybody to do every single day, whatever the thing is that is important to you. If you're not clear there, Like, how could you expect them to be clear? So expectations and clarity are huge in that space as well. So one of the questions I ask people, often is this idea of, as part of your branding and visibility and showing up for your business, what thing has required you to have the most courage in your business?

Isabelle: 5:33

actually I would say it's along that same vein of hiring and staffing, the people on your team are gonna shine a mirror right back to you of who you are, what you bring to the table, your biggest mistakes, your biggest falters. And I think that has been huge too. I know something that I struggled with in leadership was being a people pleaser. So I wouldn't necessarily be a hundred percent honest with someone. If I was super unhappy with their work, I would, do the Oreo, where it's like positive, okay, a little bit negative, okay, positive again, and they're leaving thinking she loves me, I'm the best. I deserve a raise. I'm worth a million dollars and I'm leaving. I think they got the message that I hated, that I think they understood. And so then when they do the same thing to me, I'm like, why isn't anyone being honest with me? Why isn't anyone telling me how it is? And I realized, oh my gosh, I am the problem. I set the tone and all they're doing is doing the exact same behavior back to me because they think. That's all I can handle. And it really has bit me in the butt so many different times. So I think that it's taken me a lot of courage to look at those things. Dive deep into why I do that. Where did this stem from? How do I stop this? What does it look like? And it is incredibly uncomfortable to face some of the deepest things in you that, that sounds silly. People pleasing, but really, that's like stems for me from like childhood, right? we've said therapy multiple times here today, but I do think Business ownership is therapy in its greatest form because you are finding out so much about yourself. And either you're gonna bulldoze through those things, pretend that they don't exist, and constantly keep facing the same exact problems. So you can never elevate, never get to that next level, or you're gonna do the work to fix yourself. Fix what's going on, apologize, try to change those behaviors, do all of those necessary things to actually have that growth and take it to the next level. And I think a lot of people just wanna pretend that nothing's actually going on.

Beverly: 7:38

Yes, amen. Preach it all this is a mirror. There's absolutely no question. I joke like I was single and in the business world, I was 35 years old. I did therapy about some of my stuff and all the things I thought I had. Then I got married, started a business and had kids. And boy, those three things will shine a mirror on you like nothing you've ever seen. And there's work to do if you don't wanna continue to pass on stuff. If you wanna have a healthy life, you wanna have a healthy relationship, these are all things that you have to work on. And either you're gonna bulldoze through them and say, Hey, I have had enough of this crap and I'm gonna fix it. Or you're gonna sit in it and it's not gonna be fun. And some of the bulldozing is not fun too. to be real honest, Isabel, like that first. The first little bit of that is hard. One of our core values is dynamic. And that's on purpose because we're always changing, we're organic, we're growing, the new trends, the new algorithms, the new tech, But also as people, we are dynamic people and you need to be dynamic to continue to grow and evolve and get to a higher level of awareness and leadership and all those things so that you can be better, serve better, do better, all that in the world. So good stuff that bulldoze your way through it, I'm thinking I might start using that phrase. So systems. When you grow to 50 people, you have to have some systems. What have you either let go of or delegated or done to make your business feel more sustainable, for you specifically, Isabelle?

Isabelle: 9:02

Wow. at the beginning, it was just me and my father, and the one role he took on was visionary and basically the public facing presence for the company. I was sales, marketing, finance, social media, operations, internal, external, hr, you name it, every single role. And so one thing that I really did and how I scaled this was I sat in every single role, like fully sat in it. And created all of the systems. Here's how things go, here's what they're going to look like, here's KPIs, scorecards, And as you hire, not everyone's always a great fit. So sometimes you've gotta come back to that and rehire and figure that out. But really worked on each department a little bit at a time, and then would solely focus on one, build it all out, until I felt that they were comfortable where they needed to be. And then focus on the next one. And then each of those department heads now get to do the same thing where they get to make it their own and hire their teams and elevate and grow from there. it's been beautiful to watch, but it's also been beautiful to be a part of because I didn't know that, that's how businesses work. You just see a business 10 years down the road and you say, oh, they've always been that way. It started with one person, one idea, and one thing. And then it grows to become this. And so to be a part of the growth and see how that actually works, intricately was a beautiful thing. Such a learning lesson.'cause this is, 10 years ago. So I'm in my twenties at the time. And really being able to dig in and learn that with zero experience, my dad's giving me all the trust and faith in the world that I can do this. And thank God that I did. it was fun to be able to see that. But I do think you really have to sit in each thing, figure it all out. enough to know, to train someone else on this is what I want, this is what I don't want. And then they're gonna take it and make it their own from there. But you also have to be willing to go back in and say, this isn't right. This isn't what I want. And take that time to retrain. Take that time to continually onboard, because training is never a one and done.

Beverly: 11:00

Yeah. Systematically create your systems. When did you bring EOS into the system?

Isabelle: 11:05

probably two years into starting the business. So it's very early on.

Beverly: 11:08

So that probably helped you get the system for the systems, which is great.

Isabelle: 11:12

Back in the day, I always joke, like I had these big binders of all of our goals and rocks and everything going on, and like literally every year I'd have a massive binder and now it's all online, Using Monday or Asana or whatever you want to use. So things have developed over time. With the digital age and AI's incredible, and now even being able to use VAs for certain roles instead of hiring a full-time person where their salary is astronomical. There's just so many ways that you can do things cheaper, easier, better, and I think it's only gonna get better and better with AI developing,

Beverly: 11:48

Agreed. Productivity and speed have changed incredibly fast with that. This morning I actually onboarded a va, to do some, lead development, operational stuff through Monday, setting up some of those systems so that they're ready to go for us to use, but the idea is you can get things done and implemented and all of that for the team in ways you never knew how to before. So yes, I love that. Thinking about ways of systemizing and getting. Offloading that in different ways, It just depends on what works for you. But I remember so many days in those days of how can I clone myself? And you clone yourself through good systems and SOPs. That is how you clone yourself and training. So just start looming everything that you do in a day, and then put those transcripts into chat and say, create an SOP and just start building your library of so p so that when you're ready you can start offloading some of that work that drains you and somebody who it drives them. I have a magic hat round and in my magic hat is questions. It's more rapid fire. A little bit more fun and sassy probably. what fear have you had to overcome to grow your business?

Isabelle: 12:55

Oh, fear of being disliked.

Beverly: 12:59

What's one thing you believed about branding or marketing has turned out to be complete bs.

Isabelle: 13:04

You have to be super pc.

Beverly: 13:06

If your business had a voice, what emotion or word would it embody?

Isabelle: 13:12

Legacy.

Beverly: 13:13

What's been your most humbling lesson as an entrepreneur?

Isabelle: 13:16

You can't please everyone.

Beverly: 13:18

How do you want your customers to feel after working with you?

Isabelle: 13:22

Connected to the family of RAL.

Beverly: 13:27

Tell us about a time when you had to pivot and what did you learn?

Isabelle: 13:31

Creating products that, I thought would be good and they're a total bust and you gotta listen to the feedback and do what you can to make it what the clients want it to be. And sometimes you think you know what they want, but you've gotta just take it on the shoulder and just realize that they want something else.

Beverly: 13:48

Sometimes you think you know what they want, but they don't really want that thing. That's definitely humbling. Okay, so that's the end of the magic cat round. You did really good. That was like eight questions in two minutes. Awesome. so I also have a magic wand. Okay. And the magic wand, let's us travel back in time. And into the future. Okay, so I'm gonna waive the one and we're gonna go back to 18-year-old Isabelle. And I want you to give Isabelle the piece of advice that you wish she'd known that would've saved her some heartache and grief over the years, if she'd known it.

Isabelle: 14:17

Okay. I think I would tell my 18-year-old self, just everything is going to work out so much more bigger and beautiful than you imagine. Keep your head down, keep working hard, make connections, network. And, keep being true to yourself. If you don't like something, don't do it. And if you like something, go all in.

Beverly: 14:37

what would 18-year-old Isabelle say to you about how you're living your life now?

Isabelle: 14:41

Oh, she would be so proud. She would be shocked because this is not what I had pictured for myself. So she'd be absolutely shocked, but she'd be so beyond proud and just given all the love and kudos in the world.

Beverly: 14:55

Okay. I'm gonna wave the wand into the present time. And I'm gonna ask you about success. When was the moment that you thought for the first time that you were successful?

Isabelle: 15:07

That's such a hard question'cause I think entrepreneurs are always searching for the next. And even after we hit something major, it's really hard to sit in that celebratory moment. But I do think that I feel the most successful when I am not working, when I am in my backyard with my son, with my husband, with the dogs, and we are just relaxing and enjoying the evening and having fun as a family together. I look around and say, I have the time freedom, the money freedom, the mental freedom, the spiritual freedom to be here, be present in this moment. No distractions, no call could disrupt me from this. This is everything that I've ever wanted and needed. this is beauty, this is life, this is family, and this is freedom and success to me.

Beverly: 15:58

Success to you is freedom. That's a good way to position it, for sure. Okay. I'm gonna wave my wind and we're gonna go into the future far into the future. decades and decades. For what you do and how you help not only your clients, but their clients, their customers, their patients. What legacy do you hope people will say about your brand and the impact you've had, on others at your eulogy? What do you hope or what do you think they're gonna say?

Isabelle: 16:26

I think that, in two veins, just like you said, the students that I'm helping gain that financial freedom and live in their life that they've dreamed of, I think that they're just gonna be grateful that my courage, my authenticity got them to get to their next level. And I could have, when my dad passed, I was left three cash flowing businesses. I could have sat back and just. Done nothing for the rest of my life. I don't have to do this. This isn't, what brings in the money, my care homes is what brings in the money. So I think that they would be grateful that I went out there and kept the legacy going so that they could provide that same legacy, that same financial freedom to their families. And I think that, the seniors in our homes, I hope that they would all be very grateful that we stood up for injustices for the elderly and that they would be grateful that we launched this entire system and brands that really helped give seniors another option where they can get the love and attention that they need in those last years of life.

Beverly: 17:25

That's beautiful. so many people affected by that. For sure. Even the people who work in the homes There's a lot of ripple effect in that. I think your vision and your, your impact is incredible. And I'm here cheering you on Isabel, because that powerful mission. I love that so much. Okay, so I'm gonna wave the magic wand and we're gonna come back when we're back here in our conversation and the last thing I really wanna talk about is this idea of being wickedly branded. The name of my company is Wickedly Branded. What does being wickedly branded mean to you? How do you specifically show up Wickedly branded and what advice would you give our listeners to be more wickedly branded?

Isabelle: 18:01

I would say that we show up wickedly branded in everything that we touch and do. You can tell it has our flavor on it. Everything has the same colors, logos, voice, font system, and it really just matches. when it's a RALA product, and I think that's good. You need to have that recognizable, branding.

Beverly: 18:21

what does it mean to you? How do you show up? And then. What advice would you give to listeners to be more wickedly branded?

Isabelle: 18:27

Advice to be more wickedly branded. I would say, make sure you are doing audits on your branding all the time. No matter how you show up. They should look and feel exactly the same. I love when people go as far as every time you see them, they're wearing white and that is part of their brand. Like whoever you are in that go all in on that. Colors mean a lot. Sounds mean a lot. And branding is so important because that's how people recognize you. That's where the trust begins. So branding is a number one. It's how you show up in the world and. You need to figure out what your lane is and go for it. Go all in and just become that.

Beverly: 19:03

That's a great explanation and great tips for the listeners. Yesterday I was at the state of the community with the faithful chamber, so our congressman was there. all kinds of people there talking about what the community is like and what's happening And I was in line with my back facing to somebody to get food and I have pink in my hair. And actually when I go to events, I actually put a little bit of sparkle in my hair as well. I spray a little bit of magic dust in my hair and the person behind me was like, I know who that is in front of me. she could tell right away that was Beverly because that's part of my brand. I recently had a, client, send me a message. It was pretty cool. he said, this is what happened. My boss came to me and he said, we still good with that wickedly company. That girl's brand has a lot of glitter and unicorns and everything is purple and pink. And then he says, so from a few LinkedIn posts. You can identify her brand name, her color theme, her brand style and differentiator, all from memory. His boss says, yeah, nevermind. She's good. that is exactly what you need to do. everything you touch needs to have your specific touch, when you're clear and you know your message and you know your voice, it becomes a lot easier to develop that and pull that out for your brand as well. Such good tips, Isabelle. Okay. So where can our listeners connect with you and learn more about your work and what you're doing and maybe attend one of your boot camps? how can they, find you, Isabelle?

Isabelle: 20:23

We're on all forms of social media at RAL Academy, and if you head to the website, RAL101.com, you can download a free bootcamp book or schedule a call with me and the team at RAL101.com. Thank

Beverly: 20:38

you so much for being here, Isabelle. This has been a really incredible conversation. I hope today's episode has lit a little bit of a fire in you, give you some new ideas, but most of all, inspired you to take some action towards more clarity, because here's the most important thing that I can share with you. Your message matters. Your work matters, and the world needs to hear what you have to say, but you have to show up. Marketing isn't just about the visibility aspect though. It's about the impact you make when you show up. It's about connecting with the right people in a way that feels true to you. Isabel talked all about that authenticity and being real. we want you to show up that way and keep showing up that way. Keep sharing your brilliance and keep making what we call magic in the world. And hey, if you ever feel stuck, know that you don't have to do this alone. We're here to help you turn your, spark, your clarity into a wild fire of success. Until next time, dare to be wickedly branded.