Let’s cut to it.
Branding in 2025 isn’t about creating more stuff.
It’s about building a presence that feels unmistakably like you – across platforms, posts, and every touchpoint in between.
Welcome to Branded AF – the podcast, the philosophy, and the behind-the-scenes look at how real brands are built (and sometimes rebuilt) in a world of AI, beige content, and endless noise.
I’m Gina Dunn – founder of OG Solutions, brand strategist, marketing nerd, and lifelong champion of clarity and confidence for ambitious women.
I teamed up with Natalie de Groot – founder of Authentic AI Marketing and one of the smartest marketing brains I know – to co-host this show. We’re both running our own businesses, and this podcast is where we show up together to talk shop, test ideas, and challenge the way branding and visibility are “supposed” to work.
WARNING: EPISODES ARE UNFILTERED AND UNCENSORED LANGUAGE
Why We Made This Show
Because everyone’s talking about content, but no one’s talking about what makes it worth remembering.
Branded AF is where we unpack that.
It’s not a podcast about AI.
It’s not a podcast about personal branding.
It’s a podcast about showing up in a way that feels real, strategic, and sustainable – whether you’re a solopreneur or leading a full team.
Natalie brings the content creativity, marketing brilliance, and AI side.
I bring the brand strategy, emotional nuance, and tech backbone.
Together? We explore how tech and voice and systems can work together – without turning your brand into a template.
What We Covered in the very first Episode 1
Episode one was loose on purpose.
No prep. Just both of us showing up with a few headlines and seeing where it led.
We talked about:
- How to train AI to reflect your voice, not just mimic your words
- What Google’s latest update means for founders with no real content strategy
- The “Super Pill” concept: storing your tone, values, and stories inside a repeatable system
- Why building a content machine isn’t about speed – it’s about consistency and trust
It was part tech, part philosophy, part brand therapy.
And it set the tone for everything coming next.
What Google Just Told Us (Without Saying It)
One thing we talked about in episode one – and something I’m still thinking about – is the March 2025 Google update.
The takeaway?
If your content strategy is riding on surface-level SEO hacks or AI-generated fluff, you’re in trouble.
Here’s what Google actually cares about now:
- Original voice → Not polished, not perfect – authentic and human
- Topical trust → You need to be known for something, not everything
- Content experience → Is your site useful? Is it skimmable? Does it feel like you?
It’s not about how often you post.
It’s about what people do when they land on your stuff.
“If your SEO strategy can be crushed by one update… maybe it wasn’t a strategy.”
– Yep, I said that on the podcast.
Why This Matters for My Clients
If you’ve ever worked with me (or peeked inside my brain), you know this is the kind of stuff I think about constantly and test even in my spare time (haha spare time? I do marketing testing then…for fun).
Voice. Visibility. Repeatability.
How to build a brand system that supports the way you work – not just what the internet tells you to do.
Branded AF gives you a seat at the table while I explore all of it out loud.
With Natalie, yes. With tech, sometimes. But always through the lens of brand clarity, personal expression, and strategy that holds up under pressure.
This is an extension of how I build brands at OG Solutions.
It’s not a funnel. It’s a point of view.
What “Branded AF” Really Means
It means having a brand that:
- Knows what it stands for
- Shows up consistently
- And sounds like you, every single time
That’s what we’re exploring. That’s what we’re testing.
And that’s the energy I’m bringing into every strategy I build – podcast or not.
Because your brand shouldn’t rely on mood, motivation, or Monday morning inspiration.
It should be rooted in structure, values, and a voice that never wavers.
TL;DR (but make it smart)
- Branding isn’t about doing more – it’s about showing up better
- Your voice is your biggest asset. Let’s protect it.
- AI can support your strategy, but it can’t define it
- Branded AF is how we explore all of that – live, unfiltered, and yes, slightly off-script
If that sounds like your kind of thing, tune in.
And if you’re ready to build a brand that works harder than your social media app? You’re in the right place.
—
Transcript: Episode 1 – “Branded AF: The First Hot Take – AI, Branding & WTF Google is Doing”
🎧 Podcast hosts: Gina Dunn (OG Solutions) & Natalie De Groot (Authentic AI Marketing)
🎙️ [00:00] Welcome to Branded AF
Gina:
Okay, okay, deep breath… because WE. ARE. DOING. THIS.
Welcome to Branded AF—the podcast where branding meets AI, marketing gets real, and bold ideas take center stage. I’m Gina Dunn, clarity queen and founder of OG Solutions.
Natalie:
And I’m Natalie de Groot, founder of Authentic AI Marketing and creator of NatGPT – my AI-powered clone and business bestie.
🤖 [02:58] Why AI and Branding Are the Perfect Storm
Gina:
Branding isn’t static anymore – it’s responsive, dynamic, AI-powered. And the brands that win? They’re the ones who know how to keep their voice strong while scaling.
Natalie:
Exactly. That’s where AI gets exciting. When you train it right, it doesn’t just write faster—it writes smarter, on-brand, in your voice. That’s where the whole “Super Pill” idea came from.
💊 [08:53] What’s the Super Pill for AI Branding?
Natalie:
It’s this idea of feeding your AI layered, contextual data—from your old content to your tone of voice to your favorite metaphors. Suddenly you’ve got a content clone that feels like you.
Gina:
And if you’ve ever said, “AI doesn’t sound like me,” that’s why. You haven’t given it your actual you. The pill isn’t AI. It’s what you feed it.
🔥 Quote: “You control it. Don’t let it control your message.” – Natalie
📲 [14:58] Daily Life Design + AI Content Machines
Gina:
Let’s talk about your system. Because girl – you’ve got this process that turns one idea into what… 10 things?
Natalie:
Oh no, at least 15. Blog, reels, carousel, LinkedIn post, email, transcription, FAQ, image prompt… I even generated a song.
Gina:
Wait, THE song?!
(cue laughter)
🎶 “She’s algorithms in a latex dress…”
– From the Branded AF theme song, created by NatGPT
⚠️ [23:58] Google’s March 2025 Core Update – What You Need to Know
Gina:
Now for my headline: “Google’s NEW March 2025 Core Update Will Change SEO Forever…Is Your SEO Doomed?”
Natalie:
Whew, spicy.
Gina:
It’s not doomed if you’re doing it right. But yeah, Google is shifting hard toward content quality, user experience, and actual brand authority.
🔥 Quote: “If your SEO can be doomed by one update… maybe it wasn’t a strategy.” – Gina
📈 [34:23] GSO, Bounce Rates & Brand Trust in 2025
Natalie:
So what are we optimizing for now? It’s not just keywords. It’s how long people stay, how they move through your content, and whether they trust you.
Gina:
Yup. Brand trust is the new bounce rate killer. You can’t fake that with SEO tricks anymore.
💡 Takeaway: Generative Search Optimization is about content that’s skimmable, searchable, AND human-centered.
🎯 [46:33] Building Brand Voice Into Every AI Prompt
Gina:
This is where founders get stuck. They try ChatGPT once and go “this isn’t me.” But of course it’s not, it’s default settings.
Natalie:
Exactly. Training it with your tone, your frameworks, your spiciness—that’s where the magic starts.
🔥 Quote: “The storytelling is key.” – #Gin
🔮 [59:57] What’s Next for Branded AF
Natalie:
Okay so episode two is coming in hot, and we’re letting the clones take over.
Gina:
#Gin and #NatGPT are co-hosting the next one. No humans on the mic. Just bold branding talk, AI-style.
📌 Final Takeaways
- Train your AI tools like a brand asset, not a task bot
- Brand trust + experience > keyword stuffing in 2025
- Google rewards human-centered, high-value content – yes, even if it’s AI-assisted
- Repurpose smart with custom systems, not templates
- And yes, your podcast deserves a theme song.
Listen Now
🎧 Spotify
🍎 Apple Podcasts
📺 YouTube
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