In this episode of What Are We Drinking?, Rachel sits down with Dain Walker — personal brand strategist, founder of Rivyl, author, speaker, creator and the man known as “the internet’s brand strategist.”Dain shares the full story behind his journey, from a chaotic childhood and time in foster care, to being $200,000 in debt, working at Telstra, and having a life-changing moment after seeing Gary Vee speak live. That moment became the spark that pushed him into content, branding, entrepreneurship and building the creative empire he leads today.Rachel and Dain dive deep into personal branding, why businesses without visible founders are already falling behind, and why people connect with people, stories and characters far more than logos. Dain breaks down the difference between authenticity and identity, why imperfect characters are more powerful, and how founders can use their story to build real trust online.They also unpack business growth, creativity, fatherhood, leadership, podcasting, content teams, trauma, resilience and the importance of designing the person you want to become.And yes — instead of whiskey, wine or a flashy cocktail, Dain chose vanilla custard. Naturally.This episode is funny, raw, practical and packed with gold for anyone building a brand, business or better version of themselves.

Key Topics Discussed

• Who Dain Walker really is beyond the brand
• Growing up in chaos and entering foster care
• How childhood adversity shaped his empathy and creativity
• Going from $200K debt to building Rivyl
• The Gary Vee moment that changed his life
• Why he chose vanilla custard as his drink
• Why personal brands matter more than ever
• Why people follow people, not logos
• The difference between personal, product and company brands
• Steve Jobs, Apple and the power of founder-led storytelling
• Why authenticity can be a confusing word
• Building a character, identity and online presence
• Spider-Man, Batman and Iron Man as personal brand metaphors
• How to balance being real with being strategic online
• Personal branding in regulated industries like the NDIS
• The role of entertainment and education in content
• How founders should think about social media
• Internal creative teams and modern content strategy
• Podcasting as business development
• Fatherhood, family and staying present
• What’s next for Dain, including live events