Paul Makaya is the Founder and CEO of Bergast House, one of Zimbabwe’s most progressive integrated advertising agencies, that produces work that fuses insight, design, and purpose to drive both business growth and cultural impact.

In this episode we discuss:

• Being authentically yourself
• Clients using AI
• Radio being the dominant media platform across Africa
• Shooting for greatness
• Why diverse teams perform better

Talk To Your Customers Research

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A full transcription, contact details and enhanced show notes can be found here: https://eximomarketingstrategy.com/never-average-with-paul-makaya-strategy-sessions-podcast/

Cynthia Harris, MBA, leads 8:28 Insights, a consumer insights and marketing strategy agency rooted in cultural competence and human understanding.

In this episode we discuss:

• How we deal with change
• Getting good briefs from clients
• The magic sauce between agencies and clients
• Harnessing imagination
• Speeding up research
• Lessons from P&G
• Celebrating client wins

Cynthia Harris

Cynthia Harris, MBA, leads 8:28 Insights, a consumer insights and marketing strategy agency rooted in cultural competence and human understanding. With a pre-agency career spanning Abbott Nutrition, P&G, McCormick, and Bath & Body Works, she blends nearly 20 years of experience with a passion for empathy and human stories.

An award-winning industry leader and a distinguished Insights Association Laureate, Cynthia is a sought-after speaker and thought leader, recognized for her contributions to the industry and her ability to make brands more human. A tennis enthusiast and world traveler, Cynthia calls Columbus, Ohio, home. Cynthia also serves as an Insight's Association North Central Chapter Board Director.

If you enjoyed the show, please give it a 5* rating.

Find the full show notes, transcript and links on the episode page.

Brendan McDowell is the founder of BPerfect Cosmetics and Voduz Hair. He’s built two amazing brands (from a background in sales) by investing in community and social media.

In this episode we discuss:

• Work life balance
• Building a community of fans
• Following social trends and social selling
• Dragons Den and Made Up In Belfast
• Opening on the High Street when everyone said “the High Street is dead”
• Staying close to the customer as your role evolves into CEO
• Launching in Superdrug
• Rethinking sales from a strategic perspective
• What comes next

Brendan McDowell

Founded in Belfast in 2012 by visionary entrepreneur Brendan McDowell, BPerfect Cosmetics set out to revolutionise the beauty industry with products that are easy to use, versatile, and transformative. Brendan’s game-changing approach caught the spotlight in 2017 on Ireland’s Dragons’ Den, where he wowed all five Dragons and secured offers from two, to which he later declined.

Since then, Brendan has been nominated for Ernst & Young’s Entrepreneur of the Year and earned multiple awards for his bold entrepreneurial spirit. Today, BPerfect is a global beauty powerhouse, stocked in over 2,000 locations across Ireland, the UK, and internationally.

Known for its cult-favourite makeup, tanning essentials, and more recently, skincare, BPerfect has also partnered with top makeup artists and influencers to create standout collections like the Stacey Marie Carnival Collection, LMD Collection, and Annalivia Collection.

With record-breaking sales on TikTok and a spot among the top five beauty brands in the UK and Ireland, BPerfect is leading the way with exciting new revenue streams and unstoppable growth.

Find Brendan on TikTok and Instagram

Andi Jarvis

If you have any questions or want to talk about anything that was discussed in the show, the best place to get me is on LinkedIn or Instagram.

If you want the podcast emailed to you sign up for it onthe Eximo Marketing website.

Make sure you subscribe to get the podcast pushed to you and if you enjoyed the show, please give it a 5* rating.

Andi Jarvis, Eximo Marketing.