Social Media Decoded

What really makes a brand unforgettable?

In this special Behind the Brand episode of Social Media Decoded, Michelle sits down with Jayanta Jenkins, Former Vice President of Global Creative at Starbucks, to unpack what it takes to build one of the most recognizable brands in the world.

With over 25 years of experience in advertising, marketing, and creative leadership, Jayanta shares what it takes to build culture-defining brands, lead global creative teams, and balance storytelling with business goals. From his early inspiration at museums in Washington D.C. to leading creative at brands like Starbucks and Disney, this conversation is packed with insights for entrepreneurs, marketers, creatives, and business leaders.

Michelle and Jayanta discuss why branding is more than aesthetics, how creativity drives business results, the role of leadership in scaling impact, and why the best brands create emotional connection, not just visibility. They also dive into marketing trends, brand strategy, consumer psychology, AI, culture, and what separates brands people notice from brands people remember.

If you’re building a personal brand, growing a business, leading a team, or trying to better understand marketing in today’s world, this episode is for you.

In This Episode, We Talk About:

What it really means to lead creative at Starbucks

How iconic brands build emotional connection

The difference between visibility and cultural relevance

Creativity vs. business performance and why both matter

Leadership lessons from managing global creative teams

Why storytelling is still the foundation of great marketing

The future of branding and creativity in the AI era

What entrepreneurs can learn from billion-dollar brands

How great brands drive conversation and customer loyalty

Connect With Jayanta:

LinkedIn: Jayanta Jenkins
Portfolio: Jayanta.com

Resources Mentioned:

Starbucks branding and creative strategy

Consumer psychology in marketing

Brand storytelling and emotional connection

Creative leadership and team building

Loved This Episode?

If this episode helped you think bigger about branding, visibility, creativity, or leadership, screenshot the episode, share it on Instagram, and tag Michelle! Your reviews help Social Media Decoded reach more entrepreneurs, creators, and leaders ready to grow their visibility and impact.

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Summer is here, the kids are home, schedules are changing, and business still has to move.

So how do you stay visible online when life gets… life-y?

In this episode of Social Media Decoded, Michelle is talking about what it really looks like to stay consistent in your visibility without burning yourself out. Whether you're a mom, entrepreneur, working full-time, or simply trying to juggle all the things, this episode will help you create a visibility plan that actually fits your real life.

You do not need to post all day.
You do not need to disappear.
You just need a sustainable strategy.

Michelle shares simple ways to stay visible during busy seasons, how to stop putting pressure on yourself, and what she’s personally doing this summer to stay consistent without overwhelm.

If you've ever felt like life got busy and suddenly you disappeared online, this episode is for you.

DM VISIBLE on Instagram @michellelthames to learn about the 7-Day Visibility Reset.

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If Michelle Thames had to rebuild her brand from scratch in the next 30 days, this is exactly what she would do.

In today’s episode of Social Media Decoded, Michelle breaks down the visibility system she’d build to grow an audience, attract opportunities, and create momentum online without burning out or posting randomly. If you’ve been overwhelmed trying to show up consistently on social media, grow your audience, or figure out what actually works, this episode gives you a simple framework to focus on what matters most.

Michelle shares how to build a visibility strategy that creates trust, authority, relationships, and opportunities — not just more content.

In this episode, Michelle covers:

• How to simplify your visibility strategy in 30 days

• Why random posting is keeping entrepreneurs stuck

• The importance of having one clear message online

• How to choose the right social media platform for growth

• Why relationship building matters more than follower count

• The visibility system every entrepreneur needs

• How to create a clear next step for your audience

• Why social media is borrowed land and email marketing matters

• The difference between content and building an ecosystem

Whether you’re a coach, entrepreneur, content creator, speaker, or personal brand, this episode will help you stop overthinking visibility and start building a system that actually creates opportunities.

Connect with Michelle Thames:

Instagram: @michellelthames

Podcast: Social Media Decoded

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100,000+ views in 7 days.

65,000 people reached.

Thousands of likes, comments, shares, and saves.

But let me tell you something…

That wasn’t the flex.

In today’s episode of Social Media Decoded, Michelle Thames breaks down the truth about going viral, social media visibility, and why content without strategy can leave entrepreneurs stuck chasing vanity metrics.

If your content suddenly blew up tomorrow, would you actually be ready?

Michelle shares what happened after one of her reels gained major traction, including brand visibility, relationship building, and unexpected opportunities that came from leveraging visibility the right way. She also explains why entrepreneurs need more than content — they need a visibility ecosystem.

If you’re building a personal brand, growing a business online, or trying to attract more clients through social media marketing, this episode is your reminder that visibility alone isn’t enough. You need a strategy behind the attention.

In this episode, Michelle covers:

• Why going viral doesn’t automatically grow your business
• The difference between vanity metrics and meaningful visibility
• What happened after her reel gained 100K+ views
• How social media visibility creates opportunities, partnerships, and trust
• Why entrepreneurs need a content ecosystem, not random posting
• 3 things to do after your content gets attention online
• How to turn visibility into business growth

Whether you're a coach, content creator, entrepreneur, speaker, or personal brand, this episode will help you rethink how you approach social media and online visibility.

Connect with Michelle Thames:

Instagram: @michellelthames
Podcast: Social Media Decoded
Website: www.michellethames.com
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In this episode of Social Media Decoded, Michelle Thames shares how she’s using Threads to build authority, create opportunities, grow relationships, attract clients, fill rooms, and generate revenue through conversation-driven visibility.

This is not about going viral.

It’s about becoming recognizable online.

Michelle breaks down how entrepreneurs can stop treating Threads like just another content platform and start using it strategically to build community, relationships, speaking opportunities, collaborations, podcast connections, events, and real business growth.

If you’ve been wondering how to turn visibility into actual opportunities, this episode gives a behind-the-scenes look at how Michelle approaches Threads differently from most entrepreneurs online.

Inside this episode:
• How Michelle uses Threads for authority building
• Why conversations create more opportunities than content alone
• Using Threads to attract clients and collaborations
• How visibility leads to speaking opportunities and events
• Building relationships through social media
• Why entrepreneurs need conversation-driven marketing
• The difference between attention and authority
• How to become recognizable online
• Why community and connection matter in business growth

This episode is perfect for entrepreneurs, creators, coaches, consultants, speakers, podcasters, founders, and personal brands who want to use Threads strategically for visibility, networking, and business growth.

If this episode resonated with you, DM Michelle the word THREADS on Instagram to learn more about her Threads visibility strategy.
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