Summary: Today on Cause Talk Radio, Megan and Joe talk to Julie Cottineau, founder and CEO of BrandTwist, a brand consultancy, and creator of Brand School Online, a learning program that teaches small business owners, entrepreneurs and non-profits how to create powerful brands that break-through crowded markets. Julie is also the author of a new bestseller: _TWIST: How Fresh Perspectives Build Breakthrough Brands_. On the show, Megan, Julie and Joe discuss: - Julie's career path to branding expert, including her unacknowledged invention of the Pet Rock and a stint with Sir Richard Branson. - How Julie defines Brand and a Brand Twist. - When is it appropriate for organizations to Twist? And why it's okay to turn off some people! - How you find your twist in the marketplace by looking both within your own brand story and outside your industry. - The importance of failing harder and developing focus when it comes to brand development. - The incredible opportunity nonprofits and businesses have to promote themselves and build their brands. **Links & Notes** - [BrandTwist](http://brandtwist.com/ "BrandTwist") - [Julie on Twitter](https://twitter.com/jcottin "Julie on Twitter") - [Julie's Free Brand Health Check](http://brandschoolonline.com/brand-health-check/ "Julie's Free Brand Health Check")
