Hi there, I'm Greg Merrilees, co-host of the Real Magic Design Podcast. I'm excited to dive into this episode with my co-host Alan and our special guest, Chris Ducker.

As a designer, I'm always fascinated by the role design plays in building successful personal brands and businesses. And Chris Ducker is a shining example of someone who has leveraged great design to take his brand to new heights.

Over the past few years, we've really seen Chris embrace his personal brand in a big way. He's gone from being a successful entrepreneur behind the scenes to becoming a sought-after public speaker, author and influencer - and design has been a key part of that transformation.

What I find most interesting is how intentional Chris is about design across all touchpoints - from his website and social media to his live events and keynote presentations. He understands that consistent, high-quality design is essential for making a great first impression and building trust with his audience.

During our conversation, Chris shares some fascinating insights into his design process and the importance he places on working with the right designers who truly understand his brand and vision. He's not afraid to invest in design, because he knows it pays dividends in the long run.

We also explore how Chris has used design to create a cohesive, memorable experience for attendees at his live events. The attention to detail he puts into things like lighting, staging and branded elements is really inspiring.

Overall, this episode is a masterclass in personal branding and the power of design. Chris is such an engaging and authentic personality, and I can't wait for our listeners to soak up all the valuable lessons he has to share. Buckle up, because this is going to be an insightful and entertaining ride!

• Challenges with managing communication and emails in design projects and inspiring lessons from Chris Ducker's journey to success
• Chris Ducker's design roots and personal branding shaped his entrepreneurial journey and trust-driven success
• The impact of design and personal branding on success
• Why high-quality, consistent design is key to a strong first impression and a lasting personal brand
• How consistent visual branding across every touchpoint strengthens brand perception and trust
• How investing in impactful visuals for events creates lasting impressions  on both attendees and speakers‍
• The power of authenticity in personal branding and the importance of selecting a designer who aligns with your vision and personality‍
• Why Periscope is a game changer for personal branding, allowing real-time, intimate connections with your community‍
• How strategic scheduling of Periscope broadcasts, staying true to your brand, and being consistent lead to brand success

The Power of Design in Building a Successful Personal Brand

As designers, we know the immense impact that great design can have on the success of a business. But what about personal brands? How crucial is design when it comes to building a strong, memorable identity for yourself as an entrepreneur, influencer, or thought leader?

In a recent episode of the Real Magic Design Podcast, we had the pleasure of speaking with Chris Ducker - a serial entrepreneur, bestselling author, and renowned public speaker. Chris has built an incredibly successful personal brand over the past several years, and he credits design as a key driver of that success.

"I think design now for me, in 2015 and beyond, it's right at the top of the list," Chris shared. "Everything I do has to look good. Everything I do has to look consistent with the brand across all channels as well."

Investing in Design to Create a Lasting First Impression

This laser focus on design is what has helped Chris stand out in a crowded online landscape. He understands that in today's attention-driven world, you only have a few seconds to make a great first impression. And that impression is largely visual.

"There are many, many blogs that I pop into every now and then, even to this day, because I know the content is good, and because I know that the blogger is smart when it comes to whatever it is that they're blogging about," Chris explained. "But I look at the design of their sites, and I think, well, if I didn't know this already, if I didn't have the inside knowledge that this guy knows his stuff when I visited this site for the first time, would I stick around?"

This sentiment echoes the thoughts of fellow entrepreneur Taki Moore, who has said, "You can have great content, but you wouldn't want somebody to accidentally think that your content is crap because you don't look good."

For Chris, it's not enough to just have great content - the visual presentation has to be on point as well. And he's willing to invest in making that happen.

"I pay, you know, I pay for great design, and I'll, you know, I make sure that whatever I do across my brand is and this is the key for me. And I get compliments on this all the time, and I mean literally, it's got to come in on a weekly basis. I'll get either an email or a tweet from somebody speaking about how consistent the look and the feel of my brand is across the entire web."

Attention to Detail in Every Aspect of Your Brand

This consistency across all of his online touchpoints - from his website and social media to his email marketing and live event materials - is a hallmark of Chris's personal brand. He works closely with designers to develop a comprehensive style guide that ensures everything has a cohesive, professional look and feel.

"We have our fonts, we have our colors. We have, you know, how we're going to use bolds and italics and all that sort of stuff. But again, I didn't put that together. My, my designer did. And so, you know, we've got all the HTML color codes. And, you know, this is the color for the buttons, this is the color for the subtitles, you know, that sort of type of stuff. And my team just follows it. They just follow it."

But Chris's commitment to design goes beyond just his online presence. He also pours a tremendous amount of effort into the visual experience at his live events, like his annual Tropical Think Tank conference.

"I dropped over $2,000 US, which is a lot of money to spend there in the Philippines. That's a huge amount of money, yeah, for any kind of vendor that's a crap load of money. I dropped over $2,000 for that week on just lighting. Wow, just lighting. So lighting of the stage, lighting of the audience, lighting of the, you know, the palm tree. So we bring these huge palm trees to sort of act as a backdrop for the stage, because it's tropical."

The attention to detail doesn't stop there. Chris also creates custom stand-up banners for each speaker, which attendees can take home as a memento. And he's constantly looking for new ways to elevate the visual experience and create a "wow" factor for his audience.

Ultimately, Chris's commitment to design boils down to one simple principle: "Your vibe attracts your tribe." He knows that in order to attract the right people to his personal brand, he has to present a cohesive, professional, and authentic visual identity.