Before last week, I couldn't tell you what Steve Madden looked like.
I knew the brand, the boots, the bags, the heels that hurt, but still ended up in our closets. But I didn't know the man. And I don't think I'm alone.
Then I watched his interview on The Cutting Room Floor podcast, and, well, now I do. And care.
It was, as Recho Omondi, founder and host of the podcast, put it:
"A case study in how brands should just be themselves, flaws and all."
She said what I felt watching it:
"So often brands are scared. You can't have a single real conversation with anybody from the brand."
But Steve? "He sells himself. His personality is great."
He showed up as a person, not a logo. And that changed how people saw him, especially folks on TikTok (And like the natural order of things on the internet, what starts on TikTok trickles into Twitter, where his interview is also being well received, especially on a platform known for being critical of, well, almost everything).
People were struck by how he spoke:
"He called us 'My Girls' like we aren’t numbers, like he knows us."
"All his shoes hurt, but I've always supported him."
Some praised the honesty. Others found themselves defending him.
One person flat-out said, "I might go buy me some Steve Mads tomorrow just off that video."
One person flat-out said, "I might go buy me some Steve Mads tomorrow just off that video."
This is the power of restrained authenticity, not full transparency, but intentional humanity. The kind that creates resonance. The kind that reminds people there's a real person behind the brand.
And this moment proves what I've long believed about branding and social media:
People don't just buy policy. They buy into people.
They buy into stories. Into how you make them feel. Into what it feels like to be seen by you, even in a 90-second TikTok clip.
Steve Madden didn't rebrand. He just showed up. And the response has been remarkable:
"His story is so interesting, he seems for the people."
"He's designing for the everyday woman, not the 2% that can afford luxury fashion."
"He was honest. That's it. That's the post."
Moments like this are a reminder:
Your presence is the strategy.
You don't need to tell your whole life story. But you do need to let people meet the version of you that belongs in the room.
Because people connect with people. And when they do, they follow you, root for you, forgive you, and yes, vote for you.
And it all starts when you drop the pitch and show up as a person.