In this solo episode, Josh Dougherty explores the concept of white space: the uncontested market position that lets a brand sell from strength instead of competing on price. Drawing on recent competitive analysis work, Josh explains why fitting in with your category is riskier than it looks, walks through a five-step process for running a competitive audit that reveals real gaps, and shares how to claim the white space you find without losing sight of who you are as an organization.

What you'll learn about in this episode:

• What white space is and why it's the ultimate goal of branding

• Why the instinct to fit in with your category leads to a "sea of sameness" and commoditization

• The difference between table stakes you need to signal and the position that sets you apart

• A five-step competitive audit process: define your competitive set from the buyer's perspective, audit each competitor the same way, map the overlaps, look for gaps, and pressure-test what you find

• Why you should audit no more than seven direct competitors

• How to use AI to boost your competitive analysis work

• The four types of gaps where white space usually hides: positioning gaps, say/do gaps, unleveraged assets, and channel gaps

• Why the best white space sits where your authentic essence meets an unclaimed need, and why it should feel like a reframe, not a pivot

Additional resources:

• Josh Dougherty on LinkedIn

• A Brave New's website

• Josh Dougherty's speaking site

Claire Bolger is the Senior Director of Marketing and Growth at Health2047. In this role, she leads brand, PR, and strategic communications for the firm while advising portfolio companies and corporate partners on growth strategy, commercialization, and innovation.

Prior to joining Health2047, Claire was a consultant for early-stage startups and has worked with corporate clients ranging from Planned Parenthood to Stanford Medicine. As Assistant Vice President of Marketing at EmblemHealth, Claire built and led a department responsible for marketing, PR, market insights, and events across the company's portfolio of health plans and provider practices. Claire holds an MSc from the London School of Economics and Political Science and a BA from McGill University.

What you'll learn about in this episode:

• Health2047's mission and approach to investing

• How Health2047's venture studio model differs from traditional venture capital firms

• Claire's approach to go-to-market, starting with audience definition and personas through to specific strategies and tactics - with everything focused on solving actual customer problems

• Why an early stage startup, and especially the brand voice, must sound like the founder so that the authenticity of the brand can carry on through to things like investment pitches.

• How founders can build trust in the healthcare space today

• The importance of defining the brand story for employees

• Claire's one recommendation for founders this quarter: run an AI visibility audit

Additional resources:

• Josh Dougherty on LinkedIn

• Claire Bolger on LinkedIn

• Health2047's website

• A Brave New's website

• Josh Dougherty's speaking site

Nada Pupovac is VP of Marketing Strategy at Animo Sano Psychiatry, where she leads a multidisciplinary marketing team and develops strategies to support the organization's growth, reach, and mission. Her work sits at the intersection of marketing, healthcare, and mental health, with a focus on building ethical, human-centered approaches that connect people with the care and resources they need.

At Animo Sano, Nada works cross-functionally with clinical and operational teams to translate complex mental-health services into clear, accessible, and meaningful communication for patients, clinicians, and the wider community. Her work spans the broader Animo Sano marketing strategy as well as the development of educational and community initiatives, including the Thriving with ADHD podcast, which she hosts and produces, and the Adults with ADHD Meetup – Educational Group for Adults with ADHD, which she facilitates on behalf of Animo Sano Psychiatry.

Through these initiatives, Nada brings together strategic marketing, mental-health education, community building, and storytelling to help make mental-health information and support more accessible. Her perspective offers a practical look at the opportunities and challenges of marketing in the mental-health and healthcare space, while keeping the needs of patients, clinicians, and communities at the center.

What you'll learn about in this episode:

• Why branding in behavioral health goes beyond logos and colors to brand voice and the experience patients have with you
• How Animo Sano builds trust by addressing first-appointment anxiety and refusing to make false guarantees
• Why marketing can't compensate for quality of care, and how word of mouth fueled the practice's early growth
• The four staples of Animo Sano's patient acquisition (organic search, paid ads, word of mouth, and referrals) and how local SEO and paid ads feed each other
• How Animo Sano pairs Collaborative Care partnerships with an independent brand presence to expand access in rural areas
• How a "pet project" ADHD podcast with 25,000+ downloads and a 3,000+ member meetup became patient acquisition channels
• How to get providers comfortable on camera, and why repurposing short-form video to YouTube Shorts made views skyrocket
• Where AI fits in Animo Sano's marketing, why human and medical review still matter, and the early signs of AI fatigue

Additional resources:

• Josh Dougherty on LinkedIn
• Josh Dougherty's speaking site
• Nada Pupovac on LinkedIn
• Animo Sano Psychiatry
• Thriving with ADHD podcast
• Healthy Mind, Happy Soul podcast
• Adults with ADHD – Education Group on Meetup
• A Brave New's Website