Empowered & Out with Guest Joseph Federico

Mystic Marketing & Messy Action: Authentic Branding for Queer Creatives with Joseph Federico

What if your marketing felt more like magic than a chore?

In this episode of Empowered and Out, I’m joined by Joseph Federico (he/they) — a seasoned marketing maven with 20+ years of experience, founder of J Federico Marketing and Anchors to Dusk Publishing, spooky season enthusiast, and creator of the new witchy workbook Mystic Marketing: Queer Magic and Modern Brandcraft.

Joseph has done it all — from MSNBC to Verizon — and now devotes his work to queer creatives, authors, and small business owners who are done shrinking, diluting themselves online, or begging algorithms for permission to exist. We talk about what authentic branding actually looks like in practice, how to sell without feeling salesy, and why “messy action” on camera often converts better than polished perfection.

We also dive into using AI as a creative co-pilot (not a replacement), protecting your voice and ethics, and building resilience in a job market that can feel hostile, discriminatory, and downright discouraging — especially for LGBTQ+ professionals.

If you’ve ever wondered:

• “How do I show up online without hiding who I am?”
• “How do I sell my work without feeling gross?”
• “Where do I even start if I want to build thought leadership as a queer professional?”

…this conversation is for you.

🎧 In this episode, we cover:

• Authentic branding that centers your humanity, not just your highlight reel
• “Selling without selling” and using breadcrumbs instead of pushy tactics
• Why messy, imperfect video is more powerful than waiting to feel “ready”
• Using AI without losing your voice, ethics, or integrity
• What queer professionals can do when algorithms and bias feel stacked against them
• Starting a business in a brutal job market — and thinking bigger than what recruiters offer
• The story behind Joseph’s witchy workbook Mystic Marketing: Queer Magic and Modern Brandcraft

If you’re craving deeper alignment and want to infuse a little queer magic into your brand, this episode will give you both mindset and practical next steps.

Show Notes

• 00:00–01:30 – Welcome to Empowered & Out + intro to Joseph
• 01:30–04:10 – What authentic branding actually looks like in practice + client story
• 04:10–07:30 – “Selling without selling”
• 07:30–10:30 – Messy action on camera
• 10:30–13:30 – Behind-the-scenes content, walking to client sessions, low-fi check-ins, and how a local business became “the hi there guy.”
• 13:30–17:00 – AI as a creative partner (not a crutch), calling out “everyone uses it,” and how to keep humanity at the center of your content.
• 17:00–20:30 – Queer content vs algorithms
• 20:30–24:30 – Thought leadership for “small” creators
• 24:30–26:30 – Mindset after discrimination and toxic workplaces
• 26:30–29:30 – The leap into full-time business: job market fatigue, recruiter reality checks, and being “given no other choice” but to build your own thing.
• 29:30–33:30 – Niching into serving the queer community, tying purpose + confidence together, and naming hiring practices and ghosting as harmful.
• 33:30–37:45 – The birth of Mystic Marketing
• 37:45–40:20 – Rapid-fire fun
• 40:20–42:30 – Final advice for showing up online
• 42:30–43:11 – Closing