The Power of Symbols. | Cassandra Clouser | TEDxColumbiana

Brand strategist Cassie Clouser looks at how symbols and archetypes shape identity and how flexible symbols can also transform who people become. Drawing on corporate strategy, non-profit design and personal story, the talk proposes expansive symbols that build internal capacity, foster resilience and create room for the future. Clouser is the founder of Magnetic Branding Studio, which uses archetypal psychology, mythology and subconscious imagery work to treat a brand as a world to inhabit rather than a message to broadcast. She is also a pianist, composer, brand designer and improv actor. This TEDxColumbiana talk was independently organized under the TED conference format.

• Symbols and archetypes as tools for defining identity
• Flexible symbols that support personal and organizational change
• Brand as a world to inhabit, drawing on archetypal psychology and mythology
• Resilience and internal capacity through expansive symbols

We frequently use symbols and archetypes to define who we are, but brand strategist Cassie Clouser reveals how flexible symbols can also transform who we become. Blending corporate strategy, non-profit design, and personal story, this talk invites us to step into expansive symbols that build internal capacity, foster resilience, and create room for tomorrow. Cassie Clouser is the founder of Magnetic Branding Studio, where she builds brand worlds using archetypal psychology, mythology, and subconscious imagery work. Her process treats a brand not as a message to broadcast, but as a world to inhabit — a place with its own time, texture, and laws. A pianist, composer, brand designer, and improv actor, she sees range not as a liability but as a signal. She works with founders, authors, and teachers to locate what's true beneath the surface identity — and build the worlds that let it resonate. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx