Episode #7 – CHRIS LAPA

A CONVERSATION ABOUT BRAND IDENTITY, BOLD CHOICES, AND WHY PROVIDERS NEED TO STOP PLAYING SMALL

Some guests walk into the studio and instantly shift the energy of the room, not because they’re loud, but because they’re grounded, intentional, and so deeply human that you feel yourself leaning in. Chris Lapa, founder of The Growth Academy, is exactly that kind of guest.

He’s Italian, he’s strategic, he’s warm, he’s a storyteller, and he is unapologetically someone who believes providers are capable of far more than the watered-down versions of themselves they’ve been taught to be.

But before we got into brand archetypes, niching, customer psychology, and why “we do everything” is the fastest way to repel the people you want to serve… we started where every good conversation starts with a drink.

THE DRINK THAT SAID EVERYTHING BEFORE HE EVEN SPOKE

Chris chose a bright red beetroot, ginger, and orange juice, and honestly, it was iconic.
It looked like courage in a glass.
It also looked like the kind of drink you absolutely should not hand to someone wearing a light-coloured shirt… which of course he spilled across himself within minutes.

And that moment?
Perfect.
Because it showed exactly who he is:

health-conscious with a sense of humour,
bold but grounded,
fiery edge with that kick of ginger,
warmth and approachability wrapped up in the sweetness of orange,
and just chaotic enough to keep things interesting.

Soli (our resident drink-psychologist-AKA-ChatGPT) absolutely roasted him kindly and Chris took it like a champ. According to Sully, this drink meant he was energetic, memorable, balanced, and not afraid to stand out. And to be honest? It couldn’t have been more accurate.

THE HEART OF THE EPISODE – AND WHY PROVIDERS NEEDED TO HEAR THIS

Once we’d stopped laughing about the drink massacre, we went deep quickly.

Chris sure as hell isn’t here to enable bland, safe, cookie-cutter brands. He built The Growth Academy because he kept seeing the same pattern:
Providers with genuine heart… burying themselves under generic messaging, weak branding, and the fear of choosing a lane.

Here’s what we unpacked together:

Growth isn’t complicated… people are.

Chris hammered home that growth doesn’t start with your goals, your revenue dreams, or your “10 clients in 10 days” panic.
It starts with your customer. Their fears. Their desires. Their moment in life when they need you.
When you build from that place, everything unlocks.

Providers must niche, and stop being scared of it.

His analogy was spot-on:
An Italian restaurant doesn’t suddenly add cheeseburgers to the menu because they’re afraid of missing out.
So why do providers?
Because they’re terrified of choosing. But niching isn’t limiting, it’s memorable. And memorability is currency.

Your brand is not your logo, it’s your identity.

Chris has seen thousands of providers hide behind stock images, empty phrases, and “safe” branding that means nothing.
When you stand for everyone, you stand for no one.
When you try to impress, you dilute your truth.
When you own your archetype, your uniqueness becomes your power.

Events > Ads when you’re starting out.

Chris’s advice for new providers was simple and brilliant:
Get out there. Talk to humans. Ask questions. Be interesting, not salesy.
Because referrals are born from connection, not from shouting into the void.

Providers are often their own best-kept secret.

This hit hard.
Most providers don’t know the magic sitting right under their noses, the skills, the training, the lived experience, the stories that actually set them apart.
Chris helps them surface these truths and build brands that finally feel honest, bold, and aligned.

WHY THIS EPISODE MATTERED

This conversation about identity yours, your business’s, and the people you serve.

Chris brings a rare blend of strategy and soul. He knows the tech, the psychology, the systems… but he also understands the heart behind the providers who step into this sector wanting to change lives.

That’s why this episode hits differently.