Owner of Blended Collective & Author of Brand Love

As the owner of Blended Collective, Lydia Michael is a marketing and brand strategist, adjunct professor, speaker, and author, dedicated to helping brands and organizations uncover who they are and bring their story to life through strategy and emotion. Lydia is the author of Brand Love–Building Strong Consumer–Brand Connections, a #1 international bestseller on Amazon. The book explores how brands can build emotional, lasting relationships to earn trust and loyalty, blending global case studies, industry insights, and her frameworks: the "Brand Love Drivers" and "The Eight Brand Love Stages.” The book has been translated into Turkish and Vietnamese and is included in university programs and research worldwide. Lydia enjoys being part of Detroit’s arts and culture community as a Board of Trustees member at the Detroit Symphony Orchestra. She holds a B.S. in Marketing from Wayne State University and an M.B.A. in International Management from Pforzheim University in Germany, where she also teaches courses in Digital Marketing and Global Marketing & Branding. She also teaches at Lawrence Technological University in Metro Detroit and has guest-lectured in the Executive MBA program at Vanderbilt University’s OwenGraduate School of Management. A graduate of the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses program, her work has received industry-wide recognition, including multiple marketing awards.