barrier. and one is to be a thought leader as the head of the business, getting out there and speaking and writing about your ethos really makes that personal connection and shows people how much it matters to you. the second thing i would say is really make an effort to connect directly with your customer, if you re a food company, maybe that s a demo program at local stores, maybe every once in a while dealing with customers in the service department but figure out how you can connect with them because then they ll feel that connection, too, and then finally, think about ways that you can partner with other companies, organizations or people that also reflect your brand, because their brand reflects on you and vice versa and helps you expand the distribution so that could be a nonprofit you partner with for an event or a blogger. i also have to say i ve never met that business owner before but i tried his heart, i heart qui quinoa, i m in brook lip and