Hellllloooo my love and welcome back to the Shamelessly Ambitious Podcast. Today I want to have a heart-to-heart with you about the importance of building a personal brand. If you’ve never considered that your business is a personal brand, you ought to. Especially in this industry, people will invest in YOU rather than just your expertise.
I know this might be a bit of a polarizing conversation…
But this is a hill that I will die on. Let me reiterate, if you’re in the business of building a personal brand, it’s crucial to understand that people purchase who you are, not just what you have to offer.
I’ve worked with clients in the past who were hesitant to share any aspects of their personal life and reluctant to give away anything on social media in hopes of keeping things private. I get it. I understand the fear and concern that comes with vulnerability. But here’s the thing. If you’ve chosen to build a personal brand, you have to be willing to open up and let people get to know you. That’s how true connections are formed.
You love the BTS and I love to share real experiences, so I recently had a conversation with a client about her marketing strategy. However, I had to stop her almost right away to give her some honest feedback. I told her that just by looking at her social media… I don’t know her. I can see she’s educated and knowledgeable, but besides that, I had no clue what her values were or what she was like as a person. Her social page was full of super valuable service, but let me be the first to say — that’s not enough. Connecting with your audience goes wayyy beyond just delivering valuable content.
It’s about showing them who you are, what you stand for, and what you believe in.
I understand the concern about being seen as an expert while simultaneously talking about the struggles you face. But the truth is, no entrepreneur ever has everything figured out perfectly. It’s impossible. But that’s also the most exciting part.
We become experts because we navigate our journeys and continuously learn from our experiences.
By sharing your ebbs and flows, your challenges, and how you overcome them you make yourself relatable and trustworthy. This builds that “me too” connection.
On a recent mastermind call, my mentor asked how someone displays authority. For me, the answer is simple… It’s vulnerability. When someone shares both the good and the bad, it makes them feel so much more real. Not just like any other person online pretending to have their shit together. I want to know I can be honest with them, share my struggles, and still be supported. Every person is constantly working on their craft, and that is what makes them experts.
A personal trainer won’t always see success with their diet & lifting regimen…
A financial advisor will probably slip up and spend way too much on Starbucks one month…
A pastor leading a church is still going to sin…
But that’s okay because they are constantly learning about the craft they are teaching and willing to improve themselves through their experience.
So, my friend, my invitation to you today is to embrace the power of vulnerability. Your audience is begging you to open up and be real so they can decide if they want to invest in YOU.
Building a personal brand means showing up on social media consistently. I believe in omnipresence, so make sure you’re present everywhere your audience might find you. However, simply being present is not enough if you’re not willing to be vulnerable. Share your values, your beliefs, your quirks, and even the moments you aren’t super proud of… like the time you called your kid an asshole because they were acting like one. Give people the opportunity to say, “me too” when they see your content.
I encourage you to be authentic and real because that’s what connects you to your audience. && I’ve seen firsthand the impact of vulnerability in my own business. People have chosen to work with me because I shared my struggles openly. They connected with my story and felt understood and supported. When someone says they chose me because I’ve filed for bankruptcy or had multiple miscarriages, it fills me with honor because I know my experiences have a purpose, and that purpose is to connect with others. Do you think I was excited to share those things in the moment? No. But, I did so because the purpose was greater than me. It was to create genuine connection with my audience… to show them that I’m a real person with real shit too.
So, as you create your content and show up in your business, remember that vulnerability is key. You are not perfect, and that’s okay. If you want to learn more about building a genuine connection with your audience, consider my program Potent. It’s all about making it easy to connect with your people authentically. Magnetism comes from the realest part of who you are. It doesn’t need to be complicated, just be yourself and watch your personal brand flourish.
I can’t wait to connect with you again in the next one because it’s juicy. I’ll give you a hint: when we give, we receive. Until then, stay shamelessly ambitious and utterly vulnerable. Show up as your most authentic self because you, my friend, are the freakin’ shit.
