For years, whenever I heard the term “personal branding,” I would cringe. It conjured up images of slick influencers with perfect Instagram feeds, self-proclaimed gurus spouting motivational clichés, and people talking about themselves in the third person. It all felt so manufactured, so self-promotional, so… fake. I wanted to be known for the quality of my work, not for the quality of my marketing. So, I resisted. I kept my head down and just focused on doing a good job.
The problem was, “good work” was not speaking for itself as loudly as I had hoped. I saw colleagues who were no more talented than I was getting incredible opportunities, being invited to lead key projects, and being seen as the go-to experts in their fields. What did they have that I did not? It was not just skill. It was a clear, consistent, and visible reputation.
That is when the lightbulb went on. “Personal branding” is just a modern, slightly cringey term for one of the oldest and most important things in a career: your reputation. It is not about creating a fake persona. It is about intentionally and authentically shaping how the world sees the value you already have. It is about moving from being a well-kept secret to being a well-known resource. Once I made that mindset shift, everything changed. Building a personal brand was no longer a chore; it was a journey of self-discovery and service. Here is the four-part framework that guided me.
Pillar 1: Find Your “Spike” (Define Your Unique Expertise)
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You cannot be known for everything. A strong brand, personal or otherwise, is known for something specific. You need to find your “spike”—that one area where your skills, your passions, and the needs of the market intersect. This is not about being the world’s number one expert. It is about being reliably, exceptionally good at something that matters.
To find your spike, ask yourself three questions:
- What problems do people already come to me for? This is a powerful clue. Are you the person everyone asks to review a confusing document? The one who can calm down an angry client? The one who is great at building a complex spreadsheet?
- What work gives me energy? What topics do you find yourself reading about on a Saturday morning? What tasks make you lose track of time? Your passion is a powerful differentiator.
- What skill has the greatest market value? Where is your organization or your industry going, and what skills will be most valuable in that future?
Your personal brand is built on the intersection of these three circles. For me, I realized my spike was not just “L&D,” but specifically “using storytelling and experiential learning to teach complex leadership ideas.” That specificity gave me a clear focus for everything that followed.
Also read: Personal Branding: The Need Of The Hour
Pillar 2: Find Your People (Identify Your Audience and How You Serve Them)
A brand does not exist in a vacuum. It exists in the minds of your audience. You need to be crystal clear about who you are trying to serve. Your “people” could be the senior leadership at your company, potential clients in a specific industry, or a community of peers you wish to influence.
Once you know who your audience is, the most important question becomes: What do they need, and how can I help?
This shifts your entire perspective from self-promotion to service. You are not trying to get something from your audience (attention, a promotion). You are trying to give something to them (an insight, a solution, a new perspective). This service-oriented mindset is the foundation of an authentic personal brand. You build a reputation not by talking about how great you are, but by being genuinely, consistently helpful.
Pillar 3: Find Your Voice (Create and Share Value with Authenticity)
Once you know your spike and who you are serving, you need to find your voice. This is how you share your value with the world. This is the “content” part of personal branding, but it does not mean you have to become a blogger or a YouTuber. “Content” is simply the tangible expression of your expertise.
It can take many forms:
- The insightful questions you ask in a meeting.
- The helpful, well-written email you send to your team summarizing a complex topic.
- A presentation you volunteer to give at a “lunch and learn.”
- Sharing a relevant article on LinkedIn with a thoughtful, two-sentence summary of your key takeaway.
The key is authenticity. Your voice should sound like you. If you are a data-driven analyst, your content can be insightful and analytical. If you are a natural storyteller, your content can be built around narratives. Do not try to be someone you are not. The goal is to amplify who you already are.
Also read: How Storytelling Can Help Make Impactful Leaders
Pillar 4: Find Your Rhythm (The Power of Consistent Action)
A reputation is not built in a day. It is the result of small, consistent actions taken over time. A single, brilliant presentation is great, but it is the person who is consistently helpful in every meeting who builds the strongest brand.
You need to find a sustainable rhythm. Do not commit to writing a weekly article if you do not have the time. Instead, commit to sharing one insightful post on LinkedIn every week. Do not try to network with 50 people at once. Instead, commit to having one meaningful coffee chat with a colleague from another department each month.
The power is in the consistency. Consistency builds trust. It signals that your value is not a fluke; it is a reliable and enduring part of who you are.
The Most Important Place to Build Your Brand: Inside Your Own Company
We often think of personal branding as something for entrepreneurs or influencers. But the most important place for most professionals to build their brand is within the walls of their own organization. Your internal reputation is the single biggest determinant of your career trajectory.
- Are you known as the person who always delivers, or the person who always has an excuse?
- Are you known as the person who lifts others up, or the one who engages in office politics?
- Are you known as the person who brings solutions, or the one who only brings problems?
By applying the four pillars to your daily work, you can intentionally shape this internal reputation. Become the go-to expert on your “spike.” Proactively help your internal “people” (your colleagues and your boss). Share your insights in a way that is generous and authentic. Do it consistently. This is how you build a powerful internal brand that creates opportunities you cannot even imagine today.
Your Reputation is Your Responsibility
I used to cringe at “personal branding” because I thought it was about becoming someone else. I now know that it is about becoming more of yourself. It is the art and science of making your authentic value visible to the people you seek to serve.
It is not an act of ego. It is an act of service. It is a commitment to being so valuable, so reliable, and so authentic that the world cannot help but take notice. Your reputation will be built whether you are intentional about it or not. The only question is whether you want to be the architect.If you are looking to develop your professional presence and build a reputation for leadership, explore how FocusU’s programs on creating executive presence can help you on your journey.
