Welcome to Branding Room Only, the podcast where your personal brand gets a front-row seat. I'm Paula Edgar, and if you're here, it's because you know your brand isn't just about what you do. It's about how people experience you. In each episode, you'll hear stories, strategies, and lessons from leaders and influencers who built their brands and made their mark. And I'll share the tools you need to do the same. Let's go.
Welcome back to Branding Room Only. I'm Paula Edgar, and today is a really special episode. It's my 100th episode, and I can't quite believe I'm saying that out loud. 100 episodes. That's a lot of strategy, a lot of stories, a lot of my pet peeves, and a whole lot of personal branding talk. Honestly, it's also a whole lot of love.
When I first started this podcast, I knew that I wanted a platform to amplify my voice and to share strategies around something that I'm so deeply passionate about, personal branding. But I didn't fully realize how much this podcast would give back to me. It's become more than just a way to talk about my frameworks or to give advice. It's become a vehicle that has expanded my reach, my community, and my brand in ways that still surprise me.
This podcast has allowed me to connect with people I never would have had access to otherwise. Hello, Carla Harris. People outside of my normal orbit of lawyers and law-adjacent professionals, people in industries ranging from tech to fashion, from consulting to entertainment, and people from all over the world who have said, "I've heard your podcast and it made me think differently," have been so wild to me. That's the magic of having a platform like this. It opens doors and starts conversations that never would have happened without it.
It's not just about my voice. Think about a hundred episodes of this podcast. It has been a platform for me to showcase others, to amplify their platforms. I've had so many authors and creators. I've had the honor of interviewing leaders and innovators and people who are pushing boundaries in their own ways. Having them on Branding Room Only doesn't just give me access to their brilliance. It gives all of you access, too. That's really why I wanted to do it. It's one of the things I'm the most proud of. I think it's my baby.
When I think back, there are so many standout episodes. I think about conversations where guests have shared vulnerable moments about their own branding journeys, about the times that they've had to pivot or they failed or moments where they realized they were playing small. I've learned about the upbringing and how it shaped the brands of people who are my friends but didn't know that distinct part about them. So I love having the opportunity to have had those conversations and to deepen my relationships with people who I thought I already knew, and I was bringing to y'all.
I also think about my favorites, my solo episodes as well, where I break down why so-called soft skills are actually essential and concrete skills. Some of my top podcast downloads have been my solo ones. Thinking about how to prepare for a conference, and Paula's photo rules, and how things that have been challenging to me have become my superpowers. Those episodes pushed me to be more transparent, to be more authentic, and to remind myself that a part of my brand is to be willing to say the things that others might shy away from.
And you know that there's been some personal ones. I have spoken about my mother, Joan Donna Griffith, and I've spoken to my father about her and our having lost her. I've spoken about my son and my daughter and about how much they mean to me and how much they have taught me about my brand as well. In short, this podcast is not just something I do or something to drive business. It has been a love letter from me to you every single week.
Because here's what I believe. A personal brand that is strong and strategic is a differentiator. It changes the game. It takes what you think is ordinary about yourself, the things you might dismiss as just who you are, and it elevates it to something others recognize as your authentic magic. That is what I try to remind you of every single week. Your brand is not and should not be an afterthought. It is a story that you're writing every day. This podcast has been one of the ways I've been able to help you write that story more intentionally. It has been truly, truly my honor.
But I can't lie. Child, getting to 100 episodes has not been easy. It's taken consistency. It's taken help from my team. It's taken me showing up on days when I was tired or overwhelmed or unsure what I was going to say. But it's also given me so much joy because I truly love creating this space. I truly love having you tell me that what I'm saying is just not out into the universe and going nowhere, that ears are hearing it, and that you are taking these strategies and these stories and you are using them to put strategy into your own brand.
This is one of the favorite parts of my work. For me, this milestone, 100 episodes, I keep saying it, is a reflection also on my community. My brand has never been just about me. It's about the people who are part of my network, who are part of my story, who I've been able to connect with and to learn from. Many of them have been on my podcast. This podcast has strengthened that community in ways that go far beyond downloads or listens. It's been about real relationships, real growth, and real impact.
I reflect on the fact that I got to do my first live podcast in front of an audience who clapped and cheered, and said, "Mm-hmm" during the episode. That brought me so much joy. I am looking forward to so much more. So to everyone who has listened, whether you've been here since episode one or this is your very first episode, I thank you. I thank you for giving me your time. I thank you for sharing this podcast with others. I thank you for the notes, the messages, the DMs, where you've told me that I've said something or that a guest said something that resonated with you. You are why I keep doing this.
You must know I'm not stopping here. I'm looking forward to the next 100 episodes. I look forward to bringing you more conversations, more strategies, more of my pet peeves, and more opportunities for you to reflect on, build, and connect to your own strong personal brand. This podcast is proof of what I tell my clients always. Visibility matters. Consistency matters. Showing up with strategy matters because when you do, you expand your personal brand. You expand your reach and you expand your opportunities.
Branding Room Only has been that for me. It's proof of that for me. I hope it's been a catalyst for you, too. So here's to 100 episodes down. Here's to all of you, and here's to what's next. If you love this episode, and I hope that you do because I love you, do me a favor, please, and share this. Go to ratethispodcast.com/branding and tell a friend, tell the world, tell everybody that you enjoyed this podcast.
When you go to that website, again, ratethispodcast.com/branding, it helps to maximize the visibility of Branding Room Only and its reach. With that, I'll see you next time. Stand by your what? Stand by your brand. Keeping it 100 always. Love you, Paula.
That's it for this episode. I appreciate you hanging out with me on Branding Room Only. Now, please do me a quick favor: head over to ratethispodcast.com/branding so more people can join this conversation. And make sure to stop by at paulaedgar.com/events to see what's next. Whether I'm live, online, or in person, I'd love to see you there. See you next time in the Branding Room. And until then, stand tall, shine bright, and always stand by your brand.
