Where Do I Even Start with Personal Branding?
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Even the most brilliant professionals I know still ask me this question. Whether you're brand new to personal branding, rebuilding after a transition, or just realizing your reputation deserves more attention, this episode is your starting point.
You already have a personal brand. The question is, are you actively shaping it or is it being shaped for you by default? As my mother used to say, "You can be the wind or you can be the leaf." This episode is about becoming the wind.
In this episode of Branding Room Only, I'll walk you through exactly where to start with five foundational steps that will help you get intentional about your brand. From clarifying your brand words to auditing your digital presence to defining your audience, these are the building blocks that turn your natural magic into an unforgettable personal brand.
Chapters
0:53 – What personal brand really means and why you already have one
2:02 – Three essential self-reflection questions to start with
3:27 – How to identify your three brand words that guide everything
5:15 – The framework for crafting your brand statement
6:20 – Auditing your digital presence to reflect your aspirations
7:59 – Defining your audience with the specificity that creates resonance
9:16 – How to start showing up consistently to build trust
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Sponsor for this episode
This episode is brought to you by PGE Consulting Group LLC.
PGE Consulting Group LLC empowers individuals and organizations to lead with purpose, presence, and impact. Specializing in leadership development and personal branding, we offer keynotes, custom programming, consulting, and strategic advising—all designed to elevate influence and performance at every level.
Founded and led by Paula Edgar, our work centers on practical strategies that enhance professional development, strengthen workplace culture, and drive meaningful, measurable change.
To learn more about Paula and her services, go to www.paulaedgar.com or contact her at info@paulaedgar.com, and follow Paula Edgar and the PGE Consulting Group LLC on LinkedIn.
Transcript
Welcome to The Branding Room Only Podcast where we share career stories, strategies, and lessons learned on how industry leaders and influencers have built their personal brands. Now, let's get started with the show.
Hi everyone. Welcome back to Branding Room Only. I'm your host, Paula Edgar, and today we're going back to the basics because even some of the most brilliant professionals I know, lawyers, executives, entrepreneurs, and emerging leaders, they still ask me this, "Paula, I know I need to work on my brand, but where do I even start?" And I get it. Whether you're brand new to personal branding, rebuilding after transition, or just realizing your reputation deserves a little more attention, this episode is for you.
Let's demystify the starting point. First, let's define it. What is a personal brand? At this point, if you're a listener, you should know the answer to this, but let me go ahead and answer for you.
Your personal brand is the perception people have of you when you're not in the room, but it's your skillset, your experience, and your values. It is your reputation, your story, your impact, and yes, it's your vibe. It's how people describe you, refer to you, and remember you.
Your personal brand is your magic. And let's be clear, it's not optional. You already have a personal brand.
The question is, are you actively shaping it or is it being shaped for you by default? You've probably heard me say before, my mother used to say to me, "You can be the wind or you can be the leaf." And so when you ask, where do I start? You start by getting intentional. You start by becoming the wind and that becomes your mantra.
You think to yourself, "Is this action that I'm taking one that I'm defining or is it being defined for me?" So when it comes to being intentional, I want you to start with three questions. One, how do I see myself? Two, how do others see me? And three, how do I want to be seen going forward? What are my goals? What's my vision? And let me answer those for myself. When I think about how I see myself, I'm a skilled keynote speaker, a personal branding strategist, a passionate connector, and I'm someone who brings joy, energy, precision, and little pizzazz to every room I enter.
How do others see me? I've heard everything from the queen of branding to a Brooklyn bully when it comes to photos, a walking TED talk. All of those are your compliments I take very seriously. People often mention my humor, my style, my eye for photos, and how I can create a space for others to shine.
And how do I want to be seen going forward? As a keynote speaker on the world stage, a force, an author, someone who shows up for others, builds platforms, shapes conversations, and makes personal branding and leadership more strategic, accessible, and of course, joyful and a little bit of fun. So let's get into the steps. If you're just getting started or ready for a reboot, here are five foundational steps to begin shaping your personal brand with intention. Remember, be the wind.
One, clarify your brand words. Pick three words or short phrases that describe you. I often do this exercise and I find that people find it very difficult to do, but you can do this at any point. You know, there's not a rush, although I would love for you to think about this and maybe come back to it if you think you need to redefine. So today, mine, strategic, magnetic, and joyful.
These are words that guide how I speak, how I write, how I design my workshops, and definitely how I show up in meetings or on a stage. And I recommend asking others too, what are their words for you? I often get engaging when I do this. Engaging is a word that I hear the most.
But once I asked 10 people to describe me in three words, and the overlap was interesting, it was very powerful, it confirmed some things for me, but also surprised me because people saw consistency where I hadn't necessarily noticed it yet.
And that's what I mean. When you just show up with a skill set, with your magic, sometimes you don't understand that that is a defining point for you. Oftentimes, we will minimize some of the things that are what attracts people to us the most.
So when I did that exercise, engaging was the word that came up the most for me. The others were leader and catalyst. And so think about what the three words other people would say about you and the words you would say about yourself, because this is where your brand lives.
It lives in the gap between how you show up and how you're perceived. So you must start by naming it. And then if you're feeling brandy, and you should, you want to craft your brand statement.
You may have heard me use this framework before, which is, I help "who" do what, by how or why. So what would that be for you? Remember, it's I help "who" do what, by how or why. A version I might use is I help leaders, lawyers, and high-achieving professionals develop unforgettable personal brands through strategy, visibility, and voice, using my skills as a keynote speaker, a personal brand strategist, and a podcast host.
That's a line that I might use in keynote speeches, bios, pitches, and conversations. Something that's flexible enough, but also clear. If you're not sure what to say yet, start with a draft.
Actually write it down. I have found that to be key for folks when it comes to getting intentional and thoughtful about your brand. And you can refine it as you grow. It's a living sentence. It should evolve as your work and your brand evolves.
Three is you want to audit your digital presence. Okay, it's time for the real talk. Google yourself. What comes up? Does it reflect the story that you want to tell? I do this with my clients and with myself.
So if you Google yourself, even if you have your own personal website, usually your LinkedIn account comes up first. And so that means that is real estate that's online that you have to pay attention to. I do this with my clients and I do this myself, as I mentioned, which is I make sure my headline on LinkedIn reflects not just my job title, because you know, I don't have a job, but my value, right? What are the things that I do? How do I do them? And for whom? And then my about section, it sounds like me, not like a copy and paste ChatGPT draft.
That my speaker bio reflects not just the chapters that I've completed, but the ones that I'm going to write next. So remember, in this world, your digital presence often speaks before you do. People will look you up before they meet you.
They will try to see if they can see your headshot or what you're talking about, just based on you being mentioned. And so you want to make sure that it reflects what you want to be known for and how you want to be perceived. So here's your task.
When somebody lands on your LinkedIn and your website, or even a conference program, what impression are they getting about you? Is it aligned with this chapter? Is it prepared to be aligned for your next chapter? Also, if we're not yet connected on LinkedIn, now would be a great time, hint, hint, hint.
Number four is define your audience. It's something I've learned early. Your brand is not, nor should it be, for everyone. That was hard for me to hear, accept, because you want everybody to like you and to be engaged with you and to find value. But your brand and your audience, it should be shaped by looking for the right people for you.
And your job is to identify who that is. For me, I like to speak to ambitious, values-driven people who want their brand to reflect not just what they do, but who they are. And that includes lawyers at every level, leaders, talent and professional development professionals, affinity group leaders and chairs, and entrepreneurs who want to strategically grow authentically.
I also speak to the quiet folks in the back who know darn well they've got something special who just need some help articulating it. So ask yourself, who needs to know about you? Who are you trying to influence? And who are you trying to serve? Get specific because specificity creates resonance. It's how you'll be remembered. It's how you'll be referred.
And number five is start showing up consistently. This is the final point. This is the one that pulls it all together. Start showing up. This doesn't mean you need to post on LinkedIn every day.
Although, if you want to, let's talk strategy. But it does mean take your brand off the page and bring it into your real life. If your brand is about thought leadership, speak up more.
If your brand is about being a connector, make meaningful intros this week. If your brand is about being a trusted resource, share a tool, write a note, add value in a meeting, write something. I do this all the time.
Even during my summer sabbatical, I stay visible in ways that feel authentic, whether that means it's a podcast episode like this one, a behind-the-scenes post, an article about something I've done, or just a check-in with my community. Because consistency builds trust, and trust builds brands.
So let me pause and say this because it's important. It is okay to start small. Your brand isn't built overnight, but it is built with intention, repetition, and moments of clarity and consistency.
So here's your challenge for this week and ongoing. Write down your three brand words, draft a version of your brand statement, audit your LinkedIn, yes, and don't forget to connect with me and mention the podcast, and share it if you want extra points. And then reconnect with someone in your network. Say hello with intention.
Remember, your personal brand is yours. Choose to shape it. Here's the truth. Your brand isn't just about being seen. It's about being understood by yourself and by others, so don't wait until your title changes or your bio is perfect. Start now.
Start where you are. Start with what's true because your brand is already there. Let's make it unforgettable.
I'm Paula Edgar, and this has been Branding Room Only. And if this episode helped you, share it with someone who's ready to get intentional about their brand. And if you haven't already, hit subscribe and check out more at paulaedgar.com. Also, if you want to help even more people find this show, I would be ever so grateful if you left a review at ratethispodcast.com/branding.
Every single review you do makes a difference. And until next time, stand by your brand. Bye y'all.
