The Anti-Brand-Builder’s Guide to Building Your Brand

A simple guide for those who hate the idea of “personal branding”

Photo by Slidebean on Unsplash

I hated the idea of having to build a personal brand. People are not brands. They are not singular entities with a singular message. When you see the Starbucks logo, you think of wakefulness. When you see the Apple logo, you think of design. When you see the Nike logo, you think of athleticism. But humans are more complex. We are many facets put together. As much as we’re told it’s the key to professional success, it’s hard to pin down a person, with all their goals and skills and life experiences, with a single logo or phrase. So rather than try, I suggest not building your brand, but focusing on finding your voice and sharing your story. Here’s how:

1. “If I were writing a book, what would the title be?” 

A good way to start this exercise is by reflecting on this six-word story, popularized by Ernest Hemingway:

“For sale: Baby shoes, never worn.”

In that short sentence, you feel the encapsulation of an entire story arc. Now try doing something similar with your own story. If you only had six words to write your biography, what would you write? I did this exercise many years ago at an offsite, where I wrote the following six-word description of myself:

“Introvert, living in an extrovert’s world.” 

Today, I would edit it to read: 

“Introvert, thriving in an extrovert’s world.” 

Reading this sentence, you learn something about me. I am an introvert, but I work and live in a world made for extroverts. Years ago, it would never have occurred to me to write and speak, but now sharing my thoughts with the world is integrated into my life in a natural way. I have found a way to overcome an obstacle. I am adaptable and happy. 

What is your six-word biography? Think of something that encapsulates your journey, experience, and values. Write it out. If you’re having trouble, you can also try a similar exercise: writing the title of the book of your life. If you had to tell your story in a single sentence or phrase, what would it be? How would you encapsulate yourself?

2. “What is my superpower?” 

Your superpower is something that you are uniquely good at, something that comes naturally to you but not to others. You might not even be aware of your superpower, but everyone has one, and identifying yours can give you a starting point for defining yourself. 

A couple of years back, I published a post on how to find your superpower. To recap, you want to take some time to reflect on traits or abilities that you’re known and appreciated for, things that give you energy. Ask people from both your personal and professional life (ideally people who know you well) for their take, and add all of their responses to your list. Look for areas of overlap and traits that appear more than once. These are your superpowers, and sharing them with others can be a great shorthand for defining yourself—no branding needed. 

3. “What is holding me back?”

Once I was chatting with someone I mentor, and I asked him why he didn’t share his expertise more. He rarely ever did speaking engagements and never wrote about his experiences for others. He is an incredibly strong product manager, but he never thought to teach others his craft. When I questioned why, he explained that, in his experience, many of the people who wrote and posted about product management were not actually that strong. This made him think that publicizing his expertise meant he wasn’t competent as a product leader. 

I replied that since he had the experience and skills, then by definition, he would not be in that category, so why worry? His reluctance had everything to do with mindset, not skillset. If you’re struggling with the idea of sharing your voice with the world, take some time to consider why that might be. You might find that the reasons to spread your knowledge outweigh the reasons not to. 

4. “What can I authentically share with or teach others?”  

For an assignment when we were in high school, each of us had to teach something to the class. I showed my classmates how to bake a chocolate chip cookie cake, but the only thing anyone remembered, other than the taste, was that I could crack an egg with one hand. That ended up being the most memorable thing I taught them. 

You are an expert at something, and even if it comes naturally to you, it might not come naturally to others. If I asked you what you’re an expert at, what would you say? I am an expert at marketplace and payments. I am a coach who can help someone through a tough decision or roadblock. I know strategy and product management. I love data and charts. 

Just like your superpower, you have something special to teach to others. Not sure what it is? Ask three people you know well what they have learned from you. Their answers will help clarify what you can amplify about yourself. 

5. “What are two ways I can share my knowledge in the next quarter?” 

Not everyone needs a Substack newsletter, a giant LinkedIn following, or a Maven course to spread their expertise. Those are large endeavors, and if you are just getting started finding your voice, you don’t have to jump straight into the deep end. Instead, take small steps that lead to big ones. Here are five simple ways to get started: 

• Share a reflection on social media. Starting small can mean starting very small. After the next event or conference you attend, share a simple insight or takeaway on LinkedIn or Threads. The first post is always the hardest, and others will only get easier. 

• Write a guest post for a newsletter. Find a newsletter or blog with a readership that is receptive to your message, and offer to write a guest post. Sharing your knowledge with a pre-existing audience can reduce the uncertainty of taking that first step. 

• Speak at a conference or event. One-time speaking engagements can be another way to inform others without committing to anything ongoing. Having a theme or talk already prepared is really helpful here. 

• Teach an internal class or host a brown bag session. Not ready to do a speaking gig? Company- or function-level events are a great way to get started since you are among people who speak the same language as you. 

• Write a guide to something you are an expert in. Take your wisdom and use it as the basis for creating something of value. It doesn’t have to be a long guide—just long enough to help others who might still be learning this skill. Find three places where you can share it.

Sharing your ideas with the world doesn’t have to be all-or-nothing. Even small steps like these can be a good starting point for putting yourself out there and making your voice heard—and others will benefit from your knowledge. 

6. “What does success look like to me?” 

You get what you measure, and I urge everyone reading this not to start something without a good sense of what success looks like. For me, amplifying my voice wasn’t about having tons of followers or writing a bestselling book. It was actually about scale. I had been coaching a couple of people a week, and I couldn’t devote any more time to it. 

Instead, I began writing and publishing the answers as people sought my advice. Each conversation inspired new topics to explore. I could take a 15-minute chat and turn it into something thousands of people could get insight from. And that is what happened. I still coach one or two people a week, but I also write and publish once a week. Half the time, when a question arises, I already have a detailed post on it that I can pass along. It’s been a two-way learning process. 

As you think about finding your voice, take the time to understand who you are and what you want to share with the world. As my manager, Boz, once said, “Write what you repeat.” I followed that path, but I started small. Now, I have a body of work that spans hundreds of essays on various topics.

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The idea of building a personal brand can feel inauthentic and reductive, which is why a lot of people don’t do it. But you don’t have to reduce yourself to a slogan or logo to share your story, skills, and experiences. Reflecting on what sets you apart and how you can amplify your knowledge is a more realistic approach—and I guarantee you’ll learn something about yourself in the process.

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I don’t see myself as a creator or influencer, just a regular person with some weekly thoughts. To go deeper on this topic, I asked my friend Peter Yang, author of  The Creator Economy newsletter to guest post in two weeks. His newsletter has over 100K subscribers (3x mine) and he has taken learning and creating as a product leader to the next level. He will share his secrets with us in the post, and he even agreed to do an AMA in the Women In Product community. So make sure to join so you can ask him questions live.