Why “Personal Branding” is Broken (& What To Do Instead)
"Ditch the corporate marketing formulas and let your voice breathe."
Thank you to Aparna Rae for inviting me to dig into this topic with her on the Circle Back Club podcast. Everyone, you can listen on Spotify or watch on YouTube. Here’s a clip:
The episode asks: What's possible when we share our stories — for ourselves, & for others?
Consider these ideas:
Ditch “personal brand”: Brands are for products and companies. When we force ourselves into marketing boxes, we strip away our nuance — and our power.
Reclaim space: Women and members of marginalized groups struggle to share our brilliance online due to social penalties and employer restrictions. But choosing to show up on LinkedIn with intention, authenticity, and consistency is a collective, necessary reclamation of space.
Choose collective belonging: Storytelling shouldn't be a solo performance designed for individual gain. The deep medicine our world needs right now is for more of us committed to creating a better world to show up in the public square.
I hope you’ll give it a listen, and subscribe to the show, which shines a smart, thoughtful light on corporate nonsense, how it’s hurting us, and what alternatives might look like.
