Before a potential client or employer ever talks to you, they’re likely looking you up online. Your website, social media channels, media clips, and online reviews will start telling your story before you ever get the chance. That’s why having a strong personal brand that’s reflected in your digital presence is so important.
The best way to understand how to build a strong personal brand is to see it in action. Five women stand out to us as shining examples of creating a professional and unique personal brand. Each of these women shows up authentically, understands her unique value proposition, and communicates her solutions clearly. Because of that, we consider their personal brands to be expert level.
Here are five women with personal brands to aspire to:
- Tiffany “The Budgetnista” Aliche
Tiffany Aliche is an award-winning teacher of financial education and is quickly becoming America’s favorite personal finance expert. I didn’t make up that compelling bio – it’s right on her website. No one else has to define her because she does such an excellent job of defining herself to her audience. If you’re press or looking for a speaker, her website makes it clear what she can offer and how to get in touch with her for those opportunities. Prior speaking engagements even show up when you Google her. With the books she’s authored, speaking engagements, active social media platforms, and a popular podcast, she’s done a great job of creating a strong and valuable personal brand apart from her business, The Live Richer Academy. It’s no wonder she’s able to garner five-figure speaking fees.
- Lola Bakare
Lola Bakare is an award-winning marketing success consultant, CMO advisor, and inclusive marketing strategist. Her offering is clear – she wants to help executive-level marketers take their game to the next level. The thing about Lola that stood out to me is how she demonstrates her competencies throughout her personal brand. Whether it’s on her LinkedIn page, or at one of her speaking events on Clubhouse or Fishbowl, she demonstrates her competencies at every opportunity, showing potential clients just how she gets the job done.
According to her website, Cindy Gallop is a brand and business innovator, consultant, coach, and keynote speaker, and available to work with anybody who wants to change the game in their particular sector. She refers to herself as the Michael Bay of business because she likes to “blow shit up.” With a pitch like that, who wouldn’t be intrigued? Cindy made the list because her brand isn’t simple and it can’t be put into a neat box. If curse words, sex, and advertising are your thing, then Cindy is your gal. If you have a nontraditional product or offering, then Cindy is a great role model for breaking boundaries in a way that feels authentic yet professional.
Amanda is an artist, educator, and STEM advocate. She made the list because she leans into everything that makes her unique, including her long last name. Not only is Amanda’s website visually stunning – she’s an artist, after all – but she has a clear visual and written identity across all of her platforms. Brand continuity is an important part of personal branding and Amanda has nailed it. In addition, her personal values are an ever-present part of her personal brand, made clear through her art and the projects she chooses to create and elevate.
Diana is a career coach and job search expert. What stood out about her personal brand is her bubbly and approachable personality – a great quality in a career coach. From a simple Google search, it’s easy to feel like you already know her. Another excellent area of her personal branding is that she leads with her results. She’s clear about the results she can get for her clients and quantifies the return on investment that can be had from using her services. On social media, she leans into her personal story and career journey to show the value of her services and create trust between her and her audience.
Seeing successful personal branding in action can give you a vision for what your own personal brand can be. If you’re wondering what steps you need to take to get a swoon-worthy personal brand, check out our blog post, 4 Practical Steps for Creating Your Personal Brand.
