3 Lessons That Changed How I Think About Personal Branding

Personal brands seem to be everywhere these days.

Scroll through LinkedIn and you’ll see plenty of advice like:

“You have a personal brand whether you’re running it or not.”

And while that’s technically true, it doesn’t mean everyone needs, or wants, to build one.

So, do you really have to put yourself out there online to grow a business or a career?

The short answer: no.
The long answer: it can change everything if you’re willing to try.

Why I (initially) resisted building a personal brand

Believe it or not, I was completely against the idea until 2018.

I followed all the “branding gurus.” I knew what I could do—and maybe even should do—but I didn’t want to.

I told myself my company should stand on its own. That Accelity didn’t need my face plastered all over the internet. And I definitely didn’t want to be another talking head spewing motivational fluff that no one believes. Looking back, I realize I was just scared.

Because a personal brand is… personal. 

It’s your ideas, your stories, your face—and that opens the door to criticism. And believe me, I’ve read some wild stuff about myself online. 

But here’s the thing: the potential pros ended up far outweighing the cons.

What changed my mind

When I finally gave it a real shot, something clicked.

It’s not a coincidence that the same period I started posting regularly on LinkedIn was the same time Accelity hit 7-figures in revenue. The visibility, relationships, and trust I built there all fed back into the business.

I’ve learned a few big lessons along the way:

• You can grow without being “obnoxiously salesy.” I focus on giving value, not selling. That’s it. The more you help people, the more it comes back—ten-fold.
• You don’t have to be controversial. A lot of people blow up online by being mean, calling others out, or picking fights. That’s not my jam, and it doesn’t have to be yours either. You can grow a genuine audience without stirring up drama.
• Consistency pays off—literally. I just checked our CRM: 27% of Accelity’s all-time revenue comes directly from my LinkedIn activity. That’s a lot. of. cash.

When you show up consistently and build real relationships, your personal brand becomes one of your best business growth tools.

So, do you need a personal brand?

No—you don’t need a personal brand to be successful.

But if you’re open to sharing what you’ve learned, giving generously, and sticking with it, it can completely change the way you grow.

Maybe, this is the sign you needed to start. If you want to see what kind of results a personal brand can drive, check out our blog How to Use LinkedIn to Grow Your Business and Personal Brand for more ideas on how to turn your presence into real opportunities.

P.S. I cover this topic in depth on my podcast, The Art of Entrepreneurship! Here are some of my favorite episodes to help you get started:

• Episode 51. Do I need a personal brand?
• Episode 182. Personal branding roundup: advice from 6 expert guests
• Episode 100. Unlock major business growth w/ LinkedIn coach Lea Turner