Why you should care about Personal Branding More Than Ever (And How to Get Started)
Let’s be real: the word “branding” can feel a bit… corporate. Like something reserved for big companies with big budgets.
But here’s the truth: personal branding is for everyone. Especially now, when your online (and offline) presence says just as much about you as your work does.
Branding is not just about businesses or products — it’s about people.
In today’s digital age, shaped by constant content and online visibility, personal branding has become essential to professional success.
Allison Kluger, an award-winning media expert and co-author of Brand Up 2.0, emphasizes that branding is more important than ever due to the pressure to remain “outward facing” in a world saturated with judgment and noise. The book, written with Stacey Ross Cohen and Kudzi Chikumbu, builds on the principles introduced in Cohen’s earlier book, Brand Up, which was aimed at high school students. In contrast, Brand Up 2.0 focuses on recent graduates and early-career professionals, though its insights are valuable for anyone seeking to pivot or elevate their career.
Media expert Allison Kluger puts it best — if you don’t tell your story, someone else will. Or worse… people might not notice you at all. 😬
“That doesn’t mean that everybody needs to be on social media. But... we are saturated with content. We are saturated with people’s opinions. We are saturated with people’s judgment of us. So, if we don’t control our narrative and present the way we need to, we’ll either be neutral or invisible.”
Good personal branding isn’t about being fake.
It’s about showing up as the best, most real version of you — and making sure people understand what you’re all about.
Start With Your Story
The best brands have heart. And so should yours!
Think about what lit the spark for your career or passion — that’s the story you need to tell.
Maybe it was a love of cameras from the moment you could hold one.
Maybe it was chasing sunsets with a phone camera until you knew you needed the real thing.
Sailing the oceans and falling in love with being on land and then starting a club for people who hate dolphins.
Those moments matter.
“For me to care, for me to understand your brand, your personal purpose in life, I have to understand the why behind your actions and your words. And that is a lot of what branding is,” says Kluger.
“If someone can’t talk about your story succinctly and concisely, then, you can't get opportunities.”
This principle applies even in large organizations. Leaders often spend more time telling the story of the strategy than creating the strategy itself. In global companies, where communication crosses regions and cultures, articulating the “why” consistently is key to inspiring teams and gaining buy-in.
Get Some Outside Perspective
Want to know how the world sees you?
Ask!
Friends, colleagues, family — they’ll often spot strengths (and quirks!) that you don’t even notice.
Use their feedback to sharpen your brand in an authentic way.
It may the the big esoteric items like your unwavering ethical stance on dolphins, or it may be a small thing like how you always look the most relaxed and ‘yourself’ when reading a newspaper.
These little perspectives can help create and carve out your unique brand and attract like minded or even someone with a similar aesthetic.
“People tell you who you are, but we don’t always want to listen,” she says. “Our own perception of ourselves many times is very skewed”
It’s All in the Way You Show Up
The first, appearance, sends an instant message.
“Whether it’s an internship, your first job, leading a meeting, or giving a keynote, people take a thin sliver of you in,” she says. “They look at your age, your gender, your ethnic background, your eye contact, your bearing, your appearance, and your communication skill.”
Of those, Kluger points out that four—eye contact, bearing, appearance, and communication—are within your control.
“If I show up really casual or underdressed for something,” she adds, “I might look younger, less powerful, or like I don’t care as much—even if that’s not true.”
Next is communication. It’s about more than just speaking clearly:
“Are you present? Are you an active listener? Do you speak clearly? Do you enunciate your words? Do you synthesize for people, so they understand what your actual message is?”
Kluger also stresses the need for direction and clarity:
“Do you know how to give takeaways and action items, so people can actually do what they’re supposed to do?” she says. “As a leader, someone with executive presence, you're doing a lot of the front loading and work for your audience.”
The third element is gravitas—the quiet confidence that signals capability and calm.
“It's that inexplicable feeling that you're in charge,” she says. “You think of elegant, poised, in control. What's under the water? Little paddle feet. Gravitas is not showing the feet—because we all have the feet—but it's giving the impression that you have everything under control.”
It’s worth noting that Gravitas doesn’t imply pretending to have all the answers. She explains that it’s not about having all the solutions. If someone approaches with a question, one can acknowledge not having the answer, but recognize the value of the question and offer to direct the person to someone who can help.
“It’s not posturing or posing,” Kluger adds. “It’s saying I can figure this out and I can take care of it—because that’s what people look to for a leader. And that’s really important for young people and people of any age in their brand—to give off the feeling of confidence that I can catch you, and you're safe.”
Your brand isn’t just your words — it’s the whole package:
✨ How you dress
✨ How you communicate
✨ How confidently you carry yourself
You don’t need to have all the answers. You just need to show you can figure things out (and look like you’ll get it done).
Different Scenes, Same You
So, does branding change depending on where you work?
Kluger, who has worked with venture capitalists, start-ups, corporate leaders, and Stanford students, says the context may shift, but the fundamentals don’t.
“It always starts with: why should we care? Why do you care? What’s the benefit? What is differentiated about what you’re offering here than everything else? And so you better know what the competitive landscape is,”
In start-up culture, scrappiness and versatility are prized. Branding is about showcasing creativity, energy, and the ability to solve problems on the fly. In more traditional corporate environments, polish and professionalism may take precedence. But across the board, two things matter most: differentiation and clarity.
Whether you’re rocking a pitch meeting, a family session in the park, or a client Zoom call, your vibe should always say: “Here’s who I am — and why you’ll love working with me.”
Bottom line? Your personal brand is your secret weapon! Let them have it!
Own it, shape it, and let it open doors for you. 🚪✨
Original inspiration from Forbes article here. (Why Personal Branding Matters More Than Ever Today)
