According to my welcome survey, a third of you are interested in personal brand-building and advocating for yourself—IMO very related topics.

In the midst of layoffs, career pivots, and quarter-life crises, a personal brand is your competitive moat that can help you find new clients, a new job, and opportunities that might never have been on your radar.

Like many things in life, it’s going to feel uncomfortable at first but the sooner you start, the sooner you’ll see the fruits of your labor pay off.

🆘 Push through the discomfort to post

I’ve had multiple friends tell me how difficult it is to put themselves out there.

When I ask them why, a lot of it has to do with the fear of being judged or perceived in a negative way by friends, colleagues, coworkers, former bosses, parents, and so on. The thoughts that creep in sound like…

• “Who does he think he is posting this kind of stuff?”

• “Her opinions aren’t original or relatable enough.”

• “Did you hear about Maggie? I think she’s trying to become a LinkedIn influencer.”

While these thoughts are keeping us safe, they’re also keeping us exactly where we are today.

Christina Galbato, a creator and entrepreneur, posted a recent IG Reel about this topic where she explained the fear of judgement has very little to do with what other people think of you and more about what you think about yourself.

To get over the discomfort and show up authentically online, it takes (1) changing these thoughts and (2) practice over time. In other words, we have to believe that we’re credible enough for our stories to be heard.

I didn’t wake up one day as an expert who could put myself out there. I also have a long way to go!

I started small, posting “safe”, non-controversial content until I felt more confident about myself.

👣 Take baby steps to your posting

It's difficult to go from never posting online to sharing a vulnerable post to the internet. Start small and simple.

If you're working a full-time job, think about safe, practice content that won't raise any red flags to your company. Ideas:

• A project that you led. What did you learn from it? What made you proud?

• A problem that you solved. Either at your current job or previously. This helps you build credibility in your role and offers guidance for others who might want to pivot.

• Your POV on industry news. What's your take on AI? How do you use it at work?

Once you get into a rhythm, you might level up your posts to share more personal stories that demonstrate authenticity and relatability to your audience.

🔓️ Detach yourself from the results

This is easier said than done but once you post, try not to fixate on the results. Remember that this is a long game, and you have to start somewhere.

Tips to help you detach:

• Schedule your post for the next day. It’s an easy way to forget that it’s gone live and keep you from overthinking.

• Turn off notifications on your phone. Another good tactic if you’re obsessing over what other people think.

• Treat it as a learning. Didn’t get the result you hoped? Use it as a learning for what you might tweak next time.

💬 Your turn

Do you want to start working toward your personal brand this year? What’s stopping you from putting yourself out there?

✨ Weekly Feels

I’m getting my Airbnb ready for summer and part of that means finally getting furniture for the deck! I love putting together ideas on Canva and watching them come to life. I still need a coffee table (waiting for a good, inexpensive FB Marketplace find) but excited to see it IRL soon.

If you ever want to book, let me know! I offer a discount to my subscribers 🙂 

🌟 Upcoming Events

• Wed, April 29 | Women in Innovation Dinner Series at Cafe China | A multi-course dinner I helped plan to meet new women in innovation

• June 9 - 18 | From Full-Time to Fractional: A Step-by-Step Launch Playbook for Senior Leaders | Learn positioning, pricing, and sales fundamentals to land your first client

📖 Keep Reading

• How to gain visibility and advocate for yourself (without feeling fake)

• Managing other people’s opinions

• At least I’m flying free

💼 Ways to Work With Me

• 1:1 Private Coaching: I’m offering free coaching strategy calls to those looking to build a more fulfilling life. Feel free to book some time with me!