Personal or Personality?
The idea of a “personal brand” didn’t start on LinkedIn.
It entered the mainstream back in 1997, when Tom Peters wrote The Brand Called You. The point was simple: in a crowded world, people aren’t just employees or founders — they’re brands in their own right. What’s changed isn’t the idea. It’s the exposure.
Today, your personality, opinions, and behaviour are visible long before your work is. People don’t meet you first — they research you. And they decide how they feel before you ever speak. 98% of employers research people online and 70% say a personal brand matters more than a CV. (Forbes)
That’s why personal branding now isn’t about self-promotion. It’s about clarity. When building a personal brand, you should be looking for:
A clear point of view
Consistency between what you say and what you do
A tone that feels human, not manufactured
Design that supports your personality, not masks it
A strong personal brand isn’t loud. It’s recognisable. And the best ones don’t compete with the company brand — they strengthen it.
