Personal branding isn’t just about showing your face on camera, or influencer-exclusive. As an online service provider, your audience isn’t just buying your service… they’re buying YOU. So let’s unpack how to make your personality the star of your show, so you can avoid the commodity trap, and create a brand that’s unmistakably yours.
You wouldn’t be here if you weren’t brave, so what if I told you being a personal brand myself landed me a five-figure project once (from buttering toast, none the less)? Owning your weird turns lurkers into buyers, so tune in to learn how.
Sure, creators and influencers have been riding this wave for years, building audiences through consistent storytelling and bringing people along for their daily routines. But not all personal brands are created equal.
When you're a service provider trying to do business online, it's not just about posting selfies or chasing trends. The real magic happens when your personality and your purpose fuse together — when your brand feels like you and not a filtered highlight reel. That's what creates loyalty, trust, and yes, sales.
And you've already got a head start here. Your business likely speaks to both your personality (through your approach and how you do business) and your purpose. Otherwise, you probably wouldn't have taken the leap to become an online business owner in the first place.
The thing is, as paradoxical as it sounds, all the advice geared towards growing your personal brand — add value, post consistently, show your face — actually leaves out the very thing that makes people want to follow, engage, and buy from you…
The person. Your personality. The very thing that takes your audience from "I need this service" to "I need this service from you."
Every service provider has an offer, a Canva account, and a content library on their Instagram profile. Those aren't the things that turn lurkers into buyers. It's trust, familiarity, and recognition. And you don't build those by hiding your personality.
When someone chooses to buy from you, they're not just exchanging money for your service. Or at least, I hope they're not. Because if they are — if they're comparing you to the next provider based solely on pricing, deliverables, and timelines — then they're not seeing your brand. They're seeing a commodity.
If that's the case, the decision will come down to whoever's cheapest, fastest, or most convenient. And that's not the show you're here to run.
Your job as the brand owner is to give your audience all the information they need to make an informed, aligned decision. That includes having a brand that clearly shows the person they're going to be working with. What they can expect, not just in the result, but in the experience of working with you.
Your audience needs to be choosing you, not just your service.
Otherwise, you're risking confusing the heck out of your audience. You're risking having them follow your content for months (even years, maybe) and then being caught off guard when you don't show up the way they imagined you would.
The last thing you want is for your brand energy not to match your actual energy, or for you to sound unsure on live calls when your website copy sounds super confident. The way you show up in your online persona needs to match your actual personality.
When they buy from you, your audience is casting a vote for who you are as a person and what you stand for. It's a vote for how you do business and how they want to feel while working with you. They trust you to be who you are, and in turn, you can trust them to have your back because they relate to you — to your values, your style, your energy, your story.
They're saying: I see you, I get you, and I trust you to get me.
That's what's special about personal branding. It's packing that human connection into your visuals, your words, your client experience.
The irony is, so many people only get this half right. They think if they just grind out content and "be authentic," that will be enough. But if no one ever sees your content in the first place, all that visibility is going down the drain.
And in order for your people to see your content and relate to you, they need to be attracted enough by it. Otherwise, no one clicks, slides, or buys.
That's why I hate that whole "don't worry about how your feed looks, people don't care" advice. Sure, nobody expects you to be some perfectly curated, sterile Pinterest board. But visuals do matter.
They are the first thing someone sees before they even get a chance to read your words. Your brand's look is that first impression, and it sets the tone.
So it better be communicating the personality your audience will get to experience after they've handed you their money.
Does your brand look like it's run by you? Is it consistent enough to be recognisable? Does it feel like an honest reflection of your personality and where you are now?
Your audience can feel when something's off. When your visuals don't align with your message, when your branding feels generic, all that creates is a disconnect. And that disconnect is what makes people scroll past, no matter how good your offer is.
But when your brand works together — when the colours, fonts, imagery, and overall aesthetic are all part of the same act — you're putting on a real show. It builds trust faster because your audience feels seen and understood without a single word being said, and it calls the right people in to see what you're all about.
That's why I'm so passionate about branding and design. Not just because it's cute or nice to have, but because it's the glue between your message and your people. It's the first impression, the emotional anchor, the thing that makes all your brilliant, unconventional, visionary ideas actually land.
Design was never about decoration or art. It's about direction and problem-solving. It's a tool to communicate your story and your message to the right people in a way that makes everything you say more impactful and meaningful.
It's not enough to be on the internet. You have to be unmistakably on the internet.
This is where that other piece of advice to "just show up and be consistent" starts to fall apart. Because consistency without clarity is just noise. You're showing up on eight different platforms, not being sure if your audience is even there, and then wondering why you feel frustrated, overwhelmed, and burned out — only to have to muster the energy to do it all again tomorrow.
I would rather you show up less often, but with a brand that actually stops people in their tracks and that they recognise, than be posting every single day with content that could belong to anyone.
Instead of chasing reach, find resonance first. Figure out what you want to be known for so that your personal brand can communicate it before you start trying to tweak visibility strategies.
Whether it's your Instagram, your website, your podcast art, or your newsletter, the job is the same: make your brand unmistakable.
What you need is a brand that makes sense no matter where someone finds you. If they find you on Pinterest, the energy is the same. If they hear you on a podcast, the message clicks. If they land on your sales page, the visuals match the vibe.
That's when your personal brand becomes the shortcut you hoped all those custom GPTs and Canva templates gave you. Because now you have a real tool for your audience to recognize and trust you long before even clicking your checkout page.
You get to put on a show with such clarity and personal flair that people stop, lean in, and can't wait to find out more.
—
✦ THE EXTRAVAGANZA: Your all-access ticket to a full-scope rebrand.
✦ Listen to Episode 025, for how Interact got in touch with me
✦ Listen to Episode 009 to learn all about that 5-figure branding project
Over the last 5 years as a Brand & Marketing Designer, I’ve helped freaks like us design their unconventional brands so they can step onto the main stage & own their weird. Because if you wanted to be, look or sound like everyone else, you wouldn’t be where you are today. Now it’s your turn.
get to know me
New email every Thursday to make your personality roar.
SIGN UPYou’re not here because your brand needs fixing. You’re here because your brand is evolving, and it’s time to step into the centre ring. When you show up as exactly who you are, something magical happens: The right people lean in. They remember you. They choose you. And then? You succeed with Flying Colours.
All-access ticket to “turn-key” branding, website, and marketing assets for the visionary service provider
leading their industry who just needs their visuals to match their energy.
Every visionary’s best kept secret to their success – the direction and action plan that keeps them from clowning around. Let’s close the gap between your big top personality and juicy business vision.
Launch prep can feel like juggling flaming torches while riding a unicycle & your genius deserves better than spending hours fiddling with fonts and resizing images. Ditch the design stress and focus on what you do best.
.svg){kind=icon}
.svg){kind=icon}