You CAN build a personal brand you’re proud of.
For many of my clients, building a life-centered business that feels good often involves developing a personal brand that truly aligns with who they are as a person. It’s this careful balance of showing up authentically, then building and selling offers that their customers want, while also respecting their personal boundaries. There’s a lot to figure out if you’re building your business alone, so working with a personal brand consultant may be the support you need to scale.
If you’ve been thinking about leveling up your personal brand game, and maybe even hiring a personal brand consultant… But don’t really know what that would look like, this is for you.
My personal brand evolution
When I first started freelancing, I worried that big businesses wouldn’t want to work with me—I’m just Jill. What do I know? Right?
I worried about choosing a business name and needing to appear like more—a bigger team, not just Jill over here. All of those worries kept me playing small for years. Because it turns out that my clients want to work with me because of the results that I provide. And even since building out a team, the business keeps delivering on those promises.
The first business name I chose was my maiden name with “communications” tacked onto the end. It wasn’t intentional—I just panicked at the registration office when they asked for a name. It felt awkward AF. I hated explaining myself to people. Like… No, this is my business. And yes, it’s just me.
The first lesson here: There’s nothing wrong with being a solopreneur. It’s amazing really that 1 person can build something big with their own name, skills, and talent.
This was all before I discovered the power of personal branding. Since going all in on my business and not hiding behind a brand name, not only has the business grown, but it feels good. It wasn’t an easy decision to make though.
Maybe you’re in a similar position right now, trying to figure out whether you should go with a business brand versus a personal brand.
Let’s chat about that decision and what it really means to have a personal brand.
Business brand vs personal brand
When you choose a personal brand, you will always be the face of the business—it’s your name, after all. This is regardless of how big your team gets. What happens behind the scenes or how your business operates day-to-day doesn’t really need to be accounted for when making this decision.
It really comes down to what you want. Do you want that connection to your business indefinitely?
A business brand provides some separation. You can build behind the scenes and maybe most people don’t even know who you are.
A distinction that needs to be clear here: Even if you choose to brand your business as separate from you, you can and absolutely should make that brand personality RICH. Make it stand out and feel like its own unique entity. A walking, talking version of everything you want your business to be.
The ones who do that well are the ones who get ahead.
Alternate option: A hybrid of both. I’ve helped many of our clients develop business brands that include the founder’s face in the forefront. Everyone knows their name as the founder of their business. This way, they can keep some distinction for themselves—often they are building multiple brands at once and want the flexibility of a personal brand to do that. But they also get a more intimate connection with their customers.
Why choose a personal brand?
Choosing a personal brand opens up the opportunity for you to do other things beyond your current offers. You aren’t pigeonholed into “NAME’S Copywriting” or “NAME’s Design Studio” because that’s the business name you chose.
Instead, you can be YOU, and you can evolve over time. Maybe you start as a copywriter, then you shift into becoming a consultant, or a lifestyle brand… YOU are the value proposition as a personal brand. Your method, approach, results… Your personality.
Personal brand examples
If you’re feeling stuck on what makes you special, or at a loss for how to go about building a personal brand, maybe some inspo can help you? This blog post offers a handful of examples that range throughout the options explained above.
When to hire a personal brand consultant
Let’s get one thing clear: You do not need to hire a personal brand consultant. However, if you’re new to the world of brand strategy and are having a hard time figuring out what sticks for YOU, bringing in expert help will 10/10 make your life easier.
A good personal brand consultant can help you:
- Nail your unique value proposition, including what makes you different and special compared to your competitors.
- Refine how you show up online, like what topics are on brand/off brand, how to approach potential customers, and how to build your audience.
- How to monetize your personal brand strategically, including developing offers that align with you and your lifestyle.
Hiring a personal brand consultant is a great option for business owners and freelancers who have been working to grow their business for a while, but something still isn’t clicking or feels off.
What it looks like to hire a personal brand consultant.
If you’re thinking about hiring a personal brand consultant, hi! 👋 I’m Jill Wise and personal brand coaching is what I do with many of my clients.
When my clients come to me, often they’re either:
- Already running their business as a personal brand, but don’t feel confident and comfortable showing up online. Therefore the work and clients they land aren’t always great fits and they overall aren’t growing at the rate they’d like!
- Are hiding behind a business name that they don’t resonate with. They want to change, but don’t know where to start.
A lot of this work revolves around the core pillars that I teach and consult on:
- Services suite / offer optimization + rates
- Elevated messaging + positioning
- Reclaiming space / systems + processes
Of course the messaging aspect is obvious! But as a personal brand, your offers, rates, client experience, and more can all align with your lifestyle—and that’s what we’re trying to build together.
A lot of my clients inside The Inner Circle Mastermind align with the above and are working to develop personal brands (although that’s not mandatory to join—some prefer the agency model).
I also offer 1:1 personal brand coaching (inquire for more info), and help refine your messaging and marketing materials via Intensives.
Regardless of how you work with me as a personal brand consultant, we can do (and create) cool stuff like:
- Gain confidence in your offers, positioning, and the rates you charge.
- Learn what to say and how to say it so it hits home and attracts dream clients.
- Build an engaged audience, then launch passive or 1:many offers that they want to buy.
The possibilities are endless with a personal brand.
Tips when looking for a personal brand consultant.
If you’re going to hire a personal brand consultant, it’s so important to find someone you resonate with. If you choose the wrong fit, you’ll struggle with their recommendations—it really requires working together.
I’ve been on both sides of this: I’ve hired consultants and coaches who weren’t a good fit. I’ve also accidentally taken on clients who weren’t a good fit. Usually, my vetting process is thorough, but sometimes things change when we get started together.
Because I know first-hand how important it is to align, I try my best to only take on best fit clients… Especially for personal brand consulting. Because it’s personal!
So what do you look for when hiring a personal brand consultant or coach in general? Here’s my best advice:
- Find someone who has built what you want to build. Bonus points if they have results helping others do this too.
- Search for the people who your biggest competitors have learned from. If they shaped another journey successfully, they’re likely equipped to help you.
- Reach out to those whose values align with yours. Business is human and if you disagree on foundational principles, it may be challenging to work together.
Beyond these tips, you also need to look at how your potential consultant operates. A poor client experience can negatively impact your time together—and a great one will make it easy.
- Work with someone who is responsive and helpful from the beginning. I once worked with someone—like actually paid them thousands of dollars—who ghosted me for weeks and still wonder why I said yes to that proposal.
- Work with someone who is available, but respectfully. This doesn’t mean that they can talk to you TODAY when you inquire… Waiting to talk to a booked and busy consultant is normal. But they should want to connect with you genuinely. I once hired someone who kept their video off on our discovery call on Zoom, and it turned out to be not the best investment.
- Work with someone who makes it easy for you to say yes. Like you KNOW this is going to be a good fit.
I also try to look for coaches and consultants who have different skills, work experiences, and perspectives than me. You can learn so much from someone who problem solves in a different way than you!
Choose a personal brand consultant who gives a f*ck.
At this point, we don’t exactly know if I’m the right fit for you. But I can say… I’ve done this stuff before. I’ve struggled from nothing to create a personal brand that attracts my ideal clients on autopilot. And I’ve helped others do the same, both inside The Inner Circle and in my Intensives.
Because I genuinely care. I’ve seen firsthand the power of creating a business in alignment with people’s values and the vision they have for their life. And I want you to experience the same results me and my clients have experienced.
If you’re ready to hire a personal brand consultant, or want to know more about what it would look like to work together, don’t hesitate to reach out. I’m happy to point you in the right direction.
