How to make a name for yourself

Is personal brand the new resume?

The birds were chirping and the spring flowers had begun to bloom in the garden beds on the rooftop of my apartment building. I was lapping up the sunshine and triaging my morning emails when I heard the soft ‘ding-a-ling’ of a LinkedIn notification emerge from my laptop. Curious, I switched tabs. I thought it’d probably be an automated sales DM (likely), a message from an internet-friend (possible) or a connection asking about mentoring (probable). Turns out I was wrong. It was a message from a massive global brand who wanted to chat about an exciting project because they’d seen my content and loved my approach.

This type of thing has been happening a bit recently. Startups reaching out, corporates wanting to chat, brands asking to work together. It’s rather wonderful and I’m very grateful, because I never thought I’d be in the position to pick and choose. When I first started out, I had this scarcity-fuelled notion that self-employment = no longer working with good brands = losing credibility = struggling to find work = hustling forever = burning out = questioning every life decision I’d ever made.

Fortunately things haven’t played out this way, and receiving a steady flow of high-quality inbound leads has made me think about career credibility and opportunity in the modern age. In the good ol’ days before personal brand was a thing, your professional reputation was largely linked to the companies you worked for. Credibility was bestowed by employers, status was inferred by title. If you had tip-top brands like McKinsey, Apple or Nike on your CV…BAM! You had instant professional street cred.

But today that’s not necessarily the case. Logos still hold weight but your voice carries more. Credibility comes through sharing your work, offering your approach, teaching what you know and documenting what you learn. In 2025, being visible online is no longer about being an influencer. It’s not even about being a creator. It’s about developing your competitive edge and making it known.

Personal brand is the new resume. The marketing girlies and creatives have known this for a while - check out this video from Odd Muse’s former Social Media Manager, who told Tiktok she’d quit her role and then received hundreds of job offers from brands - but it’s becoming true for professionals more broadly.

Visibility builds credibility. So how can you make a name for yourself online?

How I’m making a name for myself

I’m no personal brand guru but I’ve been at this content thing for 2+ years, self employment for 6+ years, in the workforce for 10+ years and on this planet for 35+ years so I have a few things to share:

1. I do interesting stuff offline. The more I do in the real world the more I have to talk about. Whether it’s taking on new clients, testing new products, going to events, meeting brands, collaborating with creators - it all gives me raw material to work with. Put yourself forward for exciting projects! Take on clients who have sticky problems! Have hard conversations! Try building something on the side! Go a little rogue and share what happens! Offline feeds online, I cannot stress this enough.

2. I share my thinking and process. I’ve always loved this Alex Hormozi quote: “think of content as a documentary not a sermon”. I try to embody this, and rather than preach or claim I’m the expert, I share the behind-the-scenes of my brain and business. It feels far more authentic to write “this is how I’m tackling X” than “this is how you should tackle X”.

3. I own my intersections. I’m a big believer that your unique interests, experiences, skills and curiosities are what makes you memorable. Take me: I write about portfolio careers (obv), startups, writing, experimentation, building products, the future of work, being a generalist…and there are very few people who have this exact mix. I’d hazard a guess that these weird intersections are why you’re reading this newsletter over someone else’s. If you want to stand out from the million other marketers, founders, salespeople, portfolio careerists, CEOs, content creators, brand strategists or finance experts out there, then be proud and vocal about who you are.

4. I’ve developed my own frameworks. I stare out the window and scribble into my iPad a lot. If you looked at me you’d probably think I’m wildly unproductive but all that thinking time has allowed me to come up with proprietary frameworks like the career web, the portfolio career layering method, the tree approach to building a personal brand, and the remix vs. reinvent paths to pivoting your career. Unique thought, unique perspectives and unique spin helps, although it’s not necessary to get started. I didn’t start creating my own IP until well over a year in.

5. I’ve trusted the process. At times it has felt like my LinkedIn posts and Substack musings were being gobbled up by the algorithm and thrown into content purgatory never to be seen by anyone ever again. But I’ve learned that even if it feels like you’re screaming into the abyss, people can hear. Even if your content gets zero engagement, it’s being viewed. Even if it feels like no one’s watching, eyes are directed your way.

If you’re a consumer of content rather than a sharer of ideas, building a personal brand alongside your business or career might feel annoying, stressful and draining. But what if, once you start sharing, you enjoy it? What if, once you start posting, dream opportunities come your way? What if, once you show courage, a droplet becomes a ripple, then a wave, then a tsunami?

Being vocal leads to being seen. Being seen leads to being remembered. Being remembered leads to being approached. Being approached leads to being sought after. And being sought after leads to freedom, options and choice.

Making a name for yourself is not about saying “look at me, look how good I am!”. It’s about throwing your hat in the ring and saying to the world…

I am smart.

I am capable.

I am here.

Forget me not.

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The #6 thing I’m doing to make a name for myself online (that I forgot to include in the newsy):

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