Why Founders Can’t Afford to Ignore Their Personal Brand (and What to Do About It)
In today’s hyper-connected world, your personal brand isn’t just a nice-to-have—it’s one of your company’s most valuable growth assets. In a recent episode of the Scale Smart, Grow Fast podcast, executive brand strategist Alan McLaren shares why CEOs and founders of professional service firms must lead from the front—and how building a clear, authentic personal brand can unlock growth you never knew you were missing.
🎧 Want to hear the full conversation? Listen on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
Your Personal Brand Is Your Business
For service-based entrepreneurs, you are the business. Clients and partners buy into you before they buy into your offer. If you’re not actively shaping your reputation, you’re leaving opportunity on the table. According to Alan, most leaders don’t even realize how many people in their own network don’t fully understand what they do. That lack of clarity stifles referrals, partnerships, and visibility.
Branding Isn’t Ego—It’s Leadership
Alan makes a key distinction: personal branding isn’t about ego. It’s about finding your unique voice and sharing it in service of others. When leaders lean into what they’re truly great at and share stories that reflect their real values and expertise, trust builds naturally—and trust is the currency of growth in the professional services world.
The Power of Storytelling and Simplicity
You don’t need to go viral or become a content machine. You just need to show up consistently with content that’s simple, valuable, and real. Alan recommends a structure: pick a topic, make a clear point, and tell a story. That’s it. He also emphasizes video as the most powerful and authentic format—people feel like they already know you before they ever speak with you.
Getting Started Without Burning Out
Worried about the time commitment? Alan’s advice: batch your content and delegate the logistics. An executive assistant can help with content planning, video uploads, commenting, and keeping you visible across the right platforms (LinkedIn, YouTube, Substack, etc.). Just one video per week—with solid distribution—can move the needle in a big way.
From Visibility to Growth
Real results follow when your personal brand is aligned and active. Alan has seen clients land speaking gigs, close big partnerships, and even launch new businesses—all because they showed up online consistently. And the beauty? You don’t need to “sell.” When people trust you, they reach out ready to buy.
Bottom line: Your personal brand isn’t a side project—it’s a growth strategy. Start small, stay consistent, and use support to keep showing up without adding to your plate.
Ready to stop doing everything yourself and finally scale with support? Schedule a discovery call to meet your Ultimate Executive Assistant.
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