During this Member Workshop, Founder of Network My Club, Bradley Hatchett, was joined by personal branding experts Teri Thomas, Founder of Beyond & Co, and Kevin Briscoe, Managing Director of Briscoe PR, to demystify personal branding – what it really is, why it matters, and how it links directly with networking.
Here’s a recap and key takeaways from their discussion.
Bradley: To start us off, how do each of you define personal branding?
Teri: Personal branding is simply what people say about you when you’re not in the room.
It’s your reputation – shaped by how you communicate, how you show up, and how you make people feel.
It’s not about logos and taglines; it’s the experience others have of you.
Kevin: Exactly. I always say a personal brand is a promise of what to expect. It’s who you are, consistently, across every interaction – online, face-to-face, in your work, and in your behaviour.
People don’t trust job titles; they trust humans.
Your personal brand reflects the human behind the role.
Bradley: If we thought of building a Personal Brand as a big wheel, what are the cogs that make it turn?
Teri: The wheel helps people understand that personal branding isn’t one thing – it’s a blend of cogs all working together:
– How you communicate
– How you behave
– Your online presence
– Your values
– The energy you bring
– Your reputation
– How consistent you are
Each cog contributes to how people perceive you. When one cog is missing or weak, the wheel doesn’t turn smoothly.
Kevin: It’s a great visual because personal branding really is an ecosystem. For example, you can have a great online presence, but if your behaviour in person doesn’t match what people see online, the whole wheel shakes.
Everything has to align for the brand – you – to feel trustworthy.
Bradley: Why is personal branding more important today than ever before?
Kevin: Trust is the currency now. With AI, automation, and noise everywhere online, people are desperate for human connection.
Personal branding cuts through the noise by building trust through authenticity. The more true to yourself you are, the more people gravitate towards you.
Teri: The world has changed massively. Buyers do more research, they expect transparency, and they choose people they feel aligned with.
A strong personal brand helps you stand out because you’re not just known – you’re known for something, and you’re trusted for it.
Bradley: What builds trust? And what breaks it?
Teri: Consistency builds trust. When your actions match your words.
When your online presence matches who you are in person. When your tone, your energy, and your behaviour all line up – people naturally feel safe with you.
Break trust? Lack of follow-through. Inconsistency. Saying one thing and doing another. Ghosting someone after a conversation. People remember how you show up.
Kevin: And being overly curated can break trust. If everything looks polished and perfect, people don’t believe it.
Imperfections make you relatable. Share lessons, not just wins. People trust honesty.
Bradley: Let’s talk about inspiration and getting started. A lot of people want to “build a personal brand” but feel stuck. Where can they start?
Kevin: Start with your story. What experiences shaped you? What values drive you? What problems do you help people solve?
Your brand isn’t built from scratch – it already exists. You’re just choosing what to shine a light on.
Teri: And don’t overthink content. Start small. Share something once a week. Use voice notes if writing feels hard. Capture ideas from daily life or conversations.
People aren’t looking for perfection – they want insight, honesty, and relevance.
Bradley: A big part of personal branding is finding ways to show up regularly. A lot of people struggle with creating content… what are some practical ways to approach this?
Teri: People massively overestimate how much “new” they need to create. You’re sitting on so much content already – conversations, client work, questions people ask you, internal knowledge, even your own experiences.
Repurposing is about turning one thing into many things. For example:
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A podcast you’re on can become five short videos/posts.
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A client question can become a quick video.
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A LinkedIn post can be turned into an email newsletter, and vice-versa.
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A comment you leave on someone else’s post can spark your own post the next day.
You don’t need a content calendar full of big ideas – you just need to capture the small ones you’re already living every day.
Kevin: One of the easiest ways to create content I rely on most is simply paying attention to the questions people ask me.
Whether it’s in a meeting, at an event, or even in a quick conversation, I make a note of it. If one person asks a question, ten others might be thinking it.
Each question can become a LinkedIn post, a short video, or even part of a longer article.
You don’t need to invent ideas. Your audience gives them to you every single day. All you have to do is capture them.
Bradley: Why does personal branding matter for leaders, employees, and advocacy inside a business?
Kevin: When leaders build a strong personal brand, the organisation benefits. People want to work with leaders they trust and relate to. A leader’s personal brand sets the tone for culture, communication, and credibility.
So it not only helps raise awareness for that business, but can also be used as a recruitment vehicle.
Teri: And for employees, it’s empowerment. When people show up confidently as themselves, their opportunities expand.
Businesses with strong internal advocates also grow faster – people buy from people, not logos. When team members are proud to represent the business, that compounds for the company.
Bradley: Finally, how does personal branding tie back to networking?
Teri: Your personal brand walks into the room before you do. If someone has seen your content, or resonated with your story, it makes your first conversation easier – like you’re already familiar.
Kevin: And after the event, your personal brand keeps the relationship alive. Posting, engaging, showing up – it keeps you top of mind.
Networking events are just one of the cogs in the personal branding wheel we spoke about earlier, but are where you can build much deeper trust.
✳️ About Member Only Networking Workshops
Monthly Member Only Networking Workshops are included as part of a Network My Club membership and are open to anyone in your business to attend.
Each session brings practical insights from experts like Teri and Kevin to help you and your team upskill themselves, helping you get more from networking and your business.
👉 Want to access sessions like this each month? Find out more about joining Network My Club today.
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