MHN Executive Council: Tips to Build Your Personal Brand
Differentiate yourself from the crowd.
Creating a personal brand can help differentiate yourself from the crowd, build trust with your clients and grow your network. But figuring out how to do that can be difficult. Luckily, the MHN Executive Council has some tips!
Focus In
If I had to distill personal brand building in marketing down to one piece of advice, it would be this:
Be known for one clear thing and prove it consistently.
Most personal brands fail not because they lack talent, but because they lack focus. In marketing, credibility compounds when people can immediately answer three questions about you:
- What problem do you solve?
- Who do you solve it for?
- Why should they trust you?
What this means in practice
- Pick a lane. Resist the urge to be everything to everyone. Specialists are remembered; generalists are forgotten.
- Show, don’t claim. Your brand is built through examples(stories, results, frameworks, opinions), not titles or bios.
- Repeat your message relentlessly. Consistency across platforms, conversations, and content creates recognition and trust.
- Let your point of view do the filtering. The right people should lean in; the wrong ones should self-select out.
A strong personal brand is not self-promotion—it is reputation made visible. When people start describing you the same way whether you are in the room or not, your brand is working. —Maria Pietroforte, President, Maria Pietroforte Consulting
Responsive, Not Reactionary
A personal brand, like any brand, is always rooted in perception. Perception can’t be controlled but it can be guided. Making sure you know what your position is and what you stand for is essential to making sure those perceptions flow from consistent behavior across a multitude of interactions.
People often confuse the reactions of highly visible influencers as their brand. Often these “influencers” have no idea what they really stand for. A solid personal brand isn’t reactionary to the trend of the day, it’s responsive in thoughtful, meaningful ways.
This is becoming more important than ever in today’s AI environment, which can solve for so many needs. AI can’t reflect the subjective, humanistic, layered nuance that comes from an individual’s unique persona. A consistent, confident, secure personal brand will always stand apart from surface level, inconsistent flavors of the day. —Josh Kassing, SVP, Mary Cook Associates
Remember to Share
When I first started posting on LinkedIn, it was a sea of data points and corporate announcements. I chose to share stories instead—about my work, my experiences, and even my life—long before that approach was common in our industry. Yes, that meant posting the good, the bad and the ugly moments of being a working parent and building my career while still being present for my family. My advice for building a personal brand is simple: show up consistently and authentically. Share content that reflects who you truly are. Storytelling builds connection, authenticity builds trust and trust is what turns a personal brand into a lasting one. —Stephanie Anderson, Senior Director, Grace Hill
Know What You Stand For
A strong personal brand, like a successful property brand, is grounded in a clear point of view. It is about knowing who you serve, what you stand for and the value you consistently deliver. When that foundation is solid, every decision, from how you communicate to the work you choose to showcase, feels aligned rather than performative.
The most compelling brands are disciplined. They do not chase trends or try to appeal to everyone. Instead, they make deliberate choices that reinforce a cohesive story over time. That consistency builds trust, signals confidence, and creates lasting recognition.
Whether shaping a reputation or a place, clarity leads. When the vision is well defined and executed with intention, the result feels authentic, differentiated, and memorable. —Wendi Stallings, Principal, Private Label International
People Person
I had an investor call me who said, “Hey, I did not see you do your normal weekly live stream online. Are you OK?” I was shocked as this investor personally invests over $1M per deal on every deal with us and he’s Brazilian—he’s a busy guy in another country. It became evident to me that in the era of AI, people crave consistent, real and live.
We continue to maintain our weekly live stream and although we do not have millions of followers, the core group that follows us, always over subscribes our deals.
We also hired an agency to produce shorts for us and that has helped broaden our reach.
Our AI videos for personal brand are not quite strong enough yet, but I suspect they will be soon. —Nate Armstrong, Co-CEO & Founder, Home Invest
Interested in joining the MHN Executive Council and sharing your insights? Email Jessica Fiur.
