Hey Reader,
If the phrase 'personal branding' makes you want to retreat and hide, you're not alone.
For introverts, the idea of 'showing up' online can feel like an exhausting performance.
Yet, in 2025, the reality is that a personal brand is the new CV.
Employers are actively seeking candidates with strong personal brands and for those of us building a business, our personal brands are even more important than our business brands, as people buy from people.
But what if I told you that this life design journey you're already on with me will also give you all you need to build your brand?
''Don't build a brand. Build a life.''
Justin Welsh, who built a seven-figure solo business after a successful corporate career, recently encouraged his followers to take a different approach to personal branding:
"Most 'personal branding' feels like dressing up as someone you think others want to see. But what if you focused on living an interesting life instead?"
Welsh argues that most personal branding strategies focus on the wrong things, because following formulas leads to manufacturing an image.
Instead, he suggests asking yourself:
What makes my life interesting?
Or, what could make my life interesting?
But My Life Isn't That Interesting...
If you're thinking, "That sounds great for people with extraordinary lives, but mine is fairly ordinary."
Here's the liberating truth:
What makes a life 'interesting' isn't how extraordinary it appears to others - it's how meaningfully you engage with it.
Welsh isn't suggesting you need to climb Everest or start a tech startup. He's advocating for authentic engagement with whatever truly matters to you:
"Try something difficult. Make something unusual. Solve interesting problems. Share what you learn along the way."
The most compelling stories often come from people approaching ordinary things with an uncommon perspective or depth of engagement.
My own most engaged-with post over the past few weeks has been the one where I shared how I'd reached rock bottom.
I wasn't sharing anything extraordinary that I'd done; I was sharing a moment of vulnerability.
And people related to that.
Maybe you are even reading this now is because you subscribed to follow my journey and see what happens next for me.
Designing a Life Worth Talking About
When you design a meaningful life first, your personal brand emerges naturally - whether you're climbing the corporate ladder or building a business.
The strategy becomes beautifully simple:
"Do things that matter to you.
Tell the truth about them.
Repeat."
This isn't just feel-good advice. It's practical strategy (and one that dovetails perfectly with my 5Cs strategy that I gifted to you when you subscribed).
In today's world, where your digital presence often precedes you (yes, that's right, you already have a personal brand whether you're curating it or not), those that stand out aren't the most polished - they're the most authentic.
This is actually also the whole premise of i-Unbound: because I'm using life design principles to design my life right along with you, following the life I had built crashing and burning.
So far, I've been focusing on building a strong foundation by putting healthy habits in place, doing a lot of reflection, and prioritising building this community.
And as we move through the design process I'll be sharing my successes, failures and learnings.
ALL of these make for great stories.
The people who attract the most meaningful opportunities are those who are living lives that generate stories worth telling.
And the best part? Welsh explains it perfectly:
"Even if no one ever follows you, you'll still have built something valuable: a life that interests and excites you. And at the end of all your days, isn’t that all that really matters?"
Your Next Step
So how do you apply this approach? Start small:
Instead of asking "How can I improve my personal brand?" try asking: "What would make my life more interesting to me?"
This week, what one small step could you take toward living a life worth talking about?
If you'd like a little extra help with your personal branding, hit reply; I have a limited number of strategy sessions available.
In your corner always,
Sam 💛
