What is Personal Branding Anyway?

Personal branding gets chucked around like confetti these days. Everyone and their dog claims they’re “building their personal brand” when really, they’ve just updated their LinkedIn headline and posted a few selfies at a networking event. Fair enough … But that’s not quite what we’re talking about here.

At co&co, when we talk about personal branding, we mean the real deal. We’re talking about building a full-blown identity (visual, verbal, and strategic) that actually represents who the f*ck you are, what you stand for, and why anyone should care about you.

Your personal brand is not your LinkedIn account. Just like a brand isn’t its Instagram grid. Platforms are just that – places you show up. But what you show up with? That’s the personal brand. It’s your personality, your values, your tone of voice, your style and how you look, sound, act, and move in the world, both online and off.

Defining personal branding

In short: it’s the collection of elements that make you – you.

A proper personal brand shows off your expertise, your vibe, and your edge. It’s the combination of your experience, your energy, your values, and the way you communicate it all consistently. It’s not pretending to be someone you’re not. It’s actually the total opposite. This is where you have to be your authentic self.

And we’re not just talking about LinkedIn. Your personal brand lives in more places than you might think:

– The way you introduce yourself on a podcast
– How your portfolio or website feels
– Your bio on a panel event or conference line-up
– How you sound in your newsletter or emails
– Even how people describe you when you’re not in the room

That’s the power of personal branding – it shows up whether you mean it to or not. So when you take control of it and do it properly, it becomes your biggest asset. The thing that makes people remember you, refer you, and want to work with you.

And if you do it right, you become the go-to name in your industry, not just another voice out there. 

This isn’t just opinion. According to FTI Consulting, 92% of professionals say they’re more likely to trust a company whose senior executives are active on social media. That’s trust built not through flashy ads — but through human presence and personal visibility. And with Google search volume for “personal brand” increasing over 4x in recent years, it’s clear the world is paying attention. Consumers are no longer just buying products. They’re buying into people.

Why personal branding matters

You might think it’s all a bit self-indulgent. It’s not. When done properly, there are many benefits to personal branding. Here’s why:

1. You become the expert

When your brand is dialled in, you stand out. You become the person people think of when they need what you do. It’s all about trying to stay top of mind to those that might one day need you. Your profile gets raised, your authority gets recognised, and your name carries weight.

2. You naturally build awareness of your business

Your personal brand doesn’t just elevate you, it elevates your business. People see who you are, what you stand for, and by extension, what your business is about too. It’s a softer sell but a much smarter one. Because people buy from people. Not faceless logos. Not fluff. Real f*cking people.

3. You get leads. Like, actual business.

Done right, your personal brand becomes your most powerful lead magnet. It builds trust before you’ve even had a conversation. It shows people what it’s like to work with you and it naturally makes people want to work with you (if you approach it right). So that means enquiries, deals, and yes … more money 🤑.

How co&co does personal branding (and why you want us in your corner)

We build your personal brand like we’d build any top-tier brand – starting with strategy, ending with results, and stacking it with the creativity to make it stand out everywhere it shows up.

We create your full identity, from the ground up

One of the first things we ask when working on a personal brand is: who are you when you're not at work? Because honestly, your job title is the least interesting thing about you. What actually makes you stand out is all the sh*t you overlook because it feels “normal.” But normal to you can be fascinating to someone else. We’ve uncovered some wild and totally unexpected things about our clients in our intro workshops – stuff that ends up being the backbone of their brand. You just need the right team to dig it out.

From there, we build your values, your messaging, your look and feel, and all the supporting bits you need – the likes of content pillars, photography, tone of voice. The full works. That’s when we can start to build the brand that fits you, not the other way round.

We make you look f*cking good

Our content team will capture you in your element. That means photography, videography, content shoots – whatever you need to bring your brand to life. Don’t worry, we won’t be out there capturing stiff studio shots or weird power poses (unless that’s what you want … 😂). We go for authentic visuals that make people connect with you.

We’ll even run the damn thing for you

Don’t have time to build and manage your brand while also, y’know, doing your actual job? That’s cool. That’s our thing. We’ve got a full-service package that includes content creation, ghostwriting, profile building, and engagement management. Basically, we’ll do it all and we’ll make you look mega in the process.

Why trust co&co with your personal brand?

We get it. This sh*t is personal. But we’re not here to mess it up. We’re here to make it work for you … and only you.

👉 We know it’s more than a logo – We’ll give you a full brand system that actually works.

👉 We know brand strategy like the back of our hand– Every part of your brand will be built with purpose and platform in mind.

👉 We don’t mess about – No fluff. No bull. Just straight-talking, strategic, sh*t-hot branding.

Personal branding isn’t about being loud, fake, or famous.

Simple in theory. Hard in practice.

There’s a reason why most people struggle with building a personal brand – they slip into a version of themselves that isn’t real. It’s like that weird voice you put on when you call the dentist. That same energy shows up in people’s brands all the time, and it kills connection… fast.

Because if you’re trying to build something people actually engage with, it has to feel real. Otherwise, no one pays attention. No one sticks around.

If you want to be noticed, remembered, and trusted, you’ve got to do this properly with some good people behind you because you can’t build a strong personal brand on your own.

That’s where we come in. At co&co, we build personal brands that actually reflect you. So let’s make yours work hard (and look good doing it). Ready when you are.