5 Ways to Build Your Personal Brand and Achieve More Success in 2026

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As technology advances in the world, we as humans need to find ways to differentiate ourselves through our expertise, experience, and unique characteristics that we bring to our work. This is why I’ve become such a big advocate of building and leveraging a personal brand.

As technology advances in the world, we as humans need to find ways to differentiate ourselves through our expertise, experience, and unique characteristics that we bring to our work. This is why I’ve become such a big advocate of building and leveraging a personal brand.

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I began learning about the concept of building a personal brand, particularly a personal brand for business, several years ago during a period of reflection and transformation, as I sought to shift my career and establish my own business around my strengths. I was lucky to learn from some great experts in this field via books , podcasts , and conferences , but almost all of the content was geared toward entrepreneurs building a business around their personal brand.

I began learning about the concept of building a personal brand, particularly a personal brand for business, several years ago during a period of reflection and transformation, as I sought to shift my career and establish my own business around my strengths. I was lucky to learn from some great experts in this field via books, podcasts, and conferences, but almost all of the content was geared toward entrepreneurs building a business around their personal brand.

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However, as a result of all the consulting work I had done in the corporate world over the years, and through conversations with many people about their careers, I realized there was an amazing opportunity for corporate and other working professionals to achieve greater success by building a personal brand. Many people were already doing it.

However, as a result of all the consulting work I had done in the corporate world over the years, and through conversations with many people about their careers, I realized there was an amazing opportunity for corporate and other working professionals to achieve greater success by building a personal brand. Many people were already doing it.

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If you are not familiar with the concept of a personal brand, it is essentially your reputation—what people think and say about you, especially when you are not in the room. How would your colleagues introduce you in a meeting or talk about you to others who ask about you? What would be the reaction of a project manager if you applied to join their team?

If you are not familiar with the concept of a personal brand, it is essentially your reputation—what people think and say about you, especially when you are not in the room. How would your colleagues introduce you in a meeting or talk about you to others who ask about you? What would be the reaction of a project manager if you applied to join their team?

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Most people don’t think about these things. They believe in the myth that if you just put your head down and do great work, you’ll be recognized and rewarded. But the truth is that it’s not just about the quality of your work, but who knows about that work and what they think about it. This is where your personal brand comes in.

Most people don’t think about these things. They believe in the myth that if you just put your head down and do great work, you’ll be recognized and rewarded. But the truth is that it’s not just about the quality of your work, but who knows about that work and what they think about it. This is where your personal brand comes in.

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This is why I included a chapter about building your professional brand in my first book, Own Your Career, Own Your Life . And then later, I partnered with my friend Mike Kim to write a new book expanding on our ideas, called Own Your Brand, Own Your Career , which came out in 2025.

This is why I included a chapter about building your professional brand in my first book, Own Your Career, Own Your Life. And then later, I partnered with my friend Mike Kim to write a new book expanding on our ideas, called Own Your Brand, Own Your Career, which came out in 2025.

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That book and our writing have resonated with many people who have told us that they have set a goal to build their personal brand in the new year. With that in mind, I have created a series featuring five ways to build your personal brand and achieve more success in 2026 and beyond.

That book and our writing have resonated with many people who have told us that they have set a goal to build their personal brand in the new year. With that in mind, I have created a series featuring five ways to build your personal brand and achieve more success in 2026 and beyond.

Start With Reflection

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The foundation for owning your career and personal brand is building self-awareness, which starts with reflection. That means spending some uninterrupted quiet time thinking about your career, life, and your brand. You can ask yourself questions like:

The foundation for owning your career and personal brand is building self-awareness, which starts with reflection. That means spending some uninterrupted quiet time thinking about your career, life, and your brand. You can ask yourself questions like:

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  How do I feel about my career and reputation up to this point?

  How do I feel about my career and reputation up to this point?

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  What do I love about the work that I do, and what is frustrating?

  What do I love about the work that I do, and what is frustrating?

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  What are my strengths and weaknesses?

  What are my strengths and weaknesses?

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  What energizes me or lights me up?

  What energizes me or lights me up?

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  What unique experience and expertise do I possess?

  What unique experience and expertise do I possess?

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When it comes to personal brand, I also ask people to answer the question “Who am I?” It sounds really deep, but it’s actually just a way to help you list all the ways you identify yourself. For me, the list includes son, brother, husband, father, author, keynote speaker, cyclist, expat, cancer survivor, travel enthusiast, dog owner, athlete, friend, and so on.

When it comes to personal brand, I also ask people to answer the question “Who am I?” It sounds really deep, but it’s actually just a way to help you list all the ways you identify yourself. For me, the list includes son, brother, husband, father, author, keynote speaker, cyclist, expat, cancer survivor, travel enthusiast, dog owner, athlete, friend, and so on.

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Your list might include mother, aunt, sister, learning professional, talent developer, lifelong learner, teacher, mentor , student, AI enthusiast, software developer, and so on. There are no wrong answers. It’s only how you identify yourself. And there are no standards. If you write a blog, you are a writer. You don’t have to be published. I consider myself an athlete because, at 45, I still play sports.

Your list might include mother, aunt, sister, learning professional, talent developer, lifelong learner, teacher, mentor, student, AI enthusiast, software developer, and so on. There are no wrong answers. It’s only how you identify yourself. And there are no standards. If you write a blog, you are a writer. You don’t have to be published. I consider myself an athlete because, at 45, I still play sports.

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The next step is to ask yourself what you want to be known for. When people introduce you in meetings, what do you want them to say?

The next step is to ask yourself what you want to be known for. When people introduce you in meetings, what do you want them to say?

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For me, I want to be known as someone who is curious, humble, generous, kind, helpful, inspiring, motivating, fun, energetic, and an expert on things like career development , personal brand, and leadership.

For me, I want to be known as someone who is curious, humble, generous, kind, helpful, inspiring, motivating, fun, energetic, and an expert on things like career development, personal brand, and leadership.

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I have had clients and participants tell me they want to be known as high integrity, easy to work with, hardworking, collaborative, supportive, inclusive, reliable, detail-oriented, and as someone who can get things done.

I have had clients and participants tell me they want to be known as high integrity, easy to work with, hardworking, collaborative, supportive, inclusive, reliable, detail-oriented, and as someone who can get things done.

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You might want to ask yourself what unique experience and expertise you possess, as I previously stated, and decide if you want to expand on that to become known as an expert, thought leader, or go-to person in one of those areas. For example, if you are a learning designer, do you want to be known as an expert in learning design or in the experience itself? Or maybe a thought leader in the field of AI for HR?

You might want to ask yourself what unique experience and expertise you possess, as I previously stated, and decide if you want to expand on that to become known as an expert, thought leader, or go-to person in one of those areas. For example, if you are a learning designer, do you want to be known as an expert in learning design or in the experience itself? Or maybe a thought leader in the field of AI for HR?

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You may not feel like you have enough experience or expertise to be seen as that person today (although we often discount our own abilities, and it’s possible that people already see you that way). But this is not just about how people perceive you today, but how you want to be perceived in the future.

You may not feel like you have enough experience or expertise to be seen as that person today (although we often discount our own abilities, and it’s possible that people already see you that way). But this is not just about how people perceive you today, but how you want to be perceived in the future.

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Then, once you define what you want to be known for, you can start asking yourself regularly if you are showing up in alignment with that brand. And if not, what can you do to show up more consistently in alignment with that brand?

Then, once you define what you want to be known for, you can start asking yourself regularly if you are showing up in alignment with that brand. And if not, what can you do to show up more consistently in alignment with that brand?

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For example, if you said you want to be known as helpful and reliable, were you available to help people at work this week, and when someone asked you for help, did you jump at the chance or did you ignore their email because you had other things to do?

For example, if you said you want to be known as helpful and reliable, were you available to help people at work this week, and when someone asked you for help, did you jump at the chance or did you ignore their email because you had other things to do?

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And if you want to be known as an expert in your craft, are you talking about it regularly at the office and online? Remember, you don’t have to be the foremost expert on the subject to still be seen as an expert. Nobody crowned me as a thought leader on career development or personal brand. I just studied them, shared my thoughts, and then wrote books about them to help others. And I talk about them enough that people start to see me that way. (You can decide if you think I know what I’m talking about, but I’m going to keep sharing my expertise and building my brand anyway—I hope you’ll do the same).

And if you want to be known as an expert in your craft, are you talking about it regularly at the office and online? Remember, you don’t have to be the foremost expert on the subject to still be seen as an expert. Nobody crowned me as a thought leader on career development or personal brand. I just studied them, shared my thoughts, and then wrote books about them to help others. And I talk about them enough that people start to see me that way. (You can decide if you think I know what I’m talking about, but I’m going to keep sharing my expertise and building my brand anyway—I hope you’ll do the same).

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The more you think about what want to be known for and analyze your actions, the more you realize that so much of our brand and reputation is influenced by small actions like how we respond to emails from clients or colleagues, how we show up in meetings, how collaborative or helpful we are to others, what expertise we share, whether we are set in our ways or open to trying new things, and so much more.

The more you think about what want to be known for and analyze your actions, the more you realize that so much of our brand and reputation is influenced by small actions like how we respond to emails from clients or colleagues, how we show up in meetings, how collaborative or helpful we are to others, what expertise we share, whether we are set in our ways or open to trying new things, and so much more.

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So, what do you want to be known for, and are you showing up in alignment with that brand?

So, what do you want to be known for, and are you showing up in alignment with that brand?

Align With Your Team

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As you build your own personal brand through these exercises, you can also do the same with your team at work, if you are part of one. Let’s say you work on a 10- person learning and development team . At your next team meeting or offsite, you can dedicate some time to answering the previously mentioned questions, but for your team:

As you build your own personal brand through these exercises, you can also do the same with your team at work, if you are part of one. Let’s say you work on a 10-person learning and development team. At your next team meeting or offsite, you can dedicate some time to answering the previously mentioned questions, but for your team:

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  What are our strengths and weaknesses as a team?

  What are our strengths and weaknesses as a team?

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  What is your purpose and mission? What drives you?

  What is your purpose and mission? What drives you?

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  What is your brand or reputation within the larger company?

  What is your brand or reputation within the larger company?

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  How do our colleagues think of us or introduce us?

  How do our colleagues think of us or introduce us?

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  What do we want our brand or reputation to be in the future? What do we want to be known for?

  What do we want our brand or reputation to be in the future? What do we want to be known for?

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You may even want to go out to some colleagues you work with outside of your team and ask them for input on your team’s reputation.

You may even want to go out to some colleagues you work with outside of your team and ask them for input on your team’s reputation.

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Remember, this is an exercise to be done as a team. I know that for many L&D teams I work with, their current reputation is perceived as more reactive or “order takers,” and they want to build a brand as a team that is a more proactive and strategic partner to the business.

Remember, this is an exercise to be done as a team. I know that for many L&D teams I work with, their current reputation is perceived as more reactive or “order takers,” and they want to build a brand as a team that is a more proactive and strategic partner to the business.

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What about you and your team? What are you known as or for now, and what do you want to be known for in the future?

What about you and your team? What are you known as or for now, and what do you want to be known for in the future?

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Once you know that, you can start developing a plan to shift your reputation in the coming year. It might help to have a facilitator for this exercise, whether it’s the team leader or an outside facilitator with experience in branding. I enjoy running these workshops for clients, so please don't hesitate to reach out if you need assistance.

Once you know that, you can start developing a plan to shift your reputation in the coming year. It might help to have a facilitator for this exercise, whether it’s the team leader or an outside facilitator with experience in branding. I enjoy running these workshops for clients, so please don't hesitate to reach out if you need assistance.

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In the next installment, we’ll explore how to show up in alignment with your brand.

In the next installment, we’ll explore how to show up in alignment with your brand.

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