Why Your Personal Brand is a Critical Revenue Driver – and How to Build It

I invited Andrea Sullivan, who founded the VyVE CEO Mastermind group with Gary Vaynerchuck, to talk with the authors in the Summer Cohort of Your Bestselling Book. She spoke about a critical aspect of the author journey, which so many of us dread: building a personal brand. 

Andrea framed it this way, which I loved: Your personal brand is simply your reputation. It isn't your logo or website or follower count. It's what people know you for, and how you make them feel.

Better yet, your personal brand is a lever, the way you become more trusted and known among the audiences that matter to you. Done well, a personal brand will:

• Attract opportunities
• Build credibility
• Accelerate your career
• Create influence
• Expand your network
• Future-proof you in an AI-driven world

“Personal brand is core to reputational trust,” Andrea told us. “And it's a revenue driver.” For an author, that's everything.

And, I’m delighted to say, the rules for building it have flipped. 

Social media used to reward sheer follower count. Not anymore. Today the algorithms reward meaningful engagement, real connection between real humans. 

You don't need to go viral, thank heavens. It’s more important that you show up as yourself, again and again. Andrea suggests putting in just 15 minutes a day not only creating your own posts, but also commenting, responding, and connecting with people who matter to you. This might include friends, but also influencers in your industry. 

Best of all, Andrea told us to stop performing. So many of us feel a wave of cringe at the thought of filming ourselves. But you don't have to be polished, and you certainly don't have to be perfect. These days, people prefer it when you show your humanity. Share what's happening behind the scenes.

Finally, Andrea said to be conscious of the fact that, “People don't buy products or services. They buy solutions to problems.” So get crystal clear on the one problem you help people solve, and let it anchor everything, your book, your newsletter, your podcast, your talks. Spin those together like a flywheel, and each one feeds the next.

If you want to go deeper, I have a special offer for you.

You can join me, Andrea Sullivan of VyVE, featured above, and my brilliant friend Yrmis Barroeta, who helps people grow their email newsletter lists past 100,000 subscribers, for a live two-hour workshop on building your brand and your audience.

Date: Friday, August 7

Time: 10:00 a.m.–noon Pacific (1:00–3:00 p.m. Eastern)

Cost: $47

REGISTER HERE

Hit Reply and tell me: In one sentence, what do you want to be known for? I read every message that lands in this inbox, and I always write back.

Aloha, MeiMei

TIP OF THE WEEK:  

The 15-Minute Rule

Set a timer for 15 minutes. Spend that time commenting on the content of five people you admire and would love to connect with IRL. Saying something real. 

Then do it again tomorrow, and watch what grows.

This isn’t about pitching them, but rather beginning to build a relationship. When you follow and engage with people who have large followings, the algorithm rewards you by pushing your content into other people’s feeds. And who knows? They may even respond to you directly and become one of your most ardent supporters! 

Want to know more about the next cohort of my 6-week online program and other offerings from Your Bestselling Book? 

Learn More Here!