Follow the Feeling: Brand Builder
Follow the Feeling is a brand-building podcast produced by Kai D. Wright, Columbia University lecturer and author of Follow the Feeling: Brand Building in a Noisy World. A companion to the award-winning book, the podcast offers expert guidance and proven methods to help individuals build emotionally resonant, community-powered brands. Each episode breaks down the five brand-building moments that matter most—Lexicon, Audio, Visuals, Experience, and Culture—while providing actionable strategies and inspiration to grow with clarity and purpose.
Learn more at FollowTheFeeling.com.
Follow the Feeling: Brand Builder
Daily Dose (Bonus) | 3 Personal Branding Approaches | Getting Future-Ready for the Multiverse | Subscriber-only
In this episode, we unlock powerful personal branding strategies from industry experts to help you make your brand shine.
With more than 1,000 new people surpassing the one-million-follower mark on social media each month, and over a million people now having over a million social media followers, growing an audience is no longer the measure of a strong personal brand.
Listen to hear how to stand out in the noise in a way that resonates:
- Kasey Brown's "Stop-Stay-Share" framework for creating emotional content that gets noticed and shared (Get the details)
- Jon Evans' strategy for tapping into your unique voice to go from 0 to 50K (See his PDF guide)
- Ruth Gotian's factors that drive success (Subscribe to her new newsletter)
- How major companies like Nike and The North Face are using LinkedIn and social platforms to find creative partners (Ad Age)
- The transformation of LinkedIn from resume platform to "digital storefront" in the creator economy
Whether you’re building a startup or refreshing your brand, this is your blueprint for turning an audience into a tribe.
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Produced by Kai D. Wright. Follow Kai on LinkedIn.
Buy the companion book, "Follow the Feeling: Brand Building in a Noisy World" on Amazon.
Welcome back to Brand Builder Lab. You know we're all about serving up that daily dose of creative fuel to help you really level up your brand.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and today we're going to be focusing on some super smart strategies to make your personal brand shine. We're going to be looking at insights from a few awesome sources.
Speaker 1:Yep, we're going to be checking out stuff from Kasey Brown's newsletter Jon Evans. He had a really interesting LinkedIn post and we'll even touch on what someone like Ruth Gotian is doing.
Speaker 2:I like it. It's like a little power squad of branding wisdom.
Speaker 1:Exactly so. Let's kick things off with Kasey Brown and her stop stay share framework. She's all about creating content that actually makes waves, you know, stuff that doesn't just get glanced at but actually gets people thinking and sharing. Right, cuts through all that noise, yeah and her whole approach is broken down into these three key parts. So, first up, you've got to stop the scroll. You need to grab people's attention instantly.
Speaker 2:It's all about that hook.
Speaker 1:It is, and Kasey had this killer example Instead of saying you know, I'm excited to share some thoughts about leadership.
Speaker 2:Which, let's be honest, no one's clicking on that.
Speaker 1:Right, you, you got to space it up. She suggests something like the CEO fired her entire executive team. Here's why it was the right call.
Speaker 2:Okay, I'm listening.
Speaker 1:Right, you immediately want to know more.
Speaker 2:For sure it piques your curiosity.
Speaker 1:It's like that element of surprise, right.
Speaker 2:Oh boy.
Speaker 1:So then once you've stopped them in their tracks, you got to make them stay. This is where you really bring the value. You need to give them a fresh perspective or some kind of insight they haven't heard a million times before.
Speaker 2:You got to keep them engaged.
Speaker 1:Yeah, exactly, and Kasey points out that this is where a lot of content falls flat. It's just regurgitating the same old advice.
Speaker 2:They've got to be original.
Speaker 1:It does. It's about adding something new to the conversation, making people think, hmm, I never thought about it that way before.
Speaker 2:Right. Give them that aha moment.
Speaker 1:Yes. And then the final piece of the puzzle is share. You want people to feel so compelled by your content that they can't help but share it with their network.
Speaker 2:It's like a chain reaction.
Speaker 1:It is, and Kasey really emphasizes, that it often comes down to evoking some kind of emotion in your audience. Do they feel seen or understood by your message? Does it challenge a belief they've held?
Speaker 2:If it resonates with them on a deeper level.
Speaker 1:Exactly, and when your content makes them feel something, they're way more likely to share it because it reflects well on them or they just feel passionate about spreading the message it becomes a part of their own personal brand. Right and that's super powerful. And you know what Kasey's big takeaway is you don't need fancy production or perfect timing, you just need to make sure your content is actually worth someone's attention. It's all about the substance, not the fluff.
Speaker 2:Quality over quantity 100 percent Okay.
Speaker 1:So let's switch gears a bit and look at some awesome advice for LinkedIn growth from Jon Evans. He's the CCO of System One, so he knows what he's talking about.
Speaker 2:Yeah, he's built a really impressive following on LinkedIn.
Speaker 1:He has and he recently shared like 10 key lessons he's learned along the way.
Speaker 2:Oh, I love these list style posts. They're so digestible.
Speaker 1:They are. So one of the first things he stressed was the importance of create, basically figuring out your personal brand and your voice, what sets you apart from everyone else.
Speaker 2:What's your unique angle?
Speaker 1:Yes, and this totally ties back into what Kasey was saying about having a fresh perspective, right?
Speaker 2:Definitely you got to have that distinct voice. You do yeah.
Speaker 1:Then Jon goes on to talk about value and how you need to be constantly sharing valuable insights, like becoming a go-to resource for people in your field.
Speaker 2:Give them the good stuff.
Speaker 1:The good stuff. What are the things you get asked about all the time? That's probably a good indication of what kind of content you should be creating.
Speaker 2:Makes sense. Share your knowledge. Exactly, and the more you share, the more you build trust and establish yourself as that go-to expert.
Speaker 1:It's all about consistency. Oh, that's actually his next point, consistency. He actually recommends posting daily.
Speaker 2:Wow Every day.
Speaker 1:Every day, even weekends. His philosophy is just get that content out there, don't overthink it. Don't let perfection be the enemy of good. Just be consistent and let your audience know they can count on you for regular insights.
Speaker 2:I guess it helps stay top of mind.
Speaker 1:It does, and the more you put yourself out there, the more opportunities you have to experiment and see what works.
Speaker 2:Like testing, testing, testing.
Speaker 1:Totally. Oh, and another tip from Jon that I thought was interesting was his emphasis on video, especially portrait-style videos, and what he calls UGC or user-generated content. He says those formats are like gold for engagement.
Speaker 2:I can see that it's more personal.
Speaker 1:It is right. It's like you're connecting with people on a deeper level, you know. Think about those quick, insightful takes, or even sharing testimonials from people who've benefited from your work.
Speaker 2:It feels more authentic.
Speaker 1:It does. You know. It's really interesting to see how all these strategies connect right.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Well, Kasey's stop is all about that initial attention grab, and Jon's focus on create and value makes sure that when people stop they actually find something worth sticking around for.
Speaker 2:So I stay right.
Speaker 1:Yes, and if it truly resonates, like Kasey was saying, they'll share it, which ties directly into Jon's tips for growing on LinkedIn.
Speaker 2:It all works together.
Speaker 1:It does. You can't have people sharing bland content and grabbing attention as pointless if you have nothing of value to offer once you have it.
Speaker 2:You got to have substance behind the flash.
Speaker 1:Exactly Now. We also wanted to mention Ruth Gotian. She's the chief learning officer at Weill Cornell Medicine and she has this great newsletter called the Success Factor.
Speaker 2:I've heard of that.
Speaker 1:Yeah. So even though we don't have specific tips from her latest newsletter on hand right now, the fact that she's so consistent with it that she's constantly putting out this valuable content it's like a masterclass in personal branding.
Speaker 2:Makes sense. It's building that connection.
Speaker 1:It is, and she's really positioned herself as an expert in her field, someone who's dedicated to helping people grow.
Speaker 2:Especially given her background in learning and coaching. I bet her newsletter is packed with great advice.
Speaker 1:Oh for sure, and you know, it reminds me of something really interesting that happened this past week.
Speaker 2:What's that?
Speaker 1:Ad Age, the marketing publication, reported that a lot of big companies, even like Nike and The North Face, are using LinkedIn to find potential agencies and creative partners.
Speaker 2:Seriously, they're looking for agencies on LinkedIn.
Speaker 1:Yep, and apparently it's becoming more and more common.
Speaker 2:Wow, I guess that really shows how important a strong personal brand is these days. It does?
Speaker 1:Your LinkedIn profile isn't just a resume anymore. It's how people are finding and evaluating you.
Speaker 2:It's like your digital storefront.
Speaker 1:Exactly so, whether you're focusing on creating those scroll-stopping hooks, like Kasey suggests, consistently sharing your expertise, like Jon advises, or building that direct line to your audience with valuable content, like Ruth's newsletter, remember, building a strong personal brand is a marathon, not a sprint.
Speaker 2:It's a long game.
Speaker 1:It is. You've got to be in it for the long haul.
Speaker 2:Absolutely so. Think about what resonated with you today. What's one thing from Kasey's framework or Jon's advice that you can start implementing right now? How can you begin providing consistent value in a way that's uniquely you?
Speaker 1:Love that and for more inspiration and those bite-sized insights to help you level up your brand. Keep coming back to Brand Builder Lab, your daily dose of creative fuel.
Speaker 2:Here's a final thought for you With LinkedIn becoming such a huge platform for connections and opportunities, what's one small but impactful thing you can do today to make your presence even stronger and start building those valuable relationships?
Speaker 1:That's a great question to leave everyone with. Until next time, keep building, keep shining.
