Still waiting to feel ready? The only personal branding advice that matters
We get asked this all the time: When is the right time to start building a personal brand?
The answer is painfully simple. And you probably already know it.
Start now. Today. Right now.
Not when you’ve got a business. Not when you’ve got a fully formed idea. Not when you feel ready. Now.
Here’s why: every day you don’t build your personal brand, you’re leaving stories, experiences and ideas unheard. Worst of all, all possible connections are completely disconnected.
You’ll never get the time back.
Hot Take 🔥 Don’t underestimate the power of compounding
You’re not going to go viral overnight. But if you invest in it regularly, the results compound in ways you can’t predict.
We spoke to somebody recently who had six likes on their YouTube channel and wanted to give up. We’ve been there. But you’ve got to keep going because it takes time. You can’t just expect to put yourself out there and everything to light up immediately.
Emma has been building her personal brand on LinkedIn consistently for two years, and now has almost 18,000 followers. It’s not about the count, but the brand partnerships, inbound clients and collaborations that have come off the back of it have been incredible. None of that would have happened without pushing through the dips.
You’ve got to build up the momentum. The more you do, the more visibility you get. But you’ve got to start today.
Steal Our Strategy 👀 How to easily start building your personal brand
Whether you’re a founder or aspiring to start your own business, building your personal brand now is a necessity.
1️⃣ Work with what you’ve got
Got a fully formed business? Talk about what you’re building. Got an idea? Talk about the idea. Got nothing but curiosity about a topic? Talk about what you’re learning. People want to be part of a journey. You just need to start sharing your perspective.
2️⃣ You don’t have to give away the secret sauce
We recently spoke to a founder whose advisors told them not to build a personal brand because someone might steal their idea. You don’t have to talk about what you’re building. Build your audience around the topic you’re working in. Share your journey, your learning and your perspective, without giving away the specifics. That way, when you do launch, you’ve already got an audience and people who can back you.
3️⃣ Building in employment before you break out?
Your employer doesn’t own your LinkedIn profile. It’s yours. If your end goal is to build a business, you’d rather leave employment with an audience, a community and a client base than leave with nothing and start from scratch. Talk about what you’re learning and your perspective. Just don’t share anything confidential.
The bottom line: If you’re building a personal brand to attract clients, customers, or investors, they don’t need to see the finished product. They need to see the journey. Start sharing now, with what you’ve got, where you are, because the longer you wait, the bigger the audience is that you never built.
Founder Diaries 📓 Two perspectives on starting before you’re ‘ready’
Emma’s Story
As a 21-year-old first-time founder in 2019, I started building my personal brand with zero guidelines on what to do. I had no connections in the industry. No network and no warm introductions.
My personal brand was the only thing that opened doors for me. If I didn’t have it, I wouldn’t be where I am now.
That’s why it frustrates me when advisors tell founders not to put themselves out there. Especially in the UK, where we already have a cultural tendency not to shout about what we do. When someone tells you “you don’t need to do that yet,” it’s very easy to just... not do it.
Your action step: Don’t wait for permission. Start sharing what you’re working on, learning, or thinking about, even if it’s messy and imperfect.
Graeme’s Story
I think about all the things I’ve done and I didn’t think about my personal brand at all. As a result, people don’t know those stories.
When I reflect on my time in employment, I had ideas and perspectives that I genuinely believed would improve the business. But I wasn’t being heard. On reflection, I think it’s because I didn’t have leverage. If I’d built a personal brand, I would have expanded my network. Visibility builds acknowledgement, acknowledgement builds reputation, and reputation builds leverage.
What I’ve seen time and again is people working behind the scenes, going through the struggle, working through the lessons, and keeping it hidden. Then at the end, they reveal what they’ve built, and there’s nobody there.
Your action step: Think about one experience or perspective from the last month that someone else could learn from. Write about it. Post it. That’s your personal brand starting. And if it only gets six likes? Good. Keep going.
Opportunity Radar 🚨
NatWest Accelerator (Free, no equity, open now, nationwide)
NatWest’s free Accelerator programme is open to any founder looking to grow their business. No application process, no equity, no catch. You get one-to-one coaching, events, a network of like-minded founders, and access to 12 physical hubs across the UK plus a virtual option. Businesses that go through the programme grew their turnover by 104% year on year. You don’t need to be a NatWest customer. Join the NatWest Accelerator
The Pitch 2026 by SeedLegals (Free, UK-wide pitching competition)
The UK and Ireland’s largest pitching competition is back for 2026, now powered by SeedLegals. Sixty founders are selected to pitch across six cities (Dublin, Glasgow, Manchester, Bristol, Birmingham and London) in front of active investors, with a £25k prize package for the winner. Applications for 2026 have closed, but you can attend the regional finals to network with investors and founders, and sign up to be first to know when applications reopen. Find out more about The Pitch
Atomicon 2026 (Newcastle, 15-16 June 2026)
Part conference, part networking party. Atomicon brings together small business owners for two days of branding, community building, and growth strategy. Speakers include Jamie Laing (Candy Kittens), Ann Handley (marketing pioneer and bestselling author) and Shawn Kanungo (innovation strategist). You can attend in person or virtually. If you’re serious about building your brand and meeting like-minded founders, this one’s worth booking. Get tickets for Atomicon
Something exciting is here... The Lucky Founders Club 🍀
We’ve been sitting on this, and now it’s time.
We’re launching the Lucky Founders Club, and it’s going to change your game.
This isn’t just another community. This is for founders who are serious about building a personal brand that opens doors, attracts opportunities, and positions them as the go-to expert in their space.
Inside the club, you’ll get:
✨ Direct access to feedback and support ✨ A network of ambitious, like-minded founders ✨ Resources and strategies you won’t find anywhere else ✨ Accountability to actually show up and build your brand
We’re only opening this to a limited number of founding members.
If you’ve been waiting for the right moment to invest in your personal brand, this is it.
Get on the Lucky Founders Club waitlist 👋
