The Influential Personal Brand Podcast

On today’s recap episode Rory and AJ get together to discuss Rory’s conversation with Stephen Scoggins about how he became a certified strategist, his personal brand journey, and the subject of visual identity when building a personal brand. Rory and AJ each share their top three takeaways from the interview and what they learned from talking with Stephen. We delve into why one of the biggest challenges of building a personal brand is whether you feel worthy of having a voice and the value in doing what you can with what you have at a given moment in time. AJ shares her admiration for Stephen’s ability to be resourceful and still produce high-quality services and how he has been able to help people and have an impact. For all this and more, join us today as we revisit our conversation with Stephen Scoggins! 

In today’s episode, we get together with our good friend Stephen Scoggins. Stephen is an entrepreneur, keynote speaker, best-selling author, and business and life-mastery thought leader. We talk with Stephen about how he was able to overcome adversity early in his life to build a highly successful business empire comprising of different pursuits like real estate and building a personal brand. In our conversation, Stephen shares why he was resistant to building a personal brand for so long and how the advice of a friend helped him decide to pursue it. Tuning in you’ll hear how Stephen was able to gain over 100 000 followers in just twelve months and what some of his biggest challenges were during his journey to building his personal brand. We break down the concept of the content diamond and why it’s so useful in helping you optimally use your time to establish a cohesive online presence. Later we discuss one of the biggest problems that new public speakers face and how Stephen and the Brand Builders Group are helping public speakers and others build their personal brand by offering accessible, high-quality video and photography content production. Stephen emphasizes the importance of investing in your dreams and why your visual identity is so important to your personal branding. Join us today for an energizing discussion on how to take the most important steps for your personal brand, and so much more! 

In today’s episode, we revisit our conversation with longtime Silicon Valley influencer Claire Díaz-Ortiz. Rory and AJ share their top three takeaways from the interview and discuss how they see the lessons reflected in their own lives and business. Tuning in you’ll hear about how it’s an entrepreneur's responsibility to share their idea with the world and how ultimately you have the ability to be your own media company thanks to the power of social media. We discuss what it means to reframe PR as ‘moment making’ and why it’s so much more engaging than sending out a press release. Finally, we reflect on the increased necessity for an online presence and how best to optimize that by understanding your messaging and how that needs to manifest on different platforms. Claire is an expert in her field and we loved talking with her. For all our highlights from the interview and more, tune in today! 

For public speakers, establishing a personal brand is essential, but what about entrepreneurs and the owners of new companies and startups? When it comes to the two spheres of social media marketing and tech startups, and how they overlap, there is no one better to talk to than Claire Díaz-Ortiz. Claire established herself in tech during her time at Twitter, where she was hired to lead corporate social innovation. She is the author of several books with titles ranging from Social Media Success for Every Brand: The Five StoryBrand Pillars That Turn Posts Into Profits to One Minute Mentoring: How to find and work with a mentor - and why you’ll benefit from being one. She is also a speaker, advisor, and angel investor in early-stage startups. Tuning in, you’ll hear us discuss how the world of personal branding has changed over the past 20 years and how best to leverage the power of social media to engage with your followers. We unpack the increasing pressure to have an online presence, regardless of your line of work, and why building a personal brand and engaging with your followers adds immense value to any business. Later, Claire discusses her enthusiasm for mentoring and explains why early-stage investments are ideal opportunities for mentorship. Claire has a wealth of knowledge and we loved having her on the show. Join us today for an inspiring discussion on how to leverage the power of social media and finding which platform is right for you!

On today’s recap episode Rory and AJ get together to discuss Rory’s conversation with Tom Rath, bestselling author of books like StrengthFinders 2.0 and It’s Not About You. Rory and AJ each share their top three takeaways from the interview and what they learned about creating a work of nonfiction that will sell and have an impact. Tuning in you’ll hear about the importance of giving your readers something to do and why it’s important to give advice that is backed up by data and research, not just opinions. We delve into what makes an idea more shareable and why you should always consider how to incorporate human connectivity into your topic for maximum impact. For all this and more, join us today as we revisit our conversation with Tom Rath! 

What are the factors that determine whether a nonfiction business book will be a bestseller? In today’s episode, we get together with a highly knowledgeable and accomplished figure in the world of publishing to find the answers to this question. Tom Rath is the author of several bestselling books, including StrengthsFinder 2.0, which happens to be one of the bestselling nonfiction books on Amazon. He has sold over 10 million copies of his various books over the years and is a senior scientist and advisor to Gallup, where he previously spent 13 years leading the organization’s work on employee engagement, strengths, and wellbeing. Tuning in, listeners will hear what Tom has learned from his years in publishing and what characteristics have helped make his books so successful. Find out why giving your readers something tangible to do can be a good predictor for the success of a book and why it’s good to base your book on one or a few central ideas. We hear from Tom about his primary goals when tackling a new writing project and how COVID-19 affected the release of his book, It’s Not About You: A Brief Guide to a Meaningful Life. As we wrap up, Tom shares what has kept him humble and grounded, despite his success in business and publishing. For all this and more, join us today! 

On today’s special recap episode, Rory and AJ get together to discuss their interview with their former pastor, Pete Wilson. We hear from AJ about why she is so passionate about the concept of reinvention and why she believes that we are all in a constant state of reinvention in some area of our lives. She shares how a behind-the-scenes conversation with Pete gave her an insight into how he sees himself and his accomplishments, versus how other people see him, and how we can all benefit from seeing ourselves through the eyes of others. Rory unpacks the beauty of a blank slate and why we are never truly starting over since we all have a past set of skills that we can realign to serve our current purpose. For all this and more, tune in today! 

In today's episode, AJ and Rory get together with their former pastor Pete Wilson to discuss the topic of reinvention, especially when one considers the amount of upheaval that has been caused by the COVID 19 pandemic. Pete is the best-selling author of Plan B: What to Do When God Doesn't Show Up the Way You Thought He Would, which he wrote after undergoing his own reinvention several years ago when he drastically altered his life by leaving his successful career in ministry. In 2019 he established Good Vibes Management, an organization that, among other things, pairs up high profile individuals with ethical corporate brands, giving new purpose to their celebrity platforms. He also hosts a podcast, Good Talk with his wife, where they inspire people to be healthier, happier, and more purpose-driven versions of themselves. In our conversation, Pete shares what he learned from his reinvention and how interviewing others informed his viewpoint. He discusses the important role that gratitude and humility have to play when adjusting your mindset for reinvention and why you must reevaluate your definition of success. Join us today for an eye-opening discussion on the challenges and potential that lies in reinvention and much more! 

In today’s special recap episode, Rory revisits his conversation with Kim Scott, author of Radical Candor and most recently Just Work. Rory reflects on their conversation and how its lessons extend far beyond applications to one’s personal brand. Rory shares his top three takeaways from their conversation, the most fundamental of which is the idea that discrimination exists on a continuum, with Kim categorizing its different forms in the workplace as bias, prejudice, and bullying. Rory also reflects on his desire to receive criticism with more humility and less defensiveness and how to apply the important lesson that it’s one’s impact that matters, not one’s intention. For all this and more, tune in today for an informative and thought-provoking recap!  

Most of us aspire to behave in a manner that is ethical, fair, and just, but our efforts are often undermined by unconscious biases, and without outside interventions, we may never take the necessary steps to change these unintended habits. In today’s episode we sit down with Kim Scott to talk about her new book Just Work: Get Sh*t Done, Fast & Fair. Some listeners may recognize her as the New York Times bestselling author of Radical Candor: Be a Kick-Ass Boss Without Losing Your Humanity. Kim has spent many years working as a high-profile CEO coach, doing in-depth work at Dropbox, Qualtrics, and Twitter to name a few. She was also involved with AdSense at Google, is a member of the faculty at Apple University, and has worked directly for Sheryl Sandberg. In our conversation with Kim, we talk about what she learned from writing Radical Candor and how she applied those lessons to her latest book Just Work. Kim breaks down the three revelations she experienced after getting feedback from a colleague, the most striking of which was that Radical Candor did not address how much more difficult it is to apply its lessons if you are a woman and especially if you are a woman of color. She explains why she felt it urgent and necessary to delineate the distinctions between bias, prejudice, and bullying in Just Work, and how she recommends using ‘bias interrupters’ to facilitate a more just and equitable workplace. Later we discuss how influencers can become more aware of their biases when using social media and how to respond reasonably to criticism and feedback by taking the time to step away and calm down when our fight or flight response gets triggered. We had a fascinating conversation with Kim and we’re sure that you will find it every bit as informative and stimulating as we did! Tune in today for all this and more!