I Built Everyone Else’s Brand but Forgot My Own

Somewhere between campaigns, algorithms, and helping companies grow — I realised I’d left myself behind.

In 2019, I was too shy to dance on TikTok. Fast forward to 2025, and here I am, trying to dance my way into a job in Marketing.

It’s funny. A little sad. But mostly true.

Back then, I thought personal branding was just an online performance. The people who went viral, posted hot takes on LinkedIn, or had Instagram feeds polished within an inch of their lives, those were the ones “building a brand.” Meanwhile, I stayed quiet. I studied, wrote my master’s thesis on branding, worked hard, and even grew a company’s LinkedIn following by 30% while helping them attract new hires. Yet my own profile? Radio silence.

The irony wasn’t lost on me: I was building brands for everyone else, while mine sat untouched.

I asked the professor way to many questions and read all the materials before class. Yes, i'm that person

But here’s the thing, personal branding isn’t just digital. It’s the reputation you build in real life. During my studiess, I never missed a class. Not once. I did the readings, prepped my questions, turned up ready. That was a personal brand too: consistency, professionalism, the quiet credibility that comes from showing up every single time.

And yet, stepping into the job market, I realised something uncomfortable: you can be brilliant offline, but if no one sees you, it barely counts. Visibility now matters as much as substance. The loudest voice often drowns out the most prepared one.

So here I am, finally trying to bring the two halves together, to be visible and credible, online and off. Posting more. Showing up with the same consistency I once brought to the classroom, but this time, in public.

Because maybe the real question isn’t whether personal branding lives online or offline. Maybe it’s this: if your brand only exists where no one can see it, does it exist at all?