The Personal Branding Lies We Need to Stop Telling Ourselves

But First, The Truth:

Building a personal brand isn’t about following a checklist or someone else’s playbook. It’s about showing up, being yourself, and delivering value to those who need it. The biggest myth of all is that personal branding is complicated. In reality, it’s pretty simple: be real, be consistent, and be patient.

We do personal branding photoshoots every day here at Studio B Portraits and no matter how many times we try to set the record straight, some lies just never seem to die.

The Biggest Lie: “I just need ONE good headshot.”

We are living in a digital world, and you need to have real estate in every neighborhood. Plan for 25-40 images to get you started. Show your face. Show it often. Show it everywhere. Right now, organic social media posting on LinkedIn, Instagram, X, Facebook and YouTube are entirely free. Even better, your blog is your property… build your empire here with your images, your vision, your stories and your expertise. Just start.

The Overwhelm Lie: “I have to do it all right now. “

Be okay with being a beginner. Frame this branding session in your mind as the first of many photoshoots. Building a brand (just like building a business) does not happen in one day. Everyone starts somewhere and you are at step one of the journey. Your public image will have many layers and this is the “base layer”… the foundation. The truth is, simplicity wins. Keep your focus and remind yourself “this is what I’m doing right now”.

The Perfection Lie: “I need to be more (fill in blank) to be taken seriously.”

How does the saying go? Perfectionism is the enemy of progress. Waiting until everything is “just right” is obviously procrastination keeping you stuck. The truth is, people don’t need you to be flawless (or older, younger, thinner); they need you to be of service and solve their problems. To do that - you need to be part of the community, build relationships, and add value (write a blog, post on social media, tell stories that connect who you are with what you do, etc.)