Personal Branding in a Noisy World

In the latest episode of the ThinkNow podcast, we sat down with Jim Blair, the Assistant Dean Chair of the Faculty and Associate Professor of Marketing at Eastern Kentucky University, to unpack one of the most talked‑about (and often misunderstood) topics in marketing and leadership today: personal branding.

In a world where everyone has a platform, Jim challenges the idea that personal branding is about self‑promotion or perfectly curated personas. Instead, he reframes it as something far more strategic, human, and sustainable, especially for leaders, researchers, and professionals navigating increasingly complex markets.

Below are some of the most compelling themes from the conversation, and why they matter right now.

Personal Branding Is Not a Logo, It’s a Reputation

One of the strongest points Jim makes early in the conversation is that personal branding isn’t about visuals, slogans, or social media aesthetics. It’s about what people consistently experience when they interact with you.

Your personal brand exists whether you actively manage it or not. It’s shaped by how you communicate, how you show up in moments of uncertainty, and how others describe you when you’re not in the room.

For professionals in insights, marketing, and research, this is especially critical. Trust, credibility, and clarity are core currencies and personal branding plays a direct role in all three.

Personal Branding Is Contextual

A key insight from the episode is that personal branding is not one‑size‑fits‑all. How you show up depends on your role, your audience, and the cultural context you’re operating in.

Jim emphasizes that effective personal brands are adaptive, not performative. They evolve as people grow, as industries shift, and as expectations change.

This idea closely mirrors what we see in multicultural research: identity is layered, dynamic, and situational. The same is true for personal brands.

Leadership, Trust, and Long‑Term Impact

Perhaps the most resonant part of the conversation is the link Jim draws between personal branding and leadership.

Strong leaders don’t build brands to be admired; they build brands that:

• Create clarity
• Earn trust
• Invite collaboration

Personal branding, when done right, becomes a leadership tool. It helps teams align, organizations communicate more clearly, and ideas travel further.

Listen to the full podcast episode with Jim Blair, the Assistant Dean Chair of the Faculty and Associate Professor of Marketing at Eastern Kentucky University, to hear real‑world examples, nuanced perspectives, and practical guidance on building a personal brand that actually lasts.