10 things we learnt at our personal branding event
With the queen of personal branding - Amelia Sordell
We hosted our first IRL event yesterday with Amelia Sordell, Personal Branding queen and Founder of Klowt - the personal branding company that helps people turn their personality into their competitive advantage.
It was incredible to all get in a room together (the energy was giving), and there was some furious note-taking as Amelia spilled the beans. ICYMI, here are our key takeaways.
1. Most People Aren’t Posting on LinkedIn
That might sound surprising, given the sheer amount of content on the platform, but when you dig into the numbers, the reality is that a huge portion of users are lurkers. They scroll, read, and absorb - but don’t post. That presents a massive opportunity for those who do. If you’re willing to put yourself out there, your content has a real chance to break through and actually be seen.
2. Ignore the Imaginary Critic
Who are you worried about when you hesitate to hit post? Some old university acquaintance? A former colleague? That random guy from Cheltenham you met once at a work event? Here’s the truth: you’ve made up their criticism. You’ve invented a scenario where they’re judging you, and now you’re letting that stop you from showing up online. And if - by some slim chance - they are sitting around, passing judgment on your LinkedIn post? That says more about them than it does about you. Don’t let the hypothetical opinions of people who don’t matter stop you from showing up for YOU.
3. Make It Personal
People connect with people. They don’t connect with generic, corporate-sounding statements that could have been written by anyone. If you want your posts to resonate, you need to get personal. Why did you take a certain job? What made you leave? How did it feel to start freelancing? Did you run late to a pitch because your toddler threw up on you? That’s the kind of detail that makes people lean in, relate, and engage. Your online presence should reflect the real you - because that’s how you attract your real community
4. Stop Overthinking It
Here’s a liberating thought: the world keeps spinning whether you post or not. If you put something out there and it flops, so what? No one’s keeping a scoreboard of your LinkedIn performance. The worst-case scenario is that a post doesn’t get traction - and even then, it disappears into the feed, and you try again next time. So just post it.
5. Use AI - But Not for Writing Your Captions
AI is a powerful tool, but if you’re outsourcing your personality to ChatGPT, you’re going to end up with content that blends into the background. The best posts have a distinct voice, a strong opinion, and a human touch - something no AI can fully replicate. Use AI to brainstorm ideas, structure your thoughts, or improve clarity, but when it comes to writing the actual post? That’s on you.
6. Everyone Starts Somewhere
Your first post probably won’t go viral. In fact, your first several posts might not get much traction at all. But consistency is key. The people who succeed on LinkedIn aren’t the ones who got lucky with one viral moment; they’re the ones who showed up again and again, refining their voice, building their audience, and earning trust over time.
7. Social Media Is a Tool - Not a Measure of Your Worth
It’s easy to get caught up in analytics, obsessing over likes and comments. But engagement is not the same as value. Instead of fixating on the performance of each individual post, take a step back and look at the bigger picture. Review your posts at the end of the month, see what resonated, learn from it, and move forward. Your self-worth is not tied to an algorithm.
8. Be Clear About Your Purpose
Why are you posting? Are you trying to get more newsletter signups? Position yourself as an authority? Encourage discussion? Get clear on your goal, and include a relevant CTA (Call to Action). This helps you track success in a meaningful way - not just based on vanity metrics, but in terms of real impact.
9. Consistency Beats Perfection
Waiting for the perfect post is a trap. Perfectionism leads to procrastination, and before you know it, months have passed and you’ve still not posted anything. Done is better than perfect. Show up consistently, and over time, your content (and confidence) will improve.
10. Just F*cking Post It
If you take nothing else from this, take this: just post. You’ll never build a personal brand, grow an audience, or open new opportunities if you don’t put yourself out there. So in the words of Amelia herself: Just. F*cking. Post. It.
PS - Make sure you're following us on Instagram and TikTok to snag tickets for our next event - coming soon!
Huge thanks to Work.Life for hosting us, Casetify for sponsoring the event, and We Are Curators, eauYES, Amelia Sordell, and Symprove for packing our goody bags with amazing treats!