The logical fallacy of being the best

Find Your Superpower newsletter 106

Read time: 7 minutes

Topics covered: AI revolution, personal branding, Brand Builder Mastermind July cohort enrolling

There’s no such thing as “best” anymore when AI can do everything perfectly.

For decades, analytical professionals have built careers on the premise of being the best at something: the most precise analyst, the most detailed researcher, the most thorough accountant.

This strategy made a great deal of sense when human expertise was the primary variable in quality outcomes.

Here are three data points that should fundamentally shift how you think about your career trajectory:

1. According to the World Economic Forum’s 2025 Future of Jobs Report, 41% of employers globally are planning workforce reductions due to AI capabilities. In the United States, that number jumps to 48%.
2. Meanwhile, Shopify’s CEO announced earlier this year they will only hire when AI cannot perform the required function, calling AI usage “reflexive” across their organization. Duolingo followed shortly after, announcing that they would “gradually stop using contractors to do work that AI can handle.”
3. The CEO of Anthropic (maker of Claude.ai) has projected that AI could eliminate approximately 50% of entry-level white-collar positions within the next five years, potentially driving unemployment rates to 20%.

If you’re an analytical thinker like me (or “left brained” as they used to say before the concept was debunked), you are someone who makes decisions based on evidence rather than emotion. Well, these numbers should trigger an immediate risk assessment.

We already know that AI will impact your industry. But what we don’t know yet is whether you’ll be positioned as indispensable when that day arrives.

Technical leadership in the AI era

Since the Industrial Revolution era, analytical professionals have operated under the framework that we should develop deep technical expertise, deliver excellent work, and career advancement follows naturally. Isn’t that why I studied for a PhD degree in the toughest work environment possible (MIT)?

That ship has sailed, sadly.

AI capabilities are reaching unprecedented levels of sophistication. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella revealed to Mark Zuckerberg at Meta’s LlamaCon AI developer event, that AI is already generating 20-30% of the code in some of their development projects.

Beyond coding, AI can also analyze complex financial models, design new small-molecule drugs in drug discovery research, draft challenging legal documents, and process massive datasets faster than any human.

What AI cannot do—and this is where the opportunity lies—is build trust, navigate complex human dynamics, communicate strategic vision or establish the kind of personal credibility that makes clients choose you over your competitors.

Consider this scenario: Two consultants present identical technical solutions to a C-suite client. One is known in the industry, has published thought leadership content, and has established relationships with key decision-makers. The other has superior technical skills but no personal brand recognition or a strong digital footprint. 

Which consultant gets the contract?

The ROI of a personal brand

I am going to break down the return on investment of personal branding using metrics that are easy to compute: our hourly rate.

When I first started coaching, I had no social proof or testimonials, and I charged between $200-500 per hour for any type of service. Today, my 1:1 and corporate coaching rates have risen at least 5x for the same fundamental service, and I am extremely selective of who I work with on a 1:1 basis. My moderating and keynote speaking rates have also gone up, depending on the scope of work.

This higher pricing allows me to spend more time with my kids, and I also get to build fun tools that I have gifted to my community, like ChanGPT: Your AI LinkedIn coach, for example.

A clear, differentiated brand drives income. It will help pay the bills.

Many of my long-time clients will agree with me on that.

Invest in your brand like an S&P500 index fund

A professional who begins building thought leadership today will have 12 months of content creation maturity and training; a deeper and more valuable professional network; and credibility and trust building systems already set up.

In a rapidly changing market, that 12-month head start becomes insurmountable competitive advantage.

The way I see it, you have three choices:
- You can maintain the status quo and risk career stagnation as AI capabilities expand.
- You can wait and see how the market develops while competitors brace against AI blanketing the industry.
- Or you can invest in personal brand development now and become the recognized expert clients and headhunters seek out specifically.

Your career is a portfolio of investments, and personal branding isn’t an expense... it is truly the highest-ROI investment you can make in your professional future.

Ready to build your competitive advantage?

If this analysis resonates with your strategic thinking, you’re exactly the type of professional I work with in my Brand Builder Mastermind.

As a former medical school assistant professor, I am trained in curriculum and pedagogy. In this 12-month virtual Mastermind, we provide the systematic approach, expert guidance and peer support you need to build signature content that attracts clients to you.

Our 12-month program gives you access to 50+ workshops with industry experts, a community of 200+ growth-minded professionals, and the learning frameworks to build a powerful personal brand that drives measurable business results. 

We focus on four main pillars:

• Build a powerful brand
• Speak more confidently
• Write more persuasively
• Monetize your personal brand

Our July 2025 cohort enrollment opened yesterday, but we limit membership to maintain program quality and community intimacy.

Don’t let another quarter pass while your competitors build the personal brands that will lead your industry. Read some testimonials here.

PS: By the way, everything that I ask my clients to do, I lead from the front and implement in my own work. 

Your rocketship captain,
Juliana 🚀