Your personal brand is your safety net

Find Your Superpower newsletter 094

Read time: 5 minutes

Topics covered: Portfolio career, income diversification, personal branding

Do you ever wake up with a weird sensation in your stomach?

The feeling that despite your years of education, seniority and dedication to your company... you never know if your bosses need you beyond 2025, if you are a priority to your employer?

I’ve been there, and I need to share something you may not like to hear.

Our education system and corporate jobs are deliberately designed to keep us dependent on that next paycheck and promotion. These rules were established during the Industrial Revolution, by the way.

But there is also no reason we have to continue playing by these rules in 2025, with social media platforms at our disposal, AI productivity tools popping up like rabbits everywhere, and content creation software available for free or cheaply.

I had done everything right by society’s standards

As an MIT-trained scientist and university faculty, I’d done everything "right" according to society’s playbook: I had completed my undergraduate degree at Cambridge University, UK, followed by a graduate degree at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA.

Yet, like everyone else, my career and financial potential remained capped by my ability to pass my next performance review. I could only earn as much as my employer felt I was meant to earn.

And when I had two babies under the age of three? You know what happens when a professional woman tries to over-function at work and keep two babies alive at the same time. Not good, my friend, not good.

My life? Their decision.

My future? Their decision.

My annual income? Their decision, again.

What happens when the "system" no longer needs you?

This is the question that should change everything for all of us. Because when that day comes (and for many, it will), you suddenly realize:

• You are nearly invisible because you don’t have a personal brand

• Your ideas do not carry any weight outside your company walls

• You have no direct path to monetize your hard-earned expertise besides a salary

But what if there was another way?

This is why I created my virtual 12-month Brand Builder Mastermind which has a thriving community of 180 amazing industry professionals in it.

This isn’t just another professional development program. It’s a 12-month transformation designed to help you reclaim your voice and your economic freedom.

You will learn how to create a side hustle such as coaching or consulting, grow your industry reputation to unlock new career opportunities, and prepare for a career transition in 12-24 months if you so desire.

In a world where AI and automation are gaining speed and companies are increasingly viewing human talent as disposable (and rather inconvenient to manage too, to be honest), having a personal brand isn’t really optional anymore.

Your brand (and your brand alone) is your safety net, your amplifier, and ultimately, your ticket to professional and financial freedom.

Inside our 12-month Brand Builder Mastermind, we focus on four transformational pillars:

BRAND: Building a blue-ocean brand that makes your unique value recognizable

SPEAK: Mastering persuasive speaking that commands attention in any room

WRITE: Developing powerful writing skills that extend your influence

MONETIZE: Creating income streams that reward you for your experience and knowledge

Inside our community of 180 like-minded individuals, you’ll work with world-class experts and business mentors who will help you find and articulate your unique value. You will work on the art of speaking and writing persuasively so your ideas finally get the attention they deserve.

I also believe strongly in building tangible assets (like newsletters, lead magnets and product offers) that generate income independently of any employer, and force others to change their opinion of you from industry sheep to industry leader.

Last but not least, as the icing on the cake, you will connect with a tight-knit community of industry professionals and allies who celebrate your wins (and mourn your losses) and provide you with an unlimited supply of support and encouragement.

No, I absolutely DO NOT want to turn you into an influencer

Just to be clear, this isn’t about becoming an influencer. That is a different strategy altogether and I have no interest in chasing # of followers and fame as a goal in itself.

As far as I am concerned, likes on LinkedIn don’t pay the bills.

It’s about ensuring your hard-earned wisdom makes the difference it deserves to make. And if you are very senior, you deserve also to leave behind a strong legacy that others will remember you for.

In March, we are opening just 10 spots in our Mastermind. These will be filled by professionals who recognize that real impact requires more than technical expertise.

And the alternative? To continue feeling that knot in your stomach every Sunday night, wondering if your decades of expertise could be sidelined by a single corporate decision. 

I’M READY FOR THIS! >>> 

Believing in you,
Juliana AKA your rocketship captain 🚀

PS: The most painful regret I hear from professionals isn’t that they tried and failed. It’s waiting too long until it is far too late, like a retrenchment exercise, to start building their personal brand. Five years from now, you’ll wish you had started today. Don’t let another year slip by, I beg you.