Beyond the Bio: How to Build a Personal Brand That Feels Like You - Everywhere You Show Up
If someone Googled you right now, would they meet the version of you that actually exists?
That’s the question that opened our recent masterclass on brand voice - and it landed hard.
Avital Eusgeld - founder of HiPitched Branding and the strategist behind some of the clearest, most human brand voice systems out there - says most of us are showing up online with a mix of “sort of me,” “past me,” and “this was a Canva template.”
In her masterclass, Your Brand, Your Voice, she breaks down what it really takes to build a personal brand that doesn’t just look polished - but feels like you, sounds like you, and yes, sells like you.
To watch the full masterclass, log into the Speaker Path community and access the talk in the video vault.
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Here’s what stood out for me.
1. Your Brand Isn’t a Logo. It’s a Feeling.
Avital calls personal branding what it actually is: intentional reputation building.
It’s not your job title. It’s not your palette. It’s the sensory, emotional experience of who you are - online and off.
She asks:
If someone met you after seeing your website or LinkedIn, would you feel like the same person?
That alignment is the beginning of trust.
2. Don’t Start with Social. Start with Strategy.
It’s tempting to jump straight into content. But a pretty grid won’t land if it’s built on shaky ground.
“Don’t start marketing until you’re content with your brand.”
Start with:
What makes you different - your actual superpowers
What you want your brand to do emotionally and professionally
Who you want to attract - and who you don’t
Voice, visuals, and visibility come after that.
3. Define Your Voice - So Others Can Reflect It
If your brand is clear but no one else can write or speak like you, it’s not clear enough.
Define your verbal identity in detail:
Personality anchors (e.g. Calm, Cutting-edge, Generous, Confident)
Dos and Don’ts (like “say hi, not hello” or “no cheerleading language”)
Format-specific cues (emails, bios, captions, emojis)
Owned vocabulary (signature phrases you use - and don’t)
Example:
One client always says “Let’s clarify,” never “Let’s unpack.”
They describe their work as “signal over noise,” not “cutting through the clutter.”
That kind of language becomes a recognizable part of the brand.
The goal? Make it easy for others to sound like you - without guesswork.
4. Build a Sensory Brand
Brand personality isn’t abstract. Ask yourself:
What does your brand look like? (sleek? warm?)
What does it sound like? (coffee shop? quiet luxury?)
What does it taste like? (black coffee? blood orange?)
What does it smell like? (cedar? citrus?)
What does it feel like? (a handwritten note? a velvet armchair?)
This is where tone of voice meets design direction - and it works.
5. Audit Every Touchpoint
A strong personal brand shows up consistently everywhere your name appears.
That includes:
LinkedIn bios
About pages
Instagram captions
Your email sign-off
Zoom backgrounds
Speaker photos
Decks and one-pagers
“I’ve seen people pitch $20K keynotes - and show up on Zoom like a hostage. It all matters.”
6. Pick Your Four Brand Words
These aren’t values. They’re impressions.
If someone sees your content or hears you speak, what four qualities should they walk away feeling?
Think: calm, authoritative, generous, sharp. Not “curious” or “authentic.”
These words shape everything - language, tone, design, even how you dress.
7. Use Brand Maps to Get Clearer, Faster
One of the most helpful tools: sliding scales.
Elite ↔ Mass appeal
Classic ↔ Trendy
Serious ↔ Playful
“Once you know your coordinates, you can actually sound like yourself on purpose.”
8. Don’t Just Say. Show!
The best brands don’t say they’re bold or friendly. They show it - everywhere.
Examples:
Duolingo’s push notifications
The tone is wildly playful, sometimes chaotic - but always unmistakable. Even a reminder to practice Spanish feels like a text from your unfiltered friend.
IKEA’s “Proudly Second Best” campaign flips expectations and leans into honesty. That tone shows up from ads to assembly instructions.
If your tone is consistent from landing page to error message, you’ve nailed it.
9. When Great Brands Miss
Even strong brands veer off course.
Take, for example, The Ordinary - a minimalist skincare brand with a loyal, ethics-focused audience. They launched a clever campaign featuring egg cartons. But for a vegan-conscious community, it felt tone-deaf.
The lesson: Clever ≠ aligned.
10. Where to Start: Audit Yourself
Google yourself – Are you current? Cohesive?
Review your bios – Are they 5 years old or 5 steps behind?
Check your voice – Do you sound like one person across platforms?
Clean up – Remove anything that feels off, outdated, or irrelevant
“A bad website is worse than no website.”
11. One Brand or Three?
What if you wear multiple hats - speaker, coach, consultant?
That doesn’t mean you need multiple brands. It means you need a clear brand ecosystem.
LinkedIn = lead gen for services
Instagram = connection and depth
Website = self-selection engine
It should all feel connected. Not identical.
12. Ask These Five Questions
If you want to build a brand that feels like you, start here:
Why this brand? Why now?
What do I want this brand to unlock?
How will I know if it’s working?
What would wild success look like in 3 years?
What’s the one thing I want someone to remember about me?
Skip these, and you’ll build fast but shallow.
Final Word: Authenticity Isn’t Fluff
Yes, it’s an overused word. But in Avital’s hands, it’s a standard - not a slogan.
It’s when someone meets you and says,
"You are exactly who I thought you'd be."
The highest compliment a personal brand can earn isn’t “Great post.”
It’s: “I felt like I already knew you.”
People don’t connect to perfect. They connect to true.
They don’t want just your messaging. They want you - clearly expressed.
This was my biggest takeaway from Avital’s session:
The strongest personal brands don’t just look good. They feel lived in.
Want help shaping your voice into one that books and is authentic?
Explore our 1:1 intensives and speaker strategy sessions. We’ll help you craft your core message so you can show up clearly, confidently, and consistently - everywhere.
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