Let’s cut through the noise: your personal brand isn’t your headshot or your number of followers. According to business mentor Katrena Friel, it’s “the presence that walks in the door ahead of you”—your reputation, the value you deliver, and how people experience you before you even show up.
You’re Not an Imposter (Even When You Feel Like One)
Here’s the thing most entrepreneurs won’t tell you: everyone feels like a fraud sometimes. Even the people crushing it on LinkedIn. Katrena’s take? That self-doubt might actually keep you humble, which isn’t a bad thing. The real question isn’t “Am I good enough?” It’s “If not me, then who?”
Your experiences—yes, even the messy ones—matter more than you think. You’re just too close to your own story to see how valuable it is. Those challenges you’ve overcome? Someone else is facing them right now and needs to hear how you made it through.
Finding Your Zone of Genius
Everyone has what Katrena calls a “field of excellence.” It’s not about being the world’s leading expert. It’s about owning the unique combination of your skills, experiences, and perspective that nobody else has.
Start here: write down your biggest professional wins and toughest lessons. Look for patterns. Then ask three people you trust what they see as your standout strengths. You’ll probably be surprised by what they say.
Multiple Income Streams (Without Burning Out)
Katrena teaches a framework of seven income streams: writing, speaking, programs, coaching, mentoring, facilitation, and consulting. But here’s the catch—don’t try to launch all seven next Tuesday.
Pick one or two that align with what you’re already good at. Build those properly. Let the others develop naturally as your audience tells you what they need. Your expertise can serve people in different ways, but only if you’re not stretched so thin you can’t deliver quality.
The AI Elephant in the Room
We need to talk about artificial intelligence. Yes, it’s changing everything. No, it shouldn’t write your content for you.
In 2026, AI-generated content is everywhere, which means authentic human experiences will become more valuable, not less. Use AI to handle the grunt work—scheduling, data analysis, repetitive tasks. But your core message? That needs to sound like you on your worst Tuesday morning, not a robot trying to sound inspirational.
People can smell fake from a mile away. Raw beats polished every time.
The Unglamorous Truth About Success
Want to know Katrena’s least popular opinion? There are no shortcuts. None. Those “cardboard cutouts” faking expertise get exposed eventually.
Real mastery means showing up consistently when you don’t feel like it. It means investing in learning when you’d rather binge Netflix. It means embracing feedback that stings a little.
Your Next Move
Stop waiting for everything to be perfect. Your LinkedIn profile doesn’t need to be flawless. Your first webinar will probably be awkward. Do it anyway.
Start documenting your journey now—the failures, the breakthroughs, the lessons. Build your confidence through action, not contemplation. And remember: your personal brand isn’t about you. It’s about the people you’re here to help.
The world needs what you know. Get out there and share it.
Our Host
John is the Amazon bestselling author of Winning the Battle for Sales: Lessons on Closing Every Deal from the World’s Greatest Military Victories and Social Upheaval: How to Win at Social Selling. A globally acknowledged Sales & Marketing thought leader, speaker, and strategist, he has conducted over 1500 video interviews of thought leaders for Sales POP! online sales magazine & YouTube Channel and for audio podcast channels where Sales POP! is rated in the top 2% of most popular shows out of 3,320,580 podcasts globally, ranked by Listen Score. He is CSMO at Pipeliner CRM. In his spare time, John is an avid Martial Artist.
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