E106: 'The power and pitfalls of personal branding' with Sejal Sud
🎧 Why You Should Listen
In this episode of Gravitas WINS Conversations, Joseph Jude speaks with Sejal Sud, a dynamic voice in personal branding, entrepreneurship, and social media growth.
Through her own journey from a talkative schoolgirl to a sought-after social media consultant, Sejal offers a practical and deeply personal view of how to intentionally craft your brand, leverage it for opportunities, and avoid the traps that can damage it.
This conversation is packed with real-world examples, mental models, and actionable advice for professionals, entrepreneurs, and young aspirants who want to grow influence, credibility, and career opportunities in the digital age.
🔑 5 Major Points
1. Understanding Personal Branding
- It is your unique, nuanced take on ideas that may already exist.
- Personal branding is about shaping how people perceive you.
- Everyone has a reputation — the difference is whether you control the narrative.
2. Building a Personal Brand
- Start with self-awareness: why people follow you and what you want to be known for.
- Use platforms intentionally (LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram) to share consistent value.
- Develop both hard skills (e.g., design, negotiation) and soft skills (e.g., communication).
3. Opportunities from Personal Branding
- Access to high-profile networks, mentors, and industry leaders.
- Invitations to exclusive events and brand collaborations.
- Ability to create asymmetric opportunities others may miss.
4. The Flywheel and Consistency
- Small, consistent actions compound over time into larger results.
- Visibility creates momentum, leading to more opportunities.
- Sharing your journey publicly can attract unexpected support and resources.
5. Pitfalls and Risks
- Personal brands can backfire if actions or opinions harm brand perception.
- Founder-led brands are powerful but must be managed carefully.
- Public visibility brings pressure, potential burnout, and loss of privacy.
💬 5 Memorable Quotes
- “A personal brand is the nuance that only you can add to ideas that have already been said.”
- “Everyone has a reputation; you might as well take charge of it and set the narrative right.”
- “Courage is confidence with evidence.”
- “Small, consistent actions, done publicly, build momentum and create opportunities.”
- “Most brands die of apathy, not from negative news.”
What you'll listen
Connect with me
In this episode of Gravitas WINS Conversations, Joseph Jude speaks with Sejal Sud, a dynamic voice in personal branding, entrepreneurship, and social media growth.
Through her own journey from a talkative schoolgirl to a sought-after social media consultant, Sejal offers a practical and deeply personal view of how to intentionally craft your brand, leverage it for opportunities, and avoid the traps that can damage it.
This conversation is packed with real-world examples, mental models, and actionable advice for professionals, entrepreneurs, and young aspirants who want to grow influence, credibility, and career opportunities in the digital age.
🔑 5 Major Points
1. Understanding Personal Branding
- It is your unique, nuanced take on ideas that may already exist.
- Personal branding is about shaping how people perceive you.
- Everyone has a reputation — the difference is whether you control the narrative.
2. Building a Personal Brand
- Start with self-awareness: why people follow you and what you want to be known for.
- Use platforms intentionally (LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram) to share consistent value.
- Develop both hard skills (e.g., design, negotiation) and soft skills (e.g., communication).
3. Opportunities from Personal Branding
- Access to high-profile networks, mentors, and industry leaders.
- Invitations to exclusive events and brand collaborations.
- Ability to create asymmetric opportunities others may miss.
4. The Flywheel and Consistency
- Small, consistent actions compound over time into larger results.
- Visibility creates momentum, leading to more opportunities.
- Sharing your journey publicly can attract unexpected support and resources.
5. Pitfalls and Risks
- Personal brands can backfire if actions or opinions harm brand perception.
- Founder-led brands are powerful but must be managed carefully.
- Public visibility brings pressure, potential burnout, and loss of privacy.
💬 5 Memorable Quotes
- “A personal brand is the nuance that only you can add to ideas that have already been said.”
- “Everyone has a reputation; you might as well take charge of it and set the narrative right.”
- “Courage is confidence with evidence.”
- “Small, consistent actions, done publicly, build momentum and create opportunities.”
- “Most brands die of apathy, not from negative news.”
What you'll listen
- (00:00) - 'The Power & Pitfalls for Personal Branding' with Sejal Sud
- (00:03) - Introduction
- (01:44) - What is personal brand?
- (02:44) - How Sejal started in this journey
- (11:26) - Is personal branding only for young people?
- (14:06) - Upside of personal branding
- (16:32) - Flywheel of personal branding
- (21:33) - How to build courage?
- (27:20) - Advice for those who start in this path
- (33:19) - Personal branding is a double-edge sword
- (42:02) - Future plans
- (43:08) - Building shovels in gold rush
- (45:05) - Kindest thing anyone has done
- (46:06) - Best leadership quality
- (47:25) - Definition of living a good life
Connect with me
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/jjude
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jjude/
- Website: https://jjude.com/
- Newsletter: https://gravitaswinsradio.substack.com/
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/gravitaswins
- Executive Coaching Program: https://gravitaswins.com
Connect with Sejal Sud:
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sejal-sud-762664162/
- Twitter: https://x.com/SejalSud
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Have a life of WINS.
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Please check out other episodes of Gravitas WINS Radio. For easy consumption, they are categorized by themes. If you are a fellow podcaster, you might be interested in How I Podcast or tools I use.
Please check out other episodes of Gravitas WINS Radio. For easy consumption, they are categorized by themes. If you are a fellow podcaster, you might be interested in How I Podcast or tools I use.
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