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Lessons Learned From Building a Personal Brand
Published 23 days ago • 6 min read
Lessons Learned From Building a Personal Brand
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Five Years of Hosting Sales Players: Lessons on Building a Personal Brand
Next week marks five years since I launched the Sales Players podcast.
Two hundred episodes later, hundreds of thousands of downloads, and lots of incredible guests, I’ve been reflecting on what this journey has taught me, not just about podcasting and content creation, but about building a personal brand.
When I hit “publish” on that first episode back in 2020, I had no clue it would open so many doors. At the time, I thought I’d do it for six weeks, maybe get a few pats on the back from friends and relatives, and call it a day. Instead, it’s become a cornerstone of my career, a community for sellers, and even a profitable business.
Today I want to share that story... how Sales Players started, what I’ve learned along the way, and why building a personal brand in 2025 is not optional if you’re serious about your career.
Why I Started
The idea wasn’t complicated. I was a big consumer of podcasts like Tim Ferriss and others. But I noticed a gap: there wasn’t much tactical content for frontline software sellers. There were tons of sales podcasts, but most focused on management theory or broad business topics. Nobody was really shining a light on the top players in SaaS sales and how they actually hit their targets and managed their careers.
I've been a huge fan of Tim Ferris for many years. in 2018 I ran into him (and his dog) at a WeWork in Austin.
One day I thought, “I could do that.” My first guests were people I’d worked with, AEs and leaders I respected. I didn’t overthink the branding, the tech, or the logo. I grabbed a Zoom license, bought a cheap mic on Amazon, and hit record. The goal wasn’t to make money. It was to learn from the best in the industry and share those lessons with sellers like me.
That MVP mindset (start small, launch quickly, figure the rest out later) was one of the best decisions I made.
Lesson 1: Just Start
If you take nothing else away from this, take this: don’t wait for perfect. My first episodes were rough. Bad audio, clunky intros, awkward delivery. But if I had waited until everything was “professional,” Sales Players wouldn’t exist today.
Your old content should make you cringe a little. That means you’re growing.
So whether it’s a podcast, a newsletter, or posting on LinkedIn, start now! Put your perspective out into the world. No one else has your stories, your experiences, your exact voice. That’s your moat and unfair advantage.
Lesson 2: Consistency Beats Everything
The secret to staying relevant isn’t viral posts or big-name guests. It’s consistency.
Early on, I released episodes every other week. Later, I shifted to weekly. The algorithms (whether podcasts, LinkedIn, TikTok or YouTube) reward it. More importantly, your audience begins to trust that you’ll show up.
And just like going to the gym, you have to build the habit. I block time on my calendar every week for content creation. No excuses.
If you want to build a brand, treat consistency like oxygen.
Lesson 3: Build a Community, Not Just an Audience
Chasing vanity metrics (downloads, followers, impressions) will burn you out. What actually matters is community.
Over the years, I’ve made it a point to reply to everyone who reached out, whether on LinkedIn or email. Some of those conversations turned into coaching clients, some into friendships, and some into enterprise deals. Yes, deals.
A true story: I once had a Fortune 500 exec reach out because he heard my podcast and wanted me to mentor his son. That goodwill turned into a closed-won deal a few months later.
The podcast has also helped me land jobs. Recruiters and executives told me straight up they valued that I had a personal brand. It made me stand out. In some cases, it was the difference between me and another candidate.
Community beats audience every time.
Lesson 4: Keep It Simple
You don’t need a studio, a production team, or a six-figure budget. I still use Spotify’s free hosting tool. My setup is embarrassingly simple.
The same goes for social. Pick the platform that fits you and where your buyers hang out. For me, LinkedIn is the top of funnel. For you, it might be TikTok, YouTube, or a newsletter.
Don’t overthink the gear, the tech, or the distribution. Focus on the message and the value.
An early version of the podcast cover. I paid someone $15 on Fiverr to design this one for me and used a pic from a previous P-Club.
Lesson 5: Content Creates Opportunity
Here’s the kicker: building a personal brand pays off.
Sales Players started as a side project. Today it’s a meaningful part of my income through coaching, sponsorships, and consulting gigs. More importantly, it’s given me credibility and visibility that you just can’t get from updating your resume.
Content is pipeline. Content is career insurance. Content is leverage.
Even if you never monetize directly, the doors it opens—better jobs, bigger deals, stronger network—make it one of the highest-ROI investments you can make.
Lesson 6: Your Stories Are Enough
When I considered starting a podcast, a mentor told me something that stuck: “No one can replicate your experiences, your stories, or your perspective.”
That’s the reason you should create, even in a crowded space. Sure, there are a hundred sales podcasts. But only one has my voice and my story. Only one has yours.
If you’re wondering what to talk about, start with what you’re already teaching. Every time you help a coworker, mentor an SDR, or answer a LinkedIn DM, write it down. That’s your content.
Lesson 7: At Some Point, Treat It Like a Business
After a year and a half of episodes, people started asking me for one-on-one help. At first, I jumped on calls for free. Eventually, I realized there was a business opportunity. I set up Stripe, hooked it to Calendly, and launched coaching sessions.
That grew into deeper coaching programs, brand partnerships, and consulting work.
You don’t have to go all-in. But at least make it possible for people to pay you. When the market tells you there’s demand, listen.
The Playbook for 2025
So, if you’re a seller today and you’re thinking about building your personal brand, here’s the playbook:
Pick your channel. Podcast, newsletter, TikTok, LinkedIn, whatever fits you and your audience.
Start simple. Don’t buy gear. Don’t stress the logo. Just publish.
Be consistent. Show up weekly. Treat it like a workout.
Share your stories. Your experiences are enough. Document, don’t invent.
Engage with your community. Reply, connect, help. That’s where the magic happens.
Monetize if/when ready. Open the door for coaching, consulting, or brand partnerships.
The sooner you start, the sooner you’ll realize just how much leverage a personal brand can give you.
Summary
Five years ago, I hit record with zero expectations. Today, Sales Players is a thriving community, a pipeline generator, and one of the most rewarding things I’ve ever built.
If you’re on the fence about creating, don’t wait. Your future self will thank you.
Here’s to five more years of Sales Players, and here’s to you building a personal brand that opens doors you didn’t even know existed.
👉 Want help launching your personal brand? Hit reply to this email or check out my coaching here.
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Sales Players is on a mission to reach 1,000 reps, founders, and operators in tech with FREE weekly content that explores the mindset, skills, trends, and tools used by the industry's top players to win at the game of tech sales.
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Sales Players is on a mission to reach 1,000 reps, founders, and operators in tech with FREE weekly content that explores the mindset, skills, trends, and tools used by the industry's top players to win at the game of tech sales.
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