Personal Branding Episodes

Roxy Couse spent almost 15 years in corporate, working her way up to a director title at Fortune 500 companies. She played by every rule, hit every mark, exceeds expectations on every review. So when she sat down with her boss's boss and asked what else she needed to do to get promoted, she expected an answer she could act on...

Creators were supposed to leave corporate behind. Now some of them are going back — and companies are creating roles specifically for people with creator experience. Lissette Calveiro has spent nearly 15 years in the creator and influencer marketing industry and managed more than $10 million in brand partnerships. Today, she’s watching the creator economy evolve in an unexpected direction: creators are bringing their skills back into companies, while companies are realizing they need creators...

Brand deals rarely come from playing it safe inside your niche. Kristi Kennebrew built Get Me Hired Kristi into a career brand with hundreds of thousands of followers, then landed sponsorships nobody expects from a recruiter turned creator: a World Cup activation, a mattress pitch, even a fly trap brand. She never quit her day job to do it. Host Rhona Pierce talks with Kennebrew about how she pitches lifestyle and mainstream brands by connecting everyday products to her audience's real lives, no...

Most LinkedIn advice teaches you how to fit in. Jillian Richardson believes the opposite. In this episode of Workfluencer, Rhona sits down with one of LinkedIn's most recognizable ghostwriters to discuss why being a little weird might be your biggest advantage online. Jillian shares the story behind her viral "Be Weird on LinkedIn" movement, what founders get wrong about personal branding, and why authenticity is becoming the best defense against AI-generated content. They also discuss emp...

Strong POV content feels risky for most creators, but Jillian O'Malior built her audience by removing the corporate pleasing filter completely. After being laid off in November 2024, she ran a 90-day experiment leaning into “strategically unhinged” content about layoffs, labor reform, and the dehumanization of workers — and the inbound work, brand deals, and podcast invites started rolling in. In this episode of Workfluencer, Rhona Pierce sits down with brand strategist and workplace advocate...

Most people get laid off and go quiet. Vanita Capobianco did the opposite. She started creating content, launched a podcast, and began building a personal brand from scratch. No audience. No experience. No roadmap. In this episode, we break down what actually happens after a layoff—and how to turn that moment into momentum. Vanita shares how she built consistency, found her voice, and created opportunities by showing up online. We also get into the real side of content creation. Late ni...

At Transform 2026, I sat down with Rebecca Taylor to unpack what’s really holding HR and Talent leaders back from showing up online—and why that needs to change. We get into the real risks, the perceived risks, and the responsibility that comes with having a voice in HR. Because whether you’re posting or not, the narrative is being shaped—with or without you. Rebecca also shares a deeply personal career story that highlights how power, identity, and early decisions can shape everything tha...

Most advice about LinkedIn content says the same thing: follow trends, post consistently, and play the algorithm. But what if that’s exactly why your content isn’t standing out? In this episode, leadership strategist Julia Rock breaks down how to stand out on LinkedIn without copying trends, chasing viral formats, or sounding like everyone else. She shares what actually drives meaningful engagement, how to build authority through content, and why authenticity matters more than ever in a cr...

Building a consulting business through content sounds simple. In reality, it requires clarity, conviction, and a willingness to say things others avoid. In this episode of Workfluencer, talent, culture, and DEI consultant Dani Herrera shares how LinkedIn content became the engine behind her consulting business. Dani didn’t start posting to become a creator. She started out of necessity while navigating the U.S. immigration system and needing to prove visibility in her field. What began as ...

Personal branding for women over 40 who feel invisible is rarely about a lack of expertise. It's about two decades of keeping your head down, taking care of everyone else, and forgetting to tell the world what you know. In this episode, Monica Rivera breaks down what it actually takes to stop hiding and step into the visibility you've already earned. Together, Rhona Pierce and Monica unpack why experienced women, especially women over 40, feel invisible even after 20 years of building skil...

Starting a podcast while working full-time requires a different strategy than the usual “quit and go all in” advice. In this episode, Lee Cage Jr. shares how he built and monetized a podcast while working full-time as a Director at BDO, serving in the National Guard, and speaking at conferences. Together, Rhona and Lee break down what it actually takes to start a podcast while employed — from choosing a short-form format to attracting sponsors without obsessing over download numbers. Th...

Keirsten Greggs shares what it takes to build a personal brand as a Black woman in corporate America without shrinking yourself.

In this episode, Rhona sits down with Madison Butler to unpack what it really means to build a creator career after corporate layoffs—especially when content becomes a financial necessity, not a passion project.

Is CEO content building trust, or just embarrassing the brand? CEOs are posting more than ever. But not all visibility builds trust. In this Workfluencer Trend Report, Rhona breaks down a recent CNBC article questioning whether CEOs trying to be influencers is smart leadership or pure cringe. Using real examples of executive backlash, this episode explores why some CEO content backfires, why others work, and how trust has become the most important currency in the AI era. This isn’t a...

Most people go quiet during a career transition. Laci McKinney did the opposite. In this episode of the Workfluencer Podcast, Laci breaks down how she used content to make her transferable skills visible, pivot into organizational development, and earn three promotions in three years. We talk about documenting your learning in public, building a dual personal + professional brand, navigating imposter syndrome, and why content isn’t self-promotion. It’s career leverage. If you’re conside...

Some people chase content creation outside of work. Others end up building influence inside the walls of their company. Shannon Ogborn is one of the first people in our space to do it at scale. In this episode, we get into the real story behind becoming a content creator for your employer — the trade-offs, the boundaries, and the benefits no one talks about. You’ll hear how Shannon went from Recruiting Ops to podcast host for Ashby, what it takes to show up authentically when you represent a ...

Maureen Wiley-Clough didn’t set out to become a creator. She simply got tired of being called “a dino” in tech — and decided the silence around ageism needed to end. What started as a vulnerable side project became a top-2% podcast, a thriving community, and a message that resonates with anyone who’s felt “too old” to start something new. In this episode, we get into how Maureen built confidence, hit publish while working in a youth-obsessed industry, and kept going even when no one was watch...

Before “personal brand” became a buzzword, Hung Lee was already doing it—building Recruiting Brainfood into one of the most trusted communities in the industry. In this conversation, recorded at RecFest USA 2025, Hung and Rhona dig into what it really takes for recruiters to think like media brands: showing up every week, curating with integrity, and letting transparency replace polish. He shares how an accidental send from the beach in Lisbon made him realize just how much readers depende...

Most recruiters think they’re filling roles. Dave Vu thinks they should be building brands. In this episode, Rhona Pierce sits down with the co-founder of Ribbon.ai to explore why the future of recruiting belongs to teams who think like marketers. From his early days in talent acquisition to building one of the most talked-about AI interview platforms, Dave shares how empathy, storytelling, and transparency can transform candidate experience — and why bad recruiters should probably be worried...

Laurie Ruettimann has spent nearly two decades shaping how we talk about work—from CNN’s “Top Career Advisor” list to her globally recognized Punk Rock HR podcast. But behind the accolades lies a story of confidence, capitalism, and the unpaid labor of influence. In this episode, Laurie joins Rhona Pierce to pull back the curtain on what it really takes to turn credibility into a career—how she built her platform before influencer culture existed, why “being right” doesn’t always pay, and the...

What if someone stole your entire career — your résumé, portfolio, headshot, even your home address? In this Workfluencer Trend Report, Rhona explores the real case of freelance writer Jolissa Skow, who discovered an imposter had been living her professional life since 2023. The impersonator used Jolissa’s identity to land contract work, participate in Slack, attend camera-off meetings, and even get paid — all while colleagues believed they were working with her. Based on Jolissa’s public ...

Building a personal brand in today’s job market isn’t about chasing viral posts—it’s about showing up authentically. In this special takeover episode, recruiter-turned-founder Brooke Wheeler flips the mic on Workfluencer creator Rhona Pierce. Together they dive into how to build your personal brand with honesty, how layoffs and career pivots can fuel reinvention, and why companies fail when they try to script employer branding. If you’ve wondered what to share online, how vulnerable to be,...

It doesn’t get more Gen Z than making a TikTok to get hired at TikTok—and that’s exactly what Jade Walters did. But she didn’t stop there. From landing jobs to landing on the TEDx stage, Jade has used content creation to build a career on her own terms. In this episode, she shares how content became her biggest career tool, what Gen Z really wants from work, and why boundaries at work aren’t red flags—they’re strategy. CONNECT WITH US: Connect With Jade on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.c...

LinkedIn can be overwhelming, especially for introverts. But what if your quiet approach is actually your superpower? In this episode, certified career coach and LinkedIn Top Voice Lissa Appiah shares how she built a personal brand that converts—without being loud, posting daily, or faking confidence. You’ll learn how to: Build a personal brand on LinkedIn as an introvert Turn your side hustle into a full-time business Grow visibility without burning out Use conten...