Podcast

October 2nd, 2025

The Apple Cart: S4, E5: Make Your Personal Brand Work Better for You

In this episode of the Apple Cart, I’m joined by Christine Gritmon to talk about how to make your personal brand work better for you.

Christine Gritmon reconnects solopreneurs, freelancers, and small business owners with their purpose and passions for a more aligned personal brand that’s joyful, authentic, and impossible to ignore!

She’s spoken on stages worldwide and is a frequent expert guest on podcasts, live streams, chats and blog posts, as well as hosting her own podcast, Let’s Talk About Brand.

Listen to the Interview

Why Christine Recommends Business Conferences

When Christine first started her own business, she was self-educated: “Partly because back in 2016 you had to learn by doing. It became clear that the best people to learn from were those who were on stages. I began attending local events first.

“Then I attended Social Media Marketing World in 2017, and it changed my life in so many ways. I met so many people who I’m still connected to now, and who’ve shaped my business into what it is today.

“So part of the reason to attend events is for the learning. Speakers wouldn’t be onstage unless they had something good to say. And the other reason is for the people. These days I spend less time in the auditorium and more time in the corridors networking with people and building connections.”

Why You Should Care About Your Personal Brand

Everyone has a personal brand, says Christine, whether you realise it or not. “Your personal brand is the version of you that lives in people’s heads. So you want to make sure that you have some control over what that is and whose heads it’s in. And it can be such a powerful tool.

“I started to build my personal brand back in the newsroom, when I used social media to learn more about the local communities my newspaper covered. Colleagues saw what I was doing and asked me to show them how to do it too. And that personal brand allowed me to launch my business.

“None of us start from being completely unknown. Because someone knows who you are and hopefully trusts you. They’re willing to take a chance on you because they have a strong sense of who you are. They trust you, and building up that trust is key to your personal brand.”

personal brand

Christine’s Take on Personal Brand

Christine has an ‘inside-out’ approach to personal branding. “I think the reason so many people get the ick from personal brands is because there’s something that feels inauthentic (yes, ‘authentic’ also gives people the ick!) Something doesn’t feel aligned or is striking the wrong tone.

“The classic marketing approach is to do some market research to find out what your audience wants to hear and see. But I don’t think it should be audience led. It needs to be you led, because that’s what keeps you motivated. We start our businesses because of the thing that lights us up, and that’s where we should focus.

“And we go off track because we think about external expectations. We get caught up in fonts, colours, photo shoots. We think about those things more than ourselves, and we need to be more selfish with our personal brands. When we focus on what we want to do, it all flows much more naturally.”

You’re not for Everyone, and That’s ok

As a business owner with a personal brand, you have to stand out. “Because otherwise how will people know that you’re there to work with? And they might not want to work with you, which is ok. Not everyone is for you, so why should you be for everyone?

“And things come back around, too. If someone says they don’t want to work with you, we immediately take it personally. But there are a million factors involved in that decision, and we aren’t responsible for them. Sometimes people come back later when things have changed and the time is right for you to work together.

“Being a gracious loser has got me more work and more opportunities than just about anything else. I don’t see it as rejection. I decide to stay in touch and have a relationship with them, because you never know what might happen in the future. But often, people do you a favour by not working with you.”

How to be More Creative

While this is a question I ask all my guests, Christine says you don’t have to be the creative person. “There’s a million creative people out there. They’re what they are and you can be whatever you are. Don’t stress about what you’re not.

“But often, people confuse what being creative means, so they say, ‘I’m not creative because I’m not a writer or an artist. I don’t come up with original, brand-new ideas that no one’s ever had before. You’re an individual that has never existed before, and that’s freaking creative enough!

“Don’t beat yourself over not being original enough. You’re probably missing what makes you unique because we’re biased towards ourselves and our own abilities. There are gifts you have that you don’t realise are special. Just because it comes easily to you doesn’t mean it’s not valuable. Find ways to be authentic and the differences will come.”

Timestamps

  • 01:00 – 07:58: Karaoke and songs about branding
  • 08:23 – 17:19: Why Christine recommends business conferences
  • 23:33 – 28:54: How Christine got into digital marketing
  • 29:21 – 33:39: Why you should care about your personal brand
  • 37:40 – 44:01: Christine’s take on personal branding
  • 44:37 – 49:54: You’re not for everyone, and that’s ok
  • 52:34 – 55:03: How to be more creative

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