How to Build Your Brand as an Executive and Why it Matters

In this interview with Authority Magazine, Laura Bull shares insights on the power of executive branding, how to craft an authentic leadership identity, and actionable strategies for standing out in today's marketplace.

Laura Bull | Brand Strategist

In today’s competitive landscape, building a strong personal brand is essential for executives looking to establish their credibility, attract opportunities, and make a lasting impact in their industries. A well-defined brand can open doors, create trust, and help leaders connect more effectively with their audiences. But how do you build a brand as an executive, and why is it so crucial in today’s market? As a part of this series, I had the pleasure of interviewing Laura Bull.

Laura is the CEO and Brand Strategist at The Brand Management Company, a branding agency which helps entrepreneurs and celebrities discover their personal brand identities and then transform them into business brands (think Martha Stewart or The Rock). She began her career at Sony Music Entertainment, becoming the youngest executive to spearhead artist development and marketing for global household names like Carrie Underwood, Brad Paisley, and Johnny Cash. Laura is now the bestselling author of the acclaimed personal branding blueprint “From Individual to Empire: A Guide to Building an Authentic and Powerful Brand.”

Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series. Before we dive in, our readers would love to learn a bit more about you. Can you tell us a bit about your childhood backstory and how you grew up?

I grew up in a suburb outside of Dallas and attended Belmont University in Nashville, where I earned a degree in Music Business with an emphasis in Marketing. While still a student, I started a full-time position at Sony, where I spent the next 10 years before leaving to open my consultancy. After leaving corporate life, I moved back to Dallas, got married, had my babies, became an adjunct professor, earned a dual master’s degree in Creative Writing and Communications from SMU, launched my agency, and spent five years writing my book. Whew!

Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?

I could, but I have many many NDAs that would prevent me from doing so. <wink> Let’s just say, I’ve been incredibly blessed to be surrounded by the most unique and entertaining people in the world and just being in those rooms has led to very interesting moments. I wish I could write another book!

None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?

SO SO many! I’ve had incredible bosses, colleagues, and friends and family. Each have had an important role in different aspects of my life, like my boss of 8 years that turned into my colleague, or CEOs of companies who are literally in the Hall of Fame. My book includes three pages of acknowledgments, and I’d encourage you to read them because singling out just one person here wouldn’t do justice to the many others I deeply respect and admire.

Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?

“Everything happens for a reason” has always been my go-to mantra. As an entrepreneur, the daily highs and lows can be intense, but I’ve learned to try and focus on the why, embrace the pivot, and stay mindful of the trajectory.

Honorable mention for the great Dolly Parton: “If you don’t like the road you’re walking, start paving another one.” Where do you wanna go? Only you get to decide how you get there.

You are a successful business leader. Which three character traits do you think were most instrumental to your success? Can you please share a story or example for each?

Directness: This trait has gotten me into hot water a time or two, but my job is to help entrepreneurs and executives get clear on their message — and how can I do that without being direct? I don’t sugarcoat, because it’s a waste of time and ultimately does more harm than good for the client.

Objectivity: The ability to step back from a situation is invaluable. It’s the difference between making rash, short-term decisions vs. sustainable, long-term strategies. For many of my clients, who are often the face of their product, objectivity also provides a layer of protection from the negativity that can come with stress, consumer feedback, or imposter syndrome. At the end of the day, if they burn out, there is no business, so they have no choice but to embrace objectivity.

Respect and Kindness: Sure, I’m direct, but I’m also respectful and kind to anyone regardless of status, title, or power — because I believe you attract more flies with honey than with vinegar. I am a Southern lady, after all!

Ok super. Let’s now shift to the main part of our discussion. Why does building a brand as an executive matter? What are some specific outcomes you’ve seen from taking time to build a strong brand?

Let’s reframe the term “branding” a bit. A personal brand simply means understanding your purpose, values, and what you stand for. Building a brand as an executive is essential because, whether you’re looking to create a business with multiple revenue streams or maintain visibility as a leader within your company, it determines whether people trust you or not.

And trust is everything. Employees and customers need to know what you stand for and why you’re the best person for the job. Many companies fail because their leadership hasn’t invested the time to develop a consistent brand that employees can rally behind. I always say there’s no such thing as the “it” factor. Instead, it’s about having a strong personal brand — being able to communicate who you are in seconds, through both image and narrative.

When an executive knows their brand, they’re 100% more confident in public-facing situations, which in turn makes people 100% more confident in them.

One of the most important factors in building a brand is authenticity. Can you share a story of how using an authentic voice has been effective in connecting with others?

It really is so important. I can point to a few great examples, like Wendy’s restaurant’s quick-witted twitter handle comes to mind. When it comes to executives using their personal brand to connect effectively with their target audience, I would point to Sheryl Sandberg who was able to create a global movement around women executives “leaning in” to their unique obstacles and qualifications in order to grow their careers. Sharing her own experiences as a female executive at male-heavy tech firms showed women that they could follow her lead.

Can you give an example of a strategic step an executive has used to differentiate themselves in a crowded market? What advice would you give to others looking to do the same?

The strategic step is simple: embrace the things that make you unique. I heard a story recently of a law firm that just spent $50,000 rebranding, and after all the photo shoots were done and website updated, the CEO said he hated his photos because he never wears suits. RED FLAG! This means they didn’t truly get to the root of their authentic brand identity. By branding themselves as a buttoned-up law firm, they actually made themselves look and feel like every other law firm on the market. When in reality, leaning into their more authentic “casual” pillar may have helped them stand out. So my advice would be…embrace standing out. Don’t try to fit into what you think the marketplace expects of you.

Here is the main question for our discussion. Based on your experience and success, can you please share “Five Things You Need To Know To Successfully Build Your Brand As An Executive”? (Please share a story or an example, for each.)

1 . Branding must come before marketing. Branding is the foundation of the house. It’s what you want to say for the next 20 years, and the pillars it stands on should not change. Therefore, it should dictate everything you do from deciding who to bring on to your team, what social media platforms to embrace, and what revenue streams will resonate the most with your target audience. You can’t build a frame of the house without the foundation, so don’t try.

2 . Identify a shared value with your audience. When you can identify one or two values that you have in common with your audience (this could be employees or consumers), they will become brand advocates. If you want to gain power and influence, this is a golden rule to follow. When you think of a shared value, look to Howard Schultz of Starbucks. He built the brand up around community connections and social impact, two values that created loyalty from both employees and consumers.

3 . Understand that branding a person is not like branding a product. If I were the CMO of Jeep, I would place personality traits onto a Wrangler in order to sell it to a target audience: rugged, outdoorsy, adventurous, fun. When you are a person, you already have these traits from a lifetime of experiences. The process for personal branding therefore becomes more about culling through all of these traits and values to find a handful, that when used together, present a unique, competitive, and relatable product to the target audience.

4 . Self-branding is hard, so let the professionals do it. Most executives have achieved success by surrounding themselves with the right experts to handle tasks they either lack expertise in or simply don’t have the desire to tackle. You should treat your personal brand with the same respect. “If you think it’s expensive to hire a professional, wait until you hire an amateur.”

5 . Branding isn’t a one-and-done deal. It’s a continuous process of refining, evolving, and reinforcing who you are and what you stand for. The strongest brands stay true to their core while adapting to remain relevant. It’s not something you finish; it’s something you commit to over time. Look at the Pepsi logo evolution from the 1800’s to now. If the branding process had stopped in 1950 and picked back up again decades later, the brand would have missed subtle changes in the marketplace or internal obstacles that would create the need for slow evolution. This would have put the brand far behind competition and triggered a larger rebrand down the road.

What’s one of the most surprising things you’ve learned about building an executive brand through your experience? Can you share a story that illustrates this lesson?

A surprising thing I’ve learned is that when a client’s message comes across as muddled or confused, it’s often because they’re trying to protect or downplay the very thing that could make them stand out and level up. I once had a client who wanted to downplay the fact that she was the third generation of successful CEOs in her family. She worried it might come across as overly privileged and take away from her very real accomplishments. This hesitation carried over into interviews and public-facing situations because she constantly felt like she had to hide something.

In reality, showcasing what she learned growing up in such a unique environment — combined with her experience working across multiple industries in various roles before becoming a CEO herself — didn’t diminish her achievements. It elevated her story. By embracing her background, she felt more confident and built trust with others, showing that she was, quite literally, born for the role of CEO. Yes, she was privileged — own it.

How do you measure the success of brand-building efforts, both internally within your company and externally in your industry?

We should aim to see a high rate of brand advocacy, whether through strong customer retention, an increase of resumes for limited job openings, or even competitors paying closer attention — and occasionally, offering compliments. True brand advocacy isn’t about vanity metrics like likes or follower counts. You can have a large audience with zero meaningful engagement. Focusing beyond surface-level numbers is where the real strategy lies.

Is there a person in the world, or in the US with whom you would like to have a private breakfast or lunch, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we tag them. :-)

I’ve had some pretty fun dining experiences — like sharing BBQ with Jessica Simpson or soup with Gwyneth Paltrow. If you asked me today, though, I’d probably say any of the Housewives or Andy Cohen. Not only could we dish about complete nonsense, but we could have a blast dissecting the Bravo brand identities. It’s such a treasure trove of case studies! Honestly, I’d love to get my hands on a few of those personal brands.

How can our readers further follow your work online?

My bestseller is called “From Individual to Empire: A Guide to Building an Authentic and Powerful Brand.” You can find it in audiobook, paperback, hardcover, and ebook everywhere books are sold. You can also download the first chapter for free at www.thebrandmgmt.com if you want to read about my imaginary Home Depot commercial featuring Beyoncé. We also offer a brand identity checklist to guide readers through the same process we use with our clients. It’s designed to help pinpoint any steps they may have missed on their own brand development journey. And as always, you can follow me on most social platforms to stay connected and get more tips @thelaurabull.

This article was originally published on Authority Magazine.