In today’s hyperconnected world, a leader’s reputation often precedes them. That reputation is shaped by personal branding. Whether you’re an executive, entrepreneur, or student, cultivating a strong personal brand can significantly boost career opportunities, business growth, and thought leadership influence.
In fact, 82% of people are more likely to trust a company whose senior executives are active on social media (source: dsmn8.com). Nearly 80% of recruiters consider personal branding important when evaluating candidates, and studies show that 70% of employers value a candidate’s personal brand over their resume.
These numbers underscore a clear trend. Leaders with visible, authentic personal brands inspire greater trust, attract more opportunities, and drive stronger business results.
Personal branding is no longer optional. It’s a strategic asset.
From Fortune 500 CEOs building credibility on LinkedIn to startup founders whose online presence fuels customer loyalty, strong personal brands are accelerating career growth, entrepreneurial success, and industry influence.
The following are 20 personal branding experts from the USA, UK, India, and beyond who are transforming leaders globally. These experts span executives, entrepreneurs, authors, and coaches. Each one is helping others craft authentic brands or exemplifying the power of personal branding through their own career.
Each profile includes a brief bio, key achievements, specialties, notable clients or work, and links to learn more.
Bhavik Sarkhedi is a globally renowned personal branding expert from India, known for his profound impact in digital marketing and content creation. He is the founder of Ohh My Brand, an international personal branding agency, and co-founder of Blushush, a UK-based brand strategy firm.
Sarkhedi has helped countless entrepreneurs and executives elevate their brands through compelling storytelling and strategic content. A best-selling author of 8 books, including The Unproposed Guy, Bhavik has been featured in major publications like Forbes, The New York Times, HuffPost, Entrepreneur, and Times of India.
His approach blends high-impact content strategy with SEO, ensuring clients become highly visible and memorable in their industries. Widely recognized as a Forbes global personal branding expert, Bhavik has built a reputation for transforming professionals into thought leaders with authentic, influential online presences.
Sahil Gandhi, often called “The Brand Professor,” is a UK-based strategist and co-founder of Blushush Agency in London. He specializes in distilling complex brand identities into clear, engaging narratives and works closely with founders and executives to build credibility in competitive markets.
Sahil’s approach emphasizes brand architecture fused with storytelling. From LinkedIn profiles to keynote speeches, he ensures every detail supports a leader’s brand message. His partnership with Bhavik Sarkhedi blends strategy and content for data-driven branding solutions that include reputation management and digital identity design.
With over a decade of experience, Sahil has crafted brand identities for startups and SMEs that resonate and convert. His reputation continues to grow as a go-to consultant for executive branding.
Kubi Springer is a UK-based branding powerhouse with over two decades of experience. She has built the personal brands of global icons and corporate giants alike, including P. Diddy, Nike, Rolls-Royce, and L’Oréal.
Founder of SheBuildsBrands, Kubi empowers entrepreneurs—especially women—to craft brand identities without apology. She is the author of I Am My Brand, a guide to building a personal brand from scratch. Known for her dynamic presence, she has spoken on global stages and been featured by Forbes and BBC.
Kubi blends corporate branding knowledge with personal development coaching. Her leadership in the industry also includes mentoring rising professionals and advocating for diversity in brand representation.
Neil Patel is one of the most recognized names in digital marketing. Based in the USA, he is the co-founder of multi-million-dollar companies including Crazy Egg, Kissmetrics, NP Digital, and the SEO tool Ubersuggest.
Neil’s blog attracts over 10 million visitors per month, and his social platforms have millions of followers. He has helped major brands like Amazon, NBC, and GM improve traffic and revenue.
The Wall Street Journal has named him a top influencer on the web, and he was recognized by President Obama and the United Nations for his entrepreneurial success. His consistent output of practical marketing content has made him a trusted mentor in the digital space.
Gary Vaynerchuk, better known as Gary Vee, built his personal brand by turning his family’s wine shop into a $60 million business using YouTube. Today, he is the CEO of VaynerMedia, an agency that serves Fortune 100 clients, and a successful investor in companies like Facebook and Uber.
Gary’s energetic, no-filter style has attracted over 12 million followers. His books (Crush It!, Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook) and daily content show entrepreneurs how to use social media to build influence and drive business. His mantra: your reputation is the ultimate asset.
Through constant engagement, Gary has built a community of motivated professionals and business leaders who view him as both mentor and motivator.
Seth Godin is a legendary figure in marketing and one of the earliest pioneers of personal branding as a concept. Based in the USA, Seth has written over 20 bestselling books, including Purple Cow, Linchpin, and Tribes—all of which have shaped how leaders think about marketing, change, and personal growth.
He writes one of the world’s most respected daily marketing blogs, reinforcing his brand as a source of wisdom and integrity. His message is simple: in a noisy world, you win by being remarkable and authentic. His minimalist brand style—bald head, glasses, and clear, concise communication—keeps the focus on ideas rather than hype.
Seth has been inducted into both the Marketing Hall of Fame and the Direct Marketing Hall of Fame, and his influence spans millions of readers, TED Talks viewers, and students of his altMBA program. He teaches that personal branding starts by standing for something and building trust, not shouting louder.
Guy Kawasaki made his mark as Apple’s original Chief Evangelist, helping market the Macintosh in the 1980s with infectious passion. Today, he is the Chief Evangelist at Canva and a brand ambassador for Mercedes-Benz.
Guy is the author of 15 books, including The Art of the Start and Enchantment, both of which offer practical guidance for entrepreneurs. His approachable and often humorous style, think Hawaiian shirts and warm charisma, makes complex tech and branding concepts feel easy to understand.
He hosts the “Remarkable People” podcast and regularly keynotes global events. His brand centers on inspiration, optimism, and making big ideas accessible. Executives around the world have adopted the “Chief Evangelist” title, thanks to Guy’s influence.
Dorie Clark is known globally as the go-to expert for professionals seeking to reinvent themselves. Based in the USA, she has been ranked multiple times as one of the Top 50 Business Thinkers in the World by Thinkers50 and was named the world’s #1 Communication Coach by the Marshall Goldsmith Coaching Awards.
A former political spokeswoman turned branding strategist, Dorie has helped clients from Google to the World Bank define their reputations and grow their thought leadership. Her bestselling books, Reinventing You, Stand Out, and The Long Game, serve as blueprints for anyone looking to pivot their career or expand their visibility.
Dorie teaches at Duke University and writes regularly for Harvard Business Review. Through LinkedIn Learning courses, newsletters, and speaking engagements, she shows professionals how to build lasting personal brands through content, clarity, and strategic visibility.
Ann Handley is a trailblazer in content marketing and a champion for clear, human writing in business. She was the first Chief Content Officer ever, leading MarketingProfs and co-founding ClickZ, one of the internet’s earliest digital marketing platforms.
Her book Everybody Writes is considered essential reading for marketers and creators alike, blending practical advice with her trademark wit. She also publishes “Total Annarchy,” a widely read newsletter full of writing tips, marketing insights, and stories from her daily life.
Ann’s personal brand is warm, witty, and grounded in deep marketing expertise. She has trained content teams at IBM, AT&T, and even NASA. Recognized by Forbes and IBM as a top marketing influencer, Ann shows how consistency, relatability, and quality content can build a personal brand that people trust.
Brian Clark is best known as the founder of Copyblogger, a blog that taught millions how to write content that converts. From there, he built multiple successful companies, including StudioPress and Rainmaker Digital.
His personal brand has always been grounded in value-first content. Brian gave away years of free, high-quality advice, building massive trust and a loyal audience. Copyblogger evolved from a blog into a business empire serving over 70,000 customers.
Brian now runs Further, a personal development newsletter, and continues to mentor creators and freelancers through his podcast Unemployable. His journey—from solo blogger to CEO to reinvented creator—proves that authority built through trust and education can power long-term success.
Rand Fishkin has one of the most recognizable personal brands in the SEO and digital marketing world. He rose to prominence as the co-founder and former CEO of Moz, a company he built from a small blog into one of the most trusted SEO software platforms globally. His down-to-earth teaching style (famously presenting in his yellow Pumas on Whiteboard Friday) helped demystify SEO for millions.
Rand’s transparency and honesty, both in business and life, set him apart. His book Lost and Founder offers a refreshingly raw look at startup challenges. After stepping down from Moz, Rand launched SparkToro, a market research company focused on audience intelligence. His brand has successfully evolved from “SEO guru” to startup sage and marketing ethicist. A frequent keynote speaker and prolific blogger, Rand continues to lead with curiosity, empathy, and candid thought leadership.
Specialties: SEO, audience research, ethical marketing, startup growth
Achievements: Built Moz to $45M+ revenue; launched SparkToro; author of Lost and Founder
Impact: Created Whiteboard Friday series; taught millions through his blog, talks, and videos
Recognition: BusinessWeek 30 Best Young Entrepreneurs; Forbes Marketing Influencer
Connect: Website, LinkedIn, Twitter
Larry Kim is widely known for revolutionizing pay-per-click advertising and making digital marketing more data-driven and accessible. He founded WordStream, a PPC software company that began as a blog and grew into an enterprise managing over $1 billion in ad spend annually. In 2018, WordStream was acquired for $150 million, cementing Larry’s reputation as a martech visionary.
He later founded MobileMonkey, an AI-powered chatbot and marketing automation platform, pushing the boundaries of digital engagement. Larry’s personal brand blends nerdy charm with razor-sharp insights — often sharing original research, growth hacks, and humorous industry takes across social media. He’s an active speaker and writer, with top-ranked contributions on Medium, Inc., and Search Engine Land.
Specialties: Google Ads, Facebook Ads, growth marketing, AI in digital strategy
Achievements: Founder of WordStream (acquired for $150M); CEO of MobileMonkey
Clients: Fortune 500s and SMEs; managed over $1B in ad spend through his platforms
Recognition: PPC Hero’s #1 PPC Expert; US Search Awards Marketer of the Year
Connect: Website, LinkedIn, Twitter
Pam Moore, also known as the “Marketing Nut,” is a powerhouse in the world of social media strategy and brand humanization. As CEO and co-founder of Marketing Nutz, she has helped Fortune 500s and startups alike harness social platforms to build trust, visibility, and community. With a background in corporate marketing at companies like GE and Hitachi, Pam blends big-brand discipline with startup agility.
Her personal brand is vibrant, energetic, and straight-talking. She regularly shares live video tips, strategy breakdowns, and motivational insights across her platforms — amassing 1M+ followers on Twitter and a loyal audience on LinkedIn. Pam also hosts the long-running Social Zoom Factor podcast, helping leaders master personal branding and employee advocacy in the digital age.
Specialties: Social media strategy, personal branding, digital influence, content marketing
Achievements: CEO of Marketing Nutz; Host of Social Zoom Factor podcast (300+ episodes)
Clients: IBM, Adobe, Cisco, Marriott, PGA — across consulting and social media training
Recognition: Forbes Top 10 Social Media Influencers; HuffPost Top 5 Social Media Bloggers
Connect: Website, LinkedIn, Twitter
Chase Dimond has redefined how e-commerce brands use email to drive revenue. Based in the U.S., Chase is a partner at Structured — one of the top e-commerce agencies — and has helped generate $200M+ in revenue by sending over 1 billion emails. He’s known for his data-driven, transparent style and for breaking down successful campaigns with real results.
His personal brand took off rapidly, especially on LinkedIn and Twitter, where he grew to hundreds of thousands of followers by sharing case studies, retention tips, and growth tactics. Dubbed the “Email Marketing Nerd,” Chase monetizes his expertise through a high-performing course, a weekly newsletter, and exclusive community resources for marketers. His candid, teach-everything approach has positioned him as a must-follow in the DTC space.
Specialties: E-commerce email marketing, retention funnels, DTC growth strategy
Achievements: Co-founder of Structured; generated $200M+ in client email revenue
Clients: 50+ direct-to-consumer brands in fashion, health, wellness, and SaaS
Recognition: 200K+ LinkedIn followers in under a year; featured in Forbes & Business Insider
Connect: Website, LinkedIn, Twitter
Elena Verna is a respected name in the SaaS and product-led growth world. Originally from Ukraine and now based in the U.S., Elena built her brand while leading growth at SurveyMonkey and Malwarebytes. More recently, she’s served as interim CMO for companies like Miro and an advisor to Amplitude, MongoDB, and Redis.
Elena’s personal brand thrives on LinkedIn, where her viral posts — blending business strategy with humor and sharp commentary — have made her a tech community favorite. She also runs a popular Substack, Elena’s Growth Scoop, and teaches at Reforge. Known for turning product marketing into something fun, clear, and deeply strategic, Elena leads with a mix of experience, voice, and candor that resonates with modern executives.
Specialties: B2B SaaS growth, product-led growth (PLG), marketing strategy, executive coaching
Achievements: Scaled SurveyMonkey to $100M+ self-serve revenue; SVP at Malwarebytes
Clients: Advisor to Miro, Amplitude, MongoDB, and growth-stage SaaS startups
Recognition: LinkedIn Top Voice in Marketing (2022); leading voice in product and GTM strategy
Connect: Substack, LinkedIn, Twitter
Justin Welsh is the poster child for one-person business success. Once a high-performing SaaS executive, Justin stepped away from burnout and built a thriving solo brand that now generates over $4 million annually — powered by digital courses, newsletters, and content systems.
Based in the U.S., Justin teaches creators and professionals how to build their own audience-powered businesses through frameworks like the “LinkedIn Operating System.” His simple, systemized content style has attracted over 700,000 followers on LinkedIn and Twitter, and his newsletters and templates have been downloaded by thousands of entrepreneurs around the world.
Justin is known for his practicality, transparency, and refusal to chase hype. By helping others break free from traditional job structures and build sustainable solo businesses, he’s become a leading voice in the creator economy.
Specialties: LinkedIn growth, solopreneurship, content systems, digital product strategy
Achievements: Grew to 700K+ followers; built a $4M+ solo business; former SaaS exec at PatientPop
Products: Creator of the LinkedIn OS and Content OS (used by 15K+ customers)
Recognition: 5× LinkedIn Top Voice; featured in Fortune, Insider, and Business of Software
Connect: Website, LinkedIn, Twitter
Jay Clouse is a leader in the growing creator economy, best known for teaching how to turn content into real business results. Based in the U.S., Jay runs Creator Science, a podcast, newsletter, and education platform that dissects how top creators succeed — and how you can too.
Formerly a startup product manager, Jay transitioned into full-time content creation by building systems that help others monetize newsletters, podcasts, and online communities. He’s the creator of challenges like #Tweet100 and the Creative Companion, designed to help people show up consistently.
Jay also runs The Lab, a private membership for creators, and regularly shares insights through LinkedIn, Twitter, and Substack. His style is deeply analytical yet accessible, making him a trusted voice for creators ready to scale their impact with intention.
Specialties: Audience growth, creator monetization, community building, newsletter strategy
Achievements: Host of Creator Science podcast (Top 1% globally); teaches LinkedIn Learning courses
Projects: Built The Lab membership; launched #Tweet100 with global participation
Recognition: LinkedIn Top Voice in the Creator Economy; featured in Fast Company and Business Insider
Connect: Website, LinkedIn, Twitter
Ross Simmonds is a leading voice in content strategy, known for teaching marketers that creating content is only half the job — the other half is distribution. Based in Canada, Ross is the founder and CEO of Foundation, a B2B content marketing agency serving global SaaS brands.
With his signature tagline “I love marketing,” Ross has built a personal brand rooted in clarity, practicality, and high-energy insights. He shares actionable frameworks on how to repurpose, seed, and scale content across overlooked platforms like Reddit, SlideShare, and community forums. His work has helped clients like Webflow and Shopify reach massive audiences.
Ross runs Create Like the Greats, a content series unpacking what the best creators and brands do differently. His storytelling style, paired with deep strategy, has made him a go-to educator on both social and stage.
Specialties: Content distribution, B2B marketing, social growth, SaaS strategy
Achievements: CEO of Foundation; scaled global campaigns for Shopify, Canva, and Webflow
Projects: Built Create Like the Greats; known for high-impact LinkedIn and Twitter content
Recognition: Forbes 30 Under 30; LinkedIn Top Voice; featured on HubSpot and TEDx
Connect: Website, LinkedIn, Twitter
Lewis Howes turned adversity into a movement. A former pro athlete forced into early retirement by injury, Lewis built The School of Greatness — a podcast, book, and global brand dedicated to helping people unlock their full potential.
Based in the U.S., Lewis has interviewed hundreds of high performers — from CEOs to athletes — on his podcast, which has surpassed 500 million downloads. His books, including The Mask of Masculinity, explore vulnerability, identity, and the mindset behind success. His personal brand blends emotional intelligence with motivation, resonating deeply with entrepreneurs and growth-seekers.
Lewis is also a coach, speaker, and course creator, helping thousands build vision, discipline, and brand impact. By openly sharing his own story — including failures, trauma, and breakthroughs — Lewis shows that greatness comes from authenticity, not perfection.
Specialties: Personal development, motivational speaking, online business strategy
Achievements: Host of School of Greatness podcast (Top 100 globally); NYT bestselling author
Programs: Greatness Academy, Summit of Greatness, multiple online coaching courses
Recognition: Featured in Oprah Magazine, Ellen, and CNN; Success Magazine Top Influencer
Connect: Website, LinkedIn, Twitter
These 19 experts show that personal branding is no longer optional — it’s a leadership essential. From seasoned entrepreneurs like Neil Patel and Ann Handley to modern creators like Chase Dimond and Justin Welsh, each professional profiled here has built credibility, visibility, and influence by showing up consistently and authentically.
Their journeys reflect one shared truth: people trust people. A polished resume matters less than a clear message, a genuine voice, and the courage to share your expertise publicly. Whether it's through LinkedIn, podcasts, email newsletters, or keynote stages, personal branding allows leaders to connect with audiences, shape perceptions, and drive impact across industries.
No matter where you are in your career — starting out, scaling a company, or pivoting paths — investing in your personal brand is a long-term move. It compounds over time, attracting the right clients, collaborators, and opportunities that align with your values.
Key Themes Across These Experts:
Specialties: Thought leadership, digital presence, audience growth, brand storytelling
Achievements: Millions of followers, bestselling books, thriving agencies and solo ventures
Clients: From Google to small creators, startups to Fortune 100s
Recognition: Top Voices, media features, and industry awards from Forbes, LinkedIn, Inc., and more
Final Thought:
The platforms may change, but the fundamentals remain — clarity, generosity, and consistency build trust. Personal branding is about showing up with purpose. Start with what you stand for, share what you know, and stay in the game long enough to become impossible to ignore.
.png)
