Nathan BarryFounder and CEO, Kit · Founder and CEO at Kit

The Personal Brand Mistake 99% of Creators Make

1 Oct 2026 · 1 min

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In this brief dialogue, Nathan Barry and Speaker A discuss a common error among creators: conflating personal branding with marketing tactics. They argue that most people label their marketing funnels, advertising strategies, and conversion‑focused efforts as a "personal brand" to avoid the stigma of self‑promotion. The speakers contend that a genuine personal brand is rooted in one’s authentic voice, core values, and identity, and should be expressed without the primary aim of making money. The conversation highlights the distinction between buzzword‑driven funnel design and the deeper, value‑driven concept of personal branding.

Personal brand and the word brand has become quite popular.
I know a lot of people, and we probably both do, who put tons of effort into their personal brand and don't feel like they're getting attention and eyeballs on it and that it's actually resonating.
I'd argue they're not working on their personal brand at all.
What are they working on?
They're working on their marketing funnel, calling it a personal brand. I find that the vast majority of people who speak about personal brand, the 99.9% of them, are just using the words advertising, marketing, funnel design, conversions, And they're using the wrong label because maybe they're ashamed of what they do or they're just chasing the next buzzword. Personal brand is about who you are, understanding your voice in this world, your values, and being able to communicate that. It's devoid of you trying to make money.