Brand: YOU — How to Build an Authentic Personal Brand (Without Posting Selfies)

Featuring: Allison Ditmer
Event plug: Brand: YOU — Authentic Positioning at COhatch Polaris • Wed, Aug 20 • Networking 5:30pm, Session 6–7pm

Quick TL;DR

You don’t need to overshare or post selfies to build a powerful personal brand. Allison Ditmer shows how to lead with expertise, clarity, and consistency—so your content turns into conversations, and conversations turn into clients.

You’ll learn:

• How to set clear expectations to reduce anxiety (for you and your audience)
  
• The fastest way to uncover what your audience actually cares about
  
• What to fix on your LinkedIn profile before you post another thing
  
• A simple system for content pillars, engagement, and converting DMs to calls
  
• Why “show your work” posts outperform generic advice (and how to do them)
  
• The confidence boost of speaking to pain points instead of just features
  

Timestamps

• 00:00 – Why “authentic brand” ≠ oversharing (and why Allison proves it)
  
• 00:47 – Real talk: Friday energy, full calendars, and finishing strong
  
• 03:03 – Setting expectations ≠ being strict; it reduces anxiety
  
• 06:04 – Office hours + low-friction meetings that people actually attend
  
• 06:37 – Prepping for Brand: YOU: mining clarity calls for content gold
  
• 07:49 – Record your calls (TLDV, Fathom, or Google Meet) and why it matters
  
• 10:03 – Listen back: what clients say you do best vs. what you think
  
• 12:00 – One killer opener for any clarity call (and what it reveals)
  
• 14:33 – Features vs. pain points: what actually moves people
  
• 18:05 – Where to start if you’re full-time but want to freelance
  
• 19:54 – Foundations first: headline, banner, and About that convert
  
• 21:03 – Content pillars + engagement: posting is not the whole game
  
• 22:00 – The “mid-boarding” trap: posting consistently but stuck at zero calls
  
• 24:14 – Impressions are a vanity metric; optimize for conversations
  
• 26:11 – Show your work: case posts that lead to qualified leads
  
• 28:03 – Make the CTA obvious: invite people to next steps
  
• 30:01 – Treat content like a product: objective > emotional
  
• 31:24 – Your edge = personality + specific experience (not perfection)
  
• 33:20 – Why LinkedIn is still the biggest unlock (even in a 9–5)
  
• 33:39 – Event details: Brand: YOU at COhatch Polaris (be there!)
  

Key Takeaways & Playbook

1) Reduce anxiety with clear expectations

• On invites and meeting descriptions, spell out: purpose, prep (or “no prep”), agenda, and outcome.
  
• Your audience wants the same thing from your content: who this is for, what they’ll get, and what to do next.
  

2) Record your calls and build a feedback loop

• Use TLDV, Fathom, or Google Meet recording.
  
• Re-listen for exact phrasing clients use about pains, hesitations, and wins. That language becomes hooks, posts, and offers.
  

3) Fix your LinkedIn foundation before you post more

• Headline: who you help + outcome you drive.
  
• Banner: visual proof or benefit in 5 words.
  
• About: your POV + credible stories + invite to book a quick call.
  
• If trusted friends can’t explain what you do after reading your profile, rewrite.
  

4) Build 3–4 content pillars

Examples:

• Proof & Process: Before/After, behind-the-scenes, decisions made
  
• Problem & Pain: objections, blockers, “why people don’t buy yet”
  
• Point of View: what you believe that others miss
  
• Personal Fuel: a story that shows your values and approach
  

5) Engagement > posting alone

• Daily: leave thoughtful, specific comments on ideal clients’ posts.
  
• Weekly: move good threads into DMs → 20-min chat.
  
• Use a clear, friendly ask: “Want to trade notes on X? 20 mins next week?”
  

6) Turn content into conversations

• End posts with one obvious next step (reply, DM, link to book).
  
• “Show Your Work” case posts (problem → process → proof → invitation) consistently drive qualified inbound.
  

Event: Brand: YOU — Authentic Positioning

• When: Wednesday, Aug 20
  
• Where: COhatch Polaris
  
• Schedule: 5:30p networking • 6:00–7:00p session
  
• Why go: Get Allison’s step-by-step on building a brand that attracts the right work—without turning into a full-time content creator.
  

Guest Links

• Allison Ditmer — LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/allisonditmer/

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