Personal branding is no longer optional for business leaders—it’s a powerful and essential tool to establish credibility and stand out in a congested, competitive market. In today’s episode of The Small Business Show, Adam Witty, founder and CEO of Advantage | The Authority Company, shares how writing a book and leveraging digital platforms can transform leaders into recognized industry authorities.
Like many entrepreneurs, Witty began his journey with a brilliant idea and little capital. He worked as an intern at a book publishing company, where a mentor encouraged him to take a bold step and launch his own publishing company focused on CEOs and business leaders. From this inspiration, Advantage | The Authority Company was born. Through his company, Witty has witnessed firsthand the transformational impact publishing a book can have on a leader’s career and overall business success.
Witty believes that “people buy people,” not corporations. In other words, consumers are more likely to engage with, trust, and support a person rather than a faceless brand. Personal branding, therefore, is not just a marketing tool; it enhances corporate branding by creating an emotional connection with audiences. As Witty puts it, personal branding establishes trust and credibility, and this is what attracts customers. When business leaders build a personal brand, they make themselves more accessible, relatable, and, ultimately, more likable.
Effective personal branding tools include books, blogs, podcasts, and active social media engagement. According to Witty, leaders should focus on being discoverable online and creating a strong digital presence. By doing so, they position themselves as thought leaders, which can significantly impact their influence in their industry.
People tend to want to do business with individuals they know, like, and trust. When leaders take time to build their personal brand, they make themselves more discoverable online, more approachable, and more trustworthy in the eyes of their audience. As trust builds, so does the potential for business growth and professional opportunities.
Books, in particular, are an excellent way to build authority. Publishing a book gives leaders instant credibility and establishes them as experts in their field. A well-crafted book not only shares a leader’s expertise but also positions them as a thought leader, someone whose opinions and insights are valued by others. In a world where competition is fierce and attention spans are short, books provide a lasting and tangible asset that can keep leaders relevant for years.
Witty’s insights make one thing clear: building authority through personal branding is essential for leaders aiming to have a lasting impact in their industries. Whether it’s through writing a book, maintaining an active online presence, or engaging with an audience via blogs or podcasts, the key is for leaders to take control of the way they’re perceived. When leaders own their personal brand and strategically manage it, they can propel both their careers and businesses forward, gaining trust, visibility, and influence.
In a world where everyone is competing for attention, personal branding is the tool that separates the successful from the unnoticed. Now more than ever, it’s the leaders who understand this power and use it effectively who are poised to make the biggest impact.
"If you want to build your business, building your personal brand and being seen by your prospects and your customers as an authority is only going to help you and your business." – Adam Witty
