10 Personal Branding Experts to Follow This Year Building your personal brand is a great way to help your business stand out.
By Andrew Medal Edited by Dan Bova
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
You probably know that three out of four startups fail. It is impossible for entrepreneurs to establish themselves without credibility. No matter what business, you have to position yourself in unique ways to stand out.
One way to stand out is to build your personal brand. The more you grow as a brand, the more social proof you earn. Consequently, the more social proof you earn, the more clients come to you wanting to give you their hard earned money.
Want to discover, build and expand your personal brand? These are the top 10 experts that you need to follow.
1. Leonard Kim
Leonard Kim was almost homeless by the end of 2010. Yet in 2016, he has been recognized as a top digital and youth marketer. He creates content that inspires people, as well as teaches them how to discover, establish and grow their own personal brands.
Kim has been regularly featured in publications such as Fox News, Fortune, Forbes and Entrepreneur. He is also a managing partner at InfluenceTree and has developed a comprehensive course that shares all of his secrets to personal branding.
Related: How to Protect Your Online Reputation in 2017
2. Dennis Yu
Dennis Yu helps individuals grow their expertise in social media management and strategy. Having worked with enterprise clients such as the Golden State Warriors, Nike and Rosetta Stone, he's an internationally recognized lecturer in Facebook marketing and has spoken in 17 countries that span across five continents.
Yu has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Los Angeles Times, TechCrunch, Fox News, and CBS Evening News. In addition, he is the co-author of Facebook Nation, which is taught in more than 700 colleges and universities.
3. Cynthia Johnson
Cynthia Johnson is an entrepreneur, marketing professional, author and keynote speaker. She is also the editorial director and a member on the global board of directors for Social Media Club, a member of Young Entrepreneurs Council and committee member for the Charlotte and Gwenyth Gray Foundation to cure Batten Disease.
On top of all these accomplishments, she is an author and a contributing columnist for Entrepreneur, Search Engine Journal, Startup Grind, Business2Community, Social Media Examiner, SheKnows and others.
4. Ryan Foland
Ryan Foland specializes in strategically communicating for personal and corporate brands. He is the creator of the 3-1-3 Theory. In this process, pitches begin as three sentences, are condensed into one sentence and then boiled down to three words. Foland applies this approach at UC Irvine, where he oversees social media and marketing strategy.
As co-founder of InfluenceTree, Foland demystifies personal branding into something that people can understand and enjoy. He has appeared in Fortune, Entrepreneur, The Huffington Post, TEDx and more.
5. Nicolas Cole
Nicolas Cole is an author, creative strategist and entrepreneur. Published in TIME, Forbes, Fortune, Thought Catalog, The Huffington Post, Business Insider, Slate, Observer and featured as a top writer on Quora, Cole has accumulated more than 20,000,000 views on his writing online.
By leveraging each brand's unique value, Cole has built an impressive portfolio for working with thought leaders, influencers, serial entrepreneurs and business leaders in helping them build and amplify their personal brands.
Related: 8 Tips for Building Your Personal Brand in 2017
6. Mark Lack
Mark Lack is a motivational speaker and coach who is committed to lifting the careers of entrepreneurs and marketers alike. He has been featured in hundreds of podcasts, YouTube channels, TV episodes, radio shows and magazines spanning more than 140 countries.
He hosts the TV show Business Rockstars, where he has interviewed Tony Robbins, Mark Cuban, John Assaraf, Tai Lopez, Arianna Huffington, Gary Vaynerchuk and Daymond John.
7. Baruch Labunski
Baruch Labunski currently runs a search engine optimization (SEO) service company Rank Secure in Toronto. His extraordinary knowledge and professional acumen has already made Rank Secure a globally acclaimed SEO Company in a short period of time. He is considered one of the most talented and promising SEO and branding professionals, working with executives on improving their leads and personal brands.
8. Dan Simons
Dan Simons is the founder and owner of Founding Farmers Restaurant Group, of which the most booked restaurant in Washington D.C., Founding Farmers, is part of. Simons is a champion for environmental protection and workers rights, and has successfully incorporated ethical operations into his marketing and organization, resulting in breakneck growth for his company.
His frequent thought leadership on ethical operations, leadership, concept development, entrepreneurship and marketing have distinguished him as a leader in his industry. Restaurant and hospitality professionals that are looking to attract a customer base that is loyal for life, not just for a meal or even a single location, should follow Simons's footsteps closely.
9. Charles Anderson
Charles Anderson is the CEO and founder of Currency Capital, a leader in online business financing. Anderson has made it his mission to make sure that every business can fulfill its potential, and get the equipment they need, when they need it.
Anderson's thought leadership can be seen in the likes of Forbes, Yahoo Finance and Equipment World Magazine. His advice on disrupting the stagnated heavy machinery and equipment financing industry drives his personal branding offline as well. Anderson makes a point to visit educational institutions and inspire the young minds that will lead the future of business financing.
Related: How to Build a Personal Brand That Elevates Your Company
10. Carlo Cisco
Carlo Cisco is the CEO and founder of SELECT, a VIP club that offers its members discounts and exclusive access to experiences around the country. Cisco got his start in event planning early on, but quickly made big moves towards becoming one of hospitality's fastest growing stars. After leading Groupon's growth in Japan, Cisco came back to the states to start SELECT, and has successfully attracted the attention of celebrities such as Victoria's Secret models, famous clothing designers, athletes and DJs.
Cisco is proof that the best way to gain a loyal following is tied to old-fashioned soft skills such as friendliness, passion and a great smile. However, having a fantastic Instagram account has never hurt anyone. He is frequently featured as an expert on entrepreneurship, business and marketing in Mashable, Forbes, Fox Business, Tech.co, USA Today, TheNextWeb, Entrepreneur magazine and Wall Street Journal.
