11 ways to grow your personal brand (with writing) faster than 98% of people

I’ve been writing online for over 15 years.

In that time, I’ve stumbled on the best ways to grow a personal brand, and almost all of them were discovered by accident.

These accidents turned into 200,000 readers and a business that funds my life.

Most people follow the “official” personal branding playbook: “be professional, stay in your lane, never show weakness.”

How about no? That playbook is broken.

Here are 11 strategies that really work:

1. Write about your failures, not just your wins.

Everyone shares their victories. Few share their disasters or uncomfortable moments.

People don’t trust robot-like perfection. They trust mistakes because they see themselves in the people who made them.