Feb 06 2025 67 mins 9
Today I'm joined by Darrell Vesterfelt to explore why personal brand might be the most overlooked asset for early-stage founders.
First, Darrell shows why traditional startups should borrow strategies from the creator world, sharing how he's helped companies drive sales and recruit talent through founder-led marketing. Then we dig into a step-by-step playbook for building your baseline presence - from getting your first podcast interview to crafting foundational content.
You'll learn how to develop a personal brand that supports real business goals, create content efficiently without letting it consume your time, and increase conversion rates across recruiting, sales and partnerships.
Timestamps:
00:00 Introduction
01:33 Behind Mount Haley Holdings
02:29 The Stigma Around Personal Branding
03:14 The Power of Personal Branding: Practical Steps
05:47 5 Personal Branding Tips for Founders
09:05 Step 1: How to Get Interviewed on Podcasts
11:45 Step 2: Develop a Founding Story
12:24 Step 3: Setting Up Social Media Profiles
15:41 Step 4: Writing Foundational Essays
18:03 Step 5: Business Case Studies
20:38 How to Get High-Ticket Clients Through Personal Branding
25:37 Why Keep Investing in Personal Brand at $40M ARR
29:21 How to Attract Top Talent with Personal Branding
33:02 Using Personal Brand to Build Company Culture
38:40 Personal Branding Within Teams
41:59 How to Create Educational Content That Sells
53:17 Turning Personal Brand into Marketing ROI
57:30 Building Community Around Your Business
01:03:20 How to Systematize Content Creation
01:06:22 Closing Thoughts
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Learn more about The Nathan Barry Show: https://nathanbarry.com/show
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Follow Darrell:
Website: https://darrellvesterfelt.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dvest
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/darrellvesterfelt
Featured in this episode:
Mount Haley Holdings: https://www.mounthaley.com
Good People Digital: https://mygoodpeople.com
Boomtown: https://boomtowngrowth.com
HubSpot: https://www.hubspot.com
Mighty Networks: https://www.mightynetworks.com
Charli (Kit Creative Director): https://www.charlimarie.com
Deliverability Podcast: https://deliverability.transistor.fm
Webflow: https://www.webflow.com
Framer: https://www.framer.com
Hampton: https://www.joinhampton.com
Sam Parr: https://www.linkedin.com/in/parrsam
Leadpages: https://www.leadpages.com
Cast Magic: https://www.castmagic.io
Jason Lemkin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonmlemkin
Highlights:
02:19 Personal Branding: The Silicon Valley Stigma
14:46 Social Media Audit Checklist for Founders
25:59 Why I'm Still Building My Personal Brand at $40M ARR
29:21 Using Personal Brand to Improve Hiring
34:41 How Kit Creates Internal Content
38:37 Team Personal Branding Strategy
57:24 Kit Building an Online Business Community
