Every business has a brand, but not every brand has a face. Your company’s brand is its logo, website, tagline, etc. Your personal brand is you, the person behind it all. You are the founder and leader of the company, but also your own person outside of your business. The truth is that customers resonate with, and buy from, people, not logos.
This is extremely valuable for small businesses. You can build trust, loyalty, and authority by being the face of your business. When you show up online as yourself, you make your company more relatable, human, and memorable. People connect with people, and this type of authenticity will make you stand out.
Gary Vee as the Blueprint
For proof of how far a personal brand can take you, look at one of the biggest names in the business: Gary Vaynerchuk. Before he built VaynerMedia into a global agency, he built his own brand. Gary launched Wine Library TV, a YouTube series where he reviewed wines in his own voice. Even the smallest, personal touches like these can make all the difference to your audience.
The visibility he earned helped him grow his family’s wine business. From there, he spun his personal brand into new ventures: VaynerMedia, speaking gigs, books, and eventually VeeFriends. What’s important is not the polish, it’s the presence. Gary didn’t wait for high production value. He documented his daily thoughts, shared authentic takes, and built massive trust at scale.
Shaun Smith: Founder-Led Content in Action
Here at Sparkable, Shaun takes the same approach. His photography, music blog (The High Note), and love for surf culture, NFTs, and even PizzaDAO don’t compete with Sparkable’s brand; they amplify it. It’s all about prioritizing personality over promotion, and the results will follow.
When Shaun posts a sunrise photo or writes about a concert, he connects with his community and shows that he is a real person with passions, curiosity, and creativity, just like they are. Those values translate directly into Sparkable’s work. Clients see Sparkable as more credible and authentic because Shaun shows up online as himself.
Practical Content Tips for Small Business Owners
So how can you do the same for your business? Here are four practical strategies:
- Document vs. Create: Don’t overthink it. Snap a behind-the-scenes photo, record a quick thought from your day, or share a lesson learned. Imperfect content is better than no content.
- Leverage Your Passions: Use your hobbies to humanize your business. Whether it’s photography, cooking, or running marathons, show the real you. These touchpoints help customers connect with you on a deeper level.
- Crossover is Key: Link your personal projects back to your business values. Shaun’s music blog highlights his creativity and storytelling, which are skills that also fuel Sparkable’s campaigns.
- Consistency > Perfection: You don’t need a polished studio setup. Posting consistently matters more than waiting for everything to look “professional.” A stream of authentic, small touchpoints builds momentum.
How to Put It Into Practice
- Pick one channel where your audience is most active (LinkedIn, Instagram, or TikTok).
- Choose a format that feels natural for you: short videos, photo posts, or quick written updates.
- Set a frequency by starting with two or three posts per week.
- Track what resonates and do more of it. The goal is progress, not perfection.
When you invest in your personal brand, you fuel your business brand. People want to work with humans, not faceless companies. By showing up online as the founder, you earn trust, authority, and long-term loyalty. Your personal brand is the growth engine your business needs.
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