Personal Brand vs Personal Purpose in Black Women’s Leadership
I really value this fantastic message from Caroline A. Wanga, The President and CEO of Essence Ventures.
It's so timely because obviously with the work that I do I always try to highlight the power of personal branding but I have always said that it needs to be aligned with purpose and values.
We already know that your personal brand is how the world sees you: the curated image, the tone, the story you tell through your work, your posts, your presence, your impact. It’s important particularly in professional spaces and especially in a world where visibility often drives opportunity. But what Caroline is talking about here, your personal purpose? That’s how YOU see you. It is deeper, it is the internal compass that guides your decisions when no one’s watching and it’s what makes the work meaningful even when it’s hard, unglamorous or unseen (and trust me there are many days when our efforts go unseen).
For Black women in leadership, this distinction carries even more weight. Visibility is not always evenly distributed, and credibility is not always automatically granted. This is why personal branding is not just about presentation, it is about intentional positioning, self-definition and protecting the narrative you want to lead with.
When your personal brand is shaped without your purpose, it can start to feel performative. You may look successful on the outside but disconnected from what actually drives you on the inside. Over time, that gap becomes exhausting. It can also dilute your voice in spaces where clarity and consistency are what create influence.
The challenge is that it is easy to build a personal brand that looks great but does not reflect your purpose. When your personal brand reflects your personal purpose, people do not just see what you do, they understand why you do it. They see who you are. That kind of clarity is magnetic, I would even go so far as to say it is powerful in a way that cannot be manufactured. It builds trust, opens doors and creates lasting impact.
This is especially important for Black women in leadership roles and professional spaces, where your presence can already carry additional layers of expectation, interpretation and scrutiny. A grounded personal brand anchored in purpose helps you stay centred in your message, even when external narratives try to define you differently.
So if you are working on your personal brand right now here is a thought. Do not start with aesthetics, algorithms or trending topics make sure that you start with your purpose. If you do not know what that is, take the time to find it so that your personal brand becomes an expression of who you are, not a performance of who you think you need to be.
What is something you want your work to mean, not just say?
Take the time to think about it. The answer might be transformative.
Watch the full episode here:
Stop letting your work speak for itself and start building a personal brand that does.
Your personal brand is more than your CV or credentials. It's how you communicate, show up, and make an impression both online and in person. Yet most professionals avoid working on it, worried it will come across as self-promotional. The truth is, a strong personal brand is one of the most powerful tools for career development and professional growth.
This Personal Brand Building Worksheet gives you a clear, actionable framework to define and develop your professional identity. Through targeted goal-setting prompts and self-reflection questions, you'll clarify your unique value proposition, identify how others perceive you, and create a strategy to build your personal brand with intention not ego.
Whether you're growing your online presence, stepping into a leadership role, or simply want to be known for the right things, this worksheet helps you take control of your professional narrative.