Build a Personality Brand, Not Just a Portfolio
Portfolios are great.
But people don’t hire portfolios, they hire people.
The internet has changed. Clients aren’t scrolling through endless grids of work samples waiting to be impressed. They’re scrolling, thinking:
“Do I like this person?”
“Could I actually work with them?”
“Will they understand what I need or what I’m dealing with?”
Because that’s how real life works, right?
You don’t become friends with someone impressive.
You become friends with someone you trust, someone who gets you, someone who makes things easier or fun.
You don’t marry someone with a polished resume.
You marry someone you can live life with.
Notice anything?
Every example involves someone, not something.
Humans choose people, not proof.
So why are you showing up online as a service instead of a somebody?
Yes, showcase your work. Keep your portfolio. But don’t lead with it.
Lead with you.
Let people know:
How you think
What you stand for
What you won’t tolerate
What it feels like to work with you
Because when a client is choosing between ten people who can do the job (including, wink wink, AI), they’ll always choose the one who makes them feel comfortable, confident in the process, and who just clicks with them.
Enter: Your Archetype
Fancy word, simple idea.
Minor detour: An archetype is a consistent personality pattern, the characteristics you choose to show up with.
Are you:
The Wise Guide?
The Bold Challenger?
The Hype Person?
The Calm Strategist?
The Chaos Creative?
The Soft But Deadly Smart Type?
Once you know your archetype, everything becomes easier: what you post, how you write, even how you pitch. And by the way, you can be 2 types, just know exactly who that archetype is and if it represents you.
Here’s My Story
I’m a copywriter. I write websites, emails, captions…
But so can ChatGPT.
So I thought: “Well. That’s intense.”
Then: “Okay, time to level up.”
After Googling and reading countless blogs and articles, two words kept popping up together:
“Personality brand.”
Not portfolio. Not a positioning statement. Not a unique value proposition (these are important too, but they come later).
So I sat down and asked myself: If my brand were a character, who would I be?
And the answer was:
The Strategic Storyteller.
Someone who doesn’t just inform, but frames information in a way that shifts perspective and nudges emotions.
Someone who makes strategy feel like narrative, not homework.
And let me tell you, once I named it, everything clicked.
It aligned with my services (I literally write stories for brands)
It aligned with my clients (they kept asking for storytelling, not just “email templates”)
It aligned with me, because pretending to be someone else is exhausting
Now It’s Your Turn
If you want people to choose you, they need to know you.
Not your tools.
Not your workflow.
You.
Your portfolio proves you can do the job.
Your personality brand makes people want to work with you.
