It’s Not About You: Why Promoting Others Is Key To Growing a Personal Brand

Influencers spend every day talking about themselves.

This isn’t effective for sales, connections, or growing brands.

You’re probably asking yourself:

“But I’ve got this great idea I want to share with the world. Why shouldn’t I be the one talking?”

Simple. It’s more powerful when others talk about you.

Take my friend Eric Jones.

If I’m Eric Jones and I want to be seen as a LinkedIn ads expert, I could say:

“I’m Eric Jones, and I know all kinds of stuff about the latest updates to LinkedIn ads.”

But you know what?

I’m hanging out with AJ Wilcox, the founder of B2Linked, one of the most well-known LinkedIn ad agencies.

That alone provides more social proof, reputation increase, and trust than anything I could proclaim into my iPhone camera.

This strategy is how Nike beat Adidas in shoe sales.

Instead of Nike talking about how great their shoes were, how comfortable they are, etc…

They simply gave out shoes to popular people in their target audience.

You have to do the same and find your Michael Jordan.

And that’s done by sharing, sharing, and sharing.

Here’s an example from my own experience.

I frequently fly Southwest Airlines and mentioned them in a post—specifically calling out an error that ChatGPT made about their flight routes.

I didn’t just say, “I love Southwest Airlines!” and hope they noticed me.

Instead, I engaged thoughtfully. I asked them a direct question, tagged them in my post, and started a conversation.

They replied publicly—and even gifted me 10,000 Southwest Rapid Rewards points as a thank-you.

That’s free travel—all from a simple, thoughtful engagement.

Now imagine if you could do the same with brands or influencers in your industry.

Instead of shouting into the void, you’re creating value and getting recognized by people who actually matter.

How to Engage Without Sounding Desperate

Many people try to force engagement by immediately asking influencers for favors.

You might be tempted to message someone saying:

“Hey, I’d love to work with you! Can we hop on a quick Zoom call?”

Or worse:

“Please, sir. I need a job. Hire me now.”

This approach is why most people get ignored.

Instead of demanding attention, you have to earn it first.

Here’s the Right Approach:

1. Engage on their content first – Start by liking and commenting on their posts. Show that you’re actually interested in what they’re doing.
2. Add value before making a request – If they post a question, answer it. If they publish content, share it with your thoughts.
3. Build the relationship over time – After a few weeks or months of engagement, they’ll recognize your name. That’s when you can make a request.

I’ve built strong relationships with business leaders like Tommy Mello, Jonathan Mast, and others simply by showing up consistently in their conversations.

The result? They now engage back, tag me in their posts, and introduce me to their networks.

This isn’t some magic formula—it’s just how relationships work.

The Fastest Way to Build Influence: The “Topic Wheel” Strategy

One of the pillars of personal branding we teach is the Topic Wheel.

The idea is to tie your brand to others covering the six topics you want to be known for.

For me, that includes:

• Grant Cardone.
• Caleb Guilliams.
• Michael Stelzner.
• And others.

But here’s what most people forget:

It’s not about just appearing on camera once with a high-profile person.

That would be like getting a selfie with a celebrity at a conference and thinking it makes you famous.

Instead, it’s about collaborating and sharing real stories.

For example, Jake Paul knows more about working on television and reaching young audiences than I do.

Whereas I know more about digital marketing than he does.

So by sharing these connections, we’re able to promote ourselves to new audiences, which is a win-win.

Not only for growing our personal brands but for genuinely connecting anyone who watches the content to the advice they need to hear.

Final Thought: Stop Climbing the Mountain When There’s a Ski Lift

Most influencers try to force their way to the top.

That’s like climbing a mountain when there’s a ski lift right next to you.

The ski lift? It’s relationships. It’s engaging. It’s adding value to others.

Instead of trying to be the loudest voice in the room, let others do the talking for you.

And before you know it…

You’ll have built a brand that people trust, respect, and actually listen to.