How to build a loyal following without a personal brand
Cult branding vs. Anti-branding: What's the take?
Everyone’s talking about personal brands right now.
And don’t get me wrong, they work.
Because people follow people.
They trust faces, not logos.
And it makes sense that the founders who show up are often the ones pulling in attention and sales.
But if you run a product-based brand, you’re probably watching this trend and thinking:
“But my brand isn’t me.”
“I don’t want to be the face.”
“Do I have to start dancing on video just to get visibility?”
No. You don’t.
Because while the personal brand wave is loud, it’s not the only way to build connection.
What you do need, if you’re not going to center yourself, is a brand with a pulse.
A brand people want to follow, love, and talk about, even if your face is nowhere to be found.
Here’s how:
1/ Build a Cult Brand:
Give your audience something to belong to.
A clear belief system. A shared identity. A vibe they feel part of.
You’re not the face, but the values, the story, and the community are front and center.
Think Glossier. It’s not about Emily Weiss. It’s about the people using it and what the brand represents.
2/ Build an Anti-Brand:
Go weird. Go loud. Go bold.
Reject the polished, over-curated branding that’s everywhere.
Be the brand that’s unignorable, unpredictable, a little chaotic on purpose.
Think MSCHF or Duolingo. There’s no “face”—but there’s attitude, personality, and a clear sense of “WTF is this and why do I love it?”
If you’re not going to lead with your personal brand, then your business brand has to stand for something.
It has to evoke a feeling.
It has to be unmistakably itself.
Otherwise? You risk fading into the beige background of “nice” products no one remembers.
So if you’re a founder who’s a little camera shy or just doesn’t want to build your business around you, good news: you don’t have to.
But you do have to be bold somewhere.
Curious to hear, are you showing up as the face of your brand, or leaning into something bigger?
Let’s talk about how to make your brand unforgettable either way.
Who the heck am I? And why should you care?
I’m Jessica — the positioning strategist for female founder-led brands. I write about disruptive branding, sharper positioning, and brand messaging with bite.
I don’t do pink girlboss vibes or beige branding advice.
I do positioning with teeth.
Story with spine.
Messaging that hits harder than any color palette ever will.
Narratives that pull people in and don’t let them go.
I also don’t teach branding the corporate way.
I teach it the human way, the strategic way, the no-bullshit way.
Most strategists talk about alignment. I talk about opposition.
I’m here to interrupt your thought patterns.
If you’re still reading. Good. That means I’ve piqued your interest.
Now hit that subscribe button.