Here’s the thing about personal branding: It’s not a fad. Sure, it’s become a buzzword over the last few years (everyone and their intern is suddenly a “thought leader”) but that doesn’t make it any less essential. In fact, the rise of the term has left many high-level women asking the same question:

“What actually is a personal brand… and how do I even start?”

This is exactly why I created my personal branding strategy for female leaders—a step-by-step framework called the Legacy Loop, designed to help women define their voice, elevate their presence, and build influence with intention.

Here’s how it works (and how you can start applying it today):

1. Define Your Goals & Vision

Before we dive into strategy, every client completes a detailed pre-session questionnaire. This gives me a clear understanding of her goals for the session and for her personal brand overall, so we can begin with the end in mind. We don’t move into messaging, visibility, or any forward-facing strategy until we’re grounded in what she actually wants her personal brand to do for her.

For many of the women I work with, this is a pivotal moment. She’s spent years (often decades) building a successful company, and while she’s proud of what she’s built, she’s ready for something more. She doesn’t just want to be known for the business. She wants to be known for herself.

This is where we zoom out. We get clear on her bigger vision—what she wants to be recognized for, the opportunities she wants to attract, and how her personal brand can guide her there. Everything we build is designed to move her closer to that future.

2. Uncover the Gaps

Before every Personal Brand Strategy Session, I take time to really look at what’s showing up for each client online. This is where I uncover the gaps between her real-world authority and how she’s showing up (or not showing up) in the digital space.

I ask myself questions like:

• When I Google her name, what comes up?
• Do her Instagram and LinkedIn bios reflect how she wants to be positioned?
• Are her captions clear, compelling, and aligned with her message?
• If her ideal client landed on her profile today, would they immediately understand her value—or leave confused?

This internal audit gives me a 360° view of where her personal brand is thriving, where it’s misaligned, and what needs to be elevated.

3. Know Your Audience

If you’ve ever told yourself, “I want to speak to everyone—that means more exposure!” Let me gently (but firmly) stop you right there.

When you don’t know exactly who you’re talking to, you’re actually talking to no one.

We live in a world saturated with generic, salesy messaging. Every billboard, every Instagram ad, every polished-but-empty caption—it all starts to blur together. Your audience doesn’t want more noise. They want to feel seen.

In this phase of the Legacy Loop, I help my clients zoom in and get crystal clear on the identity of their ideal audience. Whether they’re trying to reach high-level clients, investors, podcast listeners, or potential collaborators, we move past surface-level demographics and into the deeper layers—values, pain points, aspirations, and what that audience actually needs to hear. (And yes—sometimes even what they eat for breakfast. I once had a client whose audience swore by green juice and oat milk lattes. It mattered.)

The main thing I want someone to take away from this phase is simple: if you don’t know exactly who you’re speaking to, your content won’t land. The bigger the net, the fewer the fish. Clarity creates connection… and connection is what converts.

4. Clarify Your Message

This is the bread and butter of a strategy session. I work with each client to shape a brand voice that feels natural, polished, and unmistakably theirs. That means we look at how you actually speak—the phrases that come up when you’re in your zone, the way you describe your work when you’re not overthinking it, and yes, even the emojis that belong in your voice and the ones that need to be banned forever.

We get into the details. Tone. Language. How your sentences land. I’ve had clients realize their voice is actually more direct than they thought—or that their “friendly and warm” bio was reading more like a customer service email. This is the phase where we fix that.

When your message is consistent across platforms, something shifts. People start to recognize your voice before they see your name. They quote you. They trust you. And suddenly, you’re not just part of the scroll—you’re the one people stop for.

5. Digital Presence Audit

One of the final steps in the strategy session is a full audit of the client’s digital presence. And yes, we save this for the end—on purpose. I’m often asked why we don’t start with the audit, and the answer is simple: without a clear understanding of the client’s personal brand, goals, and messaging, there’s nothing meaningful to audit. It would be like folding dirty laundry before washing it.

Once the foundation is set, we take a close look at where the client is currently showing up—LinkedIn, Instagram, websites, podcasts, media mentions, and anywhere else their name lives online. We assess whether their digital presence reflects the authority, clarity, and direction we’ve just defined. If it doesn’t, we mark exactly what needs to shift.

6. Show Up With Strategy

The final step is turning all of this clarity into a visibility plan that makes sense for the client—and gets results. By this point, we’re not guessing. We’ve already defined the message, the audience, and the platforms that matter most. Now, it’s about showing up in a way that feels aligned, sustainable, and strategic.

For some clients, that means speaking on stages. For others, it’s a strong point of view on LinkedIn or launching a podcast that builds long-term authority. Whatever the vehicle, the goal is the same: consistent, high-impact visibility that positions the client as a trusted voice in their industry.

We don’t build content calendars just to keep the algorithm happy. We create presence with purpose. And we make sure it reflects the level of leadership the client is ready to step into.

Ready to Step Into Your Legacy?

The Legacy Loop is the exact process I walk through with every client during a Personal Brand Intensive. It’s how we bring clarity to your message, align your digital presence with your goals, and position you for the kind of visibility that actually moves the needle.

This session is focused, strategic, and designed to give you answers. We define how you want to be known, identify what’s holding your brand back, and outline exactly how to start showing up with more confidence and authority. You’ll walk away with a clear message, a plan to elevate your presence, and next steps that feel aligned—not overwhelming.

If you’re ready to stop spinning your wheels and start building real momentum, this is your first move.

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Founder & CEO of Her Digital Legacy, Erin is a Personal Brand Strategist helping high-achieving women build legacy-driven, reputation-focused personal brands that open doors to bigger opportunities. Through tailored digital presence management and digital PR, she helps leaders step out from behind their businesses and into the spotlight where they belong.