You Don’t Have a Personal Brand. You Build One.
Welcome to The Brand You Build.
A free weekly LinkedIn newsletter helping you build clarity, confidence and career direction over 52 weeks.
Join over 5,000+ career starters, professionals, founders and future leaders building the only brand they can’t outsource.
What you’ll get each week
• Career clarity without hacks or hype
• Personal brand identity frameworks that actually stick
• Real stories from interns to CEOs
• One practical prompt you can act on immediately
No spam. No gurus. No shortcuts.
Read & subscribe on LinkedInWhy this newsletter exists
Most people think personal branding is about visibility.
It isn’t.
It’s about identity.
How you think.
How you decide.
How you show up when it matters.
I’ve spent 25+ years building stories people connect with. From global entertainment brands like Harry Potter, Disney and Marvel, to global leaders, athletes and organisations shaping the real world.
This newsletter exists to bring those same story, identity and positioning frameworks to real careers. One week at a time.
Not to help you go viral.
To help you go long.
Who this is for
Because real brands aren’t rushed.
This newsletter is designed to meet you where you are.
• Career starters & graduates finding direction
• High performers ready for their next step
• Founders & creators building something meaningful
• Professionals tired of noise and surface-level advice
If you care about building a career with intent, this is for you.
How it works
Each edition follows a simple rhythm:
Insight
A powerful idea about identity, brand or career direction
Story
A real, anonymised example from someone I’ve worked with
From interns to founders to senior leaders
Your Move
One clear prompt to apply it to your own journey
52 editions.
One compounding brand.
Why this lives on LinkedIn
LinkedIn is where professional identity is already being shaped, consciously or not.
This work lives there because:
- That’s where real work meets real people
- That’s where ideas spread through trust, not hype
- That’s where reflection, discussion, and growth can happen in public
This site exists to orient you.
The work itself happens on LinkedIn.
What makes this different
This is not a growth hack newsletter.
It’s not a content dump.
And it’s not about “personal marketing”.
It’s about building the north star that guides your decisions, reputation and opportunities over time.
The goal isn’t attention.
It’s alignment.
Join the readers building their brand weekly
Join 4,500+ readers already building their brand week by week.
Read by:
• Graduates & early-career professionals
• High growth performers
• Leaders inside global organisations
• Founders, creators and independents
Start here
You don’t build a personal brand in a weekend.
But you do build it one decision at a time.
Start at Week 1 or drop in anytime.
Where this comes from.
Hi. I’m Marc Maley.
For over 25 years, I’ve worked at the highest levels of storytelling and brand building, helping global audiences fall in love with characters, franchises, and brands that shaped generations, including Harry Potter, Disney, and Marvel.
I later brought those same principles into the real world.
From the big screen to the boardroom, I work with:
- Global CEOs and founders
- Professional athletes and public figures
- Senior leaders and high-potential talent
Not to turn people into something they’re not,
but to help them unlock their story, own their identity, and lead with authenticity.
That work became My Brand Academy and its CPD-certified programmes, used by organisations and individuals around the world.
This newsletter distils those principles, slowly and intentionally, into a format that anyone genuinely committed can access.
Michal Oshman
Ex-Global Head of Culture at TikTok & Intl. Head of L&D at Meta & Best Selling Author
“Marc has been instrumental in my personal brand development and growth. His unique insights and strategic guidance helped me transition smoothly from my role at Facebook to TikTok. Marc’s expertise in personal branding was invaluable, providing me with a clear, authentic voice. He has been a trusted advisor, continuously helping me refine my narrative and impact both in my career and as an author.”
Philip Cohen
Head Of Banking, UK & International, HSBC
“Marc’s deep understanding of storytelling and its impact on personal and corporate brands, combined with his passion and extensive experience, makes him a standout leader in the branding world.”