For a long time, I wanted nothing to do with personal branding. My husband teases me about the whole “educelebrity” culture — follower counts, online clout, the performance of it all. It made me want to run the other direction.

At one point, I even shut down my social media accounts because it felt like the only way to avoid playing that game.

But here’s what I’ve learned the hard way: branding is happening whether I choose it or not. Every time I send an email, walk into a room, or decide what to share (or not share), I’m teaching people something about who I am and what I value. The question isn’t whether I have a personal brand. The question is whether I’ll be intentional about it.

I shared this perspective recently with the Elevated Studios Teacher Navigators, a group of educators passionate about transformational and vibrant learning. We dug into how personal branding doesn’t have to be about performance. It can be about impact — spreading the work that matters.

what: branding is teaching out loud

Branding isn’t a logo or a glossy Instagram grid. It’s how people experience you over time. It’s the story that builds when you consistently show up.

For the Navigators, branding looks like opening the classroom door a little wider so more people can see what vibrant learning really means. It’s teaching out loud.

why: values align intentions

A turning point for me was when Karri and I sat down over a year ago to name our values. That process grounded me. Our values evolved into the ones we now carry in the alchemy handbook — servant leadership, bountiful harvesting, reliable overseeing, and vision planting.

When I lined up my choices with those values, branding stopped feeling performative. It became purposeful. Even the small things — like writing in lowercase — became a way to live out those values. Lowercase signals approachability, humility, and a willingness to sit in a little discomfort — exactly the kind of space where growth happens.

The lesson: when your values shape how you show up, people don’t see polish. They see trustworthiness.

how: small, consistent rhythms

Here’s another hard-won truth: consistency matters more than reach. For me, it began with a newsletter rhythm. Writing consistently gave me structure and helped me share in a way that felt natural instead of performative.

For the Navigators, the rhythms looked different: a weekly reflection, a hallway sticky note, or a simple story shared with their team. Branding doesn’t have to be grand. It just has to be aligned and repeatable.

the takeaway

I used to think personal branding was a distraction — too self-centered, too focused on image. What I know now is this: branding is inevitable. The only choice is whether it’s accidental or intentional.

Grounded in values. Lived out through rhythms. Shared with clarity. That’s how personal branding becomes a way to spread the message of vibrant learning instead of shrinking back from it.

Your brand is already happening. Be intentional about the story it tells.

— brooke