In this conversation, I talk with bestselling poet Jennae Cecelia, whose words have reached over 16 million readers worldwide through her viral poem I Met My Younger Self for Coffee. We met in Boston earlier this year, and I left our conversation feeling deeply inspired by her story — how she’s built a thriving creative career through consistency, faith, and a willingness to evolve. From self-publishing 13 books to signing with Simon & Schuster partner Andrews McMeel, Jennae opens up abou...

After dropping her boyfriend at the airport for a month-long trip, Olivia Yokubonis recorded a late-night voiceover about autonomy in relationships — how important it is to keep discovering yourself, even when you’re with someone. By morning, the video had a million views. In this episode, Olivia shares how that moment of honesty became the catalyst for building a personal brand rooted in storytelling. We talk about what makes a video truly captivating, why specificity matters more than perfe...

What does it really take to turn a personal story into a book you’re proud to share with the world? In this episode, I sit down with my editor and dear friend, Elena, to unpack the messy, magical process of transforming Lonely Girl from Substack serialization to a finished print book. We talk about what it’s really like to edit a memoir, how to know when a story is ‘done,’ the difference between writing and refining, and why honoring your reader is as important as honoring your art. Joi...

In this episode, I sit down with content creator and photographer Jordan Loufas, whose cozy, relatable vlogs have helped her build a deeply connected and loyal community online. We talk about how she grew her platform from scratch, starting with playful TikToks during the pandemic and finding real connection after opening up about her eating disorder. Jordan shares what it was like going viral overnight, how she handles criticism, and why the block button is her best friend. We also dive into...

Victoria Mitchell, COO of Good Party, openly talked about her decision to freeze her eggs, and the complications that came with it, on social media. Her latest series, "My Egg Freezing Journey" has reached millions of people on Instagram and TikTok.I was curious:What led her to share this story? And how was able to transform a deeply personal journey into a viral sensation?After pouring countless hours into the project with little to no reward, she almost gave up. But the fifth video, which s...

I've been following Gelsey on TikTok for years, but her latest hit, "How to Be That Girl," which has been viewed by over 4M people, really caught my attention. I was curious:What led her to create it? How does she come up with her ideas?How did she transform it from a post with 23k views into a post with 4M views?Her answer was juicier then I expected.Ready to tell your own story?Dive into my new course, “How to Write Your Personal Brand Story.” No personal brand required. All...

In this episode, I'm interviewing Josh Hayman the co-founder and CEO at Interact. Interact is a quiz software founded in 2013 that pivoted to an AI-first approach in 2023. Today Interact has over 7,000 paying customers and the ability to make a quiz from any piece of content in 2 minutes with AI.Start Building Your Quiz Today In the episode, Josh and I discuss how to leverage quizzes to grow your email list, how to make a good quiz, how to choose the right topic, and create results people wan...

Today’s guest is TikTok superstar Chayse Byrd. You might know her for her gym vlogs, piss pant reviews, and barefoot running—but today she is giving us something entirely different — insights into how she gained 1.3 million followers on TikTok and her strategy for staying consistent with her posts. In the episode, we talk about how to push past the awkward phase of posting, crying on camera, and how to diversify your content while staying true to who you are.If you wan to create high-quality ...

In today’s episode we cover:Creating a unique system for effective content creationUnderstanding the process of getting your book published and working with a publishing houseDeveloping a healthy relationship with productivityDemonstrating care and commitment in your workOur guest, Israa Nasir, is a therapist, mental health expert, and author ( @well.guide on Instagram and TikTok). I am proud to share that Israa was a former student of the sponsor of this podcast, Personal Brand Accelerator, ...

When I first met Sarah, it was her composure, eloquence, and impressive accomplishments, such as being featured on Oprah and delivering a TEDx Talk, that captivated me. It wasn’t until she became a student in Personal Brand Accelerator, that I got to see the women behind those accomplishments—someone who is deeply caring, warm and passionate, and also, one hell of a speaker! You won’t want to miss this.On today's episode, we cover:Sarah's journey in creating Generation Spirit, a national nonp...

In today's episode, I'm sitting down with one of my former clients and dear friends, Ali Kates. Ali's mission is to teach individuals how to find the right healing methods to heal from their past hurts & limiting beliefs. She believes that healing is highly individualized and unique. What works for one person might not work for another - and that is okay! She teaches individuals how to find what works for them in their life so they can become the best version of themselves. In ...

Ahhh consistency, the thing that everyone wants and no one seems to have ;) Except, I think we do. I think we are more consistent than we give ourselves credit for. Let’s be kinder and more gentle with ourselves when it comes to accomplishing the goals we set for our lives. Let’s look at consistency in a wider context. Instead of asking, “How consistent have I been this week?” Try asking, “How consistent have I been this year?” Give ourselves grace when we fall short and s support one a...

In this episode, I sit down with Katrina Palanca, a former 1:1 client of mine. We talk about her journey to discovering herself outside of work; how she left her role at Twitch and accepted a VP position at her dream organization: The San Antonio Spurs. We also discuss “grinding”, leadership, and what she attributes her success to.Katrina says, “There is no reason this should’ve landed in my lap.” “I was creative about how I reached out to people and resourceful about the skills I proact...

There are four important habits you MUST develop if you want to build a successful personal brand and gain traction on social media. If you’re already practicing them, I’m willing to bet that personal branding will come very naturally for you. If you aren’t, there’s good news: you’ve still got time. The catch is… you have to be self-aware enough to know which parts of yourself are weaker and underdeveloped.We all have blind spots. The most important thing you can do is be aware of them and ma...

I struggled with depression a few months ago, and today I'm sharing how I got out of it. I also talk about dating without dating apps, and meeting someone interesting at Silent Disco. Also, I am going on a road trip tomorrow. I like this episode, it's a personal one. Enjoy!Join the waitlist for Personal Brand AcceleratorGet a One Week Free Trial at Carr Workplaces

This week I read a book called, ‘On Writing Well: The Classic Guide to Writing Nonfiction’ by William Zinsser. It’s the best book I’ve read all year. He says there are four principles of writing well: “Clarity, Simplicity, Brevity, and Humanity.” Whether you’re writing your next email, blog post, or Instagram caption, here are four helpful rules to keep in mind.Put your name on the waitlist for Personal Brand Accelerator, enrollment opens in two weeks! Our signature framework will equip you w...

To write well is one of the greatest challenges people face while building their personal brand. Everything you do for your personal brand involves the practice of writing; i.e, creating Instagram captions, voice over scripts, blog posts, emails, and most importantly, the copy on your personal website. If I had a nickel for every time I heard, “But Anna, I’m just not a good writer, can I hire someone to do it for me?” I would be a very wealthy woman and I still wouldn’t hire anyone to do it f...

What is a visual identity? We define it as a cohesive collection of graphical elements that are chosen intentionally to bring your personal brand to life. The purpose of a visual identity is to create an emotional impression on your audience and inform your Ideal Brand Adopter about the essence of who you are and the many different aspects of your personality and professional expertise.During the process of creating your visual identity, you will select a color palette, typography, and mood w...

Perhaps you’ve been faced with the challenge of writing a personal brand statement. I know writing about yourself can be challenging, but take comfort in knowing this can be a relatively painless process if you approach it in the right way and with the right attitude.Step one, repeat after me, I am a good writer. You’ve got to believe it, baby. Believe it! Simply put, a personal brand statement is what you do. A personal mission statement is why your personal brand exists. What’s the pur...

You might be afraid to build your personal brand for fear you aren't “expert” enough. Perhaps you assume that a deep level of professional expertise is a prerequisite for creating content on social media. Without one, someone might mistake you for an influencer. Gasp! ;) Listen, I understand. You may have a story you want to share with others, but if you don’t have any real level of professional expertise, is it pointless to build a personal brand? Absolutely not. Take heart in knowing ...