Episode 26: Own Your Brand, Own Your Career with Mike Kim

Work Should Feel Good with Diana Alt

Your personal brand isn't just for influencers, it's your career superpower. Learn how to stand out with authenticity and strategy.

In this insightful conversation, Diana Alt sits down with branding expert and author Mike Kim to explore how owning your personal brand can elevate your career. Mike shares his unconventional path from church music director to Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestselling author and how authenticity, strategy, and storytelling shaped his journey.

They dive into the power of having a public-facing identity, why your good work alone won't get you noticed, and how even the quirks in your past (like cringey AIM screen names!) can become part of your unique narrative. Whether you're working toward a promotion, building thought leadership, or pivoting into entrepreneurship, this episode offers real talk and actionable tips to build a brand that reflects the real you, no Instagram influencer vibes required.

⏳ Timestamps: 02:15 Mike's origin story and his first embarrassing screen name 06:45 Why owning your weird makes your brand work 10:48 Mike's journey from church musician to brand strategist 15:12 The skills from ministry that translate into marketing 18:44 The importance of identity and domain names 23:03 What a personal brand actually is and isn't 24:58 The 4 elements of a personal brand 26:15 Why personality is the hardest for most professionals 28:40 The career paths Mike helps people with 32:10 How tech leaders can build their brands without feeling fake 35:20 Getting visible without "selling out"

💡 Take action 🔥 Subscribe for future episodes → https://www.youtube.com/@dianaalt 📖 Grab my Resume Don'ts Guide → https://www.dianaalt.com/resumedonts ❌ Avoid these common job search mistakes → https://www.jobsearchmistakes.com 🚪 Wondering if it's time to walk away? → https://www.isittimetowalk.com 💼 Work with me → https://www.dianaalt.com

📢 Connect with Mike Kim 🌐 Website → https://mikekim.com🔗 LinkedIn → https://linkedin.com/in/mikekimtv 📺 YouTube → https://youtube.com/@RealMikeKim 📘 Facebook → https://facebook.com/mikekimtv 🎵 TikTok → https://tiktok.com/@mikekimtv🐦 X (Twitter) → https://twitter.com/mikekimtv📸 Instagram → https://instagram.com/mikekim

📲 Follow me on social media: LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/dianakalt YouTube → https://www.youtube.com/@dianaalt Facebook → https://www.facebook.com/dianakalt TikTok → https://www.tiktok.com/@thedianaalt Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/thedianaalt