5 Personal Brand Secrets That Make You Stand Out Online With Taylor Smith
What if the secret to scaling your creative business wasn't perfecting your craft, but finally stepping out from behind it?
As jewelry makers and creative entrepreneurs, we've been conditioned to believe our products should speak for themselves. We want to hide behind our bench, let our craftsmanship do the talking, and avoid putting ourselves front and center. But here's the truth: in today's market, people don't just buy products. They buy from people they connect with.
In my latest episode of Creatives Rule the World, I had an eye-opening conversation with Taylor Smith, founder of The Power Table and host of a community with over 19,000 women globally. Taylor's journey from college professor to multi-six-figure entrepreneur across physical products, digital courses, and coaching reveals a powerful truth: your varied experience isn't a weakness—it's your greatest strength.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
- [8:00] Why hiding behind your products is hurting your sales
- [14:30] The identity crisis keeping creatives from building personal brands
- [21:30] How seeking validation from strangers led to business burnout
- [25:20] The five personal branding secrets that drive sales
- [30:00] Why enthusiasm is your secret weapon for standing out
- [35:00] How to use social proof beyond testimonials
From Professor to Pivot Queen: The Power of Reinvention
Taylor's story began in academia, where she achieved her “only life goal” of becoming a college professor at 23. But feeling underpaid and undervalued led her to discover her true calling in marketing and brand strategy. When COVID hit and her side businesses began making three times her teaching salary, she faced the terrifying decision to leave her secure job.
“I was terrified I would be a one-hit wonder and my businesses would fail,” Taylor shares. Instead of playing it safe, she embraced what she now calls being a “pivot queen” and it transformed everything.
The Identity Crisis Every Creative Entrepreneur Faces
One of the most powerful insights from our conversation was Taylor's revelation about why we struggle with personal branding: we tie our worth to our output rather than our inherent value.
As Taylor explains: “A lot of entrepreneurs are oldest daughters or had that responsible role in the family. We're socialized into believing the more we provide for others, the more value we give, the more worthy we are.”
Sound familiar? This conditioning translates directly into why we think our products should be enough, why we believe showing our faces or sharing our stories somehow diminishes our work's value.
The Consumer Truth That Changes Everything
Here's what Taylor discovered through her experience scaling an Etsy shop to the top 1% of 8 million worldwide: customers aren't choosing between your product and a similar one. They're choosing between you and Amazon.
“They can buy a thousand different pieces of jewelry on Amazon for a fraction of what you sell. But that's not actually what they're looking for.”
People want connection. They want to know the story behind their purchase. They want to feel part of something bigger than a transaction.
The Five Personal Branding Secrets for Creative Entrepreneurs
1. Master Your Brand Story (And Tell It Repeatedly): Your story isn't just your origin tale. It's the foundation of everything. But here's the key: you need to tell that story again and again. Only 2% of people see your content anyway, so repetition creates recognition, not annoyance.
2. Document Your Process: You don't have the luxury of building in private and launching in public anymore. Show every step of creating your jewelry, developing your collection, or perfecting your craft. This is where physical product creators have a natural advantage.
3. Embrace the “Thank You, Next” Mentality: Not everyone will love what you do, and that's perfectly fine. As Taylor learned the hard way when she burned a six-figure business to the ground from seeking validation: “Don't take advice from people in the cheap seats. The ones who got free tickets and didn't even pay to be there.”
4. Share Your Unique Perspective: What do you believe differently than others in your niche? Why do you care about certain materials, techniques, or causes? Your perspective is what makes you irreplaceable.
5. Show Up Like You're Winning: People want to buy from enthusiastic creators. “Are you showing up like your business is a gift and that you are wildly enthusiastic about what you're doing?” This energy is everything in today's market.
The Power of Enthusiasm in Action
Taylor shared a perfect example from her quilting business with her mom (yes, quilting is a hardcore industry!): “She talks to every person like it is the best day of her life. She's greeting every single person, inviting them to sign up for her giveaway, talking about her memberships.”
This translates directly to your social media, website, and any customer interaction. Enthusiasm is magnetic and contagious.
Your Pivot Story Is Your Power
Perhaps the most transformative insight was reframing pivots and reinvention as strategic advantages rather than inconsistencies. As Taylor puts it: “Every time I pivoted, it just added dollars to my bank account.”
Your varied experience whether you're a former teacher turned jewelry maker, a corporate refugee building a creative business, or someone who's pivoted within the jewelry industry isn't something to hide. It's proof of your adaptability, growth mindset, and diverse skill set.
Ready to Build Your Personal Brand?
If this conversation resonated with you, it's time to stop hiding behind your bench and start showing the world who you are. Your story, your process, and your unique perspective are exactly what your ideal customers are looking for.
What's your pivot story? What makes your approach different? These aren't just nice-to-know details. They're your competitive advantage in a crowded marketplace.
xo, Tracy
Sponsor Spotlight
Want to take this even deeper? Taylor is hosting a FREE 3-day virtual summit called “Stand Out and Sell” from July 23-25, featuring 45+ expert speakers (including me!) sharing their best strategies for marketing, visibility, and personal branding. This is perfect if your brand story is solid but you're still struggling to stand out, or if you want to build deeper connections with your audience.
GRAB YOUR FREE SUMMIT TICKET HERE
Links in this episode:
Follow @taylorsmithonline on Instagram
Stand Out and Sell Summit, July 23-25
Buy My Book: The Desired Brand Effect