In a recent LinkedIn post, Alec Rickard explores the common hesitations that prevent founders and executives from building a strong personal brand, offering actionable advice to overcome these barriers. Rickard emphasizes the increasing importance of a personal brand, particularly in the dynamic career landscape of 2026, stating that opportunities can shift rapidly.
Rickard highlights that a personal brand is crucial for ensuring one’s expertise remains discoverable. He addresses ten prevalent concerns, providing clear distinctions between ineffective approaches and more productive strategies.
“Your career can change fast as a founder or executive. So can the opportunities that come with it. That’s why your personal brand matters more in 2026.”
Addressing the Fear of Becoming an ‘Influencer’
One of the primary hesitations Rickard tackles is the fear of becoming a mere ‘influencer.’ He differentiates this from building a genuine personal brand.
According to Rickard, the influencer path is characterized by chasing followers and constant attention. In contrast, he advocates for building visibility around one’s actual expertise.
“❌ Chasing followers, trends, and constant attention. ✅ Build visibility around your actual expertise.”
This distinction, as Rickard points out, is vital for professionals who want to leverage their knowledge without succumbing to the pressures of superficial online fame.
Navigating the ‘Nothing Interesting to Say’ Dilemma
Another common roadblock is the belief that one has nothing interesting to share. Rickard suggests a practical solution to this perceived lack of content.
He advises against waiting for a ‘brilliant idea’ to strike. Instead, Rickard recommends starting with the questions that people frequently ask you. This approach grounds content creation in real-world needs and demonstrates expertise organically.
The Challenge of Time and Consistency
Rickard also addresses the perennial issue of time constraints, particularly for busy executives. He argues that the perception of needing to create every post from scratch is a significant hurdle.
To combat this, Rickard proposes strategies such as collecting ideas over time, batching content creation, or even outsourcing aspects of the process. This pragmatic advice aims to make consistent posting achievable.
“❌ Creating every post from scratch. ✅ Collect ideas, batch your content, or outsource them.”
Authenticity vs. Oversharing
Concerns about sharing personal information are also common. Rickard clarifies that personal branding does not necessitate oversharing private details.
He emphasizes that the focus should be on sharing one’s thinking, experience, and professional expertise. This allows for a strong personal presence without compromising privacy.
Reputation Management in the Digital Age
Rickard underscores the importance of a digital footprint, even for those with strong offline reputations. He notes that an established offline presence doesn’t automatically translate to online recognition.
As Rickard puts it, assuming that today’s reputation will always travel is a risky proposition. He advocates for making expertise easily discoverable online to ensure continued relevance and opportunity.
Ultimately, Rickard’s post provides a comprehensive framework for professionals looking to build or enhance their personal brand by demystifying the process and offering concrete solutions to common hesitations. He concludes by offering a direct call to action for those ready to develop a more impactful personal brand.
📝 About This Content
This article is based on insights shared by Alec Rickard on LinkedIn.
📅 Originally posted on October 1, 2026 | View original post on LinkedIn →