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Use Public Speaking to Build a Powerful Personal Brand

ed darling public speaking coach

Ed Darling | 3 min read

Last updated: 18/06/2026

Your personal brand is what people say about you when you’re not in the room – and one of the fastest ways to shape that perception is through public speaking.

When you speak on stage, in meetings, or on podcasts, you’re not just sharing information — you’re shaping how people see your expertise, credibility, and leadership.

I spoke with Danielle Clark, a branding expert, about exactly this.

Watch above, or read my top takeaways below.

Understanding what personal branding really is.

1. The Essence of Personal Brand: Danielle explains that a personal brand is essentially what people think and say about you when you’re not in the room. It’s the set of beliefs, feelings, and associations that come to mind when your name is mentioned. For example, if someone associates “public speaking” with Ed, it indicates that his personal branding efforts are effective.

2. The Importance of Consistency: To build a strong personal brand, consistency is crucial. Whether it’s through social media posts, podcasts, or public speaking, consistently putting out content related to your niche helps solidify the associations you want people to have with you.

Strategies and tips for personal brand building.

1. Decide What You Want to Be Known For: The first step in building a personal brand is deciding what you want to be known for. This clarity will guide all your branding efforts. Danielle emphasizes the importance of focusing on a specific area and consistently communicating about it.

2. Utilize Multiple Platforms: Different platforms can help amplify your personal brand. LinkedIn is particularly effective for professional branding, while Twitter, networking events, and even personal hobbies can contribute to a well-rounded personal image. The key is to be visible across various channels to increase recognition and credibility.

3. Integrate Personal Interests: Incorporating personal interests and aspects of your life can make your brand more relatable and authentic. For instance, Danielle mentions her love for field hockey and red wine, which adds depth to her professional persona. This helps in forming genuine connections with your audience.

The role of public speaking in personal branding.

1. Public Speaking Enhances Visibility: Public speaking is a powerful tool for personal branding. It allows you to communicate your message to a larger audience, thereby increasing your visibility and the reach of your brand.

2. Overcoming Nervousness: Danielle and Ed discuss the common fear of public speaking. Despite having extensive experience as a lecturer, Danielle admits to still feeling nervous before speaking engagements. She encourages embracing this nervousness as a sign that you care about delivering a good performance.

3. Practical Experience: Danielle shares her recent experiences of speaking at events like the Birmingham Design Festival and appearing on podcasts. These opportunities not only enhance her visibility but also reinforce her brand as a thought leader in branding.

Video thumbnail featuring Ed Darling and personal branding expert Danielle with the quote “What do people say when you’re not in the room?”

Balancing employment with building a personal brand.

1. Aligning with Your Employer: Danielle advises that if there’s no conflict of interest, building a personal brand while being employed can be beneficial. It can make you a valuable advocate for your employer while also establishing your own professional identity.

2. Communicating with Your Employer: Open communication with your employer about your personal branding efforts can prevent misunderstandings and highlight the mutual benefits of your increased visibility.

Final thoughts on speaking & branding.

Building a personal brand means consistently sharing your expertise, stories, and insights.  If you’re not comfortable speaking in public, this can be a challenge.

Our training isn’t just about giving you the skills, it’s about helping you to step up as that key person of influence in your industry.

Whether that’s sharing your story on stage, stepping up within your organisation, or simply becoming more visible as an expert in your field.

On a personal note, I’ve found real benefit from building my own (modest!) personal brand. It helps people to find me, to understand what I do, and to have trust in my services – all of which has helped me to grow Project Charisma from idea, into a full-time business. 

If that’s something you’d like help with, book a call, and I’ll be happy to chat.

To your public speaking success,
Ed

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Hey Ed,

Just wanted to share some feedback we had from the delegates after the October Away day 😊 You went down a storm!

– Presentation skills session very good
– The presentation skills session was AMAZING! Very informative and will definitely come in handy.
– Really enjoyed the presentation skills
– Speaker was very engaging and interesting and worked for all aspects of our work
– The presentation was amazing, getting to interact with each other and learning different presentation skills.- there wasn’t a moment which I found it boring or not helpful.

Jess Docksey, Workforce & Education Programme Manager

 

“Absolutely Brilliant training session to do, really enjoyed it. Ed was fab made everyone feel at ease, more confident and relaxed. I will take so much away from this session thanks Ed, you do a great job 👍👏”

Diane Axford — GMCA

 

“Attended an excellent full day session hosted by Ed at Project Charisma, it was a fantastic learning experience and would recommend to anyone who gets the chance.
Ed made everyone feel at ease even when facing our insecurities, individual conversations around the exercises left no question unanswered. A great experience that I can put into practice straight away.”

Siobhan Keane — GMCA

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100% recommendation rate! All attendees gave you a 10 on how likely they would be to recommend the workshop to peers!

Here’s a summary of the group’s feedback from the session:

  • “The workshop was well-timed, with an excellent balance of information, interactive activities, and group work that kept participants engaged.”

  • “Ed, the facilitator, was professional, knowledgeable, and exceptional at delivering clear, constructive feedback. His energy and positivity helped create a safe and supportive environment, which was particularly important given that many participants were outside their comfort zones with public speaking. Ed’s personal story of overcoming anxiety resonated with the group, fostering trust and making the experience more relatable.”

  • “The content was well-structured, breaking down key elements to make the learning process less daunting, and the pacing was comfortable for everyone. The variety of tasks, including the workbook to take away, added value, and the session ultimately empowered participants to deliver speeches with confidence.”

Ideas that resonated with the group the most:

Presentation Structure: Key techniques like planning, the “rule of three,” and the power of pausing.

Audience Engagement: Effective strategies such as the “audience hug” and balanced eye contact (“light housing”).

Public Speaking Elements: Focus on body language, voice modulation, and mindset.

Vocal Variety & Filler Words: Importance of vocal variety and minimising filler words.

Mindset Shift: Emphasis on being prolific over perfect; enthusiasm and charisma over confidence.

All the group have rated themselves as an 8, 9 or 10 in terms of confidence in demonstrating the skills they have learnt in your session.

Other comments:

“This workshop has given me a great toolkit to help build my presenting skills. I feel more empowered in my public speaking and have the confidence to participate in presentations within my role.”

“I thought it was well run, the overall content was excellent. Great feedback throughout the course to support not only the individual but also the group. I would recommend the course strongly to my peers.”

“Was nervous going into the class, worried that it would be a bit school-like or based more in acting (which it was not). Thoroughly enjoyed the experience – would love to do it again later on in the year/next year to look see how my skill has (hopefully) improved.”

“I thoroughly enjoyed this workshop and was highly impressed with Ed. Ed’s approach to the subject, his personal story, the layout of the workshop and his energy made for an engaging, memorable and impactful workshop. Ed was able to give helpful feedback to everyone whilst also filled us with encouragement and confidence. I feel he shared some life skills that I will take forward with me in my career and I would love the opportunity to work with him again!”