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Talayah Waller
Foreign.
Courtney Johnson
Welcome to Slay the Gatekeeper. I'm your host, Courtney Johnson, and I am here to un gatekeep the gatekept. Thank you so much for being here.
Unknown
Enjoy. Okay, well, welcome to the podcast Tale. I'm so happy that you're here.
Talayah Waller
Thank you for having me.
Unknown
Okay. I was just so. I mean, obviously we've done an event together and we're going to do some more events together, but I've just been so impressed by your work and just all the shit that you've accomplished. To be honest, it's so inspiring to me and I would love if you could just give a little bit of background about who you are, what you do, and some of those things that you've accomplished.
Talayah Waller
Well, thank you for that, Courtney. Okay. A little bit about myself. I feel like I just always overwhelmed and I'm going like a million miles a minute. But yeah, so my background, I started doing personal branding, really back in 2009, just with a classmate of mine. I didn't know what I was doing, I didn't know what it was called, and I just knew that I was really good at it and I enjoyed it. And so when you have a business, I think it's important to do something that you're really passionate about because it takes a long time to build a sustainable business. And I realized, hey, this is something that I'm really passionate about. Apparently I'm naturally good at it, and so let's see if I can build a career out of it. But I quickly realized that no one knew what I was talking about. They're like, what is a personal brand? And I moved. I ended up moving to Washington D.C. in 20 2012. And of course it's politics. And I feel like personal branding is everywhere. And so I'm like, hey, I'm going to try to do personal branding for professionals. And I started off just like helping people create personal brand assets like your business card, or maybe let's update your LinkedIn or if you have a website or you need a photo shoot, a headshot, meeting people where they were. And then as I learned more about the space, I felt like, okay, people need a data driven way of doing this because essentially you're positioning yourself as a person in a marketplace. And if I don't understand someone's industry, their market, their target audience, all these real business data points, how can I actually help them? So then started doing personal brand strategy. Realized it takes a lot of time to do this research and doing a lot of manual research. How do we scale and that's how I got into technology. Cause I'm like, okay, the best way to sell this is through a software. I knew nothing about software and now I feel like I know too much about software. So I'm three and a half years in to this and Valuables is about to hopefully be a unicorn and fly out the nest.
Unknown
So yeah, I love that. Yeah, it's a super cool concept. Like, what's crazy, I was watching your TED Talk earlier to prepare for this and what's crazy is that you were saying all this shit and like 2018, that people are just now starting to say you. I literally feel like you can predict the future of, of brand. So what do you feel like? The few. Because you did predict the future of brand back in 2018. So what do you feel like? We, if we want to be on the cutting edge of personal brand going into 2026, 2027, 2030, what do we need to be doing?
Talayah Waller
I think to be on the cutting edge, I'm thinking about what I'm seeing. I'm seeing people automate things. I'm seeing people become more strategic. And I think right now with AI, a lot of people are terrified and they are seeing like, okay, especially if I'm a knowledge worker, they're like, what is my value add? Wait a minute. I need to be human at work. And no one at work teaches me how to be human. When partners of law firms or executives at top companies were reaching out to me, I was always curious. I'm like, don't you have a marketing department? Like, why aren't you going to them? And they would always say the same thing. They're like, I don't think our marketers are equipped. And I think people intuitively know that there needs to be some sort of data driven tool to manage your brand. And so I think people are becoming more strategic. They are learning that they need to figure out who they are, what their brand is and how can they use AI or technology to scale themselves. When I entered into tech, I was thinking, okay, I'm a personal branding consultant. I know AI is coming. I want to replace myself. I want to own the AI that replaces me. And so I think people are moving towards thinking about just managing their career like a business and realizing that none of these companies are going to look out for them. These companies are going to cut costs, especially going into a recession, a looming recession. You know, I don't know if that will or will not happen, but you know, that's what they're forecasting. And even if it doesn't, these companies are going to cut costs and they're going to find a reason to cut people and replace them with AI. The whole rhetoric around, oh, we're not replacing you, that's a lie. That's a lie. Like, a company is going to do whatever its efficiency, efficient and economically viable for the company to survive. It does not make human driven decisions. It makes economic decisions.
Unknown
So, yeah, I think this, like, differentiates the human brand from the company brand. And I want to go into the cheat codes. And one of the cheat codes is to sell your humanness. So, like, selling your know, like, and trust. Tell me a little bit more about that.
Talayah Waller
Mm. I think when we go to work, we're conditioned to almost like a uniform, everybody represent this one brand. But at the end of the day, people do business with people and we're not listening to corporate brand messaging anymore. It's stale, it's out of touch, it's not authentic. And so people just need to get out of that. And I remember when authenticity became a buzzword and I was confused because, like, growing up in my household, everybody's blunt, everybody's just their authentic self. No one cares. And so it comes quite natural to me, to be honest. And I think it's quite refreshing to see that now everybody's trying to figure out how to be human when it's just so weird. It's just so weird to me. You know what I mean? Like, the whole point of branding, from a business standpoint, they were trying to build human relationships with objects that are not human. And now humans have a hard time building relationships with humans. And so I'm like, how do we take this concept of branding and use it as a human to build relationships, stronger relationships with other humans? And so, yeah, a long winded way of saying, yeah, I think it's a beautiful thing and a natural thing.
Unknown
Yeah, yeah. I mean, it's really hard for a human to connect with a non human entity which is a brand. Like, it just takes a lot of repetition, a lot of time and a lot of money. But for a human to connect with a human, we're biologically wired to do that. Like, it takes a millisecond and it's so powerful. Like, honestly, if I run the same play on a company brand versus their founder brand, their founder brand, it's going to perform better every single time. Even if it has a tenth of the views, a tenth of the followers, it doesn't matter. Like, it's always going to do better on the personal brand. No matter how small it is.
Talayah Waller
That's very true. And then I also, I'm curious to know your thoughts about that from like working with founders versus working with executives, because I find that there, you know, different people have different views around it and depending on their position and at this stage of the company. But what are your thoughts around that? Like founders versus executives.
Unknown
I mean, I think you need, you need a representative, like you need a personal representative of your company. It doesn't matter if it's a founder, an executive, a salesperson, even a intern. It really doesn't matter. You just need a person or multiple people. But usually the, usually founders come to me more than executives. And I would rather ghost write and work with founders than executives because founders just, they have the story, they founded the company, they have the story of something that happened in their life to make them drop everything and create a new solution and like bring and birth a new solution into the world. So there's just a lot more passion and excitement with founders. And that's why, yeah, they've been my, my ghostwriting clients and my consulting clients for a long, a long time. Which I think actually gets us into the next cheat code, which is that everybody has a personal brand, but not everybody manages it. So tell me about this cheat code.
Talayah Waller
Everybody has a personal brand, but not everybody manages the brand strategically, effectively and consistently. Consistently. And so the strategy is what I was talking about before, like having a real market driven strategy for how your brand is going to help you make money. And so that's the strategy. The effectiveness is kind of how you gauge the strategy. Right. And knowing, okay, if it's not effective, I need to go back and change something. Something's not working. And then people typically know that because most people, I think, skip over this strategy and jump right into the marketing. They're like, okay, I'm just gonna put myself out there and just start marketing. And that is another way to do it. A B testing, you know, seeing what the market wants. And then lastly, once you figure out what's working, then you can be consistent. Right. And so consistency is what builds trust and loyalty. And yeah, I think those, that's the playbook, essentially. Having a strategy, putting yourself out there, making sure it's effective, a B testing and then just being consistent with how you show up. Even if you only show up every once in a while, be consistent with that. Like, I think I love looking at how different artists build their brand, of course. And I love like how Sade as an artist, she's a classic. People are still playing her music. TikTok just had this Sade aesthetic that everybody's doing, and it's like, probably almost 40 years after the record. And it's like, brand durability, like, how strong her brand is. She doesn't have to pop out all the time. Um, and I just like seeing, you know, just seeing the different ways people are building their brand or, like, when a Beyonce decides, like, no, I'm just gonna drop it. I'm not gonna do all this marketing ahead of time. Like, these are the people in society who have been building their brand for, like, a very long time and really understand the nuances of it in ways that I think corporate professionals are just catching up to things like risk and NDAs. Like, Beyonce is on it, like a. Like, an executive level on managing her brand. And so, yeah, I just. I really love it. And, like, Rihanna is another person that I love. I mentioned her just because of her authenticity. And people look at the brand as, like, this moral binary thing, and it's not. It's a relationship. That's all it is. It's an economic and social relationship with the audience. If I'm known of being a city girl, a bad girl, that's my brand, right? And, like, there are people who want that energy, even if it's just temporary. You know what? I want to be a bad girl today. Let me tap into the energy of Talayah. You know, I want to be bold today. Let me tap into the energy of Kourtney. You know, this is human experiences, and we get to share them with others. We can tap into each other's energy in essence and brands, you know, it's an entire experience.
Unknown
So, yeah, these are such good examples because, like, both Beyonce and Rihanna had or have alter egos that they put on when they go on stage. Do you think, like, anybody in their corporate brand can have an alter ego.
Courtney Johnson
Or should I think.
Talayah Waller
I think so. This is something I've actually thought about a lot because I did see that pattern. Like, even Megan Thee stallion had an alter ego. And so. So I'm like, okay. Oh, and you know who else? Nicki Minaj. So I went all the way down this rabbit hole of the alter ego, right? Because when she came out with Roman's revenge, okay, that allowed her to be more masculine, to be just like, rap is assertive, it's aggressive. But as a woman, like, the brand of having this, being a woman, they didn't want to see that. And so, yes, she has all this pink and this frilling on Barbie, but she created Roman to really bring that aggressiveness in rap in a way that other people couldn't judge her for saying certain things. And I realized when she introduced Roman as her alter ego, it was on the same track as Eminem. And that's his alter ego, right? And so when he spazzes and all this stuff, he's like, you know, that's him, that's not me. And he could say all this crazy stuff as an artist and so it allows them to be more creative and to be more elastic I think as a brand. So yeah, super cool.
Courtney Johnson
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Unknown
I created Sunrise Content Club because I.
Courtney Johnson
Really desired accountability in my content creation. How it works is we meet on Zoom every single weekday from 8 to 9am we get on the Zoom, we play some fun music, we have a little mindful moment, then I give you a content prompt and we spend about 45 minutes working on this prompt together. In this time, you can ask questions, get feedback on your content, and at the end we all share our wins and we also share our content that we have created during that time.
Unknown
So we all get an initial boost.
Courtney Johnson
Because we are liking and commenting on each other's posts. There's also a really fun and supportive group chat where you can ask questions, share your content, get accountability. The Sunrise Content Club is an incredible way to stay consistent in your content creation and have community support.
Unknown
It is especially helpful with folks with.
Courtney Johnson
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Unknown
Yeah, I also think that it helps you expand. Like, it definitely helps you expand beyond your comfort zone. And a lot of times, actually not a lot of times, most times really great personal brand exists on that edge. Like the edge of controversy, the edge of expansion, the edge of like, oh, that's a little uncomfy. Like, that actually is where the most effective. Which brings us into our next cheat code, which is risk your likability to embrace your authenticity.
Talayah Waller
Oh, yes, definitely. Especially as a woman. This is something that I think we see play out in politics a lot because they're always saying, like, this woman isn't likable. And they're not wrong. But I think the issue is women in general aren't likable. And I actually read a book by Marianne Williamson that a friend recommended that I read, and she wrote it in the early 90s. This is a time where more women than ever before in the workplace. And there's never been an example of a woman that's at work and also has kids and also is a wife. There was no example for this. And so when she wrote this book, women were like depressed and like, didn't understand their identity or anything. And she basically talks about how when you think about the world, not at one point did they ever say that they liked women. Okay, so you're going up against this whole grain that says, we don't like y'all. Okay? So the whole likable thing just have to give up on it. I feel like I gave up on it this year when I changed my profile picture. I'm not smiling. And I was really terrified because it's like, in business are, like, you need to be approachable. You need to be this, you need to be that. And I'm like, no. Smile for what? Like, this is war. Like, being a founder. Like what? No. Absolutely not. So, yeah, I don't know. I just think that you do have to give up being likable, and it's something that I personally have struggled with. Yeah. Because you want to be likable. I think it's a very natural thing to want people to like you, but you just. You can't. You can't have it all.
Unknown
Like, as a woman, you cannot build a strong personal brand without having the trolls and the haters and the people that don't like you. Like, actually, it's impossible. You cannot name one person that has success that does not have the people that don't like them.
Talayah Waller
And what's the song? If you don't have. If you ain't got no haters, you ain't popping.
Courtney Johnson
That's it.
Unknown
Exactly. Exactly. You're not relevant. Like, you are just not relevant.
Talayah Waller
No. Nobody knows you then, you know, that's. That's literally what that means. No one knows you because, I mean, yeah, if you do anything worth doing, people are going to be jealous. They're going to hate because you're doing something worthwhile and they're not. So.
Courtney Johnson
Yeah.
Unknown
Aristotle says, if you want to avoid criticism, do nothing, say nothing, and be nothing. Mm.
Talayah Waller
That's a really good point.
Unknown
Yeah, I think that's exactly what you're saying. Okay, we have our cheat code number four, which is really. I love this cheat code because I actually started my career in sports and sports marketing and personal brand for athletes. And this cheat code is treat your personal brand like a professional athlete. What does this mean?
Talayah Waller
I like that. I'm like, what does that mean? Like a professional athlete.
Unknown
Yeah. I think you were talking in your. Your TED Talk about how, you know, it's like, the athlete, it keeps their personal brand, but they might go to this team, and they might go to.
Courtney Johnson
That team and see what you might.
Unknown
Go to this and that company.
Talayah Waller
Yes, yes. Actually, a client who was a judge brought this up, and he was out of. Where is it? Like, wherever this. I guess it's St. Louis. The St. Louis Cardinals or whatever. So, you know, everybody loves that baseball team. And he's like, I watch a lot of baseball and I Noticed that the older players or the old way of doing things is just sticking with one team until you retire. You know, your name's on this jersey. You don't really need a brand. You're with this team the whole time. So you really don't. You're under the team's brand. But if ever you're traded, if you don't have a personal brand, like, none of your followers go with you, like, you know. And so players nowadays realize, if I have my own audience, it doesn't matter what team I play for. And I think the same can be said for any professional, right. If I have my own audience, my own fan base, or not really fan base, but just like stakeholders and people who are rooting for your success, you want to take those people with you wherever you go. And in order to do that, you need to stand for something beyond your functional value. So when athletes built their brand, like Michael Jordan, someone just said, like, last year, Michael Jordan made $300 million. He hasn't played the sport in decades. And so one of the things that they did was when they negotiated the Air Jordan contract, David Falk was the person who thought about what his brand should be and thought, okay, what do all young boys want to do? They want to fly. So that's how they came up with the Air Jordan, right? And so it's this aspirational brand. He's associated with excellence in sports. And the one thing that everybody wants to do but nobody can is fly. So, yeah, I think being known for something beyond the functional value of dribbling a ball, right? They turned it into something more human, more aspirational that taps in, right? And I say young boys want to do that because that's very important. Because when you think about Elon Musk and his brand, it's associated with cars. Any man coming out and associating your brand is going to sky. Like, of course guys are going to like that. You know what I mean? Like, that's what. Since they were kids, they were playing with little bitty cars. It's an archetype that's ingrained already in the psyche. So that also makes for a really powerful brand. And I also think about Elon Musk aligning his brand with anything that has to do with the future of humanity. That's a very powerful thing to associate yourself with, with. And so, yeah, think about what you want to be known for, what you want to be associated with beyond the functional value of whatever you're doing, whether you're consulting, whether you're an engineer. Beyond that, what do you want people to know you for?
Unknown
Totally. Yeah. I think that's so, so important because, like, you are not going to be at your company for your whole career. And even if you own your company, it probably won't be in the exact same state. You might not own it forever. You might not. It's just very rare that you're going to be in the same position, same company, same iteration of it for the rest of your life. Like that is going to change, but the thing that stays consistent is your personal brand.
Talayah Waller
Absolutely.
Unknown
Okay, we have one more cheat code, and that is this first impression exercise. So we had a really great workshop at Sohaus and you had shared with me this first impression exercise. And I would love for you to just kind of go through this and maybe have people that are listening, maybe they could test it out with their friends. Maybe they could ask a stranger to really try to start to get some.
Courtney Johnson
Visibility into their own personal brand, not.
Unknown
Just online, but how they're coming across to others.
Talayah Waller
Yeah, I think if they just quickly open up their phones and ask their friends and just text people, like, just send out the same text. If you could describe me in one word, what would it be like? And maybe you can say, think about when you first met me. You could do it that way, like when you first met me. Or you could do it present tense. It's one word to describe me now. And. Or asking them, like, if there was one strength that I have that you would want, what would it be? Any one of those questions. Ask five to 10 people, preferably 10, really as many as you can, and then see what they say. And you will more than likely see the same thing or words that are similar to each other. And whatever that word is, it's either the first impression of you, what your brand is today, or your brand strength. So those three questions would get you those three answers. And so just asking as many people as possible that know you. I would ask people that know me at work, because sometimes you're slightly different at work than you are with your friends when you're out being social versus even family. So those are the three. And I would, you know, have a mix. Okay, let's see. Work. Let's see. Personal, family. Those three buckets. Get it back and see what they say. And then you're like, oh, this is my brand. If it's something that you like, continue being consistent. If it's. If you notice that all the words are different, you don't have a brand at all. You do not have a consistent anything. So some people could not have any social media followers, but have an extremely strong personal brand because everybody's saying the same thing about them, if that makes sense.
Unknown
Totally. Yeah. Another exercise I often tell my clients to do is like the LinkedIn profile 3 second test. If somebody just slightly glances at your LinkedIn for less than 3 seconds, what are the assumptions that start to come up about you? Is it, oh, this person looks creative, they look inexperienced, they look experienced, they look like a leader, they look structured, they look organized, they look professional, they look casual. Like those words that come up. Not, not even your LinkedIn, but also your website, your other social media platforms. You really want to make sure that they're aligned with what you want to give off.
Courtney Johnson
And I know it sounds obvious, like.
Unknown
Of course this should align with what you want to give off, but a lot of times people will come to me and I'll look at their website, I'll look at their LinkedIn profile, and it's giving creative vibes when they want to be seen as structured and analytical. Or maybe it's giving like, oh, they look very green and inexperienced when they want to be perceived as very, very experienced. So a lot of times we can't. We're too close to it. We can't pick up on these things. So to get your friends to give a perspective or strangers to give a perspective is extremely helpful.
Talayah Waller
Extremely. Way too close. And plus, we are our own worst credits, so.
Unknown
Well, that is all of our cheat codes. Talia, where can people find you? How can they connect with you and how can they work with you?
Talayah Waller
Yeah, people can find me on LinkedIn at Talayah Waller. Just my first and last name, and then also my website. My personal website is talayawaller.com and we're actually relaunching the company website Valuables Co by the end of this week. So hopefully by the time the podcast comes out.
Unknown
Yay. We can definitely make sure to link all of that so you guys can check it out. Valuables is super, super cool, what you're building over there. And yeah, this was great.
Courtney Johnson
Thank you so much.
Talayah Waller
Thank you for having me, Courtney.
Courtney Johnson
Okay, y'all, if you like this episode, you would love, love my Patreon.
Unknown
Okay?
Courtney Johnson
You get exclusive access to me, exclusive content, tons of other resources, and a lot of juicy.
Unknown
Okay?
Courtney Johnson
So I hope to see you on my Patreon.
Podcast Summary: Slay The Gatekeeper
Episode: Un-Gatekeeping with Dr. Talaya Waller
Host: Courtney Johnson
Release Date: May 6, 2025
Introduction
In the episode titled Un-Gatekeeping with Dr. Talaya Waller, Courtney Johnson delves deep into the intricacies of personal branding, marketing, mindset, and self-growth with renowned personal branding expert, Dr. Talaya Waller. The conversation explores practical strategies and innovative "cheat codes" to demystify and democratize the process of building and managing a personal brand in today's dynamic landscape.
Guest Background: Dr. Talaya Waller
Dr. Talaya Waller, a pioneer in personal branding, began her journey in 2009 alongside a classmate, focusing on what would become her passion and expertise. As she ventured into Washington D.C. in 2012, her focus shifted to personal branding for professionals amidst the political fervor of the city. Recognizing the need for a data-driven approach to personal branding, Talaya transitioned into technology, developing Valuables, a software solution aimed at scaling personal brand strategies effectively. Today, Valuables is on the verge of becoming a unicorn, underscoring Talaya's visionary approach to personal branding.
Notable Quote:
"When you have a business, I think it's important to do something that you're really passionate about because it takes a long time to build a sustainable business."
— Talaya Waller [00:45]
The Evolution and Future of Personal Branding
Talaya discusses the transformation of personal branding over the years, emphasizing the shift towards automation and strategic thinking, especially with the advent of AI. She highlights the growing necessity for individuals to view their careers as businesses, advocating for proactive brand management as companies increasingly rely on AI for efficiency.
Notable Quote:
"Companies are going to cut costs and they're going to find a reason to cut people and replace them with AI. The whole rhetoric around, oh, we're not replacing you, that's a lie."
— Talaya Waller [05:51]
Cheat Codes for Un-Gatekeeping Personal Branding
Talaya introduces a series of "cheat codes" designed to simplify and enhance the personal branding process. These strategies aim to empower individuals to build authentic and impactful brands without the traditional barriers.
Sell Your Humanness
Talaya emphasizes the importance of authenticity in personal branding. She argues that while corporate brands often feel impersonal and out of touch, personal brands thrive on genuine human connections. By showcasing one's authentic self, individuals can build stronger and more meaningful relationships with their audience.
Notable Quote:
"People do business with people and we're not listening to corporate brand messaging anymore. It's stale, it's out of touch, it's not authentic."
— Talaya Waller [06:08]
Manage Your Personal Brand Strategically
Having a personal brand is not enough; it requires strategic management to be effective. Talaya outlines a process involving:
Notable Quote:
"Consistency is what builds trust and loyalty."
— Talaya Waller [09:36]
Risk Your Likability to Embrace Authenticity
Talaya discusses the inherent challenges, especially for women, in balancing likability with authenticity. She asserts that striving to be universally likable can dilute one's true self, and embracing authenticity may lead to criticism. However, this authenticity is essential for building a genuine and resilient personal brand.
Notable Quote:
"You cannot build a strong personal brand without having the trolls and the haters and the people that don't like you."
— Talaya Waller [20:42]
Treat Your Personal Brand Like a Professional Athlete
Drawing parallels between personal branding and athletic branding, Talaya advises individuals to cultivate a brand that transcends their current roles or affiliations. Just as athletes build personal brands that remain strong regardless of team changes, professionals should develop a brand that resonates independently of their organizational ties.
Notable Quote:
"If you have your own audience, your own fan base, it doesn't matter what team you play for."
— Talaya Waller [21:17]
First Impression Exercise
To assess and refine one's personal brand, Talaya recommends conducting a first impression exercise. This involves soliciting feedback from peers, friends, and family to understand how one is perceived. Consistent feedback can highlight strengths and reveal areas needing alignment with personal branding goals.
Notable Quote:
"If you can describe me in one word, what would it be? And you will more than likely see the same thing or words that are similar to each other."
— Talaya Waller [26:00]
Practical Applications and Examples
Throughout the episode, Talaya and Courtney illustrate their points with real-world examples of successful personal brands:
Beyoncé and Rihanna: Demonstrating how leveraging alter egos can enhance brand elasticity and creativity.
Notable Quote:
"Nicki Minaj... when she introduced Roman as her alter ego... it allows them to be more creative and more elastic as a brand."
— Talaya Waller [14:33]
Michael Jordan and Elon Musk: Showcasing the power of aspirational branding that extends beyond functional roles.
Notable Quote:
"Michael Jordan made $300 million... he associated himself with flying, an aspirational brand that taps into something people desire."
— Talaya Waller [21:36]
Conclusion
In this insightful episode, Dr. Talaya Waller provides a comprehensive roadmap for individuals seeking to build and manage their personal brands effectively. By embracing authenticity, strategic management, and innovative approaches, listeners are empowered to break free from traditional gatekeeping structures and cultivate impactful personal brands that resonate in an increasingly automated and competitive world.
Connect with Dr. Talaya Waller:
Join the Conversation
If you found this summary helpful, consider tuning into Slay The Gatekeeper for more episodes packed with expert insights and actionable strategies to elevate your personal and professional life.