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Featuring Howie Chan on The Optimization Toolbox

If you’ve ever felt like building your “personal brand” makes you sound fake, braggy, or—let’s be honest—a little cringe… you’re not alone.

This week, I sat down in person with Howie Chan at the Podcast Crew Online studio in Robbinsdale, Minnesota. (Seriously — shout-out to them. Their team makes the in-studio experience so easy and the quality so good. If you’re local and want to level up your podcast or video setup, check them out at podcastcrew.online.)

💼 Meet Howie Chan

Howie Chan is a founder and brand strategist helping individuals and companies go from unknown to unignorable.

With over 20 years in healthcare, he’s helped launch multiple companies and products, including a multi-billion-dollar spinout from Merck. He continues to consult, speak, and serve as a change agent for organizations navigating transformation.

Today, he also helps experts and leaders build personal and business brands through his coaching programs. As host of Influence Anyone podcast, he’s interviewed thought leaders like Henna Pryor (workplace performance), David Robson(science journalist), and Nir Eyal (habits expert), sharing actionable lessons on influence, attraction, and growth.

With 100 K+ LinkedIn followers, Howie was named Top LinkedIn Creator in Branding & Positioning by Favikon in 2024.

His mission?

“To help 1 million people live their version of legendary by sharing their unique gifts with the world through the power of influence and brand.”

💼 1. Stop Building a “Personal Brand.” Build a

Professional Brand.

Howie’s biggest reframe? Stop calling it personal branding.

“A professional brand,” he says, “is the story people tell about you when you’re not in the room.”

Your professional brand isn’t about how often you post—it’s about credibility and clarity. It’s how people in your space describe what you do and why you matter.

That clarity doesn’t come from fancy design—it comes from consistency. Your words, your work, and how you make people feel all need to line up.

So if you hate “personal branding,” good news: You don’t have to sell yourself. You just have to make it easy for people to understand how you help.

🌱 2. Howie’s LinkedIn Growth (and What Actually Works)

When Howie was laid off in 2022, he started posting on LinkedIn—not with a strategy, but with curiosity.

He didn’t chase trends or virality. Instead, he shared short, thoughtful posts about emotion, leadership, and brand psychology. And that honesty resonated.

Over time, his visibility grew—not because he was loud, but because he was clear.

He posted about what he knew deeply, not everything he could talk about.

“People think visibility is about reach,” he told me. “It’s really about resonance.”

His growth came from repeating consistent ideas, showing up with empathy, and building genuine connections—not optimizing for algorithms.

That’s the model ADHD creators and solopreneurs can actually sustain: authentic repetition over performative variety.

🧭 3. Start Narrow, Then Go Wide

If you’re multi-passionate (hi, ADHD friends 👋), this one hits home.

Howie explained that most people try to start wide—they want to talk about all their passions at once. But the best brands? They start narrow.

“Be known for one thing first,” he says. “Then you earn the right to expand.”

He compared it to restaurants: if you walk into a place that serves sushi, tacos, burgers, and pizza… you walk out. Because it’s confusing.

Narrowing your focus doesn’t mean you can’t evolve later—it just means you’re easier to find right now.

🧠 4. Branding = Behavioral Science

This is where Howie gets nerdy in the best way.

He draws from thinkers like Daniel Kahneman, Robert Cialdini, and Melina Palmer to explain why humans don’t make purely rational decisions.

We buy, follow, and trust based on ease and emotion.

* Ease: If something feels hard to understand, we skip it. (Cialdini calls this pre-suasion.)

* Emotion: We decide first, then justify later. (Kahneman’s “System 1 thinking.”)

* Exposure: The more people see you, the more they like you. (The mere exposure effect.)

“Make it easy for people to believe in you.”

That means clarity over cleverness. Fewer choices. Simpler copy. More consistency.

📚Books, Ideas & Resources Mentioned

🧠 Psychology, Behavior & Influence

* Thinking, Fast and Slow — Daniel Kahneman

The foundation of behavioral science — referenced when Howie talks about how 95% of decisions are subconscious.

📘 Amazon

* Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion — Dr. Robert Cialdini

Core to Howie’s worldview on ethical persuasion and reciprocity.

📘 Amazon

* Pre-Suasion: A Revolutionary Way to Influence and Persuade — Dr. Robert Cialdini

How what happens before the message shapes the outcome.

📘 Amazon

* The Paradox of Choice — Barry Schwartz

Fewer choices = less friction. Referenced when discussing “making it easy.”

📘 Amazon

* What Your Customer Wants and Can’t Tell You — Melina Palmer

Behavioral science meets marketing — why ease, framing, and emotion drive conversion.

📘 Amazon

💡Branding, Marketing & Entrepreneurship

* How Brands Grow — Byron Sharp

Why availability often beats differentiation.

📘 Amazon

* Start With Why — Simon Sinek

The importance of people, purpose, and trust in business.

📘 Amazon

* Building a StoryBrand — Donald Miller

“You’re not the hero — you’re the guide.” Discussed when Jenna mentions the StoryBrand framework.

📘 Amazon

* Made to Stick — Chip Heath & Dan Heath

How to craft memorable, sticky brand ideas that people remember.

📘 Amazon

🎧 Podcasts & Audio Resources

* 🎙 Influence Anyone — Host: Howie Chan

Apple Podcasts

* 💬 “Godfather of Influence” ft. Dr. Robert Cialdini

Ethical persuasion, the Unity principle, and Pre-Suasion.

Episode Link • Apple Podcasts

* 🎯 “Influence With Ease: Humans Are Lazy” (Solo Sesh)

Howie’s solo deep dive on “make it easy” and behavioral friction.

Episode Link

* 🧭 “Building a Professional Brand That Gets You Noticed” (Solo Sesh)

3-step framework for your professional brand.

Episode Link

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🧠 How to Build a Personal Brand That Converts Without Feeling Cringe (with Howie Chan)