Investment management has a brand issue

.. and it's all about to change

For decades, the finance and investment industry has been seen by the outside world as exclusive, secretive, elusive and mysterious. Where, inside the mahogany hallways of the sky scrapers of Wall Street and Manhattan, well heeled, ivy league educated executives race from meeting making deals, executing trades and constructing complex portfolio’s and strategies that only insiders can understand. The executives running these organizations stand behind highly polished research reports and well crafted and rehearsed corporate narratives to ensure their personal image is as polished and refined as their companies brand.

Well… That is all changing. Out with the old, in with the new. If the last 20 years of investment management were about refinement, sophistication and exclusivity, the next 20 (and beyond) will be about authenticity, transparency, approachability and flexible. This is the era of Authenticity. The era where simplicity, transparency, accessibility, relatability, authenticity will win. The era where progress and perfection are valued similarly.

Today, more than ever with the rise of AI and our digital first world, authenticity matters, especially in business. This is especially true in the investment management/asset management industry with a big push to private wealth where asset managers are courting a new audience, wealthy individuals and families with capital to investment in private markets. But there is a problem, there is a massive information asymetry and as a result, a perception issue, a trust issue and a ‘branding’ issue.

Now is the time to start investing in your personal brand. It will be your most important asset over the next decade. You have a choice, define your own personal brand and story or have someone else do it for you. The former has a dizzying array of exciting options and the later is downright scary.

I’d encourage you to think about your “personal brand” as your most important asset. It’s the one thing you have both control over and that nobody can take away from you. It is not dependent on your employer. Everyone has a personal brand and story but but some are sitting dormant.

Now, you may be saying “what his he talking about, I don’t have a personal brand” or “I don’t even know what that is”… but just pause. Think about it. When people think of you, what do they think? What are the words you use to describe yourself? What are you known as a “expert” on? What do you stand for? What do you know that others don’t? What is your POV?

For those of us that work for companies (vs work for ourselves), our personal brand often becomes intertwined with our employers brand. This can be a great thing, especially if you work for a prestigious/well regarded and well known firm. It can also be a bad thing if your employer gets caught up in a scandal or some other salacious activity. However, it’s now more important than ever to have a personal brand that is independent of your employers brand. One easy way to get started is using LinkedIn.

As I have ramped up my LinkedIn sharing and content creation, including starting this Substack, I have been fortunate that a few of you have joined me on the journey. Along the way, industry friends have expressed an interest in finding and defining their personal brand. I am encouraging them to start doing this by sharing thoughts and perspectives on social platforms like this one and LinkedIn. But there are things holding them back.

The most frequent objections that I hear are:

• But.. I don’t know what to post

• But… what if someone doesn’t like what I have to say

• But… what if someone trolls me (i.e. writes nasty things in the comments)

• But… my company doesn’t allow me to have a public perspective

• But… My perspectives are not interesting

• But… I don’t have time to plan, edit, review, re-edit, re-review and publish my post

• But… I am just not that interesting… or smart… or…..

The list goes on and on. While I am NOT an expert on content creation I have adopted a few basic principals that have helped me get started and maybe it will serve as inspiration for you as well.

• Consistency is king. Doing something 1x is not going to give you a perspective of what it may be like to have a more public persona. If you want to try this out, commit to it. Minimum 3-4 days a week for 3 months. You can do it

• It can’t be a chore. If it’s a chore it won’t stick and that is OK.

• Everyone has a unique POV. The hard part is not the POV it’s breaking down the barriers preventing you from sharing it

• I don’t write for other people.. I write for myself. This makes it way easier if you are not trying to please many masters.

• People don’t remember what you say as much as they remember how what you say/write/share makes them feel.

• Don’t worry if people agree or disagree, your not trying to convince people as much as you are trying to share your own perspective.

• Write all your own posts. I don’t use AI. I don’t use ghostwriters. I believe that the only way to be authentic is by writing my content myself. Perhaps AI could do it but I enjoy it so it helps me codify my thinking

• Don’t overthink it. It’s never your last post. Most people don’t care about what you share as much as you do. Get out of your own head and get your ideas down and out there for others to learn from.

• Create a “ideas list” on your phone. Whenever you have an idea, write it down. When your ready to write, go back and review this list. It will help you get started.

• Be flexible. This is about progress, not perfection. If what your writing doesn’t feel authentic, stick to what does. This is about you.

• For me this is not about sales, it’s about education. It’s about learning and sharing and engaging with others.

So.. “how can I get started you may be asking…”. Here a few prompts that could help you:

• What is something you do every day.. at work.. in meetings that you really understand. This could be your industry, your product, your client base, how to solve a specific problem? That is something you have expertise in and others don’t. Your qualified to have a POV.

• Reflect on an interesting conversation you had with a industry peer, colleague or even family member.

• What is something you care deeply about, either because it’s your passion or because it can help you professionally? Write about that. It’s way easier to talk about things that are interesting to you.

• Describe a lesson you recently learned. This can be taken in a lot of ways. I often find parallels between life experiences/lessons and business. A example for me is when I receive excellent/terrible customer service…

• What is something you have done that most people don’t know about you. Can you connect that to your work? Can you connect that to a belief? For example, can you connect lessons learned from a hobby or your not work life to your work life?

• Ask your friend or colleague what you should write about. Sometimes we get stuck in our own heads and loose the creative spirit we all have inside of us.

And don’t let your thoughts get in your way. As I type this, I have thoughts racing through my head

• “this seems like a self help post”

• “why am I qualified to share perspectives on this”

• “do people really care about this topic”

Guess what.. This is for me. Not you. But if helps you or someone you share this with, that is great.

I am just getting started on Substack but if you used LinkedIn, here are a few tips that may help you based on my very limited understanding of the LinkedIn algorithm

• Post frequently. 3-4x during the week (weekends don’t help)

• Post at a time when your readers are online (early AM seems to work best for me)

• Don’t include “links” in the body of of your post, instead add them in the first comment and tell people to go there if you want them to click on a link

• Focus on the “hook” - the opening line seems to matter - it’s what people see above the fold when they scroll on their phones.

• LinkedIn loves numbers. “3 lessons I have learned” is better than “Lessons I have learned”

• Make sure your LinkedIn profile is complete - this includes a photo’s, job history, etc

• If people comment on your post, reacting to those comments within 60 min will help increase the reach of your post.

For more advice on how to use LinkedIn, I love the work of Richard van der Bloom.

My content and personal brand creation journey is still very much in it’s infancy. I am learning a lot along the way and the most enjoyable part is trying new things. I’d love to brainstorm ideas with you and hear what you are interested in learning more about.

Here are a few examples of things I have tried that just a few years ago I would have NEVER experimented with to give you inspiration.

• LinkedIn - First Video - You will note I am not even in it

• Something not about work. Supposedly a “no no” for LinkedIn but who cares

• My first “selfie” style video. I had no ideas what I was doing.. still don’t but always trying something new

• My first running video

• My first live stream on social media

If you don’t believe me that this works, just check out some of these stats. It’s pretty incredible to think about the power of social media and platforms like this to build a brand. This is with ZERO spend on ads, agencies, etc.

I’d be happy to help with a 15min call to brainstorm ideas. If that is of interest, drop me a note and we can find time to connect.