Branding Room Only with Paula T. Edgar

What happens when the version of you that’s always holding it together finally can’t anymore? In You Are Before the World , Tara Jaye Frank writes with radical honesty about depletion, overgiving, and the moment she realized that putting everyone else first was costing her herself. In this episode of Branding Room Only , Paula sits down with Tara to talk about the internal reckoning that shaped th...

Reflection gets skipped over in a culture that rewards speed, productivity, and visible wins. Most people want to jump straight to the next goal list without pausing to tell the truth about what they actually lived through. But reflection isn't some soft year-end ritual. It's a leadership skill and a requirement for building a strong personal brand. We live in a culture that often reward...

Setting a big, exciting goal can feel amazing at the start—the motivation is high, and the journey feels full of possibility. But what happens when the excitement fades or the path gets bumpy? That’s when the power of intention can make all the difference. In this episode of Branding Room Only , I’m diving into the difference between intentions and goals and how combining the two can create a winn...

Vision boards can be so much more than just a collage of pretty pictures and inspirational words—they can be a game-changer for designing your life, if you use them intentionally. Every year, I kick off with an intention and goal-setting session, and vision boards are one of my favorite tools to turn big dreams into real plans. In this episode of The Branding Room Only podcast, I’m sharing how to...

Unexpected demands, curveballs, and complexity can show up in our year whether we plan for them or not. Life rarely follows neat outlines, even when we begin with vision boards and bold declarations about growth, visibility, or reset. In this episode of Branding Room Only , Paula Edgar explores the space between the year you thought you’d have and the year you actually lived—and why that gap matte...

If you’ve ever pulled a price out of thin air, matched a competitor without context, or quietly dipped into your savings to sustain your business, you’re not alone. Many entrepreneurs struggle not with numbers, but with the stories and habits they’ve learned about money. Financial behaviorist, coach, and creator of Pricing Made Human®, Jacquette M. Timmons, understands this deeply—and built her wo...

Your personal brand isn’t just about what you deliver. It’s how you show up. If you’re exhausted, stressed to the point of breaking, or gripping your way through the week, that comes through too. No amount of polish can hide what’s happening underneath when you’re not actually taking care of yourself. Jessie Spressart gets this. As founder and managing director of Optia Consulting, she helps law f...

As the year winds down, most of us focus on thanking the people around us—mentors, colleagues, friends, and communities. What often gets left out is acknowledging ourselves . And when it comes to personal branding, that omission matters. In this episode of Branding Room Only , I break down why recognizing your own growth, resilience, and impact is one of the most strategic things you can do for yo...

Trust is the backbone of every personal brand, whether you name it or not. It shows up in how you communicate, how consistently you follow through, how you handle hybrid work, and how you show sensitivity—or don’t—when people need it most. In a workplace culture filled with mixed signals, missed expectations, and performative “niceness,” trust has become the true measure of credibility. It determi...

Bar associations and professional organizations aren’t just networking groups or résumé boosters. Leadership in these spaces is a strategic brand decision. These roles have shaped my visibility, credibility, and relationships in the legal profession, and so many of my opportunities came directly from these spaces. In this episode of Branding Room Only, I’m taking you behind the scenes of my civic...

Brian Ellis learned what leadership looks like long before he had a title. His father modeled it first, and it shaped how he moved through every room. As the former Senior Vice President and General Counsel of Danaher Corporation, he built his career on integrity, accountability, and a deep sense of responsibility to those coming behind him. Power, to Brian, is something you use to make space and...

Feedback is often labeled “good” or “bad,” but that binary misses the point. In this episode of Branding Room Only , Paula Edgar sits down with Rachael Bosch — founder of Fringe Professional Development and creator of Candorly — to explore why delivery matters as much as content and how consistent feedback can fuel and strengthen your personal brand. Rachael also shares her journey from Miami and...

One hundred episodes. That’s a lot of strategy, stories, laughter, pet peeves—and a whole lot of love. When I started Branding Room Only , I wanted a platform to share personal branding strategies and amplify voices. What I didn’t expect was how much this show would give back: opening doors, deepening relationships, and connecting me with people far beyond my usual circles. In this milestone episo...

Real leadership isn’t about doing more. It’s about doing what matters with consistency and care. Staying grounded in your purpose, your values, and your humanity is what separates longevity from burnout. The best leaders aren’t performing strength. They are practicing steadiness, empathy, and self-awareness. That’s what drives Daisy Auger-Domínguez. As President of Auger-Domínguez Ventures and aut...

If you’ve ever worried that ADHD—or any difference—might hurt your credibility, this episode is for you. I’ve learned that the traits that make me different are the very ones that make my brand magnetic. Yes, there are days when it feels like I have 15 tabs open in my brain and someone keeps hitting refresh. But over time, I’ve realized that while ADHD can sometimes show up as scattered, distracte...

Every time you minimize your accomplishments, you’re not just being humble—you’re making your personal brand smaller. And when you do that, you leave opportunities on the table. In this episode of Branding Room Only , I break down why showcasing your wins isn’t bragging—it’s leadership. I share stories of clients who downplayed major achievements and what shifted when they finally spoke up. I also...

Too often, the role of a panel moderator is perceived as logistics—keeping time and reading questions from a list. But the best moderators know it’s much more than that. Great moderating is strategy. It’s a chance to showcase presence, leadership, and personal brand. Done well, moderation shapes the audience’s experience, amplifies the panelists, and demonstrates your leadership in real time. With...

When people talk about you in the rooms you’re not in, are they saying what you want them to say? You can be excellent, meet every deadline, and deliver results—but if others don’t know how to describe you, or your name isn’t the one raised when opportunities come up, you’re leaving opportunities on the table. That’s exactly why I’m doing something different with this episode. I want to take you b...

September 11, 2001, is a date that lives in infamy. But the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center that day were an intensely personal experience for my family. For my father, Peter Griffith, the loss of his wife and my mother, Joan Donna Griffith, in that tragedy had an immediate and long-lasting effect that has reshaped our lives. In the second half of our conversation on the Branding Room...

We’re molded by those who support us along the way. These people come in the form of mentors, teachers, friends, and family. And for many of us, no figures are more essential than our parents. My father, Peter Griffith, was born in Barbados and immigrated to Brooklyn, NY at 14 years old. For 20 years, he was married to Joan Donna Griffith (a.k.a. Mommy) and raised two kids. Then, the terrorist att...

Conferences offer incredible opportunities to network, learn, and strengthen your personal brand—but only if you’re prepared to make the most of them. With the right approach, you can expand your mindset, build valuable connections, and uncover new insights. To help you get there, I’ve put together a step-by-step guide using one of my favorite tools: an acronym! In this episode of the Branding Roo...

Rest isn't a bonus. It's a necessity for clarity, creativity, and longevity. In a world that praises busyness and normalizes burnout, stepping back is often the most powerful way to propel yourself forward. And it doesn’t mean you have to disappear completely, either. During my recent break, I intentionally balanced meaningful, soul-filling engagements with genuine rest and joy. So in th...

Too many professionals—especially in the legal field—spend so much time focused on delivering excellent work that they forget to build a personal brand that reflects it. That oversight becomes clearer with each career transition, leadership aspiration, or missed opportunity to stand out. That’s why I had to bring this episode back. Sonya Olds Som is an experienced executive recruiter, former pract...

Even the most brilliant professionals I know still ask me this question. Whether you're brand new to personal branding, rebuilding after a transition, or just realizing your reputation deserves more attention, this episode is your starting point. You already have a personal brand. The question is, are you actively shaping it or is it being shaped for you by default? As my mother used to say ,...

Presenting a strong personal brand as a leader is paramount, but it's about more than just perception. It's about how you operate and the value you bring. Lonita K. Baker understands this connection intimately. Her impactful career has spanned multiple sectors and roles, from public defender to prosecutor to representing Breonna Taylor's family, and now serving as Professor of Pract...