Did you know I used to be a High School Science teacher?
Before I built a personal brand…
Before I photographed executives, keynote speakers, and top-tier entrepreneurs…
Before I built a business that helps people show up with confidence…
I was standing in front of a classroom, teaching high school science.
And honestly?
That experience has become rocket fuel for my business.
Here’s why:
🔬 1. If you confuse, you lose.
Teaching teenagers how atoms bond, or how cells divide, taught me one thing fast: You’ve got to simplify your message.
If you don’t? You lose the room.
That’s not just a teaching skill—it’s a marketing one.
Your audience (yes, even the brilliant, high-achieving ones) doesn’t want complexity—they want clarity.
🧪 2. Boring never wins hearts.
Teenagers don’t want to sit through a monotone lecture.
So I got creative.
I ran experiments, made the lessons hands-on, and used storytelling to keep them engaged. I mean, check out this photo of me from back in the day:
What does that sound like?
Content marketing.
If your content doesn’t spark curiosity or show relevance, people will scroll right by.
💡 3. The messenger matters.
I didn’t just want my students to remember facts for a test.
I wanted to inspire them to think bigger.
That meant being vulnerable, sharing my own stories, and showing up fully human.
Now I do the same thing in my business.
Because personal branding isn’t about just what you do…
It’s about who you are. (check out different ways you can show up visually online)
📘 4. Know your audience, write for your audience.
When I was writing curriculum, I had to keep one thing in mind:
Who am I writing this for?
That’s the same principle behind strong brand messaging and positioning. Generic doesn’t connect. Specific does.
🏆 5. Grades are temporary. Transformation is lasting.
In school, the goal wasn’t just to hand out A’s.
It was to help students grow, and cheer them on when they did.
Now I get to do that with my clients.
When someone sees themselves with new confidence,
when a speaker lands more gigs because of the keynote portrait or headshot we created together…
That’s a celebration moment.
Because it’s not just about delivering the work.
It’s about helping people win.
So no, being a teacher isn’t just something I used to do.
It’s part of who I am.
And I’ve found that when you lean into who you are,
your brand doesn’t just grow…
It accelerates.
P.S. Fun Fact:
When I lived in Canada, I had a side gig doing educational reptile presentations for a local reptile store. I even brought some of the animals into my classroom.
(Eli the Alligator was always the grand finale 🐊)
Who knew reptile wrangling and science demos would be training for brand building?
Turns out, everything’s connected when you let your story fuel your message.
P.P.S. Have you had a career pivot? What did you used to do? How has it shaped you? Hit the “REPLY” button and let me know!
Keep your foot on the gas,
Daniel
