In this episode of The Learning & Development Podcast, David James is joined by Andy Storch, co-author of Own Your Brand, Own Your Career, to explore why personal branding has become a central tool for career growth.
Andy discusses the workplace shifts that inspired his book and reframes traditional career development, showing how L&D leaders can help employees discover and articulate an authentic professional brand that aligns with both personal values and organisational needs. He unpacks the broader lens of career growth beyond upward mobility - covering lateral moves, reputation, visibility, and the power of storytelling - while offering practical advice on networking, self-advocacy and intentional career moves in today’s job market.
This conversation is a guide for L&D professionals looking to equip employees to take ownership of their careers, measure the impact of brand-and-career development initiatives and balance individual growth with organisational retention.
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KEY TAKEAWAYS
Your personal brand is your reputation. In a world of restructures and layoffs, you can’t wait – build visibility, trust, and a clear story of your value now, so decision-makers know exactly why you’re worth keeping or hiring.
Helping people build their personal brand makes their value visible. When L&D supports employees to show what they’re great at, leaders can spot talent faster, growth feels fairer, and your best people are more likely to see a future and stay.
If networking and personal branding feel cringey, reframe them as relationship building and sharing your learning. You don’t need to perform - just focus on one genuine conversation at a time.
BEST MOMENTS
“In the past, there's been this stigma about spending time on LinkedIn or other platforms, about creating a brand for yourself outside of work, and I've seen a big shift in that.”
“I've seen people go and build great relationships and get jobs from being able to tell their story.”
Andy Storch Bio
Andy Storch is an author, consultant, coach, and speaker focused on helping professionals take ownership of their careers and lives. He is the author of Own Your Career, Own Your Life, a practical guide for people who want to stop drifting and take intentional control of their future.
Andy is the host of multiple podcasts, including The Talent Development Hot Seat, Own Your Career and My NFT Journey, and is the co-founder and host of the Talent Development Think Tank Conference and Community, as well as the Talent Development Virtual Summit. His work includes consulting and teaching strategy, leadership, sales, finance, and innovation for organisations such as Salesforce, Oracle, Google, Toyota, State Farm, Red Bull, Deloitte, EY, KPMG, HP, Sony, Cisco and Tiffany & Co. He holds an MBA from the University of Southern California’s Marshall School of Business and a BS from the University of Florida.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/andystorch/
https://andystorch.com/
Own Your Brand, Own Your Career Book: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Own-Your-Brand-Career-Accelerates/dp/1736020986
ABOUT THE HOST
David James has been a People Development professional for 20+ years, most notably as Director of Talent, Learning & OD for The Walt Disney Company across Europe, the Middle East & Africa.
As well as being the Chief Learning Officer at 360Learning, David is a prominent writer and speaker on topics around modern and digital L&D.
CONTACT
https://twitter.com/davidinlearning
https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjameslinkedin
https://360learning.com/the-l-and-d-collective
https://360learning.com/blog/l-and-d-masterclass-home
