Workfluencer: Personal Branding & Content Creation

I have fewer than 15,000 followers on LinkedIn, and my baseline rate for a single sponsored video starts at $2,500.

Brands aren’t just paying for audience size. They’re paying for my expertise, audience trust, and everything that goes into the finished video.

In this solo episode, I’m sharing what happens behind that number, from the first concept board to the post-campaign report. I walk through my seven-stage sponsored-content workflow, explain what brands are paying for beyond the video itself, and share why experienced professionals need to stop pricing their expertise based on how easy the work feels.

When you’ve spent years solving problems, evaluating software, and making business decisions, that experience comes with you every time you create content. Just because you can write a script in an hour doesn’t mean you’re only delivering an hour’s worth of value.

If you’re building a creator business around your professional experience or questioning what to charge for brand partnerships, this is a candid look inside my business.

What You'll Learn:

• Why I don’t price sponsored content based solely on the time it takes to create
• My seven-stage workflow, from concept and scripting to publishing and reporting
• What I delegate and why I always write my own scripts
• How I handle client approvals and revision rounds
• Why audience trust and career expertise belong in your pricing

Connect With Me:

Want to partner with me for sponsored content? Send me an email: hello@rhonapierce.com

Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rhonabarnettpierce/

Subscribe to my Newsletter: https://link.rhonapierce.com/newsletter2

Want to turn your team into creators?

Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠workfluencermedia.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to learn how we help companies turn employee expertise into content that gets noticed.

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Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://megaphone.fm/adchoices

You don’t need a massive following to have expertise worth citing. But how do you become a source AI turns to, and what could that mean for your next brand partnership?

Kaleigh Moore joins Rhona Pierce to explore how creators can build AI search visibility through specific expertise and content that answers real buyer questions. They discuss why being known for something matters, what makes an expert citable, and how creators can show brands evidence that their content is already appearing in AI answers.

For brands, this creates a different way to think about creator partnerships. Who can give a credible answer to the questions your buyers are asking? That person could be an independent creator, a customer, or an expert on your own team.

Rhona brings a real scenario into the conversation: her first official creator AEO partnership kicks off an hour after recording. Together, they discuss how these deals differ from traditional influencer campaigns, what belongs in the brief, and what creators should clarify before putting a price on the work.

They also cover employee compensation, usage rights, AI likeness protections, and the challenge of measuring results. It’s an honest look at an emerging opportunity for creators and the brands that work with them.

What You’ll Learn:

• Why niche expertise can matter more than follower count for AI citations.
• How a clear topic focus and recognizable frameworks can strengthen your expert positioning.
• How to find content ideas in the questions buyers already ask.
• How to use evidence of your existing AI visibility in brand conversations.
• What makes a creator AEO brief different from a traditional influencer brief.
• Where employee-generated content fits, and why compensation matters.
• What to clarify about exclusivity, advertising rights, and AI likeness before pricing a deal.
• Why AI visibility requires ongoing testing rather than a single sponsored post.

Resources Mentioned

Kaleigh's YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@aisearchlady

Rhona's Newsletter: https://link.rhonapierce.com/newsletter2

Connect with Us:

Connect with Kaleigh: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kaleighmoore/

Connect with Rhona: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/rhonabarnettpierce

Want to turn your team into creators?

Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠workfluencermedia.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to learn how we help companies turn employee expertise into content that gets noticed.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://megaphone.fm/adchoices

Most employee creator programs start in the wrong place. Companies focus on getting as many employees posting as possible, hand them approved links and captions, and call it employee advocacy. That may create activity, but it does not create thought leadership.

After leading content and social media at Salesforce and Microsoft, Heike Young believes companies should move beyond copy-and-paste advocacy and invest in a smaller group of committed employee creators.

In this episode, Heike joins Rhona to explain how to build an employee creator program around clear business goals. They discuss how to choose creators across roles, seniority levels, and regions, what motivates employees to participate, and why companies need to provide training, time, recognition, and clear expectations.

They also dig into the infrastructure companies often skip, including updated social media policies, job descriptions, content usage after an employee leaves, and collaboration between HR, marketing, and communications.

Heike also breaks down her people-generated content model, which connects employees, industry creators, and customers to one broader brand strategy.

For companies trying to build an employee creator program without turning employees into extensions of the corporate account, this conversation lays out what needs to be in place first.

What You’ll Learn:

• How to define your goals before selecting employee creators
• How to choose creators across roles, seniority levels, and regions
• What motivates employees beyond direct financial compensation
• Why training, tools, recognition, and community keep creators involved
• How to make content creation part of someone’s actual role
• What companies should decide about content usage before employees leave
• How employees, industry creators, and customers can support one content strategy

Resources Mentioned:

• Heike's Website: https://heike-young.com/
• People Generated Content: https://link.rhonapierce.com/VZYlQz
• Rhona's Newsletter: ⁠⁠https://link.rhonapierce.com/newsletter2

Connect with Us:

• Connect with Heike: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heikeyoung/
• Connect with Rhona: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/rhonabarnettpierce

Want to turn your team into creators?

Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠workfluencermedia.com⁠⁠⁠⁠ to learn how we help companies turn employee expertise into content that gets noticed.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://megaphone.fm/adchoices

Being great at your job doesn’t guarantee a promotion. Roxy Couse learned that after nearly 15 years in corporate, several lateral moves, and a leader who admitted there was nothing left for her to prove.

While working as a senior director, Roxy started creating content before work, after work, and on weekends. What began as a TikTok hobby grew into an audience of more than 650,000 followers, 100 million views, and brand partnerships with companies including LinkedIn and IBM.

In this episode, Roxy shares what it really takes to build a personal brand while working full-time. She explains how she balanced two demanding careers, followed her employer’s social media policies, and turned years of corporate experience into paid opportunities.

She also shares why brand deals weren’t enough and how that realization led her to build Sloefy, a platform helping corporate professionals become more visible. This conversation is about building enough visibility, income, and career leverage to choose what comes next on your own terms.

What You’ll Learn

• Why strong performance alone may not lead to a promotion
• How Roxy found her content niche by talking honestly about work
• What it takes to create consistently while working full-time
• How to build a personal brand without creating problems at work
• How she went from a $100 brand deal to six-figure creator income
• How a personal brand can create confidence and career leverage
• Why Roxy built Sloefy for corporate professionals

Resources Mentioned:

• Learn about Sloefy: https://sloefy.com/
• Rhona's Newsletter: ⁠https://link.rhonapierce.com/newsletter2

Connect with Us:

• Connect with Roxy: https://www.linkedin.com/in/roxanna-couse/
• Connect with Rhona: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/rhonabarnettpierce

Want to turn your team into creators?

Visit ⁠⁠⁠workfluencermedia.com⁠⁠⁠ to learn how we help companies turn employee expertise into content that gets noticed.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://megaphone.fm/adchoices

AI search citations are the newest piece of real estate on the internet, and creators may be one of the fastest ways for brands to claim it. Most brand deals are still measured through reach, clicks, and conversions. Meanwhile, answer engines are shaping which companies get mentioned when buyers ask ChatGPT, Perplexity, or Google who to trust. Almost nobody is pricing creator partnerships around that value yet.

This conversation was never supposed to become an episode. Rhona Pierce invited Jeffrey Fermin, a 15-year marketing veteran, to privately pressure test an offer she is building around AI search citations. What follows is a behind-the-scenes look at two media and marketing operators working through the opportunity in real time.

They break down how attribution actually works inside companies, why UTMs and discount codes miss so much of a creator’s influence, and how podcast transcripts and other written assets can support visibility in AI-generated answers.

At its core, this is a conversation about proof. Creators need ways to demonstrate value when tracking fails. Brands need to understand what a mention from a trusted outside voice can do that content published on their own website cannot.

You’ll hear why tying creator pay to closed sales is a bad deal, how multi-touch attribution better reflects the B2B buying journey, and why Rhona will never agree to perpetual usage rights when creator content could continue generating value for years.

This behind-the-scenes conversation marks the 100th episode of the Workfluencer Podcast.

What You'll Learn:

• Why AI search citations are becoming a line item creators can price and sell
• Where a creator’s responsibility ends in the sales funnel
• How multi-touch attribution works in B2B marketing
• How creator content can support visibility in AI search
• Why transcripts and structured written content matter
• What AI citations could mean for creator usage rights
• Why brands and creators need new ways to measure long-term value

Resources Mentioned:

• Rhona's Newsletter: ⁠https://link.rhonapierce.com/newsletter2

Connect with Us:

• Connect with Jeffrey: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jfermin/
• Connect with Rhona: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rhonabarnettpierce/

Want to turn your team into creators?

Visit ⁠⁠⁠workfluencermedia.com⁠⁠⁠ to learn how we help companies turn employee expertise into content that gets noticed.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://megaphone.fm/adchoices

Most people post about getting laid off and ask for sympathy. Deidre “Dee” Henry posted about getting laid off and asked for clients.

Dee had been a top-performing salesperson at Zillow when she suddenly lost her job. Instead of publishing the expected gratitude post, she shared what she was actually feeling and made it clear what she could do for potential clients. That story became the foundation for The Sales Loft, Microsoft partnerships, a CNBC feature, and an appearance on the same stage as Kerry Washington.

In this episode, Dee joins Rhona Pierce to break down how personal stories become content that sells. They discuss why feelings drive decisions, how to be vulnerable without becoming a hot mess online, and what separates a post that earns sympathy from one that creates opportunities.

Dee also shares her PTO framework: Profile, Trust, and Opportunities. You’ll learn how to turn your LinkedIn profile into a sales page, create content that gives people a reason to hire you, and stay consistent when your posts are not producing immediate revenue.

What You'll Learn:

• Why feelings make content more persuasive
• How to turn a personal story into a business opportunity
• The difference between authentic content and oversharing
• What separates posts that sell from posts that earn sympathy
• How to make your LinkedIn profile function like a sales page
• Why every post should communicate what is in it for the reader
• Why you do not need a large audience or website to attract clients
• What to do when your content is not converting yet

Resources Mentioned:

• Visit The Sales Loft: https://thesalesloft.com/
• Rhona's Newsletter: https://link.rhonapierce.com/newsletter2

Connect with Us:

• ⁠Connect with Deidre: https://www.linkedin.com/in/deidremhenry/
• Connect with Rhona: ⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/rhonabarnettpierce

Want to turn your team into creators?

Visit ⁠⁠workfluencermedia.com⁠⁠ to learn how we help companies turn employee expertise into content that gets noticed.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://megaphone.fm/adchoices

Creators were supposed to leave corporate behind. Now some of them are going back — and companies are creating roles specifically for people with creator experience.

Lissette Calveiro has spent nearly 15 years in the creator and influencer marketing industry and managed more than $10 million in brand partnerships. Today, she’s watching the creator economy evolve in an unexpected direction: creators are bringing their skills back into companies, while companies are realizing they need creators at the table.

In this episode, Lissette explains why creators are moving into corporate roles, what these new creator-focused jobs actually look like, and why going back to a corporate job doesn’t mean the creator economy failed.

We also talk about why authority and expertise are becoming more valuable than follower count, how creators should think about pricing brand deals, why sponsorships shouldn't be the only way to monetize your audience, and how to build a creator career that can evolve as your goals change.

Plus, Lissette shares the most she's ever made from a sponsored post, the $45,000 deal that went sideways, and why she believes creators have more negotiating power than they think.

What You'll Learn:

• Why creators are going back to corporate
• Why returning to a corporate role doesn't mean the creator economy failed
• What creator evangelist, creator advocate, and creator relations roles actually do
• Why companies need creators involved in their creator strategies
• How creator experience translates into valuable corporate skills
• Why authority and expertise are becoming more important than follower count
• How to build a creator business that doesn't rely entirely on brand deals

Resources Mentioned:

• Influence With Impact: https://influencewithimpact.co/
• Rhona's Newsletter: ⁠https://link.rhonapierce.com/newsletter2

Connect with Us:

• Connect with Lissette: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lissettecalveiro/
• Connect with Rhona: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/rhonabarnettpierce

Want to turn your team into creators?

Visit ⁠workfluencermedia.com⁠ to learn how we help companies turn employee expertise into content that gets noticed.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://megaphone.fm/adchoices

Most creators assume they need a huge following to land brand deals. They don't.

Lloyd George has been on both sides of the creator economy. He's worked inside major agencies running campaigns for brands like Coca-Cola, Kevin Hart, and The Rock, while building his own creator business on the side.

Now he's gone full-time as a creator and freelancer.

In this episode of Workfluencer, Lloyd pulls back the curtain on what actually happens when brands decide which creators to hire—and why follower count is often much less important than creators think.

We talk about how small creators can land brand deals, why creators disqualify themselves before ever pitching, the role relationships play in getting opportunities, and how Lloyd thinks about pricing and negotiating brand partnerships.

We also get into the much bigger question of when a creator is actually ready to leave their day job, why having a steady paycheck can protect your creative business, and how surrounding yourself with other creators can change what you believe is possible.

Plus, Lloyd shares the biggest sponsored post he's landed, why he blocks people on social media, and the creator analytics he'd love to peek at.

What You'll Learn:

• Why creators disqualify themselves from brand deals, and how to stop
• How to meet the decision makers who hire creators, even outside major cities
• Why relationships can matter more than follower count
• How creators can increase the value of a brand deal
• What Lloyd learned from seeing six-figure creator campaigns
• How to know when you're ready to go full-time
• How to build confidence around charging what you're worth

Resources Mentioned:

• The Creator Ledger Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@TheCreatorLedger1
• Sponsor Magnet by Justin Moore: https://www.sponsormagnet.com/
• Rhona's Newsletter: https://link.rhonapierce.com/newsletter2

Connect With Us

• Connect with Lloyd: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lloyd-george-634a7793/
• Connect with Rhona: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rhonabarnettpierce/

Want to turn your team into creators?

Visit https://workfluencermedia.com/ to learn how we help companies turn employee expertise into content that gets noticed.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://megaphone.fm/adchoices

Brand deals rarely come from playing it safe inside your niche.

Kristi Kennebrew built Get Me Hired Kristi into a thriving creator brand while working full-time, but some of her most successful partnerships have come from brands nobody would expect—including a FIFA World Cup campaign.

In this episode, host Rhona Pierce sits down with Kristi to discuss how she lands brand deals outside the career and HR space without losing the trust of her audience. They explore why creators shouldn't limit themselves to sponsors in their own industry, how Kristi pitches mainstream brands by connecting products to her audience's everyday lives, and what it takes to balance content creation with a full-time job.

Kristi also shares why she treats content creation as a career safety net rather than a path to becoming a full-time creator, how her newsletter helped her transition into recruitment marketing, and why being open about rejection has become one of the most valuable parts of her brand.

If you've ever wondered whether your niche is limiting your sponsorship opportunities, this episode will change how you think about creator partnerships.

Key Takeaways:

• Why your niche doesn't have to limit your sponsorships
• How to pitch brands outside your industry
• Making lifestyle partnerships feel authentic
• Balancing a full-time job with content creation
• Using content as career insurance
• Navigating employer social media policies
• Why rejection is part of every creator's journey

Resources Mentioned:

• Visit Kristi's website: https://getmehiredkristi.com/
• Get Rhona's Newsletter: https://link.rhonapierce.com/join-newsletter

Connect with Us:

• Connect with Kristi: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristi-kennebrew/
• Connect with Rhona: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rhonabarnettpierce/

Want to turn your team into creators?

Visit https://workfluencermedia.com/ to learn how we help companies build video-first content systems that attract, engage, and retain talent.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://megaphone.fm/adchoices

How do you come up with newsletter ideas every week? If you write anything on a schedule, you've felt this pain.

Hebba Youssef writes I Hate It Here, one of the biggest newsletters in HR, and she used to do what most of us do: wake up on Sunday and pick a random thought. It worked until it didn't. "It's really stressful when you're trying to be creative in the chaos."

Her fix: pick one theme per quarter, then break it into 12 newsletters that build on each other. Readers get a continuous story instead of scattered takes, and she never faces a blank page. The themes come from pop culture, because of course they do.

Steal this system. It works!

This is one of my favorite episodes. If you currently have a newsletter or if you're thinking of starting one, this is a must listen!

RESOURCES MENTIONED:

• Subscribe to I Hate It Here: ⁠https://join.hateithere.co/e13d9d5b/13⁠
• Join the Safe Space community: ⁠https://hateithere.co/community/safe-space/

CONNECT WITH US:

• Connect with Hebba: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hebba-youssef/
• Connect with Rhona: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rhonabarnettpierce/

Want to turn your team into creators?

Visit ⁠workfluencermedia.com⁠ to learn how we help companies build video-first content systems that attract, engage, and retain talent.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hosting an event is easy.

Building a community that people return to month after month is much harder.

In this episode of Workfluencer, Rhona sits down with Chaselle Gazelle, founder of Jacksonville Bestie, to explore what separates unforgettable in-person events from forgettable networking mixers.

Chaselle shares how she turned casual brunches with friends into one of Jacksonville's most recognizable community brands, why relationships matter more than transactions, and how businesses can use recurring in-person events to strengthen their brand, grow loyal audiences, and create genuine human connection.

Whether you're in Talent Acquisition, HR, Marketing, Employer Branding, or you're building a business around community, this episode is packed with practical ideas you can apply immediately.

What You'll Learn:

• How to use in-person community events as a long-term brand and business growth strategy
• Why recurring, scheduled events build real culture faster than one-off activations
• The professional harasser method for maximizing attendance without annoying your audience
• How to negotiate revenue splits with bars and venues to earn beyond ticket sales
• Why word of mouth still drives more growth than paid advertising
• What separates events that build community from ones that just fill a room
• How remembering names and personal details creates the belonging that keeps people coming back

Resources Mentioned:

• Chaselle's Website: https://www.chasellegazelle.com

Connect with Us:

• Connect with Chaselle: https://www.instagram.com/chasellegazelle/
• Connect with Rhona: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rhonabarnettpierce/

Want to turn your team into creators?

Visit https://workfluencermedia.com/ to learn how we help companies build video-first content systems that attract, engage, and retain talent.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://megaphone.fm/adchoices

Most people spend months preparing for a single DisruptHR presentation. Ashlynne Valdez delivered two different talks in 30 days, won Best Speaker at one event, and helps select speakers for DisruptHR Las Vegas.

In this episode, we go behind the scenes of DisruptHR to explore what separates a good talk from a great one. Ashlynne shares how she develops topics, finds a disruptive angle, prepares for the fast-paced five-minute format, and what organizers are really looking for when reviewing speaker applications.

Whether you're thinking about applying to DisruptHR or simply want to become a more impactful speaker, this conversation offers a rare look inside one of the most unique speaking formats in the workplace community.

What You'll Learn:

• Why a five-minute talk is harder than an hour-long presentation and how to prepare for it
• The three things Disrupt HR selection committees look for in speaker applications
• How to find the disruptive angle in any topic, even one that seems overdone
• Why "less is more" is the most critical principle when the slides are beyond your control
• How to use LinkedIn content to test and validate your talk ideas before you even submit
• How to take a narrow, specific topic and make it land for every person in the room

Resources Mentioned:

• SoundHR Website: https://www.soundhr.com/

Connect With Us:

• Connect with Ashlynne: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashlynne-valdez-phr-295706219/⁠
• Connect with Rhona: ⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/rhonabarnettpierce

Want to turn your team into creators?

Visit ⁠⁠workfluencermedia.com⁠⁠ to learn how we help companies build video-first content systems that attract, engage, and retain talent.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://megaphone.fm/adchoices

Most LinkedIn advice teaches you how to fit in. Jillian Richardson believes the opposite.

In this episode of Workfluencer, Rhona sits down with one of LinkedIn's most recognizable ghostwriters to discuss why being a little weird might be your biggest advantage online. Jillian shares the story behind her viral "Be Weird on LinkedIn" movement, what founders get wrong about personal branding, and why authenticity is becoming the best defense against AI-generated content.

They also discuss employee-generated content, ghostwriting, creator monetization, brand partnerships, and the realities of putting yourself out there online.

If you've been playing it safe on LinkedIn, this episode will challenge you to rethink what professional content should look like.

In this episode:

• Why blending in is becoming riskier than standing out
• The real meaning of "being weird" on LinkedIn
• How founders and executives can create more engaging content
• Why employee-generated content builds more trust than corporate messaging
• How ghostwriting actually works behind the scenes
• The relationship between authenticity and AI-generated content
• What creators should know about negotiating brand partnerships
• How to find your unique voice on LinkedIn

Resources Mentioned:

• Jillian's Website: https://www.makelinkedinweird.com

Connect With Us:

• Connect with Jillian: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/thatjillian/
• Connect with Rhona: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/rhonabarnettpierce⁠

Want to turn your team into creators?

Visit ⁠workfluencermedia.com⁠ to learn how we help companies build video-first content systems that attract, engage, and retain talent.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://megaphone.fm/adchoices

What does it take to turn years of workplace observations into a published book?

In this episode of Workfluencer, Abi Adamson shares the story behind her debut book, Culture Blooming: Nurturing Workplaces Where People Grow. From witnessing favoritism, discrimination, and toxic leadership to developing her own workplace culture framework, Abi explains how she transformed real-world experiences into a book designed to help leaders create better workplaces.

Abi pulls back the curtain on the publishing process, including how she landed a publisher through LinkedIn, rewrote her entire framework, worked through multiple drafts with her editor, and balanced personal stories with practical advice. She also shares some of the workplace experiences that shaped both her career and the book itself.

Whether you've considered writing a book, building a thought leadership platform, or simply want a deeper understanding of workplace culture, this conversation offers an honest look at what it takes to turn expertise into intellectual property.

What You'll Learn:

• How to get your first book deal
• Why you do not need a finished manuscript to approach a publisher
• What it takes to write a business book that is accessible to people with dyslexia, non-native English speakers, and first-time managers
• How to honor creative rest without losing momentum, and why forcing writing produces content that reads like filler
• How to balance personal stories with practical workplace advice

Resources Mentioned:

• Pre-Order Abi's Book: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/824116/culture-blooming-by-abi-adamson/

Connect With Us:

• Connect with Abi: https://www.linkedin.com/in/abiadamson/
• Connect with Rhona: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rhonabarnettpierce/

Want to turn your team into creators?

Visit https://workfluencermedia.com/ to learn how we help companies build video-first content systems that attract, engage, and retain talent.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://megaphone.fm/adchoices

Most creators think they need a massive audience before brands will take them seriously. Chad Sowash says that's nonsense!

In this episode of Workfluencer, Chad shares how he and his co-host, Joel Cheesman, built the Chad & Cheese podcast into a profitable business from day one, why most creators dramatically undervalue themselves, and what brands are actually buying when they sponsor content.

We discuss why niche audiences outperform vanity metrics, how to create sponsorship packages that deliver real value, and why some of Chad's strongest sponsor relationships started after publicly criticizing those companies. Chad also explains how he evaluates HR tech vendors, why creators have a responsibility to vet the products they promote, and the rules he follows to protect audience trust.

If you've been wondering whether it's possible to make money from content without becoming a spokesperson for every brand that waves a checkbook, this conversation is for you.

What You'll Learn:

• Why Chad built his podcast as a business from day one
• What brands actually want from creator partnerships
• The biggest mistake creators make when pricing sponsorships
• Why niche audiences are often more valuable than large audiences
• How Chad handles disagreements with sponsors
• The role creators play in vetting AI and HR tech products
• Lessons learned from nearly a decade of podcast monetization

Resources Mentioned:

• Listen to the Chad & Cheese Podcast: https://www.chadcheese.com/

Connect with Us:

• Connect with Chad: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chadsowash/
• Connect with Rhona: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rhonabarnettpierce/

Want to turn your team into creators?

Visit https://workfluencermedia.com/ to learn how we help companies build video-first content systems that attract, engage, and retain talent.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://megaphone.fm/adchoices

Strong POV content feels risky for most creators, but Jillian O'Malior built her audience by removing the corporate pleasing filter completely. After being laid off in November 2024, she ran a 90-day experiment leaning into “strategically unhinged” content about layoffs, labor reform, and the dehumanization of workers — and the inbound work, brand deals, and podcast invites started rolling in.

In this episode of Workfluencer, Rhona Pierce sits down with brand strategist and workplace advocate Jillian O'Malior about the moment she dropped corporate Jillian, the dinner-party framework she uses to keep her voice consistent, and the seven-story-plot approach she applies to every post. They cover how to be vulnerable without overexposing yourself, why a strong POV content strategy doubles as a filter, and how to build a personal brand without sounding like a rant.

At its core, this episode is about what happens when you stop optimizing for the broadest possible audience and start saying what only you can say. The professionals who try to please everyone get scrolled past. The ones who plant a stake in the ground get hired.

You'll hear Jillian's exact content framework, the difference between venting and a strong POV, why “strategically unhinged” outperforms safe corporate content, how she handled friends who thought she'd “gone off the deep end,” and the specific advice she gives clients building their personal brand from scratch.

What You'll Learn:

• How to build a personal brand after a layoff
• Why authentic content outperforms sanitized corporate posting
• How to use content as a filter for career opportunities
• The difference between vulnerability and unhinged oversharing
• How layoffs are reshaping conversations around work
• Why AI-generated content is the reason for the loss of originality online
• Why having a strong POV online is less risky than people think
• How to create content that actually sounds like you
• Jillian’s framework for developing a memorable personal brand
• The future of work, portfolio careers, and labor reform

Resources Mentioned:

• Jillian's Website: https://www.jilliandoesbranding.com/
• The Liquidity of Truth Case Study: https://www.jilliandoesbranding.com/showrunner-methodology

Connect With Us:

• Connect with Jillian: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/jillian-omalior/
• Connect with Rhona: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/rhonabarnettpierce⁠

Want to turn your team into creators? Visit ⁠workfluencermedia.com⁠ to learn how we help companies build video-first content systems that attract, engage, and retain talent.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://megaphone.fm/adchoices

Most conferences focus on information. Anna Morgan focused on belonging.

In this episode of Workfluencer, Anna takes us behind the scenes of building Evolve — a fast-growing HR and recruiting conference brand built around trust, community, and real human connection.

From hosting LinkedIn audio rooms and recruiter communities to executive dinners and a full-scale conference ecosystem, Anna shares how she turned years of relationship-building into one of the most community-driven experiences in the HR space.

We talk about:

• How she launched her first conference in just 69 days
• Why most networking at conferences feels transactional
• The realities of bootstrapping an event business
• How she designs experiences people actually want to return to
• Why content should extend the life of an event instead of just marketing it
• What sponsors really want from conferences in 2026
• How Evolve On Demand is expanding the conference beyond the room

If you care about HR events, employer branding, community building, recruiting, or creating experiences people genuinely connect with, this episode is packed with practical insights.

Resources Mentioned:

• Join the waitlist for EVOLVE on Demand: https://evolve.short.gy/5EKAv9

Connect With Us:

• Connect with Anna: https://www.linkedin.com/in/annamorgan-recruiter-careerbff/
• Connect with Rhona: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rhonabarnettpierce/

Want to turn your team into creators? Visit https://workfluencermedia.com/ to learn how we help companies build video-first content systems that attract, engage, and retain talent.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://megaphone.fm/adchoices

What if candidates were lining up before you even posted the job?

In this episode, Rhona sits down with Bradley Clark to break down how his team turned honest, transparent employer branding into a high-performing talent engine.

They get into why most employer branding fails, how transparency filters in the right candidates (and repels the wrong ones), and the exact system behind their “early access” hiring strategy that drives 60% of hires before jobs ever hit job boards.

This is a tactical, behind-the-scenes look at what happens when employer brand is actually aligned to hiring goals—not vanity metrics.

What You’ll Learn:

• Why honesty is the most effective employer branding strategy
• Why “aspirational” employer branding hurts hiring
• How radical transparency improves candidate quality
• The early access hiring strategy (and how to copy it)
• Why you should close jobs early (and stop collecting resumes)
• The 4 content pillars behind a high-performing employer brand
• How to use rejection emails as a brand-building tool
• Why unpolished content outperforms high-production campaigns
• How employer brand should directly support talent strategy

Resources Mentioned:

• Visit Article's LinkedIn Page: https://www.linkedin.com/company/article.com/
• If you've been wanting to post more consistently on LinkedIn, try Stanley for FREE - ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://workfluencerpodcast.com/stanley ⁠⁠
• Subscribe to Rhona's Newsletter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://link.rhonapierce.com/newsletter2⁠

Connect with Us:

• Connect with Brad: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradmclark/
• Connect with Rhona ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/rhonabarnettpierce/⁠

Want to turn your team into creators? Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠workfluencermedia.com⁠⁠⁠⁠ to learn how we help companies build video-first content systems that attract, engage, and retain talent.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://megaphone.fm/adchoices

How do you actually turn content into clients—especially when you’re just starting out?

In this episode, we unpack what it really looks like to build in public and use content as more than just a visibility play. Not polished. Not hindsight. Real-time.

Preston recently left corporate and is building his business from the ground up, documenting the process as he goes. That means sharing what’s working, what’s not, and how his approach to content has shifted from “just posting” to something much more intentional.

We talk about how content evolves from a side project into a true business driver, what “building in public” actually means in practice, and where to draw the line between transparency and oversharing. You’ll also hear what types of content are gaining traction right now, what’s falling flat, and how to connect what you post back to real opportunities—without feeling salesy.

It’s an honest look at figuring things out as you go, including the mental and financial side of making the leap.

If you’ve been showing up online and wondering if it’s ever going to lead to something… this is the episode that connects the dots.

What You'll Learn:

• Why waiting until you feel ready to build in public is still delay — and what actually gets you started
• How to use memes and infographics to educate your professional niche on LinkedIn without being generic
• The financial runway strategy Preston used to safely leave a decade-long corporate career
• Why content creation is the cheat code for introverts who hate networking
• The difference between posting to educate and posting with a business development strategy
• How to be selective with sponsorships in a way that protects your credibility and your audience's trust
• What building in public looks like when you're still mid-pivot and haven't nailed your niche yet

Resources Mentioned:

• Visit Preston's website: https://www.guidelinetalent.com
• If you've been wanting to post more consistently on LinkedIn, try Stanley for FREE - ⁠⁠⁠https://workfluencerpodcast.com/stanley ⁠
• Subscribe to Rhona's Newsletter: ⁠⁠⁠https://link.rhonapierce.com/newsletter2

Connect with Us:

• Connect with Preston: https://www.linkedin.com/in/prestonsharpston
• Connect with Rhona ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/rhonabarnettpierce/

Want to turn your team into creators? Visit ⁠⁠⁠workfluencermedia.com⁠⁠⁠ to learn how we help companies build video-first content systems that attract, engage, and retain talent.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://megaphone.fm/adchoices

Most people get laid off and go quiet. Vanita Capobianco did the opposite.

She started creating content, launched a podcast, and began building a personal brand from scratch. No audience. No experience. No roadmap.

In this episode, we break down what actually happens after a layoff—and how to turn that moment into momentum. Vanita shares how she built consistency, found her voice, and created opportunities by showing up online.

We also get into the real side of content creation. Late nights. Self-doubt. Low views. And why none of that matters if you keep going.

If you’ve ever thought about building a personal brand but feel like you’re “not ready,” this episode will challenge that fast.

What You’ll Learn

• Why layoffs can be a turning point (if you use them right)
• How to start creating content with zero audience
• How to promote your content when no one knows you yet
• Why consistency beats perfection every time
• How to balance a 9–5, kids, and content creation

Resources Mentioned:

• Listen to Vanita's Podcast: https://laidofftoliftoff.riverside.com/
• If you've been wanting to post more consistently on LinkedIn, try Stanley for FREE - ⁠⁠https://workfluencerpodcast.com/stanley
• Subscribe to Rhona's Newsletter: ⁠⁠https://link.rhonapierce.com/newsletter2⁠

Connect With Us:

• Connect with Vanita: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/vcapobiancohrtech/
• Connect with Rhona ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/rhonabarnettpierce/⁠

Want to turn your team into creators? Visit ⁠⁠workfluencermedia.com⁠⁠ to learn how we help companies build video-first content systems that attract, engage, and retain talent.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://megaphone.fm/adchoices