The Power of Personal Branding: Grant McGaugh Of 5 STAR BDM On How Publicists Shape Influential Leaders
An Interview With Chad Silverstein
Brand Identity. This is your foundation. Who are you? What do you stand for?
I once worked with a founder who said, “I help people get healthy.” That’s vague. Through our work, she refined that to, “I help Black women reclaim energy through ancestral wellness.” That specificity changed everything. People knew exactly what she stood for — and why they needed her.
In today’s digital-first world, personal branding has emerged as a cornerstone of professional success and influence. Behind many of the most recognized leaders and personalities stands a strategic partnership with skilled publicists who craft and convey their stories, values, and visions to the world. I had the pleasure of interviewing Grant McGaugh.
Grant McGaugh is the CEO of 5 STAR BDM, a personal branding and business development firm, as well as the Senior Managing Director at Cornhusker Capital, a private investment group focused on strategic growth and market access. He helps entrepreneurs, executives, and emerging markets bridge visibility and venture-readiness by aligning branding with capital strategy. Grant advises clients on building investment-worthy identities that attract funding, scale operations, and increase enterprise value. He also hosts the Follow the Brand podcast, spotlighting leaders at the intersection of purpose, power, and financial transformation.
Thank you for joining us. To start, could you share your “origin story” with our readers? How did you begin your journey, and what challenges did you face in the early days?
Thank you for having me — I’m honored to share this.
To be honest, my journey didn’t start with branding. It started with loss. I was working in healthcare IT, doing the kind of work that was supposed to improve lives. But when I lost my father due to a preventable failure in that same system, something in me shifted.
I remember having to sit across from my grandmother — 90 years old — and explain to her why her only son was gone. That moment broke something in me… and it built something else. A deeper purpose.
That’s when I realized: visibility can save lives. My father wasn’t seen, wasn’t heard, wasn’t protected. And I’ve made it my mission ever since to help professionals — especially those in underrepresented communities — build brands that ensure they are seen, heard, and never overlooked again.
I launched 5 STAR BDM to bridge that gap between purpose and visibility. At first, people thought I was just talking about logos and websites — but this was never about surface. This is about legacy.
Can you share a transformative moment or campaign in your career where you significantly altered the personal brand of a leader, and what was the impact of that change?
Absolutely. I worked with a brilliant woman in healthcare who told me straight up:
“Grant, I’ve been in this industry for 25 years… and I still feel invisible in leadership circles.”
That was our starting point. Through the BRAVE Framework — which I’ll explain in more detail in a minute — we built her brand from the inside out. First, we clarified her story, then we aligned her presence online and offline.
We positioned her as a thought leader in value-based care, got her featured in an industry publication, and set her up with speaking opportunities. Six months later, she was promoted, speaking internationally, and — her words, not mine — “finally felt seen.”
That’s not branding. That’s transformation. That’s why I do this.
How do you navigate the balance between a leader’s authentic self and the public persona you craft for them in their branding strategy?
That’s a great question — and honestly, it’s something I wrestle with intentionally.
Here’s my take: I’m not in the business of creating personas. I’m in the business of amplifying purpose. My job isn’t to make someone sound like who they think the world wants — it’s to help them show up as who they already are, with clarity and consistency.
That balance starts with listening. We get to the heart of their story — what shaped them, what they stand for, what keeps them up at night — and we build from there.
Your brand shouldn’t feel like a costume. It should feel like a tailored suit — your style, your message, your movement.
What are the most common misconceptions leaders have about personal branding, and how do you address these in your work?
Oh, there are a few classics:
- First, a lot of leaders think, “If I just do good work, the results will speak for themselves.” But here’s the truth: results don’t speak — people do. You’ve got to give your value a voice.
- Another one: “Branding feels like bragging.” No. Branding is about translation, not self-promotion. It’s about helping people understand your impact, so they know how to support, refer, invest, or promote you.
- And my personal favorite: “I’ll work on my brand later.” In today’s world, if you’re not visible — you’re forgettable. That sounds harsh, but it’s real. Visibility drives opportunity.
- In a crisis situation, what steps do you take to protect or rehabilitate the personal brand of a leader?
Crisis exposes the cracks. But it also offers a chance to rebuild on truth.
The first thing we do is pause and listen. We ground the message in facts, own what’s real, and resist the urge to spin. Audiences are smart — they can smell inauthenticity a mile away.
Then we rebuild through values in action — communicating not just what’s being done, but why it matters, and who it serves. One of my clients went through a rough public audit. Instead of hiding, he led with transparency and built a content series walking others through how he fixed it. That crisis became the reason three other firms hired him. That’s the power of owning your story — especially the hard chapters.
Could you list and briefly explain “5 Things You Need to Know to Shape a Personal Brand” based on your experiences and insights?
Absolutely — this is where I introduce the BRAVE Framework, which stands for:
Brand Identity, Research, Assets, Visibility, and Execution.
Let’s break it down:
- Brand Identity
This is your foundation. Who are you? What do you stand for?
I once worked with a founder who said, “I help people get healthy.” That’s vague. Through our work, she refined that to, “I help Black women reclaim energy through ancestral wellness.” That specificity changed everything. People knew exactly what she stood for — and why they needed her. - Research
Your brand doesn’t exist in a vacuum. You have to understand your audience, your industry, your competitive edge.
One exec I worked with thought his value was “strategy.” Turns out, what people loved most about him was his ability to simplify chaos. That insight — from stakeholder interviews — reshaped his messaging entirely. - Assets
These are the tools that carry your brand: your bio, photos, content, website, etc. And they need to be aligned.
A client once had a stellar résumé… and a LinkedIn profile that read like a ghost town. We brought his assets up to match his energy. Result? A 3x increase in inbound opportunities. - Visibility
Now that you know who you are and have the tools — you’ve got to show up. That means LinkedIn posts, podcast appearances, guest articles, panels.
One of my clients went from invisible to being invited to TEDx — all because she committed to a weekly post sharing her leadership lessons. - Execution
This is where most people drop off. Branding isn’t a one-time project — it’s an ongoing commitment.
I always say, “You don’t build a brand. You become it.” That means showing up even when it’s uncomfortable, and aligning your behavior with your message, over and over again.
Looking forward, how do you see the role of technology and social media evolving in the way publicists shape and manage the personal brands of leaders?
Tech is changing the speed of branding. Social platforms, AI, automation — they help us scale faster, get feedback quicker, and connect in real-time.
But here’s the thing: technology is the tool. Story is still the soul.
The leaders who win in the next 5–10 years will be those who combine authentic storytelling with data-driven strategy. They’ll know how to use tools to serve people, not just blast messages. That’s where publicists — and personal brand architects — come in.
How can our readers follow your work?
The best place to find me is on LinkedIn, where I post weekly about branding, visibility, and legacy leadership.
You can also visit https://5starbdm.com/ for more on the BRAVE Framework, our consulting services, and to check out my podcast, Follow the Brand, where I interview high-impact leaders about how they built brands that outlast their job titles.
Thank you for offering such valuable insights into the power of personal branding. We wish you continued success in all of your work.
About the Interviewer: Chad Silverstein is a seasoned entrepreneur with 25+ years of experience as a Founder and CEO. While attending Ohio State University, he launched his first company, Choice Recovery, Inc., a nationally recognized healthcare collection agency — twice ranked the #1 workplace in Ohio. In 2013, he founded [re]start, helping thousands of people find meaningful career opportunities. After selling both companies, Chad shifted his focus to his true passion — leadership. Today, he coaches founders and CEOs at Built to Lead, advises Authority Magazine’s Thought Leader Incubator, and launched and leads an online leadership development community which can be downloaded for free for iOS and Android.
The Power of Personal Branding: Grant McGaugh Of 5 STAR BDM On How Publicists Shape Influential… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.