The Power of Personal Branding: Jake Ciccarelli of Ciccarelli PR On How Publicists Shape Influential Leaders
An Interview With Chad Silverstein
Not doing PR for yourself or working with a publicist is hurting your personal brand. Leaders without PR or a publicist are depriving themselves of a robust online presence and the opportunity to get in front of new audiences.
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 Jake Ciccarelli.
Jake Ciccarelli is a highly skilled publicist known for elevating professionals’ profiles across top media outlets like Yahoo! Life, GoodRx, and US News & World Report. With a focus on high-level commentary and strategic media placements, Jake excels in building and solidifying industry credibility for his clients. His expert approach in enhancing online presence makes him a trusted partner for those looking to amplify their influence.
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?
Thanks for having me! Growing up, I never envisioned myself working in public relations, I actually had no idea the field even existed until I was on a college tour. Up until October of my senior year of high school, I wanted to be a broadcast journalist, keeping the public and local communities informed, but when I saw what public relations is, I knew it was made for me. During college, I had an internship that developed into a founding team member role at a tech startup, where I led personal branding and credibility-building initiatives. I started out as the PR director at 19 and I felt that I had big shoes to fill, long story short, I established the public relations function at this startup, and it ended up turning into a revenue stream.
Despite early career success, a big hurdle was imposter syndrome, the little voice that creeps up behind you and tells you that you’re “not good enough” or “too young” to be where you are. Other challenges related to that role was working with a little to nothing budget and still having success by leveraging free opportunities and relationship building with industry writers.
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?
At that tech startup, I had the pleasure of taking the CEO and founder’s personal brand and running with it. After quite a few placements online, interested investors and partners noticed her presence as well as the company and felt that it gave her a level of credibility. Thoughtful branding placements can lead to trust with someone before you even get to meet with them.
How do you navigate the balance between a leader’s authentic self and the public persona you craft for them in their branding strategy?
I express that you must be your authentic self in your public persona, I stress that when you share personal narratives, you become relatable and people start to notice you. Sharing stories also means being raw and honest, you might make everything you do look easy, but we all know it’s not, give people the story of the good, the bad, and the ugly!
What are the most common misconceptions leaders have about personal branding, and how do you address these in your work?
Quite a few leaders I’ve spoken to think they need to have it all figured out before diving into personal branding, and that could not be further from the truth. I educate my clients and peers on the fact that not having PR is hurting your personal brand, because it doesn’t even exist yet! Getting started means forging powerful connections and giving yourself a level of credibility.
In a crisis situation, what steps do you take to protect or rehabilitate the personal brand of a leader?
Above all, you must always tell the truth and admit fault when applicable. If there is a true crisis situation at hand, it cannot be swept under the rug or lied about, admitting fault and telling the truth will clear the way for new loyalty to be built. For example, if a specific audience or demographic is upset with a leader, addressing them head on and with honesty mixed with compassion, and adding in what you are taking away from their concerns to do better is a way to build loyalty with that audience. They will notice your ability to admit you are/were wrong and that you can “right your wrongs.”
Could you list and briefly explain “5 Things You Need to Know to Shape a Personal Brand” based on your experiences and insights? If you can, please share a story or example for each.
1 . Not doing PR for yourself or working with a publicist is hurting your personal brand. Leaders without PR or a publicist are depriving themselves of a robust online presence and the opportunity to get in front of new audiences.
2 . Sit down and look at your specialties. For example, you may be a founder of a startup, but are your skills in networking, event hosting, fundraising, etc.? Discover your niches and build credibility here by sharing advice.
3 . Be aware of scams. Anyone who is offering ‘guaranteed’ organic media coverage is 99% of the time a scam. Real media placements cannot be guaranteed.
4 . Spending money on paid media is less useful than hiring a professional. Paid media holds less value in credibility and authenticity compared to earned media coverage that a publicist can get you.
5 . When you get coverage, it doesn’t stop there. Share, share, and share all over social media and with your networks! Share within company newsletters and personal/professional pages.
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?
Technology, specifically AI, is already helping publicists become more organized in planning and idea creation. Social media will continue to be a great way to connect with all types of audiences and share newsworthy items.
How can our readers follow your work?
Connect with me on LinkedIn and check out my website! https://www.jakeciccarellipr.info
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, a seasoned entrepreneur with over two decades of experience as the Founder and CEO of multiple companies. He launched Choice Recovery, Inc., a healthcare collection agency, while going to The Ohio State University, His team earned national recognition, twice being ranked as the #1 business to work for in Central Ohio. In 2018, Chad launched [re]start, a career development platform connecting thousands of individuals in collections with meaningful employment opportunities, He sold Choice Recovery on his 25th anniversary and in 2023, sold the majority interest in [re]start so he can focus his transition to Built to Lead as an Executive Leadership Coach. Learn more at www.chadsilverstein.com
The Power of Personal Branding: Jake Ciccarelli of Ciccarelli PR On How Publicists Shape… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.