#101: Building a Personal Brand While Working Full-Time ft. Roxy Couse

Are your job interviews giving you clear evidence of who can do the job? In Textio’s State of Interview Intelligence report, candidates were eight times more likely than employers to rate the interview experience poorly. That gap raises a question for recruiting teams buying AI tools. Which parts of the interview process are worth speeding up, and which need to be redesigned? Matt Alder, host of Recruiting Future, joins me for a little Alder Hour reunion to dig into the report. We talk about what recruiters can learn from interview data, from spotting questions that get vague answers to seeing whether the skills they assess show up on the job. We also get into candidate fraud, why interview nerves can be easy to misread, and how employers can distinguish AI-assisted preparation from cheating. What you’ll learn What interview intelligence can reveal about the quality of your interview questions How to use interview data to evaluate consistency and look for links to on-the-job performance and retention Why Matt would move some skills assessments earlier in the hiring process How to distinguish AI-assisted preparation, cheating, and candidate fraud Where AI can miss context and where human judgment can introduce bias Sponsor & Resources Download the State of Interview Intelligence Report: https://workfluencerpodcast.com/textio Listen to the Recruiting Future Podcast: https://recruitingfuture.com/ Subscribe to my Newsletter: ⁠https://link.rhonapierce.com/newsletter2 Connect with Us: Connect with Matt: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattalder/ 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 megaphone.fm/adchoices

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: [email protected] 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. ---------------------- Learn more about your ad choices. Visit 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 workfluencermedia.com to learn how we help companies turn employee expertise into content that gets noticed. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit 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 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 megaphone.fm/adchoices