Make Reputation Your Strategy w/ Matt Essam | Ep 381

The Futur with Chris Do

The Futur

Arts, Education, Marketing, Design, Business, Self-improvement

4.9 • 998 Ratings

🗓️ 18 September 2025

⏱️ 55 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Most creatives avoid building a personal brand because it feels like chasing clout. But in this conversation, Chris Do and Matt Essam flip the script: personal branding isn’t about being famous—it’s about being findable, credible, and trusted at scale. You’ll learn why “attention without influence” is meaningless, how the Know–Like–Trust framework still rules, and why your reputation is the most powerful marketing asset you’ll ever own. Chris and Matt break down the grind behind visibility—from networking events to LinkedIn strategy—and how to borrow credibility the right way. Timestamps: (00:00) – Intro (03:41) – Pre-social networking tactics explained. (04:54) – LinkedIn replaces networking events. (07:22) – Social proof builds reputation. (09:00) – Attention without influence is useless. (11:24) – Know Like Trust framework. (12:35) – Be findable, get discovered. (18:46) – Personal brand force multiplier. (20:14) – Spotlight your real substance. (33:55) – Branding compels, marketing repels. (37:14) – Old-school grind before brand. (38:34) – Privilege, purpose, greater impact. (41:59) – Great content makes them ask. (50:48) – Format, subject, delivery triad. (52:03) – Personal brand beyond fame. (53:23) – Homework: define core subjects. Check out today's guest, Matt Essam: Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/matt_essam/?hl=en LinkedIn:⁠⁠⁠ https://uk.linkedin.com/in/mattessam Website: https://www.mattessam.co.uk/ Check out The Futur: Website: https://www.thefutur.com/ Courses: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.thefutur.com/shop⁠⁠⁠ Linkedin: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-futur/⁠⁠⁠ Podcasts: ⁠⁠⁠https://thefutur.com/podcast⁠⁠⁠ Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/thefuturishere/⁠⁠⁠ Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/theFuturisHere/⁠⁠⁠ Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠https://x.com/thefuturishere⁠⁠⁠ TikTok: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@thefuturishere⁠⁠⁠ Youtube:⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/thefuturishere⁠⁠⁠ Check out Chris Do: Website: ⁠⁠⁠https://zaap.bio/thechrisdo⁠⁠⁠ LinkedIn:⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/thechrisdo/⁠⁠⁠ Facebook:⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/BizOfDesign⁠⁠⁠ Instagram:⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/thechrisdo/⁠⁠⁠ Twitter:⁠⁠⁠https://x.com/thechrisdo⁠⁠⁠ TikTok:⁠⁠⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@thechrisdo⁠⁠⁠ Threads:⁠⁠⁠https://www.threads.net/@thechrisdo⁠⁠⁠ Zaap: ⁠⁠⁠https://zaap.bio/thechrisdo⁠⁠⁠ Clubhouse:⁠⁠⁠https://www.clubhouse.com/@thechrisdo⁠⁠⁠ Behance: ⁠⁠https://www.behance.net/chrisdo⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	On this episode, this is one of an ongoing series.
0:03.3	We're going to explore personal branding.
0:05.0	I have my friend and a person who coaches for the future's name's Matt Essem.
0:08.4	We're going to hopefully persuade him or nudge him towards perhaps why he would want to develop a personal brand.
0:14.9	I have a different take on it.
0:16.2	So stick around.
0:20.1	Now, I don't want to put words in his mouth, so rather than me restate what he said, Matt,
0:25.2	take us back there.
0:26.2	I think the essence of my point was attention for the sake of attention is worthless.
0:34.1	I think you were mid telling me about all of the opportunities that were coming your way
0:38.4	and all the stuff that was happening for you, a lot of it you were crediting to having a big following
0:44.3	and having a big personal brand.
0:46.3	Yeah.
0:46.5	I think the thing that triggered me was you were talking about ways to get more attention,
0:50.2	to get yourself out of there.
0:51.8	And to me, it felt a little bit like the kind of big brother generation.
0:57.1	I don't know if you guys have that in the States.
0:59.6	And I think that kind of triggered a part of maybe me, which was I couldn't think of anything
1:04.8	worse.
1:05.3	Like I'd rather have no money and be a starving artist than be on camera in front of a million people doing stupid
1:13.9	stuff for the sake of being famous. Let's pause right there. I think there's a great place for
1:18.7	us to begin what I hope to be is an ongoing series as we dive into this because Matt has just
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