Pivoting
Who you are today differs from who you were a decade ago. A pivot is not something to fear; it is an opportunity to promote something new.
What Pivoting Is
The Manifesto's author pivoted several times, from network marketing to podcasting, to managing musical talent, to public relations, to personal brand consulting, and kept an audience throughout because people were connected to the person, not the profession.
That trust is what makes a pivot safe. When you change direction, your past becomes the building blocks of the new story rather than something to hide.
Developing trust with your fanbase gives you the security to take those leaps and change directions.
Personal Branding: A Manifesto on Fame and Influence, Second Edition, 8.6
How to Pivot
- Redirect What You PromotePoint your brand at what you now want to be known for.
- Update Messaging, Materials, and StoriesChange the marketing message, the bio, and the stories you tell in interviews together.
- Use Your Past as Building BlocksExplain how what you did before led to what you do now.
Where It Comes From
- Source
- Personal Branding: A Manifesto on Fame and Influence, Second Edition (Mashman Publishing, 2025)
- Chapter
- 8. Sustainability
- Subchapter
- 8.6 Pivoting, page 336
- Pillar It Serves
- Seamless Branding
The Full Method Is in the Book
This page is a summary. The subchapter itself goes further, with the reasoning, the stories behind it, and the exercise that closes it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will I lose my audience if I change careers?
Not if they are connected to you as a person. That is why the Manifesto insists on building the personal side, not only the professional one.
How often should I pivot?
Only when your work genuinely changes. The Manifesto is not an endorsement of changing paths every other week.
Related
The Art of Storytelling
Sharing stories from your own life is one of the best ways to build rapport. People who only hear about your profession only stay for what they can get.
The Skyline Strategy
A 2:1 ratio from Identity Positioning: A Macroscopic View on Personal Branding. For every two steps that grow the brand side, take one that grows the personal side.
Seamless Branding
There should be no doubt who you are when someone introduces you, on or offline, and no question that you are the right person to follow.
Your name is already being interpreted. The question is who are they, and what are they thinking?
Engagements are accepted by application and seats are limited each quarter. Tell us who you are, what you are building, and the position you intend to hold.