Mashman Consulting Group Reach out now
The Wiki · By Profession

Personal Branding for Investors and Fund Managers.

Capital is plentiful; trust and access are not. An investor's personal brand decides which rooms they are invited into and which deals find them first.

By Mashman Consulting GroupApplies to: Investor / Fund Manager

Why Personal Branding Matters for Investors

The Manifesto names the investor directly among the people who build a personal brand for money: the young investor who wants better deals can use a personal brand to get into rooms with decision makers. A known name with a clear point of view makes you the investor founders seek out instead of one they are pitched to by chance.

Investors also carry unusual leverage risk. A public image of success that does not match reality, or an endorsement given too freely, can undo years of trust. Credibility is the asset.

The young investor that would like to land better deals can use their personal brand to get into rooms with decision makers.

Personal Branding: A Manifesto on Fame and Influence, Second Edition, 1.7

Where You Stand on The Hierarchy of Personal Branding

Most investors are known within one network or city. The State Representative, recognized across a region or a sector, is where inbound deal flow tends to change.

  1. Tier 6The International Icon
  2. Tier 5The National Personality
  3. Tier 4The State Representative
  4. Tier 3The Local Hero
  5. Tier 2Friends and Family
  6. Tier 1Unconscious Incompetent

Where most stand: Tier 3, The Local HeroBuild toward: Tier 4, The State Representative

The tier measures how large a position is. How good it is, is measured by The Five Personal Brand Pillars. Read more about the six tiers.

Recommendations

Across The Five Personal Brand Pillars.

The moves MCG starts with for investors and fund managers, grouped by pillar, in order. Each one cites the subchapter of Personal Branding: A Manifesto on Fame and Influence it comes from.

01

Omnipresence

25%
02

Credibility

25%
  • Be Known for How You Help Share how you support founders after the check, with their permission and in their words. Subchapter 5.4, Building Credibility
  • Guest on Founder Podcasts Pitch the shows founders listen to with a practical topic (how to raise, what you look for). Published interviews
  • Introduce Generously Make a vetted introduction for a founder every week. Subchapter 6.4, Building Your Contact List
03

Seamless Branding

20%
  • Publish Your Thesis Write down what you invest in and why, in plain language, and publish it where founders look. Subchapter 4.3, Elevator Pitch
  • Show the Person Behind the Capital Share one personal thread (a hobby, a cause, family tradition) so founders know who they are partnering with. Subchapter 2.2, The Law of Connection
  • State the Thesis Once, Everywhere Use the same thesis line across every profile and bio. Subchapter 4.16, Seamless Branding
04

Reputational Health & Risks

15%
  • Keep a Clean Public Record Make sure every public claim about returns or portfolio companies is accurate and approved. Subchapter 5.7, Destroying Credibility
  • Keep Every Performance Claim Clean Review all public figures with counsel. Subchapter 5.1, Leaning Tower
05

Marketability

15%
  • Host the Room Run a small recurring gathering (a dinner, a roundtable) for founders and co-investors in your space. Subchapter 6.4, Building Your Contact List
  • Make It Easy to Pitch You Publish how founders should reach you and what to send. Subchapter 4.11, Deliverables

Content Ideas: The Skyline Strategy for Investors

All consumed media educates, entertains, inspires, or connects. The Skyline Strategy asks for two pieces about your work for every one about your life. Here is one of each, for each purpose.

PurposeBrand PostPersonal Post
EducateTeach something useful.What you look for in the first five minutes of a pitch.What you read every weekend.
EntertainMake it enjoyable to follow you.The most creative pitch you ever saw.The worst investment you made outside of work.
InspireShow what is possible.A founder who came back from the edge.Why you started investing.
ConnectGive people a reason to reply.Introduce a founder you back and what they are building.Ask founders what they wish investors understood.

More Ideas for Investors

  • Share Lessons From Deals, Not the Deals. Post what you learned from a deal or a pass without sharing confidential details.

Plan the ratio with the free Skyline Planner (opens in a new tab).

What to Avoid

Avoid

Overstating Success

The Manifesto warns about the business guru who rents a car to look wealthy. When the truth comes out, the trust goes with it.

Avoid

Endorsing Too Freely

Every public endorsement of a founder or product extends your good faith. Do the due diligence first.

Avoid

A Thesis No One Can Find

If founders cannot learn what you invest in and why, they cannot bring you the right deals.

Measure It First: The Identity Positioning™ Brand Audit

Twenty-five questions, about seven minutes, free. Choose Investor / Fund Manager on the intake and the audit scores all five pillars, places you on The Hierarchy of Personal Branding, and returns the three moves that would raise your score most, each traced to the subchapter it comes from.

Take the Brand Audit (opens in a new tab)

Frequently Asked Questions

Why should investors build their personal brand?

Every investor already has a personal brand; founders and co-investors form an impression either way. Building it on purpose is how you become the investor the right founders seek out and get into rooms with decision makers. A known name with a clear thesis attracts deal flow.

What should an investor publish?

Your thesis, how you think about decisions, and lessons from deals, with the human side mixed in so people know who they would be working with.

What is the biggest reputational risk for an investor?

Leverage: a public image that overstates reality, or endorsements given without due diligence.

The Wiki

Keep Reading

By Profession

Business Owners and Founders

Your company has a brand. So do you, and the two should grow together. A founder's personal brand opens doors the company cannot open alone.

By Profession

Finance, Credit, and Banking Professionals

In finance, trust is the product. A personal brand is how a client decides to trust you with their money before they have ever met you.

By Profession

Executives and C-Suite Leaders

More executives are becoming the public face of their companies. The ones who do it well build a presence before a crisis or a stock price asks them to.

Subchapter 5.2, Who Has Leverage Over You?

Who Has Leverage Over You?

To be a public figure is to be watched. As your efforts pay off, the people who hold leverage over you, and what they could do with it, matter more.

Subchapter 5.11, Giving Endorsements

Giving Endorsements

Every endorsement is an extension of your good faith and your influence. Research before you attach your name to anyone or anything.

Subchapter 5.4, Building Credibility

Building Credibility

Follower counts only get you so far. What matters more is how much the people who follow you trust you.

Engagements

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.

Speaking fees available on request. Speaking for non-profits and charities is free of charge. You can also email contact@mashmancg.com (opens in a new tab) directly, or play Identity Quest™ (opens in a new tab) first.