How a Career Coach Built Confidence, Credibility, and a Standout LinkedIn™ Presence in a Crowded Industry

Standing out on LinkedIn™ can feel overwhelming, especially in industries where it seems like everyone is vying for attention. For career coaches, establishing a credible, relatable brand can be even more challenging, as the market is often saturated with professionals offering similar services. 

Jessica Winder, founder of Hidden Gem Career Coaching, faced this very struggle. While she was deeply passionate about her DE&I-focused work, Jessica found it difficult to define her brand and articulate her unique value proposition. Balancing her coaching business with her full-time role as a VP made it nearly impossible to dedicate the time and focus needed to elevate her LinkedIn™ presence. Without a clear strategy, her professional identity felt scattered, making it hard to communicate why her target audience should choose her. 

Does Jessica’s personal branding story sound like yours? 

The Challenge: Navigating a Crowded Space

Jessica’s role as a VP and founder of Hidden Gem Career Coaching presented unique challenges for her LinkedIn™ presence. With a packed schedule and no clear strategy, LinkedIn™ often felt more like an obligation than an opportunity. She knew her coaching services offered incredible value, but expressing that value online in a way that resonated with her audience was a different story.

Jessica faced several challenges that may feel familiar to professionals in competitive industries: 

• Lack of Clarity in Personal Branding 
• Difficulty Articulating Strengths and Differentiators 
• Struggles with Confidence in Online Presentation 
• Juggling Competing Demands 

Jessica’s professional identity felt unfocused, making it difficult to communicate what set her apart in a crowded market. She wasn’t just another career coach—she had a DE&I-focused approach that was deeply meaningful, but without clarity in her messaging, her unique value proposition was often lost. 

Articulating her strengths and accomplishments in a relatable way also proved challenging. Like many professionals, Jessica found it hard to confidently showcase her expertise online without feeling self-promotional. This hesitation made it harder to differentiate herself from competitors or highlight the tangible benefits of working with her. 

Compounding these struggles, Jessica was trying to define her personal brand while juggling the demands of her full-time VP role and her career coaching business. Without expert guidance, the process quickly became overwhelming.

The Borden Group’s Strategy for Confidence and Clarity

Recognizing Jessica’s potential and the unique value of her DE&I-focused career coaching, we worked closely with her to craft a LinkedIn™ strategy that was as impactful as it was manageable. Our approach began with one goal: to help Jessica establish clarity and consistency in her personal brand while empowering her with the confidence to stand out in a competitive space. 

Our strategy focused on three key components: 

• Crafting a Clear and Consistent Personal Brand 
• Developing a Compelling LinkedIn™ Strategy 
• Empowering Confidence with the Right Tools and Approach

To build a foundation for success, we helped Jessica define her personal brand with a focus on authenticity and relatability. Through a collaborative LinkedIn™ Executive Session, we refined her tone of voice, visual identity, and messaging, ensuring they aligned with her values and expertise. This process allowed Jessica to articulate her unique value proposition clearly and consistently, helping her stand out to her target audience. 

Next, we tailored Jessica’s LinkedIn™ strategy to highlight her strengths as a career coach and advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion. Together, we identified key themes and storylines that would resonate with her audience, emphasizing the real-life impact of her coaching services. By integrating authentic storytelling into her content, Jessica was able to engage her audience in meaningful ways that extended beyond generic career advice. 

Finally, we equipped Jessica with the tools and insights needed to approach LinkedIn™ with confidence. From understanding analytics to creating dynamic, audience-centered content, Jessica learned how to navigate LinkedIn™ effectively and with purpose. This actionable knowledge empowered her to present herself online in a way that felt both professional and authentic. 

By combining clarity, strategy, and empowerment, we helped Jessica transform her LinkedIn™ presence into a standout platform for building credibility and connection. 

Results: A Career Coach Who Stands Out

Jessica’s journey to redefining her LinkedIn™ presence marked a turning point in her professional branding, bringing clarity and confidence to what once felt overwhelming. What began as a daunting task—establishing a credible, consistent presence on LinkedIn™—evolved into a source of confidence, clarity, and measurable success. 

In just a short time, Jessica achieved: 

• Increased LinkedIn™ Follower Count and Conversion Rates: By implementing her new branding and content strategy, Jessica expanded her audience and saw higher engagement with her most profitable services. 

• Improved Messaging and Audience Engagement: With a clear, relatable voice, her posts consistently resonated with her target audience, helping her stand out in a crowded career coaching space. 

• A Compelling Personal Brand: Jessica now has a cohesive, attractive brand that authentically communicates her skills, strengths, and expertise—both as a career coach and a senior executive. 

Beyond the numbers, Jessica gained something even more valuable: renewed confidence. With a roadmap for creating dynamic content and tools for understanding her audience, she no longer feels overwhelmed by LinkedIn™. Instead, she sees it as an opportunity to connect with clients and peers who align with her vision. 

Jessica’s professional growth also extended beyond LinkedIn™. Armed with a relatable and recognizable personal brand, she was promoted from VP to SVP—a testament to how her clear, confident presence translated into real-world success.

Today, Jessica’s LinkedIn™ presence isn’t just a reflection of her career coaching services; it’s a representation of her unique value and the impact she brings to every role.

Conclusion

For many professionals, LinkedIn™ can feel like a constant source of pressure—another box to check in an already overwhelming schedule. Jessica’s journey proves that with the right strategy, tools, and guidance, LinkedIn™ can become much more than a task; it can be a platform for growth, connection, and opportunity. 

By redefining her personal brand and embracing a clear, authentic approach, Jessica transformed her online presence into a powerful asset. From increased engagement and a stronger professional identity to a well-deserved promotion, her results demonstrate the impact of a thoughtful and consistent strategy.

If Jessica’s story resonates with you, and you’re ready to take the next step in building a standout LinkedIn™ presence, we’re here to help. Contact The Borden Group to discover how we can help you craft a LinkedIn™ strategy tailored to your unique goals. 

Are you ready to move from lurking to leveraging your personal brand? Schedule a discovery call with me today—I’d love to help you take your personal brand to the next level with actionable tips and strategies that work.

Want to learn more about this topic? Make sure to follow Melanie Borden and The Borden Group on LinkedIn™.