Build in public to grow trust

Hey,

Personal branding isn't a logo. It's trust at scale.

And trust doesn't come from a perfect website. It comes from people watching you do the work over time.

I've grown 5.3K on 𝕏 and 16.2K on LinkedIn almost entirely by building in public — documenting attempts, sharing lessons, showing receipts even when they were small. My newsletter hit 1,100+ subscribers because strangers had already watched me show up for months.

Build in public means document the attempt. Share the lesson. Show the result — even when it's small. Especially when it's small.

Two mistakes I see constantly.

People hide everything until they're "ready." No proof. No trust. No inbound. They wonder why nobody buys.

Or they overshare with no takeaway — venting, complaining, posting goals with zero receipts for months. That doesn't build authority. That builds noise.

What builds authority: try something → post what happened → teach one lesson → repeat.

Before/after screenshots. Client wins with permission. Honest weekly updates. "I tried X. Here's what worked. Here's what didn't."

That's how strangers start believing you before they ever DM.

Personal brand = repeated proof you're in the arena.

Try today: one post. "I tried X this week. Here's what happened."

Short. Honest. Useful. That's trust building.

On 𝕏 and LinkedIn, trust compounds the same way: small proof posts weekly beat one perfect launch post yearly. Strangers scroll past promises. They stop for receipts.

Early on I hid everything. "I'll share when I have results." Results never came because nobody saw me trying.

Then I overshared with no lesson. Crickets again.

The middle path is boring but it works. Try. Document. Teach. Repeat.

I grew inbound on both platforms by documenting attempts — not by claiming expertise on day one.

Authority is earned in public. One proof post at a time. Strangers become believers when they watch you stay in the arena.

Start with one honest post this week.

Trust is slow. That's why most people skip it.

They want the client before the proof. The newsletter before the audience. The offer before the relationship.

I did that early. Crickets.

The shift: post the attempt before the result. "I'm trying X." Then "Here's what happened." Then "Here's what I'd do differently."

Strangers don't trust perfection. They trust persistence.

My inbound DMs exploded when I stopped performing expertise and started documenting the work — including the flops.

One proof post per week. Minimum. That's the deposit account for trust.

Types of build-in-public posts that work:

The attempt — "Testing a new hook format this week."

The result — "+40 followers in 8 days after fixing my bio."

The lesson — "Tried posting at 6am for 7 days. No difference. 11am won."

The flop — "This thread died. Here's why I think it failed."

The client win — with permission, screenshot + what you did.

You don't need to share revenue day one. Share process. Share reps. Share small numbers. Honesty scales.

What doesn't work: vague motivation. "Grinding 💪" with no lesson. Complaining with no takeaway. Promising results you haven't earned yet.

Personal brand online is a trust ledger. Every honest post is a deposit. Every exaggeration is a withdrawal.

I built 5.3K on 𝕏, 16.2K on LinkedIn, and 1,100+ newsletter subscribers by making deposits weekly for years.

Start this week: one build-in-public post. Real attempt. Real takeaway. No polish required.

One thing I repeat because it's true: your personal brand is proof over time, not a logo.

Almost three years building daily. 5.3K on 𝕏 organic. 16.2K on LinkedIn. 1,100+ newsletter subscribers I own. No ads. No bought followers. Just writing, replying, documenting, repeating.

The tactics change. The rhythm doesn't. One platform first. Clear bio. Daily reps. Weekly review. Stack proof in public. Add rooms when you have something real to repurpose.

If this email gave you one action — do it today. Rewrite the bio. Save ten hooks. Pick 𝕏 or LinkedIn for ninety days. Post one teach piece. Reply to twenty people.

Education without execution is entertainment. You're building a brand, not collecting newsletters.

I still fix my bio every quarter. Still study hooks. Still reply daily. The game doesn't end at 1K or 10K — it compounds if you stay in it.

Keep building. The curve rewards the people who stay after everyone else gets bored and leaves.

Carmen: 0 → 1,400 in 94 days