Why Build a Personal Brand?

Written By Sean Tambagahan

What Is This Website—And Why Build a Personal Brand?

There’s something about the phrase “personal brand” that makes me uncomfortable. We live in a time when everyone is building a platform. Everyone is curating an image. Everyone has a microphone. And if I’m honest, I’ve wrestled with this.

Am I adding to the noise? Is this subtle self-promotion dressed up as “impact”? Is this just another attempt to control how people perceive me? Those questions slowed me down — and they should.

My History with “Platform”

For 12 years, I ran Butler Branding as the key creative voice. I built a YouTube channel with hundreds of videos, millions of views, and tens of thousands of subscribers.

And then… I stopped. That season closed. 

Since then, my focus has shifted. I’ve planted a church. I preach weekly. I serve as Creative Director at Archer & Hound. I lead teams. I build organizations. I create in different ways.

There has been content across different lanes — faith, leadership, creativity — but there hasn’t been one place that holds the intersection of all three.

Until now.

Everyone Has Influence. I Want to Steward Mine Well.

I don’t mind obscurity, and I’m not chasing attention. If the Lord wanted me to serve quietly and unseen, I would gladly do that. But I’ve come to recognize something: God has given me a particular bent.

  • A way of thinking.

  • A way of building.

  • A way of connecting faith, leadership, and creativity.

And if that wiring can genuinely help people, then clarity becomes stewardship.

Since 2012, I’ve worked in brand strategy, and I’ve often defined a “brand” as public perception. It’s what people come to believe about a person, product, service, or company. By that definition, everyone already has a personal brand. The question isn’t whether you have one. The question is whether it’s clear.

At its best, a personal brand isn’t self-exaltation — it’s clarity. It helps people understand:

  • Who you are

  • What you care about

  • How you serve

  • Where you add value

So they can discern whether you’re meant to help them.

That’s my hope here — not to manufacture an image, but to clarify the value I can bring, and trust God with whatever comes of it.


What This Website Is

This site is:

  • A home for my thinking

  • A record of my work

  • A place to share frameworks and resources

  • A creative outlet

  • A clearer picture of how I’m wired to serve

It’s not a rebrand of my life. It’s not a side hustle announcement. It’s not a pivot away from the work I’m doing at Archer & Hound or in the church. It’s simply a house for the intersection.

Faith. Leadership. Creativity. Entrepreneurship. Communication.

Why It Matters

I love serving people.

I love helping leaders think clearly.

I love helping organizations find alignment.

I love helping creatives build responsibly.

I love helping churches think deeply.

I love building things that last.

If this website helps even a handful of people find clarity, direction, or courage — then it’s worth it. And if it simply becomes a disciplined place for me to articulate what God is teaching me — that’s worth it too.

Hopefully you’ll find something here that helps.

If it resonates, I’d love to connect.

Sean Tambagahan
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Rethinking Excellence