my one secret to growing a personal brand

and it's not what you think

I grew my platforms to over 450k followers in a year and a half and have now quit my 9-5 to go full-time as a creator. There’s one thing that’s helped me grow stupidly fast on social media… and it’s honestly not the thing people think.

This week I was at this Bank of England event with the FCA, then somehow ended up in Soho House with friends, a very “how did I end up here?” vibe, and we were talking about my growth.

And they were being way too nice, saying it’s because I’m “likable” and “warm” and people feel close to me through a screen.

And hearing that made something click… because I think the reason I come across that way actually comes from a flaw.

My whole life I’ve been told I’m “too nice.” As a kid it was “people will take advantage of you.” As an adult it became “you’re a people pleaser.”

Colleagues literally said it like it was a character defect. So for years I tried to harden up, be a bit bitchy on purpose, act more “in control.”

But through content creation I’ve realised something:

Yeah, hooks matter. Storytelling matters. Discipline matters.

But one of the biggest reasons I’ve grown is simply because… I’m likable.

And that isn’t something you can fake.

People think people-pleasing is always this toxic thing. Saying yes to plans that don’t suit you or putting other people’s needs first can have negative effects, but these days, with a hyper-individualistic society, somewhere along the way we’ve got this confused with empathy, manners and being hyper aware of how others feel.

Most people nowadays are so self-focused they lose that.

And I’m not pretending to be this altrustic person, like everyone else, I have selfish motives and i’m not perfect, but that constant awareness of how I’m perceived?

That’s literally my superpower on social media.

Content creation is basically public speaking + sales.

The whole job is understanding people. Their pain points. Their insecurities.

And you can’t do that if you’re not deeply tuned into how other people think and feel.

Yeah, sometimes it’s exhausting.

Yeah, sometimes I care way too much.

But it’s also the reason people actually listen to me.

The creators who blow up aren’t always the smartest or the most qualified.

They’re the most digestible. The most human. The most likable.

And honestly? In a world where AI is replacing everything, soft skills, emotional intelligence, charisma, empathy, are more future-proof than anything.

So if you take anything from this:

Getting called a people pleaser isn’t always a defect waiting to be fixed. Being a “nice person” is not a weakness. I’m literally proof it’s the thing that can take you the furthest.

P.S. I teamed up with Plagnifique to create these Frugal Chic planners. I’m using mine to do a whole audit of my finances and figure out my frugal chic values (what I want to splurge vs save on). Check it out here (AD affiliate)

That’s all from this week,

Mia xx