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What Luxury Taught Me About Personal Branding

7.5 Lessons From the High-End World That Every Brand Can Learn From


You don’t spend nearly eight years in the luxury sector without it changing the way you see the world. From the outside, luxury is often seen as excessive. Glossy campaigns, opulent stores, eyewatering price tags. But on the inside, luxury is actually about precision. Intention. Discipline. And most of all - experience.


Before I pivoted into personal branding and began working with purpose-driven founders, I spent nearly eight years in the heart of high-end fashion and retail. I had the privilege of working at Harrods, one of the world’s most iconic luxury department stores, managing social media and storytelling, and growing their following to upwards of 3 million followers. That experience taught me lessons I still apply every single day, not just in my business, but in how I show up as a brand.


Because here’s the truth: luxury branding and personal branding are far more similar than people think. Whether you’re a couture house or a consultant, your brand is a perception, and perception is shaped by every detail, decision, and moment of interaction.


So, in this piece, I’m sharing 7.5 lessons from my time in luxury that can elevate any personal brand - whether you’re just starting out or ready to evolve into your next chapter.


Let’s begin.

A collage featuring Lisa Maynard-Atem in a red dress with sunglasses and handbag, alongside headlines from articles highlighting her role in growing Harrods’ social media presence and winning the luxury department store digital race.
Throwback to my days at Harrods, where I learnt firsthand how precision, storytelling, and brand experience build iconic reputations. Lessons I now bring to every personal brand I help shape.

Detail Is Everything

Luxury lives in the details. The way a product is packaged. The scent that greets you when you walk into a boutique. The weight of the paper in a handwritten note. Nothing is left to chance.


When it comes to personal branding, the same principle applies. The way you answer an email. The consistency of your headshots. Your email footer. Your out-of-office message. The tone you use in LinkedIn captions. These details shape how you’re perceived, whether you realise it or not.


Your brand is never just your website or logo. It’s every single micro-touchpoint that people interact with. And in a world where we’re constantly scrolling, those small moments add up to something powerful.



Perception Is Crafted, Not Accidental

Luxury doesn’t just happen. It’s designed. From the lighting in a store to the cadence of a brand’s press release, luxury brands carefully craft every aspect of their image. They know that how something is received matters just as much as what is being sold.


Personal brands should take note. You don’t have to pretend to be something you’re not - but you do have to take ownership of how you want to be seen. If you don’t shape your own narrative, someone else will do it for you. And in today’s noisy world, perception isn’t optional - it’s everything.



Exclusivity Creates Desire

Here’s something I learnt quickly in luxury: not everyone is the customer. And that’s okay. In fact, it’s intentional. Exclusivity in luxury isn’t about being elitist. It’s about alignment. The most successful brands aren’t trying to appeal to everyone - they’re crystal clear about who they’re for and why.


Too many people dilute their personal brand by trying to be accessible to everyone (I too have made this mistake in the past). But if you’re for everyone, you end up being for no one. You become forgettable. Exclusivity in personal branding is about boundaries. It’s about owning your value and protecting your energy. It’s okay to say no. It’s okay to not be “on” all the time. Your brand doesn’t need to be available 24/7 to be visible. In fact, mystique is underrated.



Consistency Builds Trust

Luxury brands rarely chase trends. They evolve, yes, but their essence remains the same. CHANEL will always be CHANEL. Hermès doesn’t do hype. Rolex isn’t rebranding for Gen Z.


Why? Because consistency builds recognition. And recognition builds trust. As a personal brand, you might be multi-hyphenate. You might pivot. You might evolve. But your core values, your tone, and your why should remain unmistakable.


This is what people connect with. They don’t follow you because you’ve mastered every platform. They follow you because you’re you. And you keep showing up as that version, again and again. Consistency isn’t boring. It’s branding.



Heritage Matters - Even If You’re Just Starting

Luxury brands lean heavily into their origin stories. They talk about the year they were founded. The craftsmanship passed down through generations. The atelier in Paris or Milan.


They understand that heritage gives meaning. It gives weight. It turns a product into a story, and stories are what people remember. You don’t need to have a 100-year legacy to build a powerful personal brand. But you do need to understand your roots. Where did your passion come from? What’s the story behind your mission? Why do you care so deeply about what you do?


Your past is part of your positioning. Don’t shy away from it. Use it to anchor your brand with meaning.



Experience Is the Product

In luxury, the experience is often more important than the product itself. You’re not just buying a handbag, you’re buying how it feels to own that handbag. The box it comes in. The customer service. The ceremony of it all. This is one of the most powerful lessons I’ve brought into my own business. When clients work with you, what’s the experience like?


  • How do they feel after a call with you?

  • What’s it like to onboard with you?

  • Do they feel seen, heard, elevated?


Your clients aren’t just investing in your skills. They’re investing in how it feels to work with you. Design that experience with the same care a luxury house would.



Time Is a Feature, Not a Flaw

Luxury takes time. A custom Birkin can take months. A couture gown even longer. And that’s not a downside, it’s a selling point. Time becomes part of the value.


We live in a culture obsessed with speed. Build fast. Scale fast. Go viral. But what luxury taught me is this: great things take time. So does a meaningful personal brand. There’s a quiet confidence in not rushing. In building something slowly, but with intention. In choosing depth over speed. It’s a different kind of success and often, a more sustainable one.


So if your brand is taking time to evolve, don’t panic. You’re not behind. You’re building something that will last.



The Secret Ingredient? Mystery.

Here’s the final half-lesson. A little something that’s often overlooked in the age of oversharing.


Luxury brands don’t give everything away. They leave space for curiosity. They understand the power of not revealing too much. As personal brands, especially in the era of “build in public,” it can feel like we have to share everything all the time. But there’s power in holding some things back. In leaving room for people to wonder. In letting your presence speak, even when you’re quiet.


Mystery doesn’t mean being inaccessible. It means being intentional. You don’t have to explain your every move. Sometimes, the strongest brands are the ones that leave people wanting more.


Closing Thoughts: Luxury Isn’t a Price Tag - It’s a Standard

The truth is, you don’t need a £10k handbag to build a high-value brand. But you can borrow the mindset of the world’s most iconic labels.


Luxury taught me to lead with intention. To never rush the process. To honour the details. And to trust that the right people will recognise the value of what I’m building—even before the world catches up.


So whether you’re just starting out or evolving into your next chapter, I hope these 7.5 lessons serve as a reminder:


You don’t need to be a luxury brand to show up with luxury energy.

You just need to be clear, consistent, and committed to excellence.

That’s what makes a personal brand unforgettable.



Want To Work With Me?

If you’re a founder, leader or changemaker building something that matters, and want a personal brand that opens doors, attracts aligned opportunities, and feels like you, I’d love to help. I work with purpose-driven people to craft brands with depth, clarity and influence. No gimmicks. No shortcuts. Just strategy rooted in who you are and where you’re going. Let’s talk about what we could build together.


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