How to grow a $10,000/monthly personal brand
This article was inspired by how PAYPAL grew to a billion dollar brand using NETWORK EFFECTS.
As a personal brand you can use the same principles
Metcalfe’s Law states that the value of a network grows proportionally to the square of the number of its users.
Applying Metcalfe’s Law to your personal brand means focusing on expanding your network because the value of your brand grows exponentially as more people connect with you.
Here’s how to strategically apply it across your platforms:
Grow Your Network Intentionally (More Nodes = More Value)
Instagram & LinkedIn → Engage with top sales leaders, business owners, and content creators in your space. Comment on their posts daily to get visibility.
Newsletter → Convert new followers into newsletter subscribers (your owned audience). Always have a CTA in your posts.
Podcast → Interview guests with strong networks. Their audience discovers you, and your reach multiplies.
Example: If you engage with 10 influential salespeople weekly and they each have 10,000 followers, a few shares can put you in front of 100,000+ people.
Grow your network by attending one of my clases
Encourage Interaction (Each New Connection Multiplies the Network)
Make your audience a part of the conversation:
Run polls on LinkedIn
Ask questions in your Instagram stories
Encourage replies in your newsletter
Have a CTA in every podcast episode (e.g., "DM me 'sales' if you want a free script")
Example: When 50 people engage with your LinkedIn post, and each has 500+ connections, your content gets seen by 25,000+ people just from their activity.
Leverage Network Effects with User-Generated Content
Get people to talk about your brand and bring new connections:
Ask listeners to share your podcast episode on Instagram stories
Feature sales success stories from your audience in your newsletter
Create shareable content (e.g., frameworks, scripts)
Example: If 20 of your newsletter subscribers forward your email to 5 friends each, that’s 100 new potential subscribers—without extra effort from you.
Make it Easy for People to Connect (Reduce Friction)
Add a clear link in your bio to subscribe to your newsletter.
Make it super simple for podcast guests to share their episode.
Automate DMs: "Reply 'sales' and I'll send you my free sales script."
Example: If 50 people DM you, that’s 50 new deeper connections added to your network.
Collaborate with Bigger Networks
Get featured on other people's podcasts
Do joint LinkedIn live sessions
Shout out audience members who engage with your content
Example: If you do an IG Live with a sales coach who has 50,000 followers, a portion of their audience now follows you.
Final Thought: Growth is Exponential, Not Linear
Each new follower, listener, or subscriber doesn’t just add value—they multiply it because they can introduce you to more people.
Execute This Today:
DM 5 people and ask them to share your latest newsletter issue.
Comment meaningfully on 10 LinkedIn posts today.
Post an IG story asking, "What’s your biggest sales challenge?" and reply to DMs.
Action = Growth. The more people connect with you, the bigger your impact.