Brand Building: Living The Whole Picture with Jama Pantel
Brand Building: Living the Whole Picture is the go-to podcast for ambitious women ready to elevate their visibility, build authentic confidence, and become the face of their brand.
Hosted by luxury portrait photographer, author, educator, and former influencer Jama Pantel, this podcast delivers actionable strategies on personal branding, photography, and business growth—so you can step into the spotlight with clarity and purpose.
If you've ever felt unseen in your industry, struggled with confidence on camera, or hesitated to show up boldly, this is your roadmap to build a powerful presence that gets you noticed and respected.
Join Jama as she helps you build a brand that stands out, master your presence in photos and video, and turn your expertise into a magnetic business.
It’s time to stop playing small and start showing up like the leader you were meant to be.
Brand Building: Living The Whole Picture with Jama Pantel
How to Use Storytelling to Build a Powerful Personal Brand
Episode Summary
Being the most qualified isn’t always enough. The biggest opportunities don’t just go to the best—they go to the bold. Those who know how to show up authentically and tell their story in a way that makes people stop, listen, and remember them are the ones who stand out.
In today’s episode, we break down the power of storytelling in personal branding and why it’s the most valuable tool for building credibility, visibility, and authority. You’ll also learn three essential stories every leader needs and how to start using them today.
If you’ve ever felt overlooked or hesitant to share your story, this episode will help you step into a Powerful Presence that gets you noticed and respected.
Timestamps & Key Topics
00:00 – Welcome to Living the Whole Picture – helping ambitious women build confidence, elevate their visibility, and own their voice.
00:40 – Why storytelling is the most powerful branding tool
✔ Being the most qualified isn’t enough—your story makes people listen.
✔ The biggest opportunities go to those who show up and position themselves as leaders.
01:59 – How storytelling builds credibility and trust
✔ Facts tell, but stories sell—people remember emotion, not just expertise.
✔ Great leaders use storytelling to stand out and connect.
02:55 – The Three Stories Every Leader Needs
1️⃣ The “I’ve Been There” Story – Creates relatability
✔ What struggles have you faced that your audience also experiences?
✔ Example: Jama shares how she hid behind her camera before stepping into her own power.
2️⃣ The Transformation Story – Builds credibility
✔ How did you go from struggling to thriving?
✔ Example: Jama shares how she stopped waiting for opportunities and started owning her space.
3️⃣ The Authority Story – Positions you as an expert
✔ What makes you the go-to person in your field?
✔ Example: Jama helps high-achieving women step into confidence and leadership.
04:30 – How to use storytelling to build visibility
✔ Use storytelling in introductions, social media, videos, and emails.
✔ Action Step: Write out your "I've Been There" story and share it this week.
05:17 – The impact of powerful storytelling
✔ When you tell your story well, people start paying attention.
✔ If storytelling feels overwhelming, you don’t have to figure it out alone.
05:57 – Jama’s upcoming roadmap to visibility and authority
✔ A complete roadmap is coming to help you go from hesitant to confident and in demand.
✔ Be the first to know—subscribe at jamapantel.com.
Key Takeaways:
✅ Being the most qualified doesn’t guarantee success—your story is what makes people remember you.
✅ Great leaders use storytelling to position themselves as experts.
✅ The 3 essential stories—Relatability, Transformation, and Authority—help build trust and credibility.
✅ Action Step: Start by sharing your “I’ve Been There” story this week.
Ready to Build Your Powerful Presence?
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Leave a review and share this episode with another high-achieving woman who needs to hear this message!
Visit jamapantel.com for more resources and to subscribe for updates.
Hey y'all, welcome back to Living the Whole Picture, the podcast for ambitious women ready to elevate their visibility, build authentic confidence and become the face of their brand. I'm your host, Jama Pantel, a luxury portrait photographer, author, educator, influencer and dream chaser, here to help you master your brand presence and show up authentically, with confidence. Each week, we'll dive into topics to help you shine in business and in life, so you can stop hesitating and start showing up like the leader you were meant to be. If you've ever struggled with confidence on camera or hesitated to put yourself out there, this podcast is for you. Let's get started on living the whole picture together.
Jama Pantel:Today we're talking about one of the most powerful and overlooked tools you can use to command attention, build authority and position yourself as a leader. Your story. Let's be real being the most qualified isn't always enough anymore. The biggest opportunities don't just go to the best. They go to the bold. They go to the people who know how to show up authentically and tell their story in a way that makes people stop, listen and remember them. If you've ever watched someone with less experience rise faster, not because they're better, but because they know how to make themselves seen and heard, this episode is for you. I'm going to walk you through how to use storytelling as your secret weapon, so you're no longer sitting on the sidelines while others take the stage. By the end of this episode, you'll have actionable steps to craft your own story and use it to build credibility, visibility and authority. And before we dive in, I want to let you in on something big I've been working on. It's a complete roadmap designed to help you go from feeling invisible to owning a powerful presence that gets you noticed and respected. If you know you need to step up, but struggle with confidence or clarity, keep listening. I'll share more details at the end.
Jama Pantel:All right, let's get started. First, I want to talk about why storytelling is the key to authority. Think about the most powerful leaders, speakers and entrepreneurs. You know what makes them memorable. It's not just their expertise. It's their ability to tell a compelling story. When you tell your story well, people will pay attention to what you say, trust you faster and remember you when opportunities arise. Your story is the most valuable positioning tool you have, especially if you've ever felt unseen or overlooked. And here's why Facts tell, but stories sell. You can have all the qualifications in the world, but if you don't communicate them in a way that connects emotionally, people will forget you. Now I want to share the three stories every leader needs. To build your personal brand and authority, you need three key stories.
Jama Pantel:Number one your I've been there story that shows relatability. People need to see that you understand their struggles firsthand. What challenges have you faced that your audience has also experienced? How did you navigate them? What did you learn? For example, me, I spent years behind the camera helping others step into their power until I realized that I needed to do the same for myself. The moment I started showing up confidently, everything changed.
Jama Pantel:Number two your transformation story. This shows credibility. This is where you show how you got from struggling to thriving and why you're the mentor they need. What moment shifted everything for you? How did you build your confidence and presence? What's possible for others who follow your lead? Build your confidence and presence. What's possible for others who follow your lead, for example, me. When I stopped waiting to be chosen and started owning my space, opportunities came to me. I didn't change who I was. I finally just owned who I was.
Jama Pantel:Number three your authority story or your positioning. This story sets you apart as an expert. What unique perspective do you bring? Why should people listen to you? How have you helped others achieve similar results? For example, I'm no longer just a photographer. I now help high achieving women stop shrinking themselves and start showing up with confidence, whether that's on camera, online or in moments they need to own the room, because confidence isn't something you're born with. It's something you build.
Jama Pantel:Now I to talk about how to use storytelling to build visibility. Once you've crafted your stories, here's how to use them In your introductions, whether online or social media, or in person. Lead with your story instead of just listing out your credentials On video stories. Create connection If you struggle with showing up, start with storytelling-based content and also in your written content. Frame your social media posts and emails around storytelling to build a deeper audience relationship. So your action steps for this this week write out your I've been there story and share it in a post or a video. Watch how people respond differently when they see themselves in your journey.
Jama Pantel:Now I want to bring this all together. When you learn to tell your story powerfully, you stop hoping people will notice you and you start making them pay attention. You become a powerful presence, the person who owns the room, the stage or the conversation, but if telling your story feels overwhelming, you don't have to figure it out alone. That's why I'm building a full roadmap to help you go from hesitant and overlooked to confident in demand. I'll be sharing more about this soon, but if you want to be the first to know when it launches, be sure to subscribe on my website, jamapantel. com, and I'll send you exclusive details before anyone else.
Jama Pantel:Thank you so much for tuning in to Living the Whole Picture. If this episode resonated with you, I'd love for you to subscribe. Leave me a review and share it with another high-achieving woman who needs to hear this message. Or, better yet, share it and tag me on social media. Visit my website, jamapantel. com, for more resources, updates and ways we can work together. Be sure to subscribe while you're on the website so you never miss anything. You've worked hard to get where you are. Now it's time to show up confidently and own your presence. Until next time, keep showing up and living the whole picture.
