Barney O’Kelly

Be Seen, Make Friends: Build a Brand That Opens Doors

Author

Ivan Buric
May 30, 2025

Hey,

Episode 13 of the podcast is live!

This week, I sat down with Barney O’Kelly, Head of Solutions & Product Marketing at Alex Partners, to talk about something every marketer and career-driven professional should think about:

👉 How to build a personal brand that creates real opportunities — without being loud about it.

Barney is one of those people who walks the talk.
He doesn’t chase attention, but he’s intentional with how he shows up — and people notice.
We had a really honest, insightful conversation about visibility, trust, career growth, and what it really means to be seen.

Listen on:

What we talked about:

  • Why “Be Seen, Make Friends” is more than a personal mantra — it’s a career framework

  • The MVP of a personal brand if you’re just getting started

  • Why your internal brand is just as important as your external one

  • How to use LinkedIn as your career runway (even if you’re not job hunting)

  • The difference between self-promotion vs storytelling

  • How introverts can build powerful, low-ego networks

  • Why helping others is the most underrated strategy for long-term growth

Hattie the PMM

“Your job title is the least interesting thing about you. What you do, how you do it, and why — that’s where your story lives.”

Barney O’Kelly

A few key learnings:

  • Your job title is not your story — your approach and values are what make you stand out

  • You don’t need to post daily — just show up intentionally

  • Your personal brand starts working long before you ever need to rely on it

  • Connection > promotion — the best networkers are the ones who help others succeed

Episode Chapters – Barney O’Kelly: Be Seen, Make Friends

00:00 – Intro
01:50 – What "Be Seen, Make Friends" really means
05:15 – How Barney thinks about personal brand in B2B
08:30 – The MVP of a strong LinkedIn profile
11:10 – Why your job title isn’t your story
13:45 – Internal brand vs. external brand
16:50 – LinkedIn as your career runway
20:00 – How to show up online without feeling self-promotional
24:15 – Visibility tips for introverts
28:00 – The value of connecting others to build your network
30:40 – Why Barney doesn’t love LinkedIn recommendations
33:20 – Helping others shape their own brand
36:00 – What Barney looks for in candidates he hires
39:30 – Can your brand evolve with seniority?
42:00 – Where to start if you're building your brand from scratch
45:00 – Final thoughts + where to connect with Barney

Say "Hi" to Barney:

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Thank you for being part of this journey, let me know what you think of my podcast, any feedback is more than welcome.

Your support means the world to me, and I can't wait to share more episodes with you.

P.S. Do it Your Way 🧭

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Ivan