My Story

Decorative photo of personal branding coach Sarah Sambles at her laptop

I’m a personal branding coach who is dedicated to helping impact-driven entrepreneurs get clear on their brand story.

What’s your passion?

I’m convinced your brand messaging is one of the core foundations to the success of your work; it can make the difference between a customer and a cynic. For over 20 years I’ve enabled numerous entrepreneurs and businesses find the heart of their story, create meaningful brands and get their message in front of the right people. And I’m here to help you speak your customer’s language and get to the heart of your story.

Why do I think your brand story is so crucial? I started my career as a marketing consultant back in 1999, advising global technology companies on their marketing and PR strategy. After having kids I went freelance, working with clients from industries as varied as non-profit, services, education, construction, real estate, retail, senior living. I offered strategic marketing, PR, branding, copywriting, website direction and content creation.

Then, in 2012, while still freelancing, I started writing my first children’s fiction book. As I embarked on this fiction-writing journey, I quickly became aware of my need for a community. I signed up for all the writers’ groups and conferences I could. I was desperate to find others who understood the excitement and frustration of the craft.

So, when a friend put me in touch with a YA writer, I jumped at the opportunity to meet for coffee. Afterwards I couldn’t get to sleep, and it wasn’t because of the coffee. It was because a possibility was buzzing. In sharing our experiences, I realized this writer had the same struggles as all the other writers I was meeting. She loved the writing, but she hated the marketing. She’d invested in her craft, put in the hours and nearly completed her manuscript, but she was dreading the moment when she had to start putting it out there. As we chatted, I had a light bulb moment. I had helped big corporations figure out how to get their products, messages and services in front of potential customers. I’d studied marketing. I’d gained a qualification in public speaking. I’d spent time teaching.

What if I could bring together all the things I loved – writing, personal branding, coaching – and help writers gain the confidence and skills to talk about their work effectively and authentically?

So that’s what I did. To begin with, I coached writers through book launches, new websites, social media platforms, but here’s what I noticed. Writers (then coaches and educators) came to me wanting a launch plan or a social media content calendar but I always came up against the same two sticking points:

  • They didn’t know what their audience wanted
  • They couldn’t distill their “message” down to its essence

The exact same challenges my corporate clients had back in 1999. I knew this was where I needed to focus.

If you can’t put your finger on the value you offer your audience, no amount of posting on social media is going to advance your cause. Your message matters. Start there!

A little more about me …

As featured in…

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The Robyn Graham Show
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