Personal Branding in Action: What Jordan Watson (How to Dad) can teach us
When you think of strong personal brands, most people go straight to the world of polished thought leaders, entrepreneurs, or corporate CEOs. Perfect lighting, perfect captions, perfect strategies. But sometimes, the best lessons come from the people who don’t fit that mould at all.
Enter Jordan Watson, better known as How to Dad.
What began as a scrappy YouTube video in 2015 (“How to Hold a Baby”) has grown into a personal brand recognised all over New Zealand and far beyond. And he did it in jandals, stubbies (really short shorts!), and with a backyard for a studio.
Jordan is living proof that personal branding isn’t about being flashy or following a corporate playbook. It’s about clarity, consistency, and showing up as yourself — all things at the heart of the CHEER method.
Clarify: Know who you are (and stick to it)
The first thing Jordan nailed was clarity. From the start, he positioned himself as the “everydad,” a relatable, funny Kiwi bloke sharing the joys and chaos of parenting.
He didn’t try to be an expert with a PhD in child development. He didn’t polish himself into something he wasn’t. Instead, he doubled down on what made him, him.
That’s the essence of the Clarify pillar: get really clear about who you are, what you stand for, and the voice you bring into the world. Jordan’s brand has never wavered and because of that, people know exactly what to expect when they see his name pop up.
Highlight: Lean into what makes you different
The internet is full of parenting content. But Jordan brought something no one else could: Kiwi culture, humour, and authenticity.
While American creators were producing perfectly lit tutorials, Jordan was out back wrestling a baby capsule with the kind of honesty that made parents everywhere say, “Oh thank god, it’s not just me.”
That’s Highlight in action. He found the edge that set him apart and leaned right into it. The lesson here? Your quirks and differences are often your superpower.
Express: Be consistent across every channel
Jordan’s brand wasn’t confined to one platform. What started on YouTube quickly grew into books, TV shows, live events, and social media. But importantly, his style and voice never changed.
Whether you’re reading a How to Dad book or watching him on TVNZ, it feels like the same guy from those backyard clips. That’s Express: taking your brand and communicating it consistently, no matter the channel.
For anyone building a personal brand, this is key. If your LinkedIn sounds corporate, your Instagram looks trendy, and your in-person style feels completely different, people will struggle to connect. Consistency builds trust.
Engage: Build a community, not just an audience
What makes How to Dad special is the way he connects with his audience. His humour isn’t one-sided, it’s a conversation. Parents comment, share, and laugh together, creating a sense of community around the chaos of raising kids.
Jordan doesn’t just broadcast; he engages. And that’s why people stick around.
The Engage pillar is about creating moments where your audience feels seen, heard, and part of something bigger. Jordan’s community laughs with him because they see themselves in his content.
Reinforce: Keep showing up
Finally, Jordan reinforces his brand by showing up again and again. For nearly a decade, he’s kept producing content in the same authentic voice, across different formats and platforms.
That long-term consistency is what cements a personal brand. It’s one thing to go viral once — it’s another to keep delivering in a way that stays true to your identity.
That’s Reinforce. It’s about repeating your key messages and sticking to your brand behaviours until they become second nature — to you and to your audience.
Where he sits on the CHEER method personal brand pathway
In the CHEER method personal branding pathway, Jordan sits firmly in the Story Amplifier stage.
He’s already clarified who he is, highlighted his uniqueness, and expressed it consistently. Now, he’s amplifying his story across multiple platforms, reaching bigger audiences, and reinforcing his message at scale.
This is the stage where your personal brand shifts from being “known in pockets” to being widely recognised — and Jordan’s journey shows exactly how that looks in action.
Why this matters for you
You might not be planning to build a global parenting comedy empire from your backyard. But the lessons from How to Dad apply no matter what stage of your career or life you’re in.
If you’re a professional climbing the corporate ladder, clarity about who you are can set you apart from colleagues with the same job title.
If you’re building a side hustle or startup, highlighting what makes you different is how you’ll cut through the noise.
If you’re seeking new opportunities, expressing your brand consistently across CVs, LinkedIn, and interviews builds trust.
And if you’re just starting out, remember that engagement and reinforcement don’t require perfection, they require persistence.
Jordan’s story is a reminder that your personal brand doesn’t need polish. It needs purpose.
The takeaway
Personal branding isn’t just for executives, influencers, or people with PR teams. It’s for anyone who wants to make an impact, be remembered, and create opportunities.
Jordan Watson shows us that the magic formula isn’t perfect lighting or fancy credentials. It’s being crystal clear about who you are, leaning into what makes you unique, expressing it consistently, engaging with people authentically, and reinforcing it over time.
That’s the CHEER method in action.
So next time you second-guess whether you’re “professional enough” to put yourself out there, remember this: if a Kiwi dad in jandals can build a global brand from his backyard, so can you.