Independence Day is on the horizon, and what better way to celebrate the spirit of freedom and new beginnings than revisiting a conversation with a true pioneer! 

Michele Coleman Mays redefined leadership and advocacy during her distinguished career. She has served as the Vice President, General Counsel, and Secretary for The New York Public Library and had key roles at Allstate Insurance Company and Pitney Bowes Inc. During our conversation, she shared her unique lens on personal branding, leadership, and career development.

In this episode of the Branding Room Only podcast, you’ll learn about the difference between branding and reputation, the critical role of authenticity, and how to rethink the concept of retirement. Michele will also touch on various aspects and strategies in strong brand creation, best practices for enhancing your leadership and career skills, and more.

2:26 - Michele’s personal branding definition, how she describes herself, a quote that’ll make you pause and think, and her hype songs

7:00 - Two strategies that Michele used in building her personal brand

9:07 - The evolution of Michele’s interaction with the business and leadership sides of different organizations

12:12 - How personal branding and reputation differ and the necessity of keeping your audience in mind during interactions

16:48 - Why you should still strive to access resources that help build your brand and skill set, even if you’re already at the top

20:52 - The complexity of showing up authentically for minority groups in professional settings

24:32 - Two things that surprised Michele the most while co-writing her book Courageous Counsel

27:00 - Civic engagements that were integral to Michele’s career, how she reimagines the concept of retirement, and what she plans to do next

33:05 - Two mistakes people make when networking for personal brand-building

35:03 - What Michele always does for fun when traveling and her non-negotiable brand aspects, Branding Room Only Magic, and final words of advice

Mentioned In Inspiring Independence: Reimagining Leadership and Branding with Michele Coleman Mayes

Courageous Counsel: Conversations with Women General Counsel in the Fortune 500 by Michele Coleman Mayes and Kara Sophia Baysinger

Michele Coleman Mayes on LinkedIn

The HistoryMakers

Center for Reproductive Rights

American College of Governance Counsel

Bad Feminist by Roxane Gay

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Sponsor for this episode

This episode is brought to you by PGE Consulting Group LLC.

PGE Consulting Group LLC is dedicated to providing a practical hybrid of professional development training and diversity solutions. From speaking to consulting to programming and more, all services and resources are carefully tailored for each partner. Paula Edgar’s distinct expertise helps engage attendees and create lasting change for her clients.

To learn more about Paula and her services, go to www.paulaedgar.com or contact he

We're starting off 2026 with a bang with my New Year's Intention and Goal Setting session on January 3rd, and then my new three-part series, LinkedIn Strategy for Lawyers: Build a Brand that Works for You, running January through March. 

Reserve your seat at paulaedgar.com/events.