Seventeen years ago, a freelance project called BRND WGN was created with the aim of helping organisations create meaningful brands. Today, that same project counts a team of 25+ in Malta and offices in London, servicing some of the highest-profile clients locally and abroad.

At the helm is CEO Peter-Jan Grech, the pulse of the organisation who grew BRND WGN from a regular creative agency into an advisory firm that helps businesses understand where they’re going, find their voice and write their story. 

“BRND WGN counts six partners today, and the leadership team has focused on acquiring more strong talent and bringing it into the fold. The goal is for the organisation to be owned by the people who work in it. When I started my business, a big motivator was the realisation that my boss was not necessarily smarter than me. There comes a point when you need to give space to new talent,” he says.

This is exactly the approach Peter-Jan takes both with the BRND WGN team and with their clients. What they do, he shares, is not about creating a campaign or a logo, but about building a vision for the long term. This is an approach that grew even stronger thanks to Peter-Jan’s work with Neil Agius, the Olympian and world-record holder for the longest unassisted swim in open water.

“Neil came to me as a friend in the industry, and what I learnt from working with him brought about so much clarity. Nowadays I apply these learnings even to my clients. We go where there’s a leader with a vision, and help them make it real. Or, if there isn’t a vision but there’s a direction, we build the way for our client to get there,” he explains.

Personal branding, he adds, is an intrinsic part of this process. This involves understanding who you are and how you can share this with the community. With Neil, personal branding involved helping him discover who he is as a person, as an athlete, and as an athlete who wants to raise awareness about specific issues.

“Neil wanted to learn how to share his understanding of what makes his mind conquer bigger challenges. He is an athlete, an Olympian… how does he use it to benefit the community? How does he enable young swimmers and other people to achieve their goals? This was the journey that we took with him,” Peter-Jan says.

He believes that, currently, Malta is suffering from a big leadership gap. Many leaders are struggling to execute due to unprecedented pressures. The fear of being attacked online is ever present. Leaders need to tick too many boxes in a short span of time, which leads them to pick the short-term path. This approach, he says, is the antithesis of growth.

“Despite the challenges, it’s important not to sway your message to satisfy the short-term goals. At BRND WGN we are lucky as we don’t have to report to shareholders, which means that we can focus on long-term results for the company.”

He uses the year 2022 as an example. With the organisation working hard to strengthen the business, the focus switched from increasing profit in the short term towards investing in people and growing the team. 

“Today, our team is in the best possible shape it’s been. Sticking to our vision has paid off. Likewise, honesty played a strong part in getting us where we are now,” he tells me, a justifiable touch of pride in his voice.

He believes that it’s impossible to stay true to your vision and to yourself unless you learn how to say no. It’s not advice that we hear often, but Peter-Jan fully believes it’s key to growth.

“Say no to time-wasters, to clients whose philosophy doesn’t align with yours. The more you do that, the stronger your momentum grows. Clients come to us because they believe in the work we do. If they want us to change our processes, then why come to us? We are always honest about it and we don’t invent excuses. If it doesn’t align, then we say no.”

Their clients subscribe to this point of view of committing to their truest self to execute a vision. But how does being true to yourself work in a society where Tik Tok trends and social media likes have gathered so much traction? Peter-Jan believes that it’s a mistake for a leader to chase likes and followers, rather than influence. And, while trends can play a role in personal branding, they need to align with a brand’s message and identity. This advice also applies to team leaders.

“I do believe that leaders should become content creators, as they do need to publish what they want to say. But don’t start a podcast just because it’s cool, especially if you can’t hold a conversation. You’re a CEO, not a podcaster. Sure, some people have a natural talent, but those who don’t can adapt to the trend differently, by getting invited on the best podcasts rather than starting their own,” he explains.

He adds that very few people can make this distinction, and this is exactly how BRND WGN helps leaders stand out.

“Trends say something about society, so you need to understand them before you decide they’re for you. And if you want to ride a trend, you need to do so early on. If it’s been out for a few weeks you’re just a follower. At the end of the day, personal branding is about positioning yourself in a way that you’re accepted as the right leader. Everyone can be a CEO, but not everyone can be a leader,” he iterates.

However, personal branding is not just for CEOs, he is quick to add. Rather, it’s for anyone who wants to make an impact and who has a story to share.

“Imagine you’re a superstar female consultant in your early 20s and you’re in a space where you need to lead a team of older men, all suited up. How do you lead? It’s not just about identifying who you are, but also how you communicate and break through the board. How do you make sure that what you are sharing takes the trajectory that you want to build on? This personal branding is also a faction of the general product branding,” he says.

This ethos also reflects the three pillars upon which BRND WGN itself is built: challenge everything, be brutally honest and find a way to achieve your goals. And it’s also the approach that Peter himself takes to his personal branding.

“My personal branding affects the branding of BRND WGN. It’s all tied up. For example, I believe that for the organisation to be sustainable, it’s important to find the next talent to take your place. The way I brand myself will influence the talent I attract, so if I want to secure the best people, I need to inspire others to take up my role. And I need to find a way to communicate this now, not later,” he says.

And this, he adds, is another reason why it’s important for brands to think about curating the image of their leader.

“Your organisation will attract the type of clients that reflect the image your leader is projecting. So if your CEO or CFO doesn’t align with the organisation itself, then that’s a problem.”

In the case of BRND WGN, this is something that the leadership team pursued from the start.

“We seek to work with companies we believe in, and who contribute to society in some way. That is who I want to do my best work for. And we can only do this if we stay true to ourselves,” he concludes.