TL;DR Takeaway
Jon Gray jogs. Graham Weaver shares personal content across marketing channels. And both generate more trust and visibility for their firms than any corporate campaign could. Start small: share a quick story, a lesson, or a raw thought once a week. And empower your team to do the same. Visibility multiplies when everyone participates.
The Shift From Corporate to Human Voices
Private equity runs on relationships. Always has. Always will.
But the way those relationships start is changing. People now meet your firm online before they meet you in person.
Now, scroll through your LinkedIn feed and see who’s getting the most visibility. It’s not brand pages or firm accounts, it’s individual pages led by people with opinions, personalities, and faces you can trust.
Founders, LPs, and employees want to know who they’re working with. Professional headshots and polished website bios help, but they’re not the whole story.
The most credible brands today blend two things:
- Expertise → backed by track record
- Authenticity → backed by team voices
Jon Gray, President & COO of Blackstone, is a masterclass in this. One of his recurring formats shows him jogging in different cities, sharing quick reflections on business.
- Blends personal habit + professional role. The running is personal, but the message connects to his role at the firm.
- The visual of him jogging stands out on a feed from a sea of over-polished graphics.
- Maintains a consistent style. Followers know what to expect, which builds recognition and trust over time.
- Shows up authentic and unfiltered: a bit sweaty, no lighting crew, no suit. This makes him (and by extension, Blackstone) feel more human and approachable.
- Sounds like John, not like a comms team.
- It’s far more memorable than another “Excited to announce our latest acquisition” post with canned quotes and a staged photo. Remember, this is social media; so don’t post like you’re releasing a press release.
Another great example is how Graham Weaver, Founder of Alpine Investors, shows up in marketing:
- Active on all major platforms, even where most PE people don’t go—TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, LinkedIn.
- Runs a personal blog and newsletter—a lot of his content on these platforms is very personal, reflective, and story-driven.
- Prioritizes video—a smart move to turn one long YouTube video into bite-sized clips to keep social media calendars full for months.
- Regularly speaks on podcasts and at events, extending his reach and credibility beyond social media.
The exposure they’re getting is next level.
And it’s not just vanity metrics.
This kind of visibility helps raise funds, source deals, attract and retain top talent, and boost portco morale.
Jon Gray and Graham Weaver embody a shift reshaping private equity marketing: the firms that empower their partners, associates, and broader team to speak will be the ones that build trust.
Why Private Equity Needs Personality
Take the case of Marvel vs. DC. When Marvel arrived, DC was already the giant in the industry. Yet Marvel still became a cultural powerhouse because it took a different approach: instead of perfect, godlike heroes, Marvel created characters who were insecure, flawed, and recognizably human.
Brands work the same way. The more polished and flawless you try to look, the less approachable you become. Flaws, quirks, and personality create connection. And connection drives business development.
One of our clients recently received 5 inbound messages from a single LinkedIn post—all from new and viable contacts. Imagine the compounding effect when posting becomes a habit.
Here are some of the benefits you can reap when your firm shows up with real faces and real voices.
More Inbound Deal Flow
Familiarity bridges the trust gap, making outreach easier and warmer. When founders have already seen your posts, watched your interviews, or heard your take on an industry issue, they’re far more likely to take your call or even reach out first.
Higher-Quality Opportunities
People want to work with firms that feel transparent and human, not faceless or corporate. Plus, authenticity filters for the right partners.
Top-of-Mind Awareness
A single memorable post can keep your firm’s name in the back of a founder’s mind. When the time comes to raise capital or sell, you’re the one they remember and (hopefully) already find likeable.
Stronger Firm Reputation
Up to 64% of a company’s reputation comes down to one person: the CEO. The more visible your leadership team, the more trust and recognition your firm earns in the market.
Stronger Talent Pipeline
Talent follows culture. Public visibility helps attract operators, CFOs, and analysts who align with your firm’s values and want to grow with your portfolio companies.
What It Means to Be Personal and Personable In PE
One of the biggest misconceptions in PE marketing is that showing personality makes you less credible. In reality, the opposite is true.
Being personal and personable doesn’t have to mean sharing your breakfast. Although when this type of personal content is intentional and rooted in your voice, it resonates, especially because so few in this industry lean into it. Think of Sara Blakely with her motivational “Monday Mug Shot” series, posting a coffee mug with an inspirational quote as part of her brand.
Almost anything can become a strong content pillar when you add a personal twist, show up with authenticity, and speak in a relatable way.
- Personal means sharing your “why.” The story behind your investment philosophy, the lessons learned from a tough deal, the principles that shape how you partner with founders. It’s the substance that reveals your values.
- Personable means showing accessibility. Speaking like a human, not a press release. It’s how you make complex ideas sound clear and approachable, so people actually want to listen.
Practical Ways to Build a Personal Brand in Private Equity
You don’t need to reinvent your marketing strategy to start building a personal brand. Here are a few consistent, intentional habits that can make your firm feel more human—and more visible.
- Be human first, expert second. People connect with stories. Lead with a real experience or reflection, then make it useful by tying it to a takeaway or framework.
- Prioritize consistency. Post regularly enough to stay top of mind. One good post a week beats one great post every quarter.
- Don’t overthink content. It doesn’t need to be a 1,000-character market analysis every time. A quick personal story, a lesson from the week, an event takeaway, or a shoutout to a team member can go a long way. Sometimes the “raw” posts are the most relatable.
- Write like you talk. If you wouldn’t say it in real life, don’t write it that way.
- Don’t be afraid of candid moments. Not every post needs a professional photo or a polished graphic. It’s perfectly fine to snap a moment from an event, a site visit, or a team coffee break.
- Use video. You don’t need a production crew to start—just your phone and a clear thought. A 15-second mobile clip can do more for connection and credibility than a perfectly worded post.
- Most importantly, get the whole team involved—partners, portfolio ops leads, associates. For example, LinkedIn favors personal voices. Even the most polished firm update won’t travel as far as a post written by a partner in his/her own voice.
When your team shares, comments, and adds their own perspective, one post becomes a dozen trust touchpoints that multiply reach and credibility.
We help private equity firms build brands that sound like the humans behind them—smart, approachable, and worth trusting. If you want your brand to create more conversations and more deal flow, let’s connect.
