Samantha Nolan, Founder and CEO of Nolan Branding, syndicated columnist of "Dear Sam", professional speaker, certified resume writer and personal brand strategist has a cross-continental story that has taken her from a childhood in Wales, UK, her tween years exploring the wonders of Big Sur, California then on to middle school and high school in England and Scotland and finally back to the U.S. for undergraduate and graduate studies. Along the way, she met her better-half, started a family and launched a successful personal branding firm that has served 10,000 customers worldwide as well as a nationally syndicated column, "Dear Sam", followed by millions of loyal readers. Each phase of Sam's journey has taught her crucial lessons about life, family, career, and the role of personal brand within all facets of her life story. As a professional speaker, Sam passionately tells her story in hopes of motivating others to identify their goals, empowering them with the knowledge and tools to achieve them and celebrating all wins - great and small.

1. Samantha Nolan
PERSONAL
BRANDING STRATEGIST
JOB SEARCH STRATEGIES - RESUMES & BEYOND - LINKEDIN PROFILES - CAREER DECISIONING
marketing
brandingcoaching
storytelling

2. Meet Samantha Nolan
PREPARE FOR TAKE OFF
Established Speaker
Syndicated Columnist
Industry Thought Leader
Personal Branding Expert
Founder / CEO, Nolan Branding
18 Years of Career Industry Expertise
2M+ Weekly Column Readers
9K+ LinkedIn Connections
Samantha Nolan
aka 'Dear Sam'
dearsam@nolanbranding.com
(888) 952-3928 or (614) 570-3442

3. Samantha Nolan, owner of the personal
branding firm Nolan Branding, is regarded as
one of the most accomplished and effective
personal branding experts in the U.S., having
worked with almost 10,000 clients in 47 states
and around the world. Samantha was inspired
to make a career out of helping others achieve
job search success after experiencing her own
career trial.
In 2002, Samantha lost her dream marketing
job when she was six months pregnant. With the
financial future of her growing family on the
line, she utilized her corporate marketing
experience to brand herself and secured a 100%
response rate with the resume she created. Life
then took an unexpected turn when her
daughter was born prematurely, so she found
herself in the maternity ward instead of on the
interviews she had secured.
Now needing a plan C, Samantha tapped into
her writing and design skills and began writing
resumes for a large dot com. After about 300
resumes Samantha pursued and successfully
achieved her professional certification in the
field. Becoming the company’s top writer,
Samantha was called on to turn around client
experiences and “save the day” when total re-
writes were required for the most discerning
clients.
MEET SAMANTHA
Having dabbled in freelance graphic design
earlier in her journey—hence the company’s
initial name of Ladybug Design—after a little
more than 2 years and 1,000 resumes, Samantha
decided to transition from corporate to personal
branding and what is now Nolan Branding was
born.
In addition to managing Nolan Branding,
Samantha writes a weekly syndicated column.
Her well-known “Dear Sam” personal branding
advice is published weekly in 10+ newspapers
across the country. Moreover, through a content
partnership with Advance Local, Samantha
delivers expertise, weekly, in 11 of the top 20
markets in the U.S.
Samantha is a driven entrepreneur, and an expert
writer and brand strategist, and a leader of her
team. She has been commended for her ability to
facilitate a genuine connection with her clients and
considers the success of her clients to be the key
indicator of her company’s success.
Samantha resides in Columbus, Ohio with her two
children—London (11) and Addy (16)—and her
husband Anthony, who, not so coincidentally when
considering the brand’s theme, is an airline
captain!
Ready to take flight?

4. 2019
A B R I E F H I S T O R Y O F
FUN
FACTS
2000
1998
Started 'grad school' as a
nontraditional student, working
full-time, attending night school,
and following passion to earn
Master's in Marketing and
Communication.
1991
Visited US per requirements to
maintain Green Card and met a
boy - who knew, the future
'Captain Nolan!'
Leveraged passion to begin
freelance corporate design
business, Ladybug Design.
Our business is personal, hence sharing our journey with you is
important in understanding who we are and how we can meet your needs.
1992
Once again, hopped the pond,
this time for college at Stetson
University in Central Florida,
graduating 4 years later.
1987
Too short, returned to the UK
where I finished middle and high
school in England and then
Scotland.
1986
Transferred to Virginia Beach,
now a Navy Brat living in the
hustle and bustle of what
seemed like a sprawling city.
1985
Lived the life! A California tween
living yards from the Pacific
Ocean in BIg Sur, California on
the world's tiniest Navy Base. 1984
Immigrated to California from
such a small town in Wales that
my immigration made it into
the newspaper!
1974
Ouch, did I really just tell you my
age?! Born in Wales, UK.
2002
First child, a daughter, was born
prematurely and changed the
trajectory of my journey.
2002
Made the decision to transition
corporate design business into a
boutique personal branding
firm.
We continue to chart original
flight plans, reaching the sky for
our clients, and educating and
empowering audiences!
2007
Second child, a son, was born with
special needs and changed the
paths of both my husband and I.
2009
Survived the economic
meltdown while tending to the
early education needs of son as
he learned to listen and talk.
2011
Continued to grow the business,
expanding service suite and
engaging in speaking events
around the US.
2017
Rebranded Ladybug Design to
better reflect our craft. Nolan
Branding - Where Careers Take
Flight was born!

5. NAVIGATING A 21ST
CENTURY JOB SEARCH
Nolan Branding presents...
ENGAGEMENT OPTIONS
Tested topics for individuals, organizations, and associations
Prepare for flight
Many candidates enter a job search with little forethought and
certainly no flight plan filed - the impact of which will be felt
throughout their turbulent-filled flight as they guide their craft to
land. Instead, prepare yourself with the tools to ensure a safe
landing at your chosen destination.
PERSONAL BRANDING:
WHAT IS IT AND WHY
DOES IT MATTER?
LINKEDIN: THE
NONNEGOTIABLE
JOB SEEKER TOOL
WHEN ADVOCACY
STARTS WITH YOU
CONSTRUCTION:
WHY WORDS &
FORMATTING MATTER
Beyond the keywords & content
We are all human, and unless you only plan on your resume
being scanned by an Applicant Tracking System, being
interviewed by an avatar, and being employed virtually, we will
need to learn how to appeal to human preferences in the
construction of our resumes and delivery of our brands.
Your online persona on steroids
Virtualizing your Rolodex is just the first step of an effective and
high-ROI LinkedIn profile. Let's learn about leading-edge
LinkedIn strategies to ensure your first impression leaves the
right impression in the minds of peers, potential employers, and
of course, recruiters.
Presenting abilities, overcoming challenges
Most of us have faced challenges, some visible and others not.
What if your challenge changes the way in which you need to
work? Are you differently abled (like my own son) and potentially
require accommodations? Or perhaps your 'need' is not visible yet
requires some modifications. Learn how to navigate often-sensitive
job search challenges.
Marketing for the individual
You've heard it and you've not wanted to ask what exactly is a
brand and why does it matter! How does branding apply to you
and your professional candidacy? How can you use results-
proven marketing and communication strategies to create your
professional brand?

6. BALANCING LIFE,
LEDGER & LEADERSHIP
Nolan Branding presents...
ENGAGEMENT OPTIONS
Tested topics for individuals, organizations, and associations
My 'pretend' stay-at-home Mom journey
As I have navigated a course, uncharted by anyone I knew, I have
learned valuable lessons along the way. Loving my work, I found
myself downsized three times by the age of 28, disenchanted with
'Corporate America,' and wondering where stability could be
found. I did not know the stability I sought resided within myself.
Now, 18+ years later, I have the best 'jobs' in the world and
continue to learn the art of working to live!
FROM UK TO US:
LEARNING TO EMBRACE
BEING 'DIFFERENT'
WORKSHOP: PRO TOOLS
TO MAKE YOUR RESUME
PASS THE SCREEN
WORKSHOP: LINKEDIN
TACTICS TO OPTIMZE
YOUR PASSIVE SEARCH
INSERT YOUR
TITLE HERE!
Learning, and loving, who you are
I'm not there yet, I am a work-in-progress for sure. But, through
the years, I have learned to love my story, to embrace its
differences, and to value the nuances that make me, well, me!
From growing up in the UK, to moving with $300 in my pocket to
the US, to meeting my better half who has supported and fueled
my journey (the real 'Captain Nolan' in the family), I have learned
the value of me - the hardworking introvert from Wales.
Empowering job seekers - offline
The hard work happens before your pen touches your paper or
your fingers hit your keyboard. Prepare your brand for flight
through this interactive, engaging workshop where we learn from
the lessons of an expert brand strategist and the successes and
failures of client case studies. Leave invigorated for your search!
Empowering job seekers - online
LinkedIn requires constant attention and an eye for the details.
Ensure your LinkedIn profile is optimized through this hands-on
workshop where attendees will leave empowered to build their
own online personas and to leverage LinkedIn in their own career
and job search journeys.
Design your custom session(s)
Have ideas? Great, we'd love to hear them. We routinely
partner with organizations, associations, and groups to develop
custom presentations and workshops that meet the needs of
your group. Contact us and let's discuss!

7. FORMATS
S E L E C T
E N G A G E M E N T
PRESENTER / EMCEE FACILITATOR / PANELIST
VLOGGER / INTERVIEWER WEBINAR HOST / TRAINER
KEYNOTE PRESENTER

8. Clients
REACHING FOR THE SKY

9. AUDIENCE FEEDBACK
MEASURES OF IMPACT & INFLUENCE
I feel empowered to take charge of
my branding and job search!
This was one of the most
professional and high-powered
presentations that I have had the
pleasure of attending. Very well
done.
Great content presented in a clear,
concise manner.
Samantha is an expert on resumes.
Loved her presentation!
You covered all sides. I know
where I am—what needs to be done
to get to where I am going, and how
to get there!
Thank you for offering this great
program.
All of the information Samantha
shared was impressive.
Currently job seeking and have felt
my resume was outdated. Turns
out, I was right!
W H A T D O E S Y O U R A U D I E N C E N E E D ?
Knockout punch! I was really put in
my place with proper perspective… I
have so far to go!!
I expected a traditional resume
experience and got a lot more. I
was blown away!
Please have a "Part 2!"
Topics were covered well, but not
beaten to death!
The session enlightened me on a
lot of information I lacked regarding
resume writing and personal
branding.
Sam is extremely knowledgeable
and can share her knowledge well.
Your presentation was excellent and
your recommendations were spot
on! As someone who has reviewed
many resumes, those who take your
advice will present their best self
and increase their candidacy.