Design Your Next Chapter: Personal Branding & Career Navigation

New
·

4 Weeks

·

Cohort-based Course

Transform your career story into a powerful personal brand in 4 weeks. Gain the tools, strategies and confidence to stand out.

Previously at

Microsoft
NBCUniversal
Warner Bros. Discovery
The Walt Disney Company
20th Century Studios

Course overview

Go from uncertainty to unstoppable with a presence companies can't ignore.

By the end of this 4-week course, you’ll go from uncertain about how to position yourself to confident in telling your story, showcasing your skills, and communicating your value with clarity. You’ll leave with a personal brand system, a job-seeker toolkit and a leadership-ready presence that helps you stand out in today’s competitive market. 


This isn’t just another resume workshop. You’ll learn how to frame your career narrative, design a personal brand system, and apply proven communication frameworks for interviews, presentations and networking that companies can’t ignore.


Each week, we’ll build practical tools and skills (from personal brand narratives and LinkedIn strategies to communication playbooks) that give you the clarity and confidence to pursue promotions, navigate transitions or land your next big role.


I bring 25+ years of executive experience leading design, product, marketing and brand organizations at Microsoft, NBC, and Warner Bros. Discovery - launching global platforms and brand systems and marketing systems that help teams thrive during massive transformation.


Now I’m bringing those same frameworks and insights directly to you.


Key Takeaways:

• A clear, compelling career narrative

• A repeatable personal brand system

• Communication frameworks for clarity and impact

• A career toolkit built for today’s market

• A networking plan to position yourself for leadership


Please understand that this course can in no way guarantee you a new job, promotion or position – but it will help you better understand and promote yourself through your strengths, personal narrative and brand.



For Professionals, Emerging Leaders, Founders & Independents Looking to Build their Personal Brand

01

Emerging Leaders

Mid-career professionals aiming for promotion, build executive presence, sharpen communication, and elevate visibility.

02

Founders & Independents

Founders and professionals working in tech, product & design who want to stand out with their personal brand.

03

Professionals in Transition

Designers, Product, Creative & Marketing professionals who need to reposition themselves in a shifting market.

Prerequisites

  • No prerequisites required.

    This course is designed for professionals at all stages - from job-seeking, transitioning or preparing for leadership.

What you’ll get out of this course

Audit & Frame Your Career Story

Uncover strengths, map skills, and frame your story to stand out in a fast-changing, competitive market.

Craft Your Personal Brand System

Design a personal and repeatable brand framework with clear messaging, POV, and content cadence across LinkedIn, portfolios, and platforms.

Communicate with Clarity & Impact

Master frameworks for interviews, presentations and promotions that spotlight your value and leadership potential.


Develop a Toolkit for Changing Markets

Empower and equip yourself with ready-to-use templates, market maps, and AI-enabled tools to adapt and seize opportunities.


Networking for Visibility, Influence & Leadership

Build a strategic networking plan to increase visibility, influence and position yourself for leadership roles.


What’s included

Shawn Johnson

Live sessions

Learn directly from Shawn Johnson in a real-time, interactive format.

Lifetime access

Go back to course content and recordings whenever you need to.

Community of peers

Stay accountable and share insights with like-minded professionals.

Certificate of completion

Share your new skills with your employer or on LinkedIn.

Maven Guarantee

This course is backed by the Maven Guarantee. Students are eligible for a full refund up until the halfway point of the course.

Course syllabus

5 live sessions • 8 lessons • 11 projects

Week 1

Oct 21—Oct 26

    Building Story Foundations

    • Oct

      21

      Live Session 01 - Story Foundations

      Tue 10/2111:30 PM—1:30 AM (UTC)
    4 more items

Week 2

Oct 27—Nov 2

    Craft Your Personal Brand System

    • Oct

      28

      Live Session 02 - Build Your Brand System

      Tue 10/2811:30 PM—1:30 AM (UTC)
    4 more items

Week 3

Nov 3—Nov 9

    Connect, Communicate & Compete

    • Nov

      5

      Live Session 03: Connect, Communicate & Compete

      Wed 11/512:30 AM—2:30 AM (UTC)
    6 more items

Week 4

Nov 10—Nov 14

    Execute, Elevate & Lead

    • Nov

      12

      Live Session 04: Execute, Elevate & Lead

      Wed 11/1212:30 AM—3:00 AM (UTC)
    4 more items

Post-course

    Post-Course Follow-Ups

    1 item

    Nov

    19

    Optional: Cohort Reunion & Recap (Optional)

    Wed 11/1912:30 AM—1:30 AM (UTC)
    Optional

What people are saying

        Shawn is very personable and amazingly insightful. He is well versed in the day to day and high level aspects of the industry. It is a pleasure learning from him!
Chris Loiselle

Chris Loiselle

Accessibility Technical Lead at Oracle
        Shawn is a brilliant, engaging, and well-rounded! Encouraging me to re-imagine my pitch, he left me with valuable insights that were genuine and actionable.
Khansaa Elguenaoui

Khansaa Elguenaoui

Product Designer at Career Foundry
        Given how established he is in the industry, Shawn was surprisingly easy to converse with. He is very aware when to push individuals to step out of their comfort zones and when to advise a detour for new career path.
Tian Cai

Tian Cai

Founder, Lead User Strategy & Meditative Art Facilitator at Real Beautiful Parenthood
        Shawn has a lot of industry knowledge, and above all, he is an honest and clear communicator. He tells you what you need to hear with a plan to chart your own career path and navigate the challenges of standing out.
Axel Lonnroth

Axel Lonnroth

Design Researcher at Laerdal

Meet your instructor

Shawn Johnson

Shawn Johnson

Award winning Executive, Speaker, Author, Entrepreneur and Innovator – Shawn Johnson is the Founder and President of SocioPunk & Seichō Syndicate.


Over the past 25 years, his products have been enjoyed by millions of people around the world - creating positive, memorable and lasting relationships through evolving consumer and technology ecosystems.


A former executive leader for Warner Bros. Discovery, NBCUniversal and Microsoft – Shawn builds effective strategies and high performing cross-functional teams to create Most Lovable Brands, Products and Experiences that thrive at the intersection of design, technology, and imagination of the human spirit.

Brands & Clients

Microsoft
NBCUniversal
Warner Bros. Discovery
Nike
Unilever

Career highlights

  • Proven Brand, Design, UX & Product Executive with 25+ years experience shaping innovative, high-impact experiences for global companies.

  • An award-winning Brand, Design & Product Executive with a proven track record of building innovative platforms, experiences & teams.

  • An established keynote & conference speaker who’s topics range from Design & Product Leadership, Creativity Technology, & Innovation.

  • Strategic partner to CEOs, Product & Design leaders across high-growth startups and enterprise businesses.

  • Thrives at the intersection of strategy, creativity & technology, driving measurable business outcomes through visionary leadership.

A pattern of wavy dots

Join an upcoming cohort

Design Your Next Chapter: Personal Branding & Career Navigation

Design Your Next Chapter - Cohort 1

$750

Dates

Oct 21—Nov 15, 2025

Application Deadline

Oct 15, 2025

Design Your Next Chapter - Cohort 2

$750

Dates

Dec 3—24, 2025

Application Deadline

Nov 28, 2025

Course schedule

2 hours per week

  • Tuesdays

    4:30pm - 6:30pm PT | 7:30pm - 9:30pm ET

    We meet weekly to discuss, collaborate and align on frameworks that will help you with your personal brand and professional narrative.

  • Projects & Worksheets

    Weekly

    Most projects and worksheets will be completed during our weekly sessions. However, you may want to continue your worksheets between scheduled meetings. Our final session will include a presentation and culmination of your work on personal brand and communication style.

  • Free 1:1 Coaching Session

    Available Post Course

    Following the course, we will schedule a 60min 1:1 session for each participant to review and refine your brand narrative, objectives and positioning. This will help align any adjustments you may require.

Learning is better together.

Learning is better together.

Active hands-on learning

This course builds on live workshops and hands-on projects that help you frame build your skills.

Interactive and project-based

You’ll be interacting with other learners through facilitated group discussions and project based worksheets.

Learn with a cohort of peers

Join a community of like-minded people who want to learn and grow alongside you by gaining different perspectives and insights.

Frequently Asked Questions

Stay in the loop

Sign up to be the first to know about course updates.

A pattern of wavy dots

Join an upcoming cohort

Design Your Next Chapter: Personal Branding & Career Navigation

Design Your Next Chapter - Cohort 1

$750

Dates

Oct 21—Nov 15, 2025

Application Deadline

Oct 15, 2025

Design Your Next Chapter - Cohort 2

$750

Dates

Dec 3—24, 2025

Application Deadline

Nov 28, 2025

$750

USD

4 Weeks