Get to Know Me

Hi there! I'm AJ

People don’t fall in love with what you’ve done...

They fall in love with who you are.

And let’s be clear, when I say “love”, I’m talking about customer loyalty, employee retention, audience engagement, and market awareness. I know you need to check and verify my credentials but when that is all said and done what you really want to know is who I am.

So let me help you get to know me... Interacting with someone’s story for the first time is an important moment, so I made something extra special for you! Click the video to get started.

Want to get to know me?

Looking for my formal bio?

All the Facets of Me

1.

Mom. Wife. Believer.

2.

CEO and Co Founder of the world’s leading personal brand strategy firm, Brand Builders Group

3.

Keynote Speaker

4.

Podcaster and lover of all things learning

5.

Amateur (but really good!) interior designer

6.

The friend who’ll make you laugh while telling you like it is.

Trip Down Memory Lane

A Look Back at All the Things That Made Me, Me.

I was born at a young age (Ha. I am funny too!) in Dalton, GA. I’m the middle child and the only girl.

I have gone by AJ since the 3rd grade when a friend gave me the nickname while standing in line at The Greenspot, our go to after school hangout (aka the grocery store). The legal name is Amanda!

#ElementarySchool

I am the survivor of a life altering 13 car pileup when a tractor trailer hit my family’s sedan going 75 MPH when I was 7 years old. Both of my brothers were pronounced DOA on the scene, but miraculously survived. I came out unscathed, not scratch on me.

#Miracle

I spent years traveling around the country with my family helping raise money for the Children’s Miracle Network Telethon … my youngest brother was the poster child in the early 90s for his medically unexplainable recovery.

#God

I am the daughter of a super mom. The mom who made all 3 of us kids feel like we were the favorite, the one who made Christmas extra magical, and the one who turned our birthday into a full month of celebration. My mom lost her battle with cancer when I was 15.

#guardianangel

I am a UT (the real UT, Go Vols!) alumni which means I looovvveee SEC football, will rival anyone in good game of cornhole, and can sing most all the words to Rocky Top!

#College

I am a 3rd generation entrepreneur. Our family construction business was started by my grandfather, H.L. Johns, in 1952, bought by my father in 1978, and is now being passed down to my 2 brothers to run.

#FamilyBusiness

I started my entrepreneurial escapades 6 months post college. You know, because of all that experience I had at age 21. I made $24k my full first year and everything I owned fit in my car for the next 4 years.

#glamorous #not

I met my husband, Rory Vaden, at work. We were business partners first. After 1 year of working together we decided to take it past 9-5. 18 years, 2 businesses, and 2 tiny humans later we are still business partners, still married, and wouldn’t have it any other way.

#Love

I'm a mom of two strong-willed, empathetic, and adventurous little boys. My heart now lives outside my chest. Motherhood is the best (and hardest) thing I never knew existed, until I became a mom.

#BoyMom

I have lived in 14 cities, 8 states, 3 countries and on 2 continents! Now you know why everything fit in my car!

#Wanderlust

I’m a believer. I’m a lover of art, nature, beaches, travel, reading, sounds of a steel drum, and tacos. I love tacos.

This is me.

My Professional Bio

AJ Vaden is the CEO and Co-Founder of Brand Builders Group, a personal brand strategy firm dedicated to helping individuals turn their reputation into revenue. Under her leadership, Brand Builders Group has been ranked on the Inc. 5000 list of Fastest Growing Companies in America for two consecutive years.

As a multi-time 8-figure entrepreneur, AJ has helped launch six multi-million-dollar businesses over her 20-year entrepreneurial career, including public seminars, a speakers bureau, sales coaching and consulting, and hybrid publishing.

She also co-hosts The Influential Personal Brand Podcast, ranked among the top 100 business podcasts, and has been featured in SUCCESS Magazine, Forbes, and Good Morning America.

As one of the world’s leading authorities on personal brand strategy, AJ has been hired to speak and consult with Fortune 100 executives, globally recognized brands, Hollywood actors, professional athletes, and world-renowned thought leaders on how to build influence and monetize their expertise. She also served as Chief Commissioner for the nation’s first multi-generational national study on personal branding, Trends in Personal Branding.

AJ is deeply passionate about empowering others to uncover their unique gifts, amplify their influence, and transform their reputations into meaningful impact and financial freedom. She believes that every individual has a message worth sharing and that with the right strategies, anyone can create a legacy that lasts far beyond their lifetime.