Personal Brand: When You Have A Famous Last Name
Luxury Real Estate baddie Kourtney Pulitzer hired Hype Boss to help her with her personal brand, which includes helping her refine who she is and how to handle her famous last name.
In the world of personal branding, a name can be both a blessing and a challenge. For Kourtney Pulitzer, having a last name that rings two major bells— Joseph Pulitzer (as in, of the Pulitzer Prize) and Lilly Pulitzer (the iconic Palm Beach fashion goddess)—meant owning her story while carving out her own lane. (Before you go down a rabbit hole of a Google search let us cut to the chase here — Kourtney’s husband of 20+ years is the grandson of Lilly Pulitzer. And Lilly Pulitzer was married to the grandson of Joseph Pulitzer, after whom the Pulitzer Prize is named. You’re welcome.)
When Kourtney hired Hype Boss and teamed up with Holly Meyer Lucas, she was ready to level up her business as a luxury real estate agent, redefine her brand, and define her voice. Her career was already a respectable one; Kourtney has sold over $100million in real estate over the course of her 25+ year career selling Palm Beach Real Estate, but she knew she wanted more with how she was positioning herself and marketing her own legacy.
Embracing Your Story
One of the first moves Holly made with Kourtney was digging into the power of her last name. Instead of tiptoeing around it, they leaned in. The strategy? Use the name recognition as an anchor but build a personal brand that screamed confidence, expertise, and modern-day luxury real estate vibes, while not piggybacking off the success of her family's name.
For anyone with a famous last name, this will be relatable - you want to lean into it, but also not take advantage of it and that's exactly what Kourtney did. The playbook is simple: own your story and show up as yourself. Holly helped Kourtney craft a foundation rooted in authenticity and authority, positioning her as a standout luxury real estate agent serving everyone from billionaires to soccer moms in the Palm Beach area of South Florida.
Building a Blueprint for Success
Kourtney participated in Hype Boss's Brand Blueprint Program, which laid the foundation for her transformation. As part of this program, Holly and the Hype Boss team worked with Kourtney to:
Define her ideal client avatar and pinpoint exactly who she wanted to reach.
Identify where she should be advertising and showing up to maximize visibility.
Craft a brand voice and tone that felt authentic and relatable while maintaining a luxury vibe.
Develop strategies for content creation—including consulting on photo and video shoots to make sure Kourtney’s personality and expertise took center stage.
Plan her PR and media positioning to amplify her presence in the news and local market.
The result? A crystal-clear roadmap that turned Kourtney’s name into an asset while ensuring her reputation as a luxury real estate expert stood on its own.
CLIENT TESTIMONIAL: Kourtney Pulitzer hired Hype Boss for our signature Personal Brand Blueprint services, and this is what she had to say about the experience.
Defining the Personal Brand
Let’s get real—a personal brand is so much more than logos and taglines. Holly guided Kourtney through defining her mission, messaging, and visual vibe. The goal? Make sure Kourtney showed up on video and social media as herself because her personality shines when she’s front and center.
Key Elements of Kourtney's Personal Brand:
Authentic storytelling that highlights her personality, expertise, and relatability.
A luxury vibe that feels approachable and fresh.
Showing up consistently on social media and in video to connect with her audience.
Making the Name Work for You
A famous last name can open doors, but it can also come with assumptions. Holly’s strategy for Kourtney? Flip the script. Instead of hiding from the Pulitzer name, they positioned Kourtney as her own kind of icon—someone redefining what it means to lead with authenticity in the luxury real estate space.
For anyone navigating a similar challenge, here’s Holly’s advice:
Lead with Value: Show what you bring to the table beyond the name.
Own Your Story: Acknowledge the connections but make it clear you’re in a lane of your own.
Be Consistent: Show up online and in person as your authentic self—every single time.
Final Thoughts
With Holly Meyer Lucas’s high-energy approach and expert strategy, Kourtney Pulitzer turned her famous last name into a launchpad for her personal brand success. Through Hype Boss’s Brand Blueprint Program, Kourtney gained the tools, strategy, and confidence to show up consistently on video and social media, letting her personality and expertise take center stage. The result? She’s built a thriving business, working with everyone from billionaires to soccer moms, and proved that authenticity always wins.
So whether your name is iconic, uncommon, or somewhere in between, the takeaway is this: your personal brand is what you make it. Show up, own it, and let the world see what you’re made of.
