8 Steps To Build A Personal Brand
Mentioned Resources:
Personal Branding Series
How To Create A Visual Brand Identity
Personal Brand Photography & Why It Matters
Personal branding is not simply your logo, colors, patterns, and personal style. Those things are tools to serve to amplify the core and foundational development of your brand. Instead, it is a personal and private exercise in establishing confidence, credibility, and courage as well as help you define priorities and focus on those aspects of your life you enjoy most.
There are 8 simple steps to developing your brand before you begin to develop your visual identity to complement and amplify your brand values:
1. Know your strengths
I will preach this till the cows come home. By knowing your strengths, you aren’t putting yourself in a box with a label. It’s simply an exercise in confidence about how you were made and wired to be. I love the Clifton Strengths assessment to start clients with to give them language and understanding to start with.
2. Be yourself
This is the most sure-fire way to stand out in a saturated marketplace. Only YOU can be YOU. By being yourself, you will attract the right clients and repel the wrong one naturally.
3. Tell a clear, compelling story
People want to follow others who are inspiring or are aspiring to be something great or different. And they want to know how the story ends. It’s wired in us. So tell a clear and compelling story. Or share your journey live and walk it through to completion.
4. Be consistent
This one has always been a challenge for me in my life because I’m a curious person by nature and tend to have shiny object syndrome but consistency builds trust. Use tools, systems, community and mentors to help keep you on track.
5. Face your failures
This one is tough for me because I have a HUGE fear of failure. But by sharing your “oopsies” you build resonance and confidence in those who are watching that they can do it too! And there is no achievement without error. You fell many times while learning to walk. It’s about getting back up again.
6. Live to leave a legacy
Daily actions build-up to create a lifestyle and it’s a lifestyle that you are selling. It is one often of following your passion, having freedom or flexibility with your time or having the financial success of your dreams. But it has to be done intentionally and it doesn’t happen overnight. Keep going and choose to lean in daily and you’ll find a legacy developing behind you.
7. Find a mentor
It’s a fine line between emulating qualities you admire versus being a copycat. A mentor will help you stay in your lane, keep you focused and help you make decisions that will make you more effective in your actions.
8. Let others work for you
You’ve done the work to build the brand and provide an excellent client experience. Not it’s time to let those referrals, word of mouth work for you. I love the iconic quote from Jeff Bezos of “Your brand is what others say about you when you are not in the room.” So be intentional from your foundation to your daily actions and others will take it from there.
