Do you have a personal brand?
If you said yes, you are right. You do. Everyone has one. The question is whether your personal brand is intentional?
As you may know, my passion is helping women create a personal brand and Show Up, or visually communicate that brand.
I have clients that ask whether a work brand is different than a personal brand. Under most circumstances, I don’t think it has to be. If you have a dress code or other reason to show up in a certain way at work, you can do that while still being true to your personal brand. That’s why I have been doing a video series, my Personal 30-Day Challenge. I am taking short videos every day to demonstrate how I show up as my personal brand for every occasion of my life.
My goal is to share how I show up (even when feeling under the weather!) and inspire others to do the same. My 30-Day Personal Brand Challenge is on my YouTube channel, or even better in my Success thru Style Facebook group. In this closed group for women (which you are invited to join if you aren’t already a member), I’ve also shared the videos. You are invited to post pictures of yourself and ask questions about your brand. Many women are participating and receiving invaluable feedback. I’m up to Day 13 of the series, with more to come!
Take a moment and think about how you want others to perceive you and what you are doing to make that happen.
Think about the people you know, your friends and colleagues you can rely on all the time. You know they will return your phone call promptly. They will help you if you are in need. They send you cards on special occasions, check in on you when you are down and not well and they always have a kind word.
How about your brilliant friends, those you can count on them for words of wisdom? Are they well educated and informed? Do they always do the right thing? Are they benevolent and give back during the holidays and donate time, money and used goods to a good cause? Are they spiritual and go to church every Sunday, or crafty and give out homemade cookies and gifts? Are they authentic and tell it like it is? Are they athletic or health oriented and always encouraging others to live a peaceful, healthy life?
I can go on and paint a picture of the people in your life who make a positive impact and how they do it. What about you?
I can also paint a picture of those people who let you down. Can you think of a friend who is always late? Maybe you know someone who is critical and judgmental or who gossips about others. They talk about themselves and always need to be right, or they don’t do what they say they will. You count on them to show up for parties or events that are important to you but they always have an excuse as to why they can’t come and usually at the last minute. Or maybe they don’t show up at all.
All of these things make up who a person is. They are the behaviors that make up a personal brand. They are commonly not intentional. Most people don’t say this is who I am or how I want to be perceived by the world and then go about communicating that.
It’s even simpler than that. When you meet someone new they decide what kind of person they think you are in less than 7 seconds. Once you know how you want to be perceived you can visually communicate it through your hair, makeup and the clothes you wear. That’s what my video series is all about. I hope you join my Success thru Style Facebook group, follow along and start to share your personal brand. I’d be happy to give you feedback for your own, 30-Day What’s Your Personal Brand Challenge!
