Yes, I’m kind of obsessed with encouraging you to develop a strong personal brand. Why?
A few reasons:
- A strong personal brand will provide you with focus and direction.
- A strong personal brand will boost your confidence.
- If you don’t create your personal brand, someone else will do it for you!
Developing your personal brand is well worth the effort. In fact, it’s probably easier than you think.
Let me clarify what I mean when I talk about personal branding. I’m not talking about turning you into an influencer. I’m also not talking about monetizing your brand. (Although you could monetize your brand if you choose to!)
Amazon founder Jeff Bezos famously said that,
“Your brand is what people say about you when you’re not in the room.”
I love this definition! Try this mental exercise. What’s your boss thinking and saying about you when your name comes up in succession planning meetings? THAT is your brand!
Last year when I interviewed Seth Godin for ep.171 of the Talk About Talk podcast, I asked him whether he thinks about his brand. (He has such a cool brand!). He told me that,
“Your personal brand is what people believe you’ll do next.”
This definition is next level! Immediately after the interview, I took out a piece of paper and wrote a list of my goals (write a book, speak on the Ted stage,…) Then for each item on my list, I asked myself: ”Would others be surprised if I did this? Is it conceivable?”
I encourage you to do the same!
The thing about these two definitions is that they lack agency. Agency as in control or influence. You DO have control and influence over your brand.
So here’s my definition: Your personal brand is about being your self on purpose.
Help me spread the word!
#BeYourSelfOnPurpose
Here are some suggestions for why and how you can purposefully, strategically, and unapologetically be your best self.
3 Things to Talk About This Week
- The importance of thinking strategically about your personal brand
- Work your self introduction
- Tell stories that serve you
1️⃣ Why it’s important to think strategically about your personal brand
When you start applying focus and strategy to develop the stories that narrate your personal brand—something I like to call #BeingYourSelfOnPurpose—you’ll experience tremendous breakthroughs in how you view yourself, and how others view you too. I hear this firsthand from clients all of the time.
They tell me:
“I have never thought about myself before in this strategic and disciplined way and it’s actually very satisfying.”
And more importantly:
“It’s incredible how with just a little bit of effort I can make a massive impact on my brand. I’m already internally feeling differently and I can tell that other people are interpreting me in a different and an improved way too.”
How awesome is that?
When we feel confident in who we are and the value that we offer, we carry ourselves differently, and express ourselves differently. And others take note.
It’s the reason so many of my clients suddenly get promoted, make partner, or experience untapped growth in their careers—they’re finally seen as leaders thanks to their ability to communicate clearly, and with credibility and confidence.
Ready to start thinking strategically about your personal brand? Start with my free Personal Brand Assessment.
Through a series of questions, you’ll learn where your opportunities are to focus on your brand. You’ll also be able to see how your answers compare to others.
Take the Personal Brand Assessment now!
2️⃣ Work your self-introduction
Your self-introduction is the most direct way that you can reinforce your personal brand. It’s your words, about you, from you.
If you’re like most people, you know self-introductions are important. They’re also anxiety-inducing. That’s why I created a 3-step framework on introductions for a Harvard Business Review article. (It was one of the top three downloaded articles in 2023!)
My proven framework works in any context (professional or personal), but similar to being strategic about your personal brand, you need to be intentional in your introduction as well.
Step 1: Present: Who you are and what you do
Start with the present tense. Highlight who you are and what you do.
Don’t shy away from stating the impressive responsibilities you oversee, your strengths, and your passions.
Step 2: Past: Establish credibility
Now, elaborate on your background. In a professional setting, this is where you establish credibility. This means mentioning your experience, expertise, and credentials that validate your value.
This step builds trust and helps people understand why they should listen to you—so lean heavily on your impressive achievements.
Step 3: Future: Show enthusiasm
This is the icing on the cake—where you set the tone for what’s next. Research shows that people are more likely to engage with you if you express enthusiasm. It opens the door for future conversations.
Looking good Andrea, but your name badge is upside down!
Own your introduction!
With my 3-Point Framework, your introduction isn’t just a formality—it’s an opportunity to reinforce your personal brand and make a great first impression.
3️⃣ Tell stories that serve you
Could the stories you share about your career actually be sabotaging your growth potential?
I always say there are a million ways to tell the same story, so why not tell it in a way that serves you?
For example, in a recent coaching session, I helped an SVP develop a narrative about his transition from a company. He’d been telling people he’d been let go, but with my help, we created this (true!) narrative:
“I parted ways with my previous employer because I’ve learned I work best in a more creative and agile environment.”
This is a perfect example of how to #BeYourSelfOnPurpose. We weren’t creating a false narrative, it was all true. The difference was, he was taking the opportunity to lean into his superpower, bring intent to his narrative, and focus on his professional identity.
Can you think of any times in your career where you could have told your story in a way that better served you?
Listen to my latest podcast, ep.184 #BeYourSelfOnPurpose, for more tips on how to be strategic with your personal brand.
Talk soon,
Dr. Andrea Wojnicki
executive communication coach