Personal brand used to be something you’d only attribute to mainstream celebrities. However, I’d hesitate to say that many of them are not actually developing their personal brand. (In a way that will make a difference longer term.)

They may be launching products off the back of success in their field (film and TV, sport, business, beauty, etc) and counting on the fact that everyone recognises them for [insert relevant thing here] – but do they share themselves…so you actually know them?

At least six out of the ten examples that I see – do not.

When the hype dies down after launching whatever they are doing, they are left with what we all are:

• who we are,
• what we stand for,
• how we make people feel, and
• what we want to do in the world.

If they are not expressing that in some consistent way, you will forget them in the near future.

Avoid the ‘world view’ vacuum

I urge you to take the reigns on what you can control in the shifting world sands we find ourself, and you’ll find yourself armed and ready for the changes that will inevitably hit you as artificial intelligence infiltrates every aspect of your work and personal life.

I’ve pulled together ten reasons which I hope will urge you to think about doing this work on clearly articulating your professional uniqueness and learning to demonstrate that in a way that others “get you”, and what you can bring to the table, faster.

This is a list for you – whether you are working for yourself or for others (as an employee). I work with both sides of fence.

10 Reasons to develop your personal brand

See which of these relate most with your situation:

1. Learn to master your human intelligence

This work is an excellent opportunity to take stock of your strengths and reshape how you apply them – with the lens of an AI-powered work landscape. Which elements of your strengths is AI not mastering yet? Hint: critical thinking and questioning, world-view (or historic) context to situations, solutions, people, etc.

2. Validates your true value (not just your ‘skills’)

The way I approach personal brand strategy work is that it is centred around being an evidence-based and visually-documented way to see yourself in FULL 3D colour.

The whole process solidifies your strengths, your uniqueness, your personality and impact on others and, most importantly, how you contribute to the client or organisation, you are engaged for or with.

3. Gives your expertise positioning and context

Helps people to clearly understand what it is that you do (jargon-free), how you are different or at the very least how you are comparable to others, who do what you do. This helps you get picked or chosen, and also can support your career progression. (You can wholeheartedly go for that promotion or career move you are thinking of).

4. Able to properly evaluate opportunities

After doing this work, you are clearer on why you are here…today…doing what you are doing. You also have had the time to think about what you want for the future and really understand what lights you up. This makes it easier for you to say YES or NO to things…with conviction.

5. Reduces stress, uncertainty or professional anxiety

The beauty of this work is that you get really close again to what your driving values are, the principles that sit at the heart of how you approach things, as well as the strengths that underpin why you are good at what you do.

This helps give you a clear indication where you have been in the wrong situations,  and possibly have been solving the wrong problems for the wrong people. Get back to YOU and what you do best.

6. Raises you up – to be seen and heard

Sharpening your strategy around developing your personal brand means focusing in on your visibility plan. How do you want to show up? Who do you want to notice you? You do the reflective work on pin-pointing the ways you are comfortable being seen, and heard, by more of the people that matter. And then you double down on spending time and energy on the ways you can make the biggest impact.

7. Calibrates how you affect people

Part of personal brand work focuses on aligning how you want people to perceive and experience you, and comparing that with what the reality is. If there is a gap or a disjoint, you become more aware and can recalibrate and adjust accordingly. How people experience you will heavily influence whether they choose to listen to you or even better – choose you to work with or alongside.

8. Leading and directing your communication / marketing

By having all of your personal brand work out of your head and documented – it’s a lot easier to reflect back on it, when needed, to keep you focussed.

You’ll also work on what your higher, driving purpose is for getting out of bed everyday. Your personal brand strategy helps you to stay on-track and ensures that you don’t get distracted.

9. Puts personal guardrails in place

We know that it’s important to share our own personal story and journey. It’s also important to clearly decide what is up for public consumption, and what isn’t.

In the personal brand work I do with clients – we focus on pulling out your backstory (or origin story) and on carefully choosing which topics you can easily share to connect with people, and which you hold dear and out of the spotlight.

With AI content polluting newsfeeds – the more you can share your personal stories comfortably – the more you’ll be able to gain the trust of your audiences.

10. Framework to strategic house everything that makes and shapes you

Honestly, it’s a super way to keep everything that you have carefully thought about, considered and verified with external checkpoints (friends / colleagues / data tools) in one place.

This framework of YOU – helps you stay on topic, speaking sincerely and consistently about the things that you most want to be heard and understood. It also inadvertently gives a clearer picture to others about your opinions or points of view when it comes to your area of specialism.

---

Every time I start a new personal brand strategy programme with a new client, a new reason pops up.

We are all so very different. Why we want to recalibrate ourselves and learn to communicate ourselves and what we want better, changes person to person.

After all is said and done – I know that:

…Understanding comes from clarity.

…Trust is gained through consistency and demonstrated competency.

…Decisions come from aligned values and strong view points.

…Resonance comes from sharing genuine stories and the vulnerability of your own human, lived experience

Something to leave you with

To win at providing a clear message, building trust, encouraging a decision to choose you, and for your ideal people to hear something that connects with them – you need to work on and develop your personal brand.

This is not a vanity project, it’s an existential project – one where you plan how you are going to overcome the bottom of the employment market disappearing in the next 5 years and your work landscape significantly shifting or fundamentally changing.

Want to have a relaxed conversation of what this work could look like for you? Feel free to pick a convenient time and we can have a chat.