Building A Personal Brand

So, you’ve decided to step out of the shadows and build your personal brand but where do you start? Here are some questions that will help you to figure this out: What do you want to be known for? What topics do you feel strongly about? What are your top 10 areas of knowledge and expertise What have you got to say that others would resonate with? W

business becomes a brand when it transcends its category of origin. It takes an existing core equity, or a particular philosophy, and it infuses that idea into everything it does, furthering its reputation or world view one product, service or line extension at a time.”

You need a brand. For years, I neglected this. I partnered with writers and organizations that had strong brands. I thought somehow their influence would transfer to me. I was wrong. It doesn’t work like that. Only you can own your own platform. Only you can manage your own brand.

After all, wouldn’t you rather hear unflattering criticism about you (and by extension, about your brand) in a private context than online or in the national press? As you get clearer about your identity – a work in constant progress and change – you will start to get a sense of what kind of actions represent your brand.

BEGIN TO THINK ABOUT: ■ How you could infuse your own distinct and unique personality into your products and company image ■ Where you could lean on what makes your business or product quirky or different to garner attention in the market