Building a Brand 101

Why you need a “brand” and why you need to work on it, consistently, creating brand awareness along the way.

Everyone has a brand, let’s start here. Whether they realize it or not, we establish ourselves through our credibility, our skills and experience and our story.

What’s a story? Think about your favorite person, what is the first thing that comes to mind? Is it their kindness, their smile, their infectious personality style? It is your favorite memory with that person? Are they your role model? It is their level of energy? How you describe your favorite person is a good start to describing their personal brand and its awareness management; it is their essence, their backbone, their core. By remaining consistent to their story and actions, this person is managing their brand.

Here is your checklist for creating your personal brand:

1. What inspires you?
2. Who are your role models? Why?
3. What do you like to do (passions, hobbies, interests)?
   • What is something you did as a child and continue to do to this day that aligns with the above?
   • What are you passionate about?
   • What do you like to do (that you are not paid for)?
4. What is your strongest personality trait?
5. What is your weakest personality trait?
6. Where is your focus; long-term and short-term?
7. What skills do you want to nurture; personal and professional?
8. What is your motivation?
9. How do you communicate your desires/interests with others?
10. What is a family story that inspires you?
11. Whom do you seek to please?
12. Is there a quote, familiar sayings that you heard growing up that you identify with?

Why do you need a story? Your story is very much who you are and what you want the world to see. Often times we say that networking and getting to know people is the best form of obtaining a new job, engage and distinguish yourself. However, it is not always about who you know, but more about who knows YOU.

I am not referring to who knows your name, I am referring to who knows your essence. I am referring to the individual that thinks of you and immediately sees a brand; a personality trait, clear vision of what you bring to the table (benefits).

It helps create engagement, establishes you as a credible professional in your field, produces your elevator pitch for you (in a nutshell – by identifying your goals, style, personality, values, and mission statement), as well as creating an expectation and experience. This becomes your brand promise.

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Examples: People in the industry use soda/pop as an example of brand awareness. When you think of a soft drink, what company comes to mind?

Coca-Cola and Pepsi

When you think of technology, what comes to mind?

Apple and IBM

It is not enough to identify the answers to the checklist above, you have to plan and execute them into actions through constant behavioral adjustments, growth mindset and self-awareness in how we interact with others.

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Start working on your personal brand today, its awareness or revamp your brand, send us a message. Your first consultation is free.