There’s a big problem in the world of personal brand building:
It’s very outwardly-focused.
Lots of “here’s what I do”—not enough “here’s who I am” and “here’s why my work matters”.
Lots of “what will get me engagement”—not enough “what will build meaningful relationships with my people, for the right reasons”.
This approach reduces folks to commodities, brand personas.
It starts to feel like a slog, or a hamster wheel. A confusing quest to discover the magic words and strategies that’ll lead to work with me / buy my thing / subscribe to my newlsetter—while overlooking the most valuable aspect of your personal brand:
You.
Not just what you do.
Not just what will make folks like you.
But who you are, and why your work matters.
Let’s talk about how your brand-building journey could also build you—not just as an entrepreneur, but as an individual.
Bringing more of what inspires you, excites you, and expands you into the mix… so you can build a brand that truly ignites the hearts and minds of your people—becoming a vehicle not just for your material success, but also for your own self-actualization.
Becoming The One
I’m gonna share an exercise with you that I created for myself over the weekend.
This exercise got me seeing my brand + personal growth journey in some exciting new ways, and maybe it’ll do the same for you.
All you’ll need: some paper (real or digital) and some quality time to devote to yourself, so you can get to the good stuff.
You’ll get the most out of this exercise if you don’t try to make all your answers “brand relevant”—let them be unfiltered and genuinely You. You’ll make the brand connections later. Ready?
Part 1: How do you enjoy creatively expressing yourself?
Writing, drawing, speaking, singing, dancing, art, vogueing? List the ways your creativity is ignited and unleashed.
Part 2: What inspires you?
What surges you with motivation, enthusiasm, wonder, and awe? What gets you thinking differently, taking new actions? List everything that comes to mind.
Part 3: What challenges and expands you?
Think of what gets you thinking/acting out of your comfort zones, what broadens your perspectives, what invites you to the next level in ways that are meaningful to you. These can be current and/or aspirational. List them all out.
Part 4: What taps you in to your personal power?
Think about what gets you feeling like your most authentic, genuine, powerful, and limitless self. Even when it’s scary. Spend some time writing these things out.
Part 5: What’s the Why at the heart of your work?
Write out WHY you do the work of service that you do. At the heart of it all, why does it matter to you? Why does it matter to your people? Underneath the work itself, what’s really happening for your people?
Part 6: Make the connections.
Study and reflect on everything you’ve written. Consider how you could integrate key items from each category into your brand journey—in ways that both build your brand, and express/evolve you personally:
- Your message
- Your content (including how you create content)
- Your offers
- Your marketing
- Your brand design
- How you wish to become known
- How you could build relationships
- How you could Go First, being a living example of your work
Consider how your Why could serve as a point of your own personal evolution, too. See how the deeper work you do with your people also reflects your own next-level inner work.
Bottom line: don’t just show folks you’ve got the goods.
Show them what the goods look like—in you and through you, in real time. Show them why the goods matter.
Make your personal brand personal af.
Let them see who you are, and how you’re living your message and your work:
Not just showing the way, but embodying the way.
Becoming The One.
And inviting your people to see the potential of The One in them, too.
Stay gold. I love you.
See ya next Wednesday.
