Personal Brand Discovery

There is debate on the value of personal branding as I discussed in a prior post.

However, I land on the side that sees a lot of value.

We have a reputation, or a “brand personality”.

This is what we are known for.

How we are described by others.

What people say when we aren’t in the room.

We can influence the narrative or be OK with “it is what it is”.

Creating a Personal Brand Plan

Personal branding doesn’t happen overnight.

Here are four steps to get started.

Create a list of all the things you are / want to be known for. Keep to 20 or less.
Put your list in two columns – things I talk about and things I don’t.
Interview 5-10 people and ask them how they would describe you/your work to others.
Combine that input with your list to plot the attributes on the chart below

	Things I Don’t Talk About	Things I Talk About
What Others Say	Hidden Gems Personal Advocacy Low Others Advocacy High	Core Brand Elements Personal Advocacy High Others Advocacy High
What Others Leave Out	Below the Surface Personal Advocacy Low Others Advocacy Low	The Disconnect Personal Advocacy High Others Advocacy Low

Once the chart is made, you can consider the actions below to continue to refine and strengthen your personal brand.

Hidden Gems: Qualities others see in you that you might not realize or aren’t promoting. They are already part of your brand – consider highlighting these more.
Core Brand Elements: These are your dominant strengths. Continue to nurture to ensure they stay on the list. Ensure they shine on your resume/profile.
Below the Surface: Qualities you have that no one is talking about. Determine if you want to be known for these things. If you do, start sprinkling them in.
The Disconnect: You are talking about these qualities, but they aren’t catching on. Determine why – do they not matter to others? Are they not getting the message?

Did this chart surface new insights about yourself?

Were there attributes others see as important that you didn’t think were interesting or unique?

Are there elements below the surface or in the disconnect zone you want to work on (or drop)?