Four Ways to Reimagine Your Personal Brand

How often do you think about your personal brand? And when you do, do you think it’s all about you?

I’ve got a secret for you. It’s not about you at all! At least not in the way I think about it.

Personal branding is usually thought of in terms of your competitive advantage in your given industry. Are you the expert? Do you have credibility? Things like that and very much you centric.

I like to think of personal brand in a much simpler way. How do people feel after leaving my presence? Do they feel inspired? Comforted? Happy? Calm? At peace? Things like that and more other focused.

I know I’m biased, but my definition speaks to me more because I know my personal brand goes beyond my career. It impacts every interaction I have.

With that, I believe there are four areas we need to consider when thinking about personal brand in this way.

The first is listening. When you’re talking to someone, are you listening for the intention behind their words? The emotions? Are you considering body language? Or are you just waiting for your turn to talk?

Next, it’s all about speaking. Do you understand the impact of your words? Are you in control of your tone? Or again, are you just talking to talk? I recently saw this acronym, and it made me laugh and nod my head in agreement. WAIT – why am I talking?

Third, how do you react when things don’t go as expected? Do you get angry immediately? Are you dismissive? Do you ask questions? It’s important to ensure what’s happening warrants your reaction and the energy you’re expelling.

Finally (and most importantly), are you empathetic? Do you try and understand where people are coming from? What they’re feeling? Are you compassionate? These things matter now more than ever, and I believe true connection is directly correlated to how much empathy exists in the relationship. Remember, you are responsible for bringing at least 50%.

And that is my take on personal branding in a nutshell! What do you think? Does this resonate? What would you add?