Believe it or not! You are a brand, and you are branded in a brand-driven world.

What you wear defines your choices about who you are or whom you want to be. Your clothing, your shoes, your watch, your satchel, etc. are all about the brand you, aren’t they? You are in effect branded by each choice you make.?

If you want to prosper and be the dream you always have had about yourself then learning from the big brands is one of the best things you can do. We cannot escape who we are and who we will be if we don't put in the effort to become the very best we can be.?

Tom Peters says (and we were inspired by his writings to pen down this piece),

“Regardless of age, regardless of position, regardless of the business we happen to be in, all of us need to understand the importance of branding. We are CEOs of our own companies: Me Inc. To be in business today, our most important job is to be head marketer for the brand called You.”

Personal branding is not just about you; it is also about the impact your brand has on your team's success and your organization's success too. A good personal brand attracts attention and opportunities that pave the way for success over your competitors. With the internet boom and everyone has the unique opportunity to become a brand, to leave a mark in a cluttered world full of difficult choices.?

Go to any social platform and every organization is turning to establish itself as a brand that wants customers to make a beeline for their services. It does not work for everyone but it works more than it did in the era when digital media was not prominent.

Personal Branding is all about going out into the world and showing yourself. Your personal self and the professional you. This is something you are doing already. When you start a business and start interacting with prospects, bankers, vendors and venture capitalists and most importantly your team. You are proposing that they be willing to work with Brand You. As your life experiences collate, you make better and smarter choices to prosper. Why? Because you want to become a better brand that people will listen to and buy into. Your differentiators are what make you eligible over others just like you choose a shaving cream or hair color over among the multiple choices.?

What does this mean? Simply put, your professional position is not enough. What makes You different?

Your designation and your organization are short-lived. It is you who is going to be known for being you. You are a brand you want to become.?

Where do you begin your personal branding journey?

Well, the answer lies in simply looking at where brands begin and that is by finding their “Why”. Define why?

What makes you different? Why should someone consider you? Why are you a better choice??

Ask people, not your family but your friends and colleagues. Why do they like you? Why would someone recommend you? What do they dislike about you, why would they not recommend you? What is your USP vs what others see as your USP? This is the intelligence that will help you understand your brand persona.?

Make a list of what you are good at. Don't just say “work”. Delve deeper, define it further.?

Are you punctual??

Are you a problem solver??

Are you an awesome team player??

Are you an exceptional project manager??

It's time to add accomplishments. It’s ok if there are just a few, you are yet to be discovered and that is what Personal branding will do. That is what we are here to help you with. Accomplishments are not just about your work, they are life accomplishments. Each has a story to be told. To be bragged about. What you can unabashedly ask credit for.?

A truly trusted personal brand is an amazing person and an expert who can provide value across the spectrum of interactions. This is almost what defines a good leader and businessman who has a vision and is committed to achieving his goals.?

Defining your Life Goal or Personal Branding goal. I remember an interview with megastar Shah Rukh Khan where was asked “what do you want to be remembered as?” and he replied, “I want to be remembered as a man who never stopped trying.” Now that from a successful global brand is something to learn from. He always wanted to be a megastar and even though he's reached the epitome of success, he wants to set new benchmarks.?

The personal branding goal is to define what you want to be famous for.

And then we set about marketing your brand with a pitch that gets you on the way to your fame goal.?

Where should you begin? Explore and explode your visibility. Take up new challenging assignments and deliver. Get people talking about you. Network, talk, engage with the right set of people, write, blog, do videos, event speeches, train your people, share your knowledge with those who cannot afford higher quality education, state your views on industry developments, participate in discussions on social media and there is so much more that will have people talking about you and that is free publicity. The more you do the more exponential your visibility.?

Show your expertise and you will be on the way.?

A critical nuance of becoming a personal brand is your communication skills. Your style, your ability to adapt to audiences, how you communicate with colleagues and business partners, your friends, and just about anyone you communicate with. When do you call something an apple does everyone see it as an orange? Well, then we have a problem to work on.?

A successful personal brand understands the power of people marketing. Your friends, colleagues, clients, and customers are the most influenced by you, and this network of today and that of the future has to be nurtured, and influenced, to help you reach your goals.?

That’s what defines your reputation. How others perceive you for your strengths and personality. This is just like you would want to associate with brands whose power attracts you for they belong to your why.

Over time as your credibility and authority start shaping your brand reputation people will see you as the leader you are; the personal brand you want to be.?

As our Co-founder, Sandiip Porwal says, “Brand you is the value” that brings credibility and repute to every association. Your brand power is the secret to your success and the answer to “What do I want to be remembered for?”.?

Ready to start your personal branding journey? Give us an opportunity too!?