Building Your Personal Brand -- Own It!

You’ve been working hard on your personal brand. You’ve finally clarified your core values, who you are and what you stand for. You feel confident and ready to take on your career!

Then you head out into the world. You go to your job. You encounter hard situations. You deal with people who have differing values to you — people who might even make you question what you stand for. Suddenly everything you felt so confident in doesn’t feel so concrete anymore.

Has this ever happened to you?

Generally after people go through personal branding coaching and work through the steps of defining their personal brands, they feel empowered and confident in who they are, what they want from life (and career) and are anxious to get going. It’s similar to when you finish a self-help book or motivational video or sermon at church: You feel inspired. Motivated. Pumped. You want to take on the world!

Unfortunately, until you test and work your brand, you are operating in a bit of a bubble. You’ve been working in a safe, protected environment, and taking your brand strategy into your career can lead you to feel the motivation dissipate a bit and you start to doubt yourself.

Don’t!

Defining your personal brand is such an amazing gift, and you should own it! Each of us will come across people and situations that make us question our beliefs and goals. But, if we stick to our values, lead from authenticity and openness and keep focused on our legacy goals, we will achieve a consistent and integrated reputation that serves us over our lives. 

It helps to write down your core values, goals, target audience and desired legacy. Be brief and succinct. Keep these close to you as you go through your work day. Remind yourself that you are driving your reputation, you are living a life of authenticity and importance and you can stand in your value as you’ve designed it. Your personal brand is a gift. Own it!