Personal Branding

Typically Personal Branding refers to who you are in the workplace. But I prefer to look at it a little differently. I say- In order to define who you are in the workplace, WE need to do some self-analysis work to define who you are as a woman, and who you are as a mom.

If I were to ask you what are the most important things to you in how your co-workers see you what would you say? What kind of recommendation would you want your peers to give about you? Or what kind of mother would your family or your children say you are?

NOW- word of caution! DO NOT go down the wrong path with these questions!

These questions are meant to introduce you to you! What does this mean? It means for you to sit and have a moment with yourself to think about what is important to you. Maybe you’ve thought about this before OR maybe this thought has never crossed your mind.

Are you caught up in, "Who cares! I am me. Take me or leave me." Or "I already have a reputation- nothing I can do about it." How are these working for you?

Did you know that personal branding is more in your control than you think it is? Many people want to believe that they have no control over what people say and think of them. and this is true to a certain extent. Begin to take ownership of what you CAN control and read on to find out why you should care.

So- what does “personal branding” mean?

It means to shine your unique personal identity. No one can do you like you do you! It is the message that others interpret when they hear you speak, see you work and in how you engage with others. This is what sets you apart from others.

I like to take this a step further by saying personal branding not only pertains to work, it also pertains to how you show up with family, friends, and even on social media.

How do you pull out and shine your unique personal “identity”. One way is to consider who you are as a professional. And to begin this process – take a moment to think of some key values you hold in the workplace? What do you value? What is important to you? What peeves you off when it’s not done? What will you fight for and never put up with either personally or against someone else?

Let’s look at the value of HIGH INTEGRITY. This may or may not be a current value of yours but for intensive purposes put yourself in this moment and ask yourself:

• Do I hold myself to the same standard of a high level of integrity?
• Can others expect me to always be 100% honest?
• When I’m not being 100% honest, can they expect that I will admit?

So now let’s consider how this translates into our personal lives as a mom, sister, and friend… Ask yourself the same questions about the same value of high integrity.

Next think of some key values you hold high in your home? What do you value? What is important to you? What peeves you off when it’s not done? And what are the non-negotiables? How many times as a parent have you said, “In this house we don’t leave with out a hug first!”

NOW let me ask you, how important to you that these to personas are in line with each other? Are you one way at home with the family, then one way at work and then even another way on social media?

This is only the tip of the ice-berg to identifying your unique personal brand. If you want to take this a step further take a moment right now and look up common values.

1. Write down at least 10 values that are important to you. Consider home-life, work-life, social-life, intimate family or partner time, me time and even stranger in the checkout line time. Make sense? We are looking at all areas of engagement.
2. Cross off the 5 that you can live with out. These are the ones that you are ok with skimping on from time to time.
3. Now with the last five you have left, reminisce on a memory of when this value came into play. When was it spoken highly of or acted upon with full integrity? And when was it violated? Think about these moments in a way that draws up the feelings you felt in the moment it was a high life, high vibe feeling. And then do the opposite (**Word of caution- if you know the value will draw up a traumatic experience, please take this exercise to your therapist or counselor. Do not do this alone.)
4. Final step - if you can think of no emotion or no story tied to the value, either dig a little deeper or consider crossing it off.

When you understand what you value at a deeper level, you can begin considering how to shine your personal brand. Your confidence will naturally peak and you will feel freer to be YOU! Whether you are a sales executive, top-level professional or a business owner when you integrate your personal values lingo into your behaviors/actions and promotional self-branding, you will be amazed at what happens to follow. Of course this only works if you make a decision to reflect what is important to you. BE YOU!

Princella Stringer, MHRM Career and Empowerment Coach