Personal Branding - Roll For Initiative Noob

"Roll of initiative" - one the best phrases used in any board game ever to start a combat encounter. Its origin (of course) is Dungeons & Dragons. D&D is probably the most popular and widely recognised it's ever been with professional streams like Critical Roll and the hugely successful game Baldurs Gate 3. You're probably wondering what on earth D&D has to do with personal branding and vice versa.

Geek culture itself has gone through a process of rebranding where uncool things are now cool - you even have artists like AJ Tracey, Dave & Megan Thee Stallion imitating and referencing anime in their lyrics and videos - that's an article for another time.

More specifically I'll talk about character creation, how it can be applied to personal branding and conveniently miss out on the satanic panic that D&D caused in the 80s.

In a nutshell, personal branding is the practice of marketing yourself and what you're about. Much like creating a D&D character, you begin by figuring out what makes you 'you'. In D&D, you choose character traits—race, class, alignment, backstory, and special abilities—that define how your character interacts with the world. Personal branding follows a similar process.

1. Race & Class – These are your foundational traits. In personal branding, this could be your professional background, field of expertise, and personal values. Just as a Half-Orc Barbarian or a Tiefling Warlock in D&D has specific qualities and skills, you need to establish your own “class.” Are you a creative person, a Google ads expert or just make amazing memes?
2. Alignment – In D&D, a character's alignment reflects their ethical stance- Chaotic Good, Lawful Neutral, and so on. In personal branding, this is your personal ethos. Are you a disruptive (Chaotic Good), always seeking to challenge the status quo? Or are you more methodical, adhering to established systems (Lawful Neutral)? Your alignment affects how you present yourself and the tone you use across platforms. Personally, I feel I sit around the Chaotic Neutral side of things.
3. Backstory & Narrative – Just like a D&D character, your personal brand benefits from a compelling story. Your personal backstory might include career challenges, life lessons, or experiences that shaped who you are today. This narrative helps others connect with you emotionally, turning you from a professional into a person people can relate to. Put yourself out into the world unapologetically.

Personal branding is an adventure, much like a D&D campaign. It requires thought, strategy, and authenticity. Most D&D campaigns start in a tavern or pub - a group of strangers who team up for a common cause. My final point on personal brand is to just start, don't think about it too much - if you need help you'll find it in abundance on LinkedIn.

N.B. Avoid or kill trolls on LinkedIn in the same way as D&D - also anyone promising to boost your reputation for gold is generally some sort of hag both in D&D and real life.