What is the Secret to a True Personal Brand?

Is a personal brand subtle or tangible? Is it essential in a world of Zoom meetings and social media connections? Can we separate our personal and professional lives in today’s world? What is the role of identity in shaping your past and future? How can you align perceptions of others so you will be remembered, admired, and sought out?

A personal brand can seem like a mystery. Many individuals instinctively feel that they need one but are not sure how to get started. It’s also time to shed light on what it means in the world we inhabit today. 

People say they don’t know what a personal brand is, but they know it when they see it. Let me begin by sharing a shining example of a stellar personal brand. Jack Greco is a leader in the Buffalo, NY startup community who has a stellar personal brand, and everyone he meets knows it.

1.    Jack is an Angel Investor and co-founder of ACV Auctions, Buffalo’s first unicorn startup. Secret # 1 is to have the competency to back up your brand. 

2.    As the Executive Director of Techstars – Upstart NY, he led the Buffalo Open Coffee Club’s weekly in-person gathering that became a welcoming space for founders and supporters alike. The mission of Techstars is to give first, and Jack does this every time and in every way. Secret # 2 – Be about something bigger than yourself.

3.    In his weekly Buffalo Bridge Newsletter, he starts each edition with the lyrics of a song or poetry or an insight into life. Then the newsletter proceeds to get the job done, from lifting up startups in the community to shining a light on mentors and keeping everyone informed of events. Secret # 3 – One of the most accomplished and influential people in the city constantly interacts with total authenticity. You know that you will always find humor, kindness, and a great story about his family while always getting important business done. You look forward to getting his email in your inbox.

“According to research by Social Psychologist, Dr. David McClelland of Harvard [the people that you habitually associate with] determine as much as 95 percent of your success or failure in life.”

What is the secret to a stellar personal brand? Like a business brand, it is held in your customers’ perception and made up of all of the interactions you have with people who matter to you. How can we all learn from Jack’s example and be a person who is remembered, admired, and sought out? We will also explore the topic of what makes a personal brand different than a business brand. This is a complex topic due to the need to balance your personal and professional sides, and its ties to your identity. 

A personal brand matters today because it is much harder to be noticed and stand out in a cluttered landscape of online communication. You have different tools available to you in the online versus the in-person world. In-person you have more advantages to truly connect when meeting someone by observing body language and interactions. Online can take us to a bigger world beyond our physical community, but much of what is written will remain for the long term. Your personal brand in the online world is essential and requires you to invest some time and reflection.

Three Ways to Build a True Personal Brand

1.    The foundation is competency 

Your personal brand is tangible, and one of the primary ways it comes to life is by showing your competency. Competency is one of the primary things that sets you apart from others, and it is generally fact-based. Competency is complex because it includes knowledge, skills, and experience, and how they intersect is where the magic happens.

Competency includes knowledge gained from formal degrees and training that you have sought out in your life. People often forget to add languages, computer skills, and specializations to this list. It also encompasses experiences in both your work and personal life that go beyond education. This shows that you can use concepts you have learned and deliver value to those in your interactions. Other aspects to consider are the skills and strengths that you possess that make you unique. 

Uncovering the intersection between these ideas sometimes takes self-reflection. What makes this challenging is some competencies can be obvious, but many are hidden. I am a fan of *Clifton Strengths because it can help expose strengths that may not be apparent to you. Let me share a simple example of the intersection of knowledge, skills, and experience. Mary has a skill in programming. She also knows the PHP programming language. She has experience creating over 100 custom websites for startups resulting in 100 million in revenue. In this example, many people have similar skills and the same knowledge as Mary, but the experience and results set her apart. 

Correctly capturing your competency is how a personal brand can set and meet the expectation for others that matter to you. Yet, I find that people either oversell or undersell their competencies. One client I worked with had over 30 years in her field, honors, and accolades but did not include these in her brand. Yet, these facts added credibility to her ideas and work. Likewise, overselling yourself can be a fatal mistake that people make that can damage trust. *Click here a worksheet that I use with my clients for self-reflection to help people uncover the competencies for their brand.

What makes competency difficult is that it requires considering your business from the customer’s point of view. While your competencies will not change, you might want to highlight them based on your audience and what they value. For example, if you speak to an academic audience, your formal education may supersede your business experience. If you are interviewing for a spot on a nonprofit Board of Directors, the Chairman may care more about your personal leadership skills than academic credentials.

2.    Proudly share your values and beliefs

One of the first things I discuss with my clients is how a brand reflects their personal and professional context. When I started in the corporate world, you were discouraged from sharing your personal values in a professional context. Today I challenge the assumption that it is possible to keep the two separate. On one level, it is possible to have a personal and business social media account. Yet, the reality is that you must assume that everything you write online will be seen by a future employer or colleague, no matter what account you use to share it. The line is blurred, and we each must decide on how much to share about our values and beliefs.

I feel that it is not only advisable but essential to share your personal values and beliefs. For those of you who are fans of *Simon Sinek and his concept of “Start with Your Why,” there are many reasons to support why we are attracted to people who “are about something.” You may have heard the words of *Jim Rohn: “You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.” In the Compound Effect by Darren Hardy, he states, “According to research by social Psychologist Dr. David McClelland of Harvard [the people that you habitually associate with] determine as much as 95 percent of your success or failure in life.” 

What does this mean to your personal brand? Wouldn’t you rather hang out with someone like Jack Greco?” Knowing the values and beliefs of those with whom you surround yourself can impact your success in life. If you choose to keep your values and beliefs hidden, the people around you may make assumptions about this aspect of your brand that may or may not be accurate. Values and beliefs are also powerful tools to attract others into your life. 

We know the significant and growing trend for people to buy products and services that align with their values is accelerating. This is also true for individuals in a personal or work setting. People want to surround themselves with people who are about something. If you are not about something, you will miss opportunities to get more meaningful interactions with those around you.

Beliefs are also a part of your identity. I like to consider *the 5 C model (country, class, creed, color, and culture) created by Kwame Appiah that I learned from a workshop I took with the Inheritance Project. The concept is we are the total not only of our own history but that of our family and the generations before us. Using the 5 C model is particularly helpful to understand deeply held values and beliefs that are core to your personal brand. It can also be beneficial in identifying deeply held ideas that are things you might want to examine or change in the future. Click here to take a thought-provoking assessment created by the Inheritance Project.

3.    Authenticity is the reason you will be remembered

Because your brand is held in the perceptions of others you care about, such as your co-workers, colleagues, and friends, consistency of your interactions is critical. As humans, we are excellent at identifying inconsistencies where people say one thing and do another.

This is where the concept of an authentic or true brand is essential. If your brand is authentic, then it is easy for you to be consistent. For example, if your brand is proactive, but you never initiate a new activity with your friends or suggest a solution before someone asks, you will create an inconsistency difficult to overcome. Click here to read about the related concept of *Reflected Best Self detailed in a previous blog post.

A personal brand is of such great value to you as it sets you apart from all others. Think of someone who is a “go-to person” in your personal or professional life? Consider the experiences you have had with this person. Do you feel you truly understand who they are? Do you feel they have a stellar personal brand?

Often people come to me because they are humble and don’t like to talk about themselves. If your brand is authentic, that problem goes away. Let me give you an example. I worked with a man running for office, and he was uncomfortable talking about himself. After we completed the Build a True Brand? process, he immediately had his elevator pitch ready. We found a way to describe him not as the smartest, most honest, and capable candidate running for office (although he is) but as a standup guy who will get the job done. He felt comfortable that this was true, but more importantly, it fit him. If you create a brand that is not true, you will feel reluctant to share it. An authentic personal brand is essential because this is how you will be remembered in your professional or personal life.

Just be proactive in developing your competency, values, and authenticity to match what is true.

Strategic Investments in Your Personal Brand Pay Off

Developing a personal brand is an investment in your present and future. If you have a vision for where you want to go but aren’t there yet, don’t worry, as your brand should evolve. Just be proactive in developing your competency, values, and authenticity to match what is true. 

I gave you some homework and reflection points. If you need further help, please visit my website www.inspiredoutcomesnow.com or message me on LinkedIn. On my website, I have a ten-question brand assessment that can help you get started. I like to create relationships and collaborate, so let’s talk soon. I welcome you to reach out.

About the Author

Kim Marie McKernan, MBA, MS, is a facilitator, speaker, and international marketing leader who left the corporate world after 30 years to start Inspired Outcomes. She is passionate about helping business owners bring their vision to life with a true brand that generates results. Her business combines Appreciative Inquiry + the Science of Creativity + Marketing to help organizations and individuals achieve marketing excellence. Kim has an MBA from State University of NY (SUNY) at Buffalo and an MS degree in Creativity and Change Leadership from SUNY Buffalo State and is proud to be a mentor at Shift/Co and Collective Brains.

*Resources and Learn More

Buckingham, M., & Clifton, D. (2001). Now, discover your strengths. New York, NY: Free Press.

Inheritance Project. Free Unpack Your Inheritance Workbook, https://www.inheritanceproject.org/workbook

McKernan, K. M.(18 February 2021). Why is it so Hard to Create Your Own True Brand? www.inspiredoutcomesnow.com. https://inspiredoutcomesnow.com/2021/02/18/why-is-it-so-hard-to-create-your-own-true-brand/

McKernan, K.M.(29 April 2021). Build Competencies through Life’s Experiences Worksheet. www.inspiredoutcomesnow.com. www.inpiredoutcomesnow.com/…/Build-Competencies-Through-Life-Experiences.pdf

Sinek, S. (2009). Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action. Penguin Group, New York, NY. TED Talk.

Van Doorn, M.(20 June 2018). You Are The Average of the Five People You Spend the Most Time With. Medium.com. https://medium.com/the-polymath-project/you-are-the-average-of-the-five-people-you-spend-the-most-time-with-a2ea32d08c72

Wilbur, S. Where and How to Find Your Identity. The Inheritance Project. https://www.inheritanceproject.org/blog/where-and-how-to-find-your-identity?rq=kwame

Photo by Drew Graham on Unsplash

c. 2021 Kim Marie McKernan