The case for cultivating a personal brand

Personal branding is no longer just for influencers. If you've applied for a job recently, you've probably already discovered how important it is to have some kind of presence online that showcases who you are.

And, consumers (that's us!) are more savvy than ever when it comes to marketing: they want to engage with people, not companies… so even small & large companies alike are taking a more personal approach to their marketing strategies.

If you have any kind of goal that hinges on your reputation, developing your brand is going to be really important for you.

And if you run a business, you might consider including your face in your marketing more often to establish a more personal relationship with your customers. (This is something that I've been working on my business lately, too.)

Establishing a presence for yourself online can be really scary. It definitely requires being vulnerable to put yourself out there!

But personal branding is an opportunity to influence the public perception of who you are. It empowers you to achieve your goals and build meaningful connections with other people.

Here's what personal branding *isn't*

🙅🏻‍♀️ It does not require gaining 1 million followers. Think of creating a community rather than building a following. The VALUE of your audience means a lot more than the size: you want to reach the very specific audience that wants *you,* and that does not require you to amass a following the size of a small country.

🙅🏻‍♀️ You shouldn't invent a fake persona. Lean into being your authentic self, because it’s those unique qualities that will set you apart from others and help you find your most aligned connections.

🙅🏻‍♀️ You don't need to share everything about yourself. Your personal brand means emphasizing the specific qualities you have that will position yourself to achieve your goals. We want to strike a balance between letting people in to see your humanity to help them feel connected to you, while also maintaining a sense of privacy for yourself.

The secret sauce: authenticity

Authenticity is THE most important thing when it comes to personal branding, because:

🌟 YOU and your unique qualities are what’s going to make you stand out.

🌟 Authenticity creates the meaningful relationships that will support your goals.

🌟 It will make the process more naturally fun and rewarding!

The more you can lean into who you are authentically, the more successful your brand will be. Allow that to empower you to show up as yourself, trusting that it will enable you to build meaningful connections with the right people.

Define your personal brand strategy

Developing a strategy for your personal brand will give you a roadmap for how you should put yourself out there to achieve your goals.

Check out our Personal Brand Workbook to define your own brand strategy, and feel more empowered to put your authentic self out there to achieve your goals!