Personal Branding: You're more than one thing
Your personal brand can be more than one thing.
A person is complex. You have different likes, interests, and histories. There are a million and one variables for a person. Sure there's a lot of validity in choosing a niche and focusing on that. You can have equal arguments on each side, and a lot of times that makes sense for a business.
As a personal brand at the end of the day, you're going to want to focus on those parts of your brand that make you unique and that can offer value to the world. What do you want to be known for in the world? If you're a creator, if you're an entrepreneur of any kind, you have a lot of skill sets, interests and different things that you do in your life. You don't have to worry so much about limiting all of your content and your profiles to one single thing.
Think of your personal brand as a central hub for everything that you do.
The way that makes it unique is your unique combination of things.
Choose how you tell that story. You're the architect of your personal brand.
What do you want to be known for?
Despite what you may have been told, it doesn't just have to be one thing, in one niche or industry, for your whole career.
I’ve run Personal Branding workshops for so many different groups — nonprofits, students, entrepreneurs, artists and creatives — and this is one message I share with all of them:
Your current job title, project or startup isn’t your whole identity. Your personal brand is made up of multiple aspects of your work and life. You'll take it and your reputation with you when you move on to your next thing, or add something new to what you currently do.
You're the architect of your personal brand.
Be clear about what value you’re offering, and what makes your approach or perspective unique. Then find the common thread that ties it all together, and make it clear and memorable to the world.
Let’s talk personal branding, online thought leadership and storytelling.
You can bring me in to talk about personal branding — from identifying your values to creating your social presence — at your next event, conference, class, or workshop.
