Crafting Your Personal Brand: You’re the Architect

Let’s assume you are fully aware of your location in this journey for personal branding. You’ve done the work to define what you want your personal brand to be and you’ve done the very hard work of self-examination to determine how far off you are. Or if you’re lucky, how on point you are. Let’s assume, however, that you have identified some gaps. Believe it or not this is good news! Now what?

Set Realistic Expectations

If you don’t, you’ll go bananas. When I did this work for myself, I found some gaps. And truth be known, I’m still traversing those gaps. I found some messes I made that needed to be cleaned up with people and I found some areas that really needed to be improved. I also discovered my humanity in all this. I say this because it would be easy to think you have to be perfect and be perfect with everything. First of all, that’s just not possible in one lifetime for most of us. I’ve yet to meet someone who has everything perfect.  However, you can strive for excellence. And that’s what I do.

Organic Brand Growth

There are probably lots of ways to grow your brand, but let’s narrow it down to two for the sake of this conversation. Organic and Strategic. Keep in mind there can be elements of both in each of these methods. Let’s start with organic brand growth. This is where you take yourself on through personal growth and allow your brand to evolve over time. Here are some things to consider when using this method:

• Authenticity-Driven: Organic brand growth emphasizes authenticity. It’s about letting your personal brand develop naturally based on who you truly are. You don’t force a particular image or identity but rather allow it to evolve authentically over time.
• Relationship-Centric: This approach focuses on building genuine and lasting relationships. You connect with people on a personal level, and your personal brand reflects your real interactions and connections within your professional network.
• Value-Oriented: Organic growth prioritizes delivering value and expertise. It’s about genuinely helping others and contributing to your field or community. Your personal brand is built on your consistent delivery of value.
• Slow and Sustainable: Organic growth tends to be a slower process. It requires patience as you build trust and credibility over time. However, the relationships and reputation you establish are often more sustainable in the long run.
• Less Control: With organic growth, you have less direct control over how your brand develops. It’s influenced by your actions, interactions, and the perceptions of others. Your brand evolves as a result of these organic processes.

Strategic Brand Growth

Now let’s talk about strategic brand growth. This is the way most commercial product producers or politicians use to build their brand. Some of what they do can be applied here to speed up the way in which you are perceived. Here are some things to consider with this approach:

• Strategically Planned: Strategic brand growth involves a deliberate strategy. You have a specific vision of how you want to be perceived and actively work toward creating that image. It often involves setting clear goals and objectives.
• Targeted Networking: This approach may involve networking with specific individuals or groups strategically to shape your brand. You seek out opportunities and connections that align with your intended image.
• Marketing and Promotion: Strategic growth often includes marketing and promotional efforts. You may engage in personal branding campaigns, content creation, and online presence management to cultivate your desired image.
• Quicker Results: Intentional brand growth can yield faster results because you are actively steering your brand in a specific direction. It’s a more controlled and structured approach.
• More Direct Influence: With intentional growth, you have a greater degree of control over how you want your brand to be perceived. You can craft your image with precision and make strategic adjustments as needed.

For me, while I’ve broken these down into separate methods, I use a combination of both. I’m naturally a strategic thinker, and at the same time, I consider authenticity paramount. I don’t see them as an either-or proposition but rather a way of categorizing building your brand to better understand some techniques to use. The most important take-away here is to mind the perception of who you are in the workplace, as that perception can make or break your career.

What approaches have you taken when building your personal brand? I would love to hear about your experiences. Feel free to share your thoughts and insights in the comments below. Let’s continue this conversation and learn from each other’s journeys.