Your Best Self!

You're branded!

Whether it’s the coffee we drink from Starbucks, Peet’s, or Better Buzz
The car we drive: Sports car, SUV, or the mom taxi mini-van
Or the designer clothes we wear from Guess, Levi’s, Nike, Alfani, or Tommy Hilfiger

Each of us has a personal brand that tells the world:

Who you are

What you do

And how you do it

Aka, your reputation!

Most importantly your personal brand is about the value that you bring others; what people say about you; what you are good at.

Ask yourself what your "unique promise of value" is? That is your personal brand!

At work, I am known as the Director of First Impressions, because I represent the face of The Offices of Strengths and Vocation. I bring value to my department by providing great customer service. Whether it’s the students, staff, faculty, parents, our community, and even my colleagues, this is my reputation or value I bring to our team. At church, I love doing ministry, and I love being seen as a leader of my church community because to me being a leader means serving God’s people. At home, I am “Super-Mom!" I can do all things (through Christ who strengthens me). I can work a full time job, while raising a family, doing ministry, starting my own business, and I am able to leap from tall buildings in a single bound all while wearing pumps or was that Super Girl?

Your personal brand represents the value you bring to others, which was first coined by Tom Peters in 1997. Tom Peters said that, “our most important job is to be head marketer for the brand called You.” In the career world, getting hired means figuring out how to deliver value to both the company you work for and its customers. You hone in on a certain set of skills that makes you unique and creates a distinctive role that promotes your brand.

How do you figure out what your brand is?

Start by discovering your strengths and identifying the characteristics that set you apart from your colleagues. What would your colleagues and customers say are your strengths? What are you the go to person at work? Ask yourself questions, such as, are you punctual or dependable? Are you good at strategizing, tackling problems, or thinking outside the box? Are you good with numbers or budgeting, or are you better with people and customer service? Do you go above and beyond to help the customer? What sets you apart from your colleagues?

How do you market yourself? Visibility!

Depending on your career goals, you can network with other professionals in your industry or field of interest. You can join a club or become a member of an association to further your professional growth. Freelance, moonlight, join a professional board, or volunteer your time in an organization you are passionate about.

Some examples might be, if you are a writer you can self publish, start a blog, or contribute to a local column or newspaper. If you want to become a better public speaker, join an organization, such as, Toastmasters. If you are starting off your career as a photographer, join a forum where you can showcase your photography, add your photography on LinkedIn, and create a website where you can display your creativity. You can also offer to work on an extra project in your organization, which will help set your apart from your colleagues and build your reputation.

Begin the process of discovering your personal brand. Ask yourself: