Personal Branding Isn’t About Ego. It’s About Agency

If I had a penny for every client and colleague who sits in my proverbial office kicking and screaming (in an emotionally mature way) about how they don’t want to be seen, I would be 💰🤑💰🤑💰🤑💰

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It always follows the same line of reasoning:

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• I don’t want to look like a fraud!
• I don’t want to see my face out there!
• Won’t my work speak for itself?

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The good news is that everyone deals with these feelings.

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I have worked with C-suite executives, CEO’s and Founders since the beginning of my career. I feel very lucky to have gained insights into how they think and how they problem-solve. I also saw that even the most confident and self-assured feel nervous and vulnerable. They have just learned to move past that discomfort and reframe it.

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There is a brilliant podcast episode with Emma Grede and Jay Shetty, who apply the rule of thirds when measuring their emotions when chasing a goal.

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1/3 happy
1/3 okay
1/3 crappy

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I listened to that and thought OH. That makes a little more sense, especially when I apply it to running a business.

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It’s human nature to want to avoid discomfort and stay safe, but creating more of the life that we want does involve some risk taking.

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How does this apply to personal branding?

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Let’s start with a given. If you’re reading this, you have come far enough tto confirm my suspicion you’re interested in building your own brand.

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But where do you start?

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Spend time answering these 3 questions:

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1. What is my goal? i.e what do I want to acheive/want to be known for?
2. Who is my audience AND who is my community?
3. What are their goals and what do they care about?

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Don’t answer these in your head, write them down.

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As a woman operating in the working world, having your own personal brand gives you great agency. It allows you to control your narrative and how you are perceived. If you’re thinking you’ll do it next week, next month or when things slow down, that’s an indication of fear. That’s okay. But you can move past it.

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See you next week.

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