Have you considered the importance of your personal brand? No matter where you journey in life, or what new horizons may beckon, when you care for your personal brand, you’re making a long-term investment. A personal brand is the sum total of the energy and time you put into your aspirations. You carry it forward for the rest of your days.
If you’re a busy executive, pause to reflect on your personal brand. Is it what you’d like it be? Personal branding is not just about a job you had 10 years ago, or even a business you launched that later carried you through many an adventure. A personal brand is your reputation, your personality, and your track record all rolled into one package. It’s absolutely your most valuable asset.
When it comes to reinforcing or even reinventing a personal brand, consistency is critical. That’s why it’s crucial you give your personal branding strategy some serious thought. Do you want to be known as the technology expert? Are you venturing into a whole new arena and wonder how that will mesh with your past experience? These are the kinds of questions that can have a major impact on your personal brand.
Don’t just drift along, hoping your life’s master plan will unfold the way you envision. Take an active role in building your own personal brand. Branding isn’t optional in today’s business world. It’s a necessity.
Tom Peters, who coined the term ‘personal branding’ in 1997, gave advice that year that is still true today. “You’re every bit as much a brand as Nike, Coke, Pepsi, or the Body Shop. To start thinking like your own favorite brand manager, ask yourself the same question the brand managers at Nike, Coke, Pepsi, or the Body Shop ask themselves: What is it that my product or service does that makes it different? We are CEOs of our own companies: Me Inc. Create a message and a strategy to promote the brand called You.”