Personal Branding Is?

I have the unique pleasure of meeting new and interesting people every week, at charity events, workshops, networking engagements, Jamba Juice and most of the many places I visit in a typical week. One of the best features of being a personal branding consultant is losing the ability to tell people what you do and leave it at that. Personal branding is still a concept that puzzles.

If I’m doing a workshop, by the time I shut up people will get who I am and what I do; the problem is, when I’m not the highlight of the event.

When I tell someone I’m a personal branding consultant, a majority of the time the response will be a blank stare, followed by this carefully worded question, “What exactly is personal branding?”

Cue the 30 second commercial: How do you become a celebrity in your industry? How do you align the way the world views you with your core values? Think of the one thing you want people to remember about you; personal branding is how you do it.

Personal branding you hear and see in the media clearly focus on professionalism, but what most spectators miss out on is, how personal branding relates to family, and community. There’s a great book you could read to find out more info on the topic: Managing Brand You by Jerry S. Wilson, and Ira Blumenthal.

My focus is careerist and entrepreneurs so here are the 5 thoughts that come to mind when I think of personal branding:

1. Creating demand for your product or service indirectly.

2. Getting your industry leaders to have confidence in you.

3. Establishing yourself as an expert.

4. Being known as a leader.

5. Being known as a person of value.

These days, I still get the patronizers who can’t help but get a good laugh at the thought of being branded like a cow or like a lifeless product. Someone once asked me in a serious tone if I could brand their kids.

When my services are requested in an off the wall way, I can’t help but laugh But, I also get the innovatars who see its potential, for them personal branding is something brilliant, something that is going to change their life forever.

So what does personal branding mean to you?