What's Your Personal Brand?
Uncover what makes you unique
Quick, what’s the first thing your eyes focused on in this photo?
If you said, “Of course, those neon yellow sneakers!”
Well, by now you’re part of a decent-sized crowd that, when they first see me with these yellows, can’t help but utter: “Nice shoes!”
I bought these shoes a few months ago as a fallback for another black-and-red pair I wanted that was out of stock.
And as those congratulatory events piled up, during my morning walks or events I attend, a new style narrative has emerged.
It further crystallized one Saturday when I bumped into my next-door neighbor and his wife at the supermarket, when he said:
“We first see your shoes and then recognize you.”
Hey friend,
How are you? I hope you’re enjoying summer, staying sufficiently hydrated while taking it easy.
The short tale I opened with brings up an often overlooked area, but once you’re aware of it and being intentional, it will serve you quite well.
I’m talking about the importance of building a recognizable personal brand for yourself.
What is personal branding?
“Personal branding is the intentional, strategic practice of defining and expressing your unique value, expertise, and core beliefs. It is the deliberate process of managing how the public and your industry perceive you, ensuring your narrative is accurate, compelling, and differentiated from others.”
-Harvard Business School
Today, I’ll talk about the properties that make you unique.
Yes, you - not your business. You - as the brand.
Keep in mind, your personal brand doesn’t mean exposing your entire personal life.
It means your personal and professional identities are aligned enough that people experience you as authentic, consistent, and trustworthy.
You can still keep private boundaries.
Other important aspects
I’m not talking about a temporary attention-grabbing gimmick or shtick you see on social to max engagement.
Another nuance is intent.
The rising “earned attention” in my yellow shoes was an unintentional gimmick - it just happened and created a novelty effect.
But guess what! There are many examples of accidental habits or quirks that turned into recognizable personal brands.
Think Steve Jobs’ black turtleneck or Sara Blakely’s habit of openly discussing failures and rejection stories, Marie Kondo asking whether an item “sparks joy,” or Seth Godin’s bald head becoming his visual identifier.
Initially, unintended, but over time they became part of their owners’ personal brands.
Simple litmus test
A good test to figure out if you’re dealing with a gimmick/shtick vs. personal brand is asking yourself:
If you stopped doing it, would people miss the value or just the novelty?
A personal brand is deeper. It’s a distinctive and authentic pattern that consistently creates recognition and value.
A personal brand usually emerges from consistently repeating an authentic habit, preference, constraint, obsession, or communication style until others begin to associate it uniquely with you.
Now that we cleared distinctions, let’s talk about uncovering your personal brand.
You have two excavation tactics you can use:
Form
Do you have a signature visual style people instinctively recognize you by?
This would include your style, visuals, symbols, signature objects you always carry with you, and visual trademark.
In short, any aspect of your visual design people see first before processing your story. Visual is also critical as it’s the primary carrier of emotion.
Taking it to the extreme, Joe Pulizzi, founder of the Content Marketing Institute (sold in 2016), was well known for his head-to-toe orange outfit to align with the brand colors:
It has become part of his signature fashion statement that offers consistent entertainment yet with a ton of value. That makes it more than a gimmick.
Your “personal brand book” could include not just a preferred color palette but also your brand voice in all your communications. Your story’s soundtrack, if you will.
Is it warm and friendly? Or always short and funny?
Realize that your tone can change depending on the context, but your personal brand voice should stay constant as it’s tied to your personality.
Careless hangout with friends for lunch vs. formally pitching a client - your tone would be different, but it’s still you, right?
Want more?
Discover the second tactic you should apply to uncover your personal brand
Access my Personal Brand Analyzer- an AI web app I created. You’ll receive your public signals, brand scores, SWOT dashboard, and gap analysis - showing how your online personal brand is currently perceived.
Bonus: Get a simple field-research exercise that helps you assess how other people’s personal brands come across on social media.