Today is Tuesday, so this post is on positive personal impact.
Developing your unique personal brand is a great way to create positive personal impact. Personal branding is not just for entrepreneurs and solo professionals. It’s for everyone. I, for one, believe that if you don’t brand yourself purposefully, you’ll get branded by others. And, how they brand you may not be the brand you want to present.
I have a close friend who is one of the smartest, most hardworking and creative people I know. He is also a big sports fan who likes to have fun. Now he is a very successful entrepreneur. However, when I first met him, he was working for a Fortune 50 company and was very frustrated. He couldn’t seem to get the break out promotion that would set him on the path to success in that company.
Unfortunately for him, he had not branded himself. Others quickly filled the vacuum and created a brand for him. This brand focused on his fun loving side. “Immature” was the term that was most often associated with him when his name came up for promotions. He soon realized that this brand stigma was too difficult to overcome, so he left that company and went with a new one where he could build his brand from scratch.
Steven Van Yoder has written a very interesting book called Get Slightly Famous. He bills the book as a guide for small businesses and solo professionals. He makes some great points about creating a personal brand. I believe that these points apply not only to small businesses and solo professionals, but to anyone who wants to build a brand while working for a company.
Steven lists the following suggestions for branding yourself as an expert – and every company likes having recognized experts on their payroll.
- Publish articles in trade publications.
- Give talks at trade association meetings.
- Network. Take a leadership role in networking organizations.
- Convince your company to host special events – and then do the work to make them happen.
- Write a blog.
- Write a book.
When you distinguish yourself as an expert, you add value to your company. Rather than you basking in your company’s light, by branding yourself as an expert, your company will bask in your light.
The common sense point here is simple. Personal branding is not just for solo professionals. It’s for anyone who wants to build a great career. Branding yourself as an expert is a great way to increase your chances for promotion and to build a strong, vibrant, rewarding career inside a company.
That’s it for today. Thanks for reading. Log on to my website www.BudBilanich.com for more common sense. Check out my other blog: www.SuccessCommonSense.com for common sense advice on becoming the career and life success you are meant to be and to get a copy of my new ebook Star Power: Common Sense Ideas for Career and Life Success.
I’ll see you around the web, and at Alex’s Lemonade Stand.
Bud
PS: Speaking of Alex’s Lemonade Stand – my fundraising page is still open. Please go to www.FirstGiving.com/TheCommonSenseGuy to read Alex’s inspiring story and to donate if you can.
I couldn’t have said it better myself Bud. If you don’t brand yourself, someone else will. Period.
Whether you work in corporate America or are a solopreneur, you MUST take an active interest in building the brand YOU!
Great article!