Why Your Personal Brand Matters!

Written by Robyn T. Braley

The people who matter to your career and business growth have an opinion about you. Whether you are the CEO of a large corporation, a student, a warehouse worker, a teacher, an online marketer, a pest control technician, a truck driver, a welder, an engineer, a farmer, a salesperson or a bootstrapper starting a business with no money, what others think about you matters and will influence your success or failure in your chosen career.

Each of us has a brand. For those who own a business, their company brand will usually be closely aligned with their personal brand, particularly in the early years. It only makes sense that their business will take on the founder's personality. However, the two brands will still have differences.

Defining your personal brand requires authenticity and transparency. Begin by asking pointed questions that require thoughtful and honest answers. 

1. What am I best known for?
2. What do others think I am known for?
3. What do I want others to know me for?
4. What do I need to change to reshape their opinion?

The answers will help you identify the basic elements of your personal brand. You will find positives to build on and negatives that need some work. Building your brand is a lifelong process that requires periodic self-checks.