Establish your personal brand

- Think about one of your favorite celebrities, public figures, or athletes. Even though you've probably never met that person, you have an opinion about who they are because they've designed their public persona to show you a specific side of themselves. That conclusion you're drawing about who they are and how you relate to them as a reflection of their personal brand. Whether you know it or not, you also have a personal brand and it plays a big role in how your colleagues relate to you. And like those celebrities, you should control what it looks like and how you are perceived. When someone is describing your personal brand, it could sound like, oh, I love them. They are so creative. Or, they're really difficult to work with, be careful. This is your reputation preceding you. The blurb on the back of your life's book, the trailer that drops before the movie of your career, and you want to be in control of what other people are hearing, reading, and seeing about you before they meet you. Psychotherapist Esther Perel tells us everyone has an unofficial resume. Rather than listing your previous employers and job responsibilities, this is your relationship history. It's the story of how you've solve problems and achieved goals and the experiences that influenced you along the way. To craft your personal brand, you first need to get really clear about who you are. Exploring your unofficial resume is your first step. Tell yourself the story of your career. Think about times when you were most excited about the work you were doing. What was driving that enthusiasm? Were you collaborating or working independently? Were you coming up with a new idea, or finding solutions for existing problems? Were you serving others? Answering these questions should help you pinpoint your values and give you a starting point for building your personal brand. For example, my top values are to serve, to help, and to share, and when I am in things that I value, what, I come alive. So when I'm talking with someone, I look for a way to make it about them, and not about me. When I meet someone new, I take their business card; in a virtual space, I ask if they have a digital business card or invite them to share a link to their website or LinkedIn profile in the chat. Then, I like to go a step further. I try to create a genuine touchpoint within 24 hours after meeting via handwritten note. I know, I'm a little old school, or video email to them to let them know I appreciate the connection and ask how I can help them. By letting my values guide my actions, I feel more confident in my choices, and I'm also giving my connections the story I want them to tell others, thus promoting my personal brand. To help you put what you value into words, I encourage you to look up a list the personal values, and identify the ones you most relate to. Then look for opportunities to express your values in a tangible way. If you ever feel like you're struggling, recenter yourself by reminding yourself of what you value and use that as a filter for decision-making. When you form habits like this, your behavior becomes more consistent over time, and you develop a reputation that's aligned with what you stand for. That's the key to crafting your personal brand.