Your

Personal
Brand

Understand
your whY
Factor
Personal Brand workbook

Understanding your Y factor is pivotal to designing a career plan that connects with your
values, passions and purpose. When you’re living in alignment with your values and
integrating your passions into what you do, you are excited, engaged and totally unstoppable.

Let’s start your opportunity engine now to allow you to align who you are with what you do
and how you do it. The following activities will help you to truly differentiate yourself from
others because you’ll be super charged with your unique promise of value. It’s time to focus
on your values, passions and clarify your purpose. This will help you develop your own
internal road map that points your decision-making in the right direction.

Values
What’s your “north star?”

Your values are like your personal compass—they provide direction for your choices and
behaviours. In this three-step exercise, you’ll work towards identifying, defining, and aligning
your values.

Step 1: Identify your top five values

• Go through the list of values in the table on the next page and eliminate words that don’t
resonate with you.
• Go through the list again and place a check mark next to the values that are important to
you.
• Go through the short list of values you checked and from that list, pick your top five
values.
• Once you’ve identified your top five values, now rank them.

Crea

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Personal Brand workbook

Values

Accessibility Courage Growth Health Prosperity

Accomplishment Creativity Honesty Punctuality

Accountability Curiosity Humour Recognition

Accuracy Dependability Imagination Relaxation

Adventure Determination Impact Reliability

Affection Directness Independence Resourcefulness

Affluence Discipline Integrity Respect

Altruism Diversity Intelligence Security

Ambition Efficiency Justice Sensitivity

Assertiveness Empathy Kindness Significance

Balance Bravery Enthusiasm Knowledge Sincerity Speed

Calmness Excellence Leadership Spirituality

Celebrity Experience Learning Love Spontaneity

Challenge Expertise Loyalty Stability

Charity Fairness Faith Mindfulness Strength

Clarity Comfort Fame Family Optimism Success

Commitment Fidelity Originality Sympathy

Compassion Flexibility Fun Passion Teamwork

Completion Generosity Peace Understanding

Contentment Grace Perfection Vision

Control Power Wealth Winning

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List your top five values here and rank them:

You’ll complete the rest as part of Steps 2 and 3.

Rank Value Definition

#1 Growth the act or process, or a manner of growing;

development; gradual increase.
Alignment: 1 2 3 4 5

#2 Kindness the quality of being friendly, generous, and considerate.

Alignment: 1 2 3 4 5

#3 Respect a feeling of deep admiration for someone or

something elicited by their abilities, qualities, or achievements.
Alignment: 1 2 3 4 5

#4 Contentment a state of happiness and satisfaction.

Alignment: 1 2 3 4 5

#5 Creativity the use of the imagination or original ideas, especially in the

production of an artistic work.
Alignment: 1 2 3 4 5

Step 2: Define your top five values

The words you selected are important because they mean something specific to you. It’s
important to be clear about exactly what these words mean to you, as sometimes people
have different interpretations of the same word. For example, two people may have selected
flexibility. To one, flexibility means the ability to be nimble in work style on a day-to-day
basis; to another, flexibility means the interest in adding value to different types of
organizations or working on different types of projects.

Since the words you chose resonate with you, you likely have a strong association with a
way of describing them that is both personal and powerful to you.

Write a sentence to each value that defines what the value means to you.

Step 3: Align

Now, perform a quick self-assessment to measure your alignment with these values. For
each value, give yourself a score of 1 to 5, where 1 indicates I am really not living this value
and 5 indicates I live this value very consistently.

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Validate

Select the value that you feel is most out of alignment and most critical to your happiness and
success. Focus on this value for the next 21 days. (Remember, studies indicate it takes 21
consecutive days of practicing a behaviour to create a new habit.) Each day, reflect on how
you might employ that value in what you are doing. Just the act of having that value present in
your mind each day will allow your subconscious to do some of the work for you as you seek
new ways to be in alignment.

Tips
• Write that value on a piece of paper and post it where you can see it.
• Create a screen saver of your top five values with the one you will focus on changing in
a different colour.
• Write that value on the top of your to-do list for the next 21 days.

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Personal Brand workbook

Passions
What makes you come alive?

Unleashing your passions

Your passions fuel your actions. When you integrate your passions into what you do, not
only are you more engaged, you create a powerhouse of enthusiasm, engagement and
inspiration for those around you. In this exercise, you’ll have the opportunity to step back
and think about your passions, how you can integrate them into what you do and how you
can connect them with your career goals.

Document

Begin by entering your responses to the questions below:

1. What would I do with my summer if money weren’t an issue?

If money was not an issue for the summer, I would love to travel and see new places. Take my
family out, friends and significant other.

2. What are my favourite activities?

My favorite activities would be hanging out with my friends and family, creating art, baking and
running.

3. Why did I choose these particular university studies?

I chose this particular university studies because I have always been into art and creating it
for others to see puts a smile on my face.

4. What type of people am I drawn to?

I am drawn to nice, approachable, friendly people. People that will listen to me. Make me feel
heard and seen.

5. What volunteer activity do I find compelling?

Volunteet work I find compelling is helping the environment and people around it

Creating art or designs for those who need help or want my help with a particular thing.

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Distil

Now, take a look at your responses and ask yourself these questions:

1. Was there a connection across responses?

There were some connections across the responses, however I feel like I could have
expanded more on how these can relate to eachother.

2. Am I connecting my passions with my studies and career goals?

Yes, I feel like my passions are connecting with my studies and career goals.

3. How can I pursue a volunteer activity that’s in line with my passions?

I can find volunteer work online that aligns with my passions, for example finding an organization
that needs help creating flyers and more within graphic design.

Validate
Make a commitment to create a passion integration plan. Use the space below to
document ways you will integrate your passions into your day-to-day activities and
connect them with your goals.

Action 1
Take time in my day to focus on inegrating my passions by setting a certain time of the day to
dedicate my passions.

Action 2

Try to integrate my passions into my class work, how I can expand on those passions.

Action 3

Make it something to look forward to, instead of a chore make sure it is just a hobby
separate work from fun.

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Personal Brand workbook

Purpose
What is your destination?

Exploring your purpose

Your purpose is your big picture, internal vision of what you would like to achieve. When you
combine clear values, engage your passions and take on purpose action, you can follow your
personal road map to the destinations you choose.

Document

It is important to visualize your preferred future and really consider what you want to
experience and accomplish in your life and the impact it will have on those around you as well
as those you may never meet. For those of you who have never been through a guided
visualization activity, this may feel a little awkward at first. If so, consider repeating it at a
later date when you can experience the greatest benefit. This will work best if you’re able to
choose a quiet place and time where you will be undisturbed for at least 20 minutes.

Do this exercise when you’re with a friend who can read the guided visualization script on
the next page. That way, you can relax and immerse yourself in the experience. Now, get
comfortable. Turn off your inner cynic and let your imagination run free—barefooted.

Guided visualization script:

Congratulations!

You have graduated and have really begun establishing a life for yourself. (Pause 5
seconds.)

In the mail today, you received the invitation to your high school reunion. A lot has
happened since you last saw some of your classmates. (Pause 5 seconds.)

You stop to reflect on the many changes that have occurred over the past 10 years.

It probably feels like a whirlwind. (Pause 10 seconds.)

You are mentally and emotionally preparing yourself for the conversations you will
have with your classmates and friends. You are eager to share your achievements
that gave you the greatest sense of accomplishment. You are eager to share what
you’re doing now and what you hope to do in the next five years. (Pause 5 seconds.)

You are thinking about your first full-time job out of school. (Pause here for 5
seconds.)

Were you ready? (Pause for 10 seconds.)

Remember getting your own place and realizing all the freedom you had and all the
bills that were now yours to pay. (Pause 5 seconds.)

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Perhaps you are in a committed relationship. Married? Family? Or maybe you’re

considering the possibilities. What are you looking forward to sharing about your life?
(Pause 15 seconds)

What have you learned from negotiating and navigating life, work and the world?
(Pause 15 seconds.)

What are you doing now? (Pause 10 seconds)

Who is in your life? (Pause 10 seconds)

What impact are you having on those around you? (Pause 15 seconds)

What is next for you that will create the impact you hope to have on your work, life
and world? (Pause 15 seconds)

When you have finished reflecting, take several deep breaths, open your eyes and
stretch. Once you are fully ready, document what you will be saying about the life
you are leading and the impacts you aspire to have.

Capture here your journey back to the future:

You can either document all your thoughts or capture key elements. Write it in first person
with an active voice, as though you were telling the story to another person right now. “I
am…” “I have…” “I enjoy…” “I will…”

Throughout the last couple of years I have accomplished so much for myself.
I graduated at San Jose State University and began a full time career as a graphic designer
for X company. I have been working there for a few years now and I'm hoping I can further grow
within the company. I still live in the Bay Area where I commute very little time to and from my job.
I am renting an apartment, looking to put a down payment on a house. I am still with the same
partner that I have been with since High school. He is working at X place and together we are both
financially stable to support us. We are married now and we have started a family and considering
siblings for our child. I love the job I work at, it gives me enough flexibility for a
work-life balance. I work hybridly so I am in the office some days and working remotely other days.
My friends (x,x,x,and x) are still in my life and so is my family. I try to head home at least twice
a month to visit my parents.

I hope to impact those around me through my designs. Making people happy or at least
have an impact on trying to understand what they are viewing.

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Personal Brand workbook

Distil

Capture key ideas and elements

1. What has been important to you?

Family, career, self development and friends have been important to me.

2. Who is on this journey with you?

My significant other and my family is on this journey with me.

3. What you are doing that fuels your passion?

What I do to fuel my passion is doing a lot of research online, creating work on my own and more.

4. What are you working toward/have accomplished that gives you a sense of purpose?
I am currently doing two internships that are giving experience into the real world of graphic design.
However, I feel like there is something missing where I can further push those skills into
my future development and career.

5. Where you are headed next?

I am headed next to a hopefully a well paying internship or an entry level job that lets me exhibit
those skills.

Validate
Look at your responses. Do you see your values, passions and purpose showing up in
your visualization?

Use different colour highlighters to help you put all the fuel possible into your opportunity
Type text here
engine. For example, consider highlighting:

Values in blue Passions in green Purpose in yellow

Are all the colours represented?

Did you learn anything new that you would add to your values, passions and purpose that are
needed to meet your highest aspirations?

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Build your brand and make an impact

Giving back is an outward expression of your values and purpose and an opportunity to
demonstrate your super skills. Giving back is good for society, it’s empowering and inspiring
for you and those you will influence and it’s an important part of successful branding! In this
exercise, you’ll identify the philanthropic options that will be most meaningful to you.

Document

Clarifying your unique strengths, values, passions and purpose gives you great direction and
criteria for what to say “yes” to and what to say “no” to when faced with the many
opportunities and requests you will encounter over a lifetime. Let the work you have done to
this point in your branding journey be your guide to choosing how you will use your time.

I want to use this giving back opportunity to:

… Showcase a strength
… Develop a new skill
… Align with my values
… Employ my passions
… Fulfil my purpose

Distil
Use the questions below to help you begin to find a cause that’s right for you.
Skills/Strengths:
Which of the super skills you identified would you like to showcase or which skill was
missing that you’d like to build?

One of these super skills I show cased was creativity. I feel like this is something
that is very important within the design industry and something that I should be
able to showcase as I am finding a career. One skill I am missing is growth. I feel
like I can do more to improve on this.

Values:

Look at your values. Which cause(s) might connect with those values?

I feel like the causes that my connect with my values would be from the
background of my education and my family.

Volunteet work I find compelling is helping the environment and people aroundtricreat

Passions:

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Think about your passions. Think about what type of cause might connect with those
passions. What organizations may align with those causes?

Passions can be caused by what I was exposed to as a child. I feel like a lot of my
passions come from what I did when I was younger, art related. Organizations that may
align with these causes are classes, clubs and more.

Goals:

What is your goal for an internship or the job you would like to have when you graduate?

My goal for an internship or the job I would like to have when I graduate is to get
experience in what I do and know. Gain knowledge from experienced designers
and if its an internship, eventually land a job in the place I am working at.

Purpose:

What might move you toward your internal vision for the future?

What moves me toward my internal vision for the future is making my family
proud as well as myself. Coming from an immigrant house hold where my
parents came here with nothing, I feel like it would make me happy to at least
get a career where I can be financially stable.

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Refer to the two examples below:

Example 1 Example 2

Skills/strengths: Skills/strengths:
Relationship-building, collaboration Managing people, teaching, coaching

Values: Values:
Respect, excellence, discipline, caring for others, Teamwork, winning, competition, optimism,
generosity growth

Passions: Passions:
Animals (pets) Sports, entrepreneurship

Goals: Goals:
Ideal first job out of school: working with a First internship: working for a consulting firm that
healthcare organization, working on developing has high tech start-ups as clients, or working for a
therapies that help people start-up

Purpose: Purpose:
To lead a national initiative that influences the To launch a successful business that employs my
provision of alternative healthcare services to love of sports and leverages my technical
underserved and disadvantaged people expertise for online delivery and engagement; To
deliver team and leadership training services
based on sports theory

Potential organizations: Potential organizations:

local non-profit veterinary clinic, dog rescue School extracurricular sports programs, local
organisation, non-profit clinic for the homeless small business associations, etc.

Potential roles: Potential roles:

Welcome reception, greeting clients, working as Starting a sports organization at school, teaching
part of a team to make animal issues visible, working and coaching students on different projects,
across organizations getting them to collaborate managing a small project for an entrepreneurial
organization

Validate

Now it’s time to act for impact. Commit to at least one action below to get you started on
your road to giving.

• Check websites and phone or tablet applications for opportunities based on interests, causes, needs, skills
and locations that are in alignment with your values, purpose, passions, potential roles and goals outlined
previously.
• Call or visit the organizations that sound like the best fit.
• Volunteer for a day, a project, or a week to gift your service and test the fit with the volunteer opportunity.
Even if it turns out not to be the best fit for you, both you and those receiving your service will have benefitted
and it will get you one step closer to clarifying what you want to do.
• Check your state and city website for additional opportunities in your area. Many large employers have
volunteer programs that can also link you to opportunities that will be a fit for your interests. Do some
homework on an employer you’d like to work for and see if they have volunteer opportunities that you can join.

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