21/02/2020
The Power of Personal Branding
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One approach to developing your entrepreneurial style is to think about your personal brand. This is the very essence of your business self: from the way you dress, to the way you conduct yourself in meetings, to the values you stand by. You can start intentionally crafting your personal brand even if you still work for an employer and haven’t transitioned to your own business yet - even if you never intend to, personal branding is still relevant.
What is important is moving away from the employee mindset, where you see yourself as simply fulfilling a role rather than valuing the service and knowledge you provide. Once you start to acknowledge your unique traits and skill set you are more able to find a sense of meaning in the work you do. You will find yourself showing up in a more meaningful way throughout your day because you are putting yourself in the driving seat of your career.
Maintaining a focus on building a personal brand - and a brand mindset over an employee mindset - drives you to make more of the professional connections you make, to attend meetings and events that you might otherwise skip because you don’t see it being necessary to your role. Instead, you show up and make yourself necessary. You show what you stand for, what you do and why it matters. Valuing yourself is the first step to letting others see the value you can provide.
Your personal brand can shine through not only in the work you do but in all your communication, down to your social profiles and email signature, the way you greet a client or even a stranger in the street. After all, it is an extension of who you are as an individual and the driving force behind the change you want to see in the world.
Contributor: Jason Philip
