2 Keys to Building a Powerful Personal Brand

 Finding the Core of who you are and finding your true Comfort Zone

How to find the Core of who you are to build your Personal Brand

You have to know where you’re at to decide where you’re going. Before framing your unique selling point, competitive advantage, elevator pitch or anything at all to do with your personal brand take a breath, set aside some uninterrupted time and brainstorm who you are at your very core. What makes you tick, what brings you joy, what do you stand for. 

Think of the things that you find visually pleasing. After all it is your image that will speak a thousand words, so before you determine how to manage your image start by assessing your aesthetic values from which will emanate your own visual identity.  Your values and ethics play a huge part, of course, and will be added to the mix later. 

Start with considering what you love in nature, architecture, interior design, which shapes and colours are you drawn to, and why. Also record your natural walk and talk. This will reveal how sprightly or serene you are, bubbly or calm and still. Ensuring that your style and image will reflect your authentic persona from the very heart and soul of who you are at your core.

The reason you need to do this is that you will most likely have an unconscious bias conditioned from your upbringing, family, friends, work colleagues, the media and the education you received. You might be used to thinking in a certain way and never been on your own long enough pondering the merits of your true and authentic self. It will also show you that the softer sides to your being have a place and can be used as a strength just as much as if you have a more bold side. You can embrace the ying and yang of your personality. There is no such thing as having an overly feminine or masculine drive. You can build your personal brand on the flow of your natural energies and see yourself soar. Because you will be operating from a source and place of comfort and familiarity. It’s easier to be yourself (everyone else is taken!). 

The words that emerge from this exercise will be the very essence of who you are. When you fully embrace who you really are you will find your natural rhythm and avoid burnout from trying to be something you are not!

Use mood boards, on and offline, to build up a pleasing aesthetic of the things you are always drawn to, the things you love. It may be the colour of a tiger, the spire of a church, the beauty of nature, architecture, interior design and so on. You will soon see a pattern emerging of common lines and shapes that you are drawn to. 

Here’s a couple of useful links for creating mood boards online: https://milanote.com/ or https://www.pinterest.co.uk

Your Visual Identity will also become apparent through this soul searching exercise:

Finally think of the clothing aesthetic that you love, it might not be what you have been habitually wearing, and it will also be worth noting the things that you would never wear. Again this will show you textures, colours, styles, designs, moods, accessories that you have a natural affinity with.  

Mind Maps can help you brainstorm your aesthetic likes and loves. Take some time away from all distractions and simple keep adding images and text with an image of yourself at the centre. This is a great way to get started at.

The Comfort Zone of Your Personal Brand Power :

In this way you will find your true comfort zone. A place from which you will flourish. A solid foundation from which to promote your skills and expertise. The natural flow of consistency, congruency, and communication from a place that you are comfortable is priceless. 

You will be able to achieve your aspirations with ease. Stretching your comfort zone is a bit of a myth. You are simply changing or adapting, rather replacing habits with new ones that will speak volumes about who you are.

Your true comfort zone is a place from which you can build your personal brand power. You will be able to let your personal traits and characteristics shine. Find the words that personify you the best. These could be anything from go-getter to calm and laid back, proactive to creative, thinker to influencer. Choose between three to five words and add them to your mood board. Think of where you are when you are at your happiest and most fulfilled. Identify what inspires you the most. Really spend time away to reflect without interruption or other influences.

Your tone of communication for your personal brand message will be congruent with your inner essence. You will be able to choose the best social media platforms that enhance your natural flair. Marketing Personalities makes use of the Meyers Briggs Personality Types to identify which marketing techniques and social media platform would suit you the most. Brit Kolo from marketingpersonalities.com claims that:

“you matter more than your ideal client avatar” 

Make use of psychological and psychometric tests to get to know yourself better. DISC which measures traits of dominance, influence, steadiness and compliance/conscientiousness; Meyers Briggs with the 16 personality types and the 12  Jungian Brand Archetypes. Whilst these are great tools beware of becoming overly rigid in compartmentalising yourself. They are great tools when used with care and can give you a sense of direction, remember there is always the exception to the rule and you are always evolving. 

Building Your Personal Brand Power:

Upon this foundation of your core identity you can build your personal brand. Begin by feeling the mood and emotions intrinsically linked to who you are. If your personal brand was represented by one piece of music, a car, a location, an animal, a natural phenomenon like sunset or sunrise,  a meal, a book, and so on, what would it be? Everything you are associating is linked to the very essence of who you are. 

When you are comfortable with who you are at your core and have found your comfort zone you can choose the marketing strategies and personal branding strategies that will complement your natural style the most. Maximising your natural strengths. Everything will become second nature. You will no longer be forcing yourself to do what the latest marketing guru has determined you should. The whole framework of what you are doing changes. 

Acknowledge and understand the stories of your life that have shaped you into the person you are today and you can market yourself from a place of familiarity and strength. With that insight you will find the inspiration to make the impact you desire. Marketing from the soul essence of who you are at your very core and your natural comfort zone.

Your Action Steps:

• Schedule time out with no. distractions and create a mind map with you at the centre and brainstorm the things you love, that you connect with on a deep soul level and makes sure to ask yourself and note why.
• Create a mood board of the things you find visually pleasing in nature, architecture, interior design, art, places, clothes, fabrics, patterns  and make a note of exactly why.
• Make a collage of all the fashion, colours and styles you love without limiting them to what you think you know about your body shape.
• Take the free Meyers Briggs, DISC and Brand Archetype tests and understand your psychology makeup better. It will help you select the right personal branding strategies that align with you 
• Try and remember the times when you were really performing at your best. What you were wearing? What was the subject matter, was it something close to your heart that you had a natural affinity with? What foundational principles were you working with?

The Inspiring Image Mission is to help aspiring individuals, just like you, reveal the power and beauty within them. To boost confidence and self esteem. Enhance performance and credibility. Empower you to be your very best.

If you want to know more about how to build your personal brand power book a discovery call today