You already have a personal brand, whether you realize it or not.

So how do you understand your brand and leverage it to meet your goals?

Step 1

Think about these questions to map out what you already know about your brand:

• Which of your strengths differentiate you from others?
• How would your colleagues describe you?
• What do others say that you do well?
• When people ask you for help, what are they asking you to do?
• What gives you credibility?
• What unique skills or certifications do you have?

Step 2

Gather additional information from:

• Recommendations, endorsements, and thank you messages
• Performance reviews
• Asking people how they might describe your brand

Step 3

Refine your brand to align with your goals:

• Revisit the goals you want to achieve (learn more about brand goals here)
• How might your brand best position you to achieve those goals?
• With your audience in mind, how might you better differentiate yourself?
• What aspects of your brand do you need to evolve further and spotlight?

Step 4

Create your brand statement into a few short sentences that capture:

• What you do (your attributes)
• Who you serve (your audience or industry)
• How you perform or deliver your value (your unique brand promise)
• For example, my brand statement is,

“I am an inspirational coach and talent development consultant specializing in helping women achieve career success and life balance. Using appreciative inquiry and vision-based methodologies, I accelerate personal, professional, and organizational growth with my individual and corporate clients.”

Step 5

Promote and position yourself to your audience by:

• Introducing yourself in meetings using your brand statement
• Showcasing your talents by presenting at a conference or professional organization meeting
• Serving on special committees at work
• Volunteering to share your expertise with a charity
• Teaching others at your company, for your training department, or at a college
• Being a thought leader by sharing your ideas through blogs, social media, newsletters, or other public outlets.

I would love to hear what you come up with after doing this exercise!  If you want my feedback, comment below or send me an email to share your brand goals, statement, and promotion strategies.

Wishing you the best!