Personal Branding Defined
A 5-minute 59-second read*
Welcome to Edition #15 of THE BLUEPRINT.
So what is personal branding?
Is it hiring a videographer to follow you around all day? Or posting to LinkedIn in an attempt at getting new clients?
No.
Everyone has a personal brand. From a young age, people start forming perceptions about you. The way you dress, talk, act, and, importantly, the way you make people feel. The good news - if you were a punk kid - these perceptions often change as you do. But as adults, our habits can become cemented, and our personal brand becomes who we are known as.
By personal branding, you identify your target audience and strategically amplify the personal brand you have built.
Let’s take a look at the 6 Key Aspects of a personal brand:
What you look like:
From your build to your features to the clothes and accessories you wear, people will form perceptions just from this. What does this person’s body language tell me? What are their physical attributes? The first thing our minds race through is safety, so depending on your role, this is really important. If I were a security guard for a night, I would attempt to look as intimidating as possible, so hopefully, I wouldn’t have to fight anybody.
A great way to stand out here is to be fitter than most people. This portrays likable traits such as discipline and consistency.
Another way to stand out is by using accessories. One example is Alex Hormozi, who completely changed the game when he wore jorts, a tank top, long hair, and tape over his nose. Making for a drastic visual, he harnesses attention through social media.
What you talk about:
This is split into two categories: core messaging and alternative topics.
Core Messaging: These are your deeply held beliefs, often revolving around how to navigate your life. These affect your actions, decisions, and how you feel about them. If you are unsure of your core messaging, answer these questions:
What do you value most in life? (I keep a list of 5 core values in rank order.)
What do you stand for? Against?
How do I want to feel in life?
Who would I like to be when I am 40? What is my aspirational life?
Who do I most admire and what qualities do they have?
2 additional tactics to define your true core beliefs and values:
The Litmus Test: Identify if you would give up any of your core beliefs for money or to save your life. If so, it is not a core belief.
Consider the opposite: if you have a strong distaste for something, the opposite may be a core belief.
Alternative Topics: Literally anything else that you talk about. The conversations you have with friends, colleagues, family members, and any other person in your life are considered alternative topics, and what you say forms perceptions in the minds of others.
A way to stand out here is to understand your core messaging and how it affects the way that you live. Contrasting core messaging in a conversation as opposed to topic opinion often leads to deeper thoughts and acceptance of where someone is coming from.
If you want to study strong personal brands, research assassination targets. These people were so aligned with their core messaging that someone felt the need to kill to stop them.
How you make people feel:
Usually stemming from a combination of multiple personal brand aspects, this one is absolutely crucial! In business, it is of great value to be trusted. Do I trust that this person will give me what I desire? If you have achieved ‘hands-down yes’ status, odds are you will be top of mind the next time someone thinks about your industry.
For a business, understanding how you make your target market feel is why Walmart ‘rebranded’ in 2024 to better associate with a younger generation.
This is why Nike makes millions. They don’t sell clothes; they actually sell inspiration. High fashion sells privilege and exclusivity, Dove sells female empowerment, and there is a whole industry around products that will make you feel like a more adventurous, wild man.
As a business, start selling the outcome your customers really desire, not just the product.
As a person, start seeing the good in others. A vow of confidence towards someone’s abilities can unlock remarkable achievement in their lives, even if it’s not 100% true!
Who you associate with:
This can be separated into two groups - internal and external.
Internal: These are the people with whom you share time and experiences in person. Friends, family, peers, colleagues, and so on. The reputations of those close to you also affect you. Your father’s expertise in business may aid in your success, just as your friend groups’ lack of ambition may be detrimental.
“You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with” is a quote from author, entrepreneur, and motivational speaker Jim Rohn that speaks for itself.
External: These are the people you have taken as role models and inspirations. Along with gleaning information, you will also start to adopt some of their mindsets and habits. Thoroughly evaluate someone before allowing them to influence your beliefs. You may be able to take business advice from someone, but neglect everything they say about having a family.
Internal and external associations create perceptions in others. Because someone in your group, family, office, etc, acts in this way, you must as well. The goal is to make the last sentence a positive statement.
What activities you participate in:
The hobbies, activities, and events that you participate in come with their own perceptions and associations. For example, let’s pretend you are an avid long-distance runner. Your friend’s mother, Susan, thinks long-distance running is the most stupid thing you can spend your time doing. Whether it is true or not, she may now associate you with making stupid decisions, and odds are, she will not do business with you.
Who cares what she thinks? You shouldn’t, unless your target market is made up of people who think like Susan. Then you should be far more discreet or pick up a new hobby.
The most-used case for this is participating in activities that might defame your name, like drinking, smoking, partying, or illegal activity. This will certainly affect how you are perceived.
Who/what you support:
This can be broken down to where you spend your money and to whom you publicly pledge your allegiance.
The clothes you wear and the car you drive have their own brand image, and this says something about you. Fast fashion brands like Shein, which are under scrutiny for unethical labor practices, would be highly inappropriate for a political figure’s choice of clothing. It would be a poor reflection on your personal brand as well.
Offering public praise or siding with political figures’ opinions is a fantastic way to alienate people who are of the other party. So is the ladder effect of associating with someone who engages in this activity.
This section is not here to stop you from having strong opinions. It is a warning sign for how publicly you share them. Take Michael Jordan’s comment: “republicans buy sneakers too,” when asked to make a PSA for Harvey Gantt.
A final piece is that your personal brand needs to stop catering to everyone. Each personal brand aspect you have will be taken to better by some and will alienate others. If you see this happen, you are on the right track.
This is a reminder that Jesus was killed for holding to his core messaging and that people can view love fearfully.
If you are naturally a giving person, there is an opportunity to position yourself around people who appreciate you instead of those who abuse your gift.
To take away:
Start with your core messaging. Everything from your look to how you make others feel, to how you will amplify your brand and who you will target, will stem from this.
That’s all for Ed. #15.
Cheers,
Spencer Abts
