You are amazing at what you do.

You've been in your career for over twenty years. Maybe you've won a few awards, been recognized in your field, you have big name clients and companies mentioned in your bio. You feel confident in your level of expertise.

But when it comes to your personal brand, that's when things get a little cloudy. What is your personal brand? If you had to define your brand in one sentence, would you be able to?

This is a problem that even the most seasoned of us struggle with.

Today, I’m sharing with you my best tips and advice on how women in business can build a powerful brand. Later on, I will be inviting a few of you to join my first ever personal branding masterclass to expand on some of the material covered here. So without further ado, my quick tips for building and leveraging your personal brand in business and leadership.

What is brand?

For many of us, when we think of a brand, we tend to think of it in terms of the name of our business, our bio, what’s on our resume, LinkedIn profile, or the role or title we have. Maybe for some of us, we don’t even see ourselves as a brand or never really considered it. We might think of the stores we shop in, the products we buy, the logos we see as brands. But this is a very one-dimensional way of seeing ourselves and the power we have to create an impact and build influence.

A brand reDefined.

A brand can be defined as three things:
 
1. The unique set of ingredients that set you apart and allow you to stand out.
2. The experience of you and what people come to expect from you.
3. The value you bring to the table.

Why does having a brand matter?

When you don’t have a clear definition of who you are, what you stand for, and what you bring to the table, you can start to feel adrift and stagnant in your work. You may find yourself unable to create meaningful goals, struggle with confidence and impact in your leadership, and decision-making becomes a bit cloudy.
 
Consider your brand as your navigational guide towards personal and professional success. Foundational items like your personal vision, core values, and strengths lead the way. With a clear understand of your brand, you can align with the right projects/clients/opportunities.

What gets in the way?

I call these the stories we tell ourselves; invisible barriers that come in the form of negative self talk that causes us to hide, shrink, become insecure and diminish confidence.
 
The two narratives we most often hear are:
1. Not good enough.
2. Who do you think you are?
 
What we continuously believe and actions we take as a result, becomes our habits, which shape our character and ultimately our destiny. Believe it or not, being late is a part of your brand. Indecision is a part of your brand. Avoiding uncomfortable situation can also be a part of your brand. Who you surround yourself ultimately becomes part of your brand!

You are what you repeatedly do and what you do repeatedly do becomes an element of your brand. Make sure you're only adding the right components to your brand.
 
“Make visible what, without you, might never have been seen.” – Robert Bresson

The outer component of a personal brand has 5 dimensions. They are:

1. Mental; the way you problem solve, your thought leadership and how you communicate
2. Emotional; your ability to connect with others through empathy and vulnerability
3. Spiritual; your connection to higher purpose, you WHY
4. Physical; appearance, image and personal style
5. Environment; your space, culture you build

Together, these 5 elements combined with your inner mindset creates the complete package of your personal brand.

How do you begin shaping and refining your brand so that you become known for what you do and standout?
 
I will be answering this in full detail with step-by-step guidance in my Personal Branding masterclass The Essence of YOU: Personal Branding for Smart Women on Wednesday, September 12th. I will be hosting a 90-minute online session. This session is for you if you are considering your next career move, starting a new venture, needing more clarity around what you want, and especially if you're just tired of shrinking and ready to play bigger in your world!

What’s unique about this course is that it takes a very unconventional approach to branding, from the inside, out. So if you’re open to a new way of discovering & developing your brand, you will enjoy this talk. Class is open to 15 people to keep it intimate.

Sign up is here.
 

Cheers to mastering your brand and unlocking your true path to great leadership.