Who Are You?
Mar 21, 2022“Many people ask me, how can I set myself apart in the crowded online space? Well let me tell you this. Good personal brands have three things in common. They have a clear vision, a purpose and an action plan.”- Nancy Evans
Who are you? Sheesh, what a deep question with so many answers!
Building your personal brand requires you to go "deep" because it requires you to look within and remind yourself what makes you unique. You want your personal brand to reflect who you are and what you authentically bring to the table. I encourage you to have fun with this journey, because this is really a journey of self-discovery as well!
"Be yourself; everyone else is already taken."- Oscar Wilde.
Disclaimer: If you intended to shoot "perfectly filtered" pictures and show an imaginary life, sharing nothing but the "fluffy" stuff, let me tell you. Please stop.
If you are also thinking, "ugh, I don't feel like taking the time to do this work," then you're not getting it. We need to bring the real you into the light. Being present consistently (for that matter) on social media is not easy, and it's even more complicated if you are not doing it authentically. "Faking it" can be exhausting, and you will burn out quickly if that is what you are doing.
The other thing I want you to keep in mind is that unless you have a massive marketing budget and a team that knows you inside and out, you will need to start understanding that YOU are a thought leader and will need to become a content creator. I see many entrepreneurs hiding from this, who want to outsource themselves as much as possible. Don't give away your intellectual property. This is your chance to build YOUR personal brand and make real connections with your audience. So let's skip the step of "I hired a virtual assistant to do my content, but I don't like it… it's just not me," and let's get down to business. Especially in the first year of building your foundations, I can't stress how important this is.
This is not a negative thing. It is an exciting thing. No one but you can jump on a video and share your expertise or thoughts on a particular topic. Only you can write a personal blog post from your perspective and only be interviewed (as you) on a podcast episode. When building your personal brand, you will need to put yourself out there authentically. It's time to make peace with the content creation process and get yourself out there. Plus, keep the big picture in mind. If YOU are creating your content, it can eventually be repurposed in so many different ways. This very book was written from previous content I have created in the past!
It's time to uncover what makes you find your story so YOU can start connecting with others who will resonate. These questions will help you dig deeper into who you are, your vision, and your purpose. So it's time to put pen to paper and do a little exercise to help pull some of this greatness out of you.
Set a timer for 45 minutes and complete the following questions:
1. What do you like most about yourself?
2. What drives you? What is your why?
3. In what areas do you excel?
4. What work drains your energy?
5. What industries do you find interesting?
6. Where do you want to be at the end of your career?
7. What impact do you want to have?
8. Think of the big picture of your life and business. Imagine it is five years from now, and your business is successful. What does that look like?
9. What are your strengths? What have you been told that you are good at by friends, family, co-workers? Think of specific skills.
10. If you could be known for one thing right now, what would it be?
Don't be surprised if these answers change after a while; you must complete them authentically and honestly now. Your personal brand will grow and evolve, and that is just fine. Checking in on this often can help you stay on track.
This step is essential because after reflecting on the different things that make, you, you can build your personal brand that aligns with who you are and where you eventually want to go. It also helps attract others who are similar to you and see value in what you are doing.
One of the most impactful questions I invite you to explore is question number 8. Many coaches and business owners get "stuck" in the weeds of their business and forget where they are going. Please think hard about this question because it might well become a North Star for you (as it has become for me) to help make decisions around your business and brand. For example, if you write: In 5 years, I want to have four residual income streams within my business and have less than 10 hours client-facing per week, then the future services and content you are creating need to be in line with working towards that goal.
Additionally, question 10 is super important, "If you could be known for one thing right now, what would it be?" Especially when we start talking about content creation. This one question alone should be where it all starts. We must decide what this one thing is because it will give you the clarity needed to create content confidently. It is a recipe for overwhelm, burnout, and not making money if you have too much focus and what to be known for too many things.
To learn more and see how I can help visit: https://www.thetimetogrow.com/
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