A Solid & Recognizable Brand is built from the inside out. It just as much “Being” as it is “Doing”. You are not who you think you are… and the swimming of unconscious thoughts and habits often inhibit your ability to fully articulate your own Personal Brand. The “Doing” side of any Personal Brand is very simple (not necessarily easy) and is nothing more that acquiring a new skill-set. The “Being” side however of your Personal Brand is often obscured by our goals, aspirations and dreams. We need to come from that space inside of you, where nothing needs to be different than it is… that space of stillness where the authentic self freely expresses itself. This is how you find a Personal Brand that congruently resonates within you and therefore inspires others… simply because it comes from a place inside of you that is so real. Let’s start to build your Personal Brand from the inside out and ask ourselves, “What are the components of “being”?”
You will want to uncover and reveal the centralizing theme that aligns your passions, talents, skills and capabilities with the needs of a niche market. This MUST occur before You can truly have a Personal Brand of relevance. So let’s roll up our sleeves and get to work on uncovering the “Being” side of this complex yet riveting side of a brand called “YOU”.
If we were to follow this line of thought into the world of Sociology, we can glean some insights into the innate arenas of “being” that are inherent in every culture, sub-culture and social structure that exists.
The 4 Pillars of “Being”:
- The desire/need to connect with others
- The desire/need to express ourselves
- The desire/need to self-actualize
- The desire/need to contribute
These are innate human qualities that on the individual level can be expressed and/or experienced in a variety of unique and interesting ways. Here are several questions that will help to reveal/refine your Personal Brand on a “Being” level so that you can build your “doing” practices on a more authentic foundation.
- How do You connect with others and what need does it meet in You? In them? What does this look like within Your business? To Your Customers? To Your “Tribe”?
- Do You have a desire to express Yourself? Are You able to meet this need effectively? How? (through business, through art, through ritual?)
- What specifically are You trying to express? To whom specifically is this important or relevant?
- Is self-actualization a focus in Your life or do You let it occur naturally and on its own terms? What is your relationship to personal growth and transformation? What is the relationship your customers or “tribe” have with personal growth and transformation?
- Do you and your business stand for something beyond profit and wealth? How can/do you involve your “Tribe”? Is this important to them? Why is it important?
It is the deeply seeded and primal needs of the 4 Pillars of Being that bring people together and form “Tribes”. The current trends in social media are helping You and I meet these needs like never before… connecting with people around the world virally before connecting with them face to face.
This is the essence of your being… because it’s within Your “Life Tribes” (family, church, educational institute, sports teams, peers, etc.) that Your personality was formed and thus reinforced throughout Your life. For you to truly understand Yourself and how You can impact people’s lives… You must understand the influences that shaped and continue to shape the person You are now… and the person that you are becoming. Be willing to look at the unconscious influence of your “Life Tribes”.
This is where the discussion of someone’s Personal Brand must start. Only through this process can you begin to uncover the elements that allow us to adhere to the Unchangeable Law of Personal Branding.
The Unchangeable Law of Personal Branding
“At the center of every successful persona,
is one centralizing theme”
From here we can dive into the thoughts, emotions, desires, and passions You have in life. This will help You reveal to Yourself ways you currently express Yourself unconsciously and authentically.
While we all share the human journey of “being” that includes the list above, no two people will express these desires the same; herein lies the power and beauty of intelligent Personal Branding and authentic differentiation.
The doing part comes next, traditional marketing tactics, creative copy & imagery, market research and social media practices serve to reinforce this “One Centralizing Theme”. Now You are ready to shine compelling light on the strengths of Your Personal Brand… that has been revealed to You from “The Inside Out”.
If a brand is identified and packaged from the inside out, You are providing that individual/organization with a model, and blue print if you will, of how to walk that line of being vs doing. Having a clear step by step doing process identified and built upon the essence of who You are and what You stand for is a powerful and life affirming gift to offer anyone ambitious enough to embrace it.
This is the kind of Personal Brand that is built upon an authentic foundation… one strong enough to sustain your efforts to impact people’s lives. It is through effectively impacting people’s lives that you will achieve your dreams of wealth, freedom and personal reward.
This is how the people that “be”… be it. And the people that “Do”… do it!
In your corner and on your side,
~M
Mark Allen Grainger is a Personal Branding Expert & Relationship Selling Mentor to ambitious small business owners who wish to increase their sales by 15-144%. As a “Tears To Cheers” Inspirational Speaker, audiences across the country are empowered to take control of their marketing, their business and their lives.
