Why You Need A Personal Brand
Over the past few years, I have been playing with the idea of building my personal brand.
I have tried producing pieces of content here and there…
But for some reason all the content I produced just did not feel right.
I knew the importance of building a personal brand but I just couldn’t figure it out…
I couldn’t figure out what content to produce….
I couldn’t figure out what the hell I wanted to talk about…
I couldn’t figure out how to navigate all these social media platforms…
I just couldn’t figure it out…
I was lost, with no clarity in what direction to go with my personal brand…
So I stayed on the same path as 95% of the people in this world…
You see most people choose to live a life of comfort, security, certainty, a life that plays by the rules laid out by society
Not one that they truly choose to live
And I don’t blame them, this path is possibly the only path most people know exist
Waking up every morning, the same old routine, asking ourselves, "Is this it?"
We're supposed to follow the script: go to school, find a job, get married, have kids, work, work some more, and retire with a lifetime of regrets
Let’s say you live till the average age of 75, you work 40 hours per week for 50 years, then that’s 1000,000 hours you spent working in your lifetime.
That’s 12 years of your life spent working. But what about all that time outside of work you spend thinking about work, talking about work, stressing about work, commuting to work ,networking for work, doing work outside of work, you get the point…
With this in mind, the exact number that work consumes your life is closer to 20 years, or roughly 1/3 of your life
So what about the other 2/3 of your life…
Another 1/3 is spent sleeping or trying to sleep, which leaves just 1/3 of your life to do everything else such as eating, socializing, romance, holidays, exercise, school, and everything else in between
So why should you spend some much time living your life doing work you do not enjoy, find meaningful, or fulfilling?
If you want to spend 1/3 of your life doing work with a purpose, the path of personal branding lays down the foundation to escape from the path of conformity.
Here is why personal branding is what you need…
Personal Brand = Work Built Around You
By building a personal brand, you open the doors to build a business around yourself.
Many mistake personal branding as just a single niche, while a niche is a part of your personal brand, it does not fully represent who you truly are.
You are the niche. You see there are millions of people with the same interests, problems, and wants as you and you only need to connect with a portion of these people through your content to have a profitable business to replace a full time salary.
You see a personal brand is a combination of your story, your experiences, your expertise, your personality, your reputation, your skills, your background, your passions, your hobbies, everything that makes you….
You.
Share Your Story
As Paulo Coelho said in the foreword of his book “The Alchemist”:
“I am Santiago the shepherd boy in search of my treasure, just as you are Santiago the shepherd boy in search of your own. The story of one person is the story of everyone, and one man’s quest is the quest of all of humanity.”
Your personal brand gives you the platform to share your story with the world.
We all have a story to share, a journey to share.
If you don’t share it, no one else will.
Your story is what sets you apart from everyone else. It is what makes your brand unique.
You see many people make the mistake of trying to build a personal brand around something they are not. They try to mimic other people, create content that does not align with their values, or does not relate to their story.
When you share your experiences, your triumphs, and your struggles, you're inviting people to relate, empathize, and connect with you authentically.
Grow Your Audience
By creating original and authentic content consistently, you curate a community of like minded individuals who resonate with your message.
These individuals begin to share your content with their audience, colleagues, partners, friends, and family, which begins to attract more people to your brand and ultimately leads to an audience that is constantly growing.
You also make it easier for people to find and connect with your content on social media, which results in even more growth for your brand.
With a growing audience, your personal brand has one of the most sought out currency in the modern world, attention.
Build Authority
With a growing audience, you begin to build social proof for your brand.
You will have an ever growing list of testimonials, success stories, followers, engagement, and accomplishments.
The more social proof you have, the more people will perceive you as a credible source.
When others see you as credible, they're more likely to engage with your content, heed your advice, and seek your expertise.
You become a trusted expert with a deep understanding in your area of interest.
Leverage Your Brand For Opportunities
By becoming an authority in your area of interest, the doors of opportunity swing wide open.
Your personal brand becomes a powerful tool for attracting people interested in working with you.
Individuals and businesses begin to reach out to you for collaborations, speaking engagements, partnerships, sponsorships, podcast invites, and the list goes on and on.
Not only do you have a wide range of opportunities coming into your DM’s, you also have the ability to monetize your personal brand by building your own products and services.
Some products/services you can offer include: consulting, marketing services, selling courses, selling tools/resources, the possibilities are endless.
Lifestyle Design
With a business built around your personal brand, you gain the freedom to create your own life.
You are able to work on what you want, with who want, how much you want, when you want, and where you want.
Want to build a product based business around your brand? The choice is yours.
Want to travel the world while working on your brand/business? The world is yours to explore.
Want to spend more time with the people you love or dedicate time to a hobby you love? The flexibility is all yours.
You see a personal brand empowers you to build your life the way you want, according to your definition of a meaningful and fulfilling life.
Meaningful and Fulfilling Life
There is a Chinese saying that goes like this:
“If you want happiness for an hour, take a nap. If you want happiness for a day, go fishing. If you want happiness for a year, inherit a fortune. If you want happiness for a lifetime, help somebody.”
Your personal brand serves as a tool to help your audience become better versions of themselves.
By inspiring and motivating them through your content, story, and resources, you are connecting with them on a deeper level and creating a deeper sense of meaning for your life.
Ultimately, building a personal brand enables you to create a path that resonates with your true self, leading to a more fulfilling life journey.
It’s not an easy journey and you will struggle but it’s deeply rewarding if you put in the time, effort, and energy.
Take the risk, bet on yourself, and embark on the path of personal branding.
Enjoy your journey!
- Angel Martinez