Who Do You Think You Are?

Every individual is a brand. The question is whether you are actively controlling your brand. Many people who had worked for large corporations for decades found themselves furloughed or unemployed due to the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Unfortunately, they strengthened the brand for which they worked and have very little personal brand recognition, leaving them in a job market that is now highly selective and scarce for their experience. They should have been marketing and branding themselves rather than the company they were so loyal to and worked so hard.

Everyone, whether they like it or not, has a personal brand. Everything you say and post on social media, every email you send to your list, every blog post you write, and every live event you host all contribute to your brand.

Personal branding entails discovering your uniqueness, establishing a reputation for the things you want to be known for, and then allowing yourself to be known for them.

Personal branding has grown in importance due to the Internet's use, as social media and online identities impact the physical world. Employers are increasingly using social media tools to screen applicants before interviewing them.

The question is whether you want your brand to evolve on its own, without your conscious input, or if you want to control the process and outcome actively.

In the business world, your branding promises increased success. As a result, you are developing The Brand of You! There are thousands of self-help books, programs, personal coaches, and articles available to help people learn to self-brand. These approaches emphasize authenticity and are frequently framed as becoming more of who you are as well as who you were meant to be. It's always better to have control over the outcome.

It's all about establishing your reputation, presenting yourself to the outside world, and marketing yourself as an individual. In essence, your brand is the story that is told about you when you are not present.

When you own a business, it becomes more challenging to separate your brand from your business brand. They all overlap, and it doesn't matter if you're not a household name or a Fortune 500 corporation. Solopreneurs must put in the most effort when building a brand.
Creating your brand is critical if you want to start a business of any kind. Building a brand does not require you to be a large corporation or a Hollywood celebrity.

Your personal brand is how you present yourself to the world. You want the world to see you as a one-of-a-kind combination of skills, experience, and personality. It tells your story and how it reflects your actions, words, and attitudes, both spoken and unspoken.

You use your branding to set yourself apart from others. When done correctly, personal branding can be integrated into your business in ways that corporate branding cannot.

Your personal brand can be significant to your professional success. It is how you present yourself to current and prospective clients. It allows you to ensure that people see you the way you want them to see you, rather than in some arbitrary, potentially harmful way.

It provides you with the opportunity to highlight your strengths and passions. It makes people believe they know you better, and people have much more trust in those they think they know, even if they have never met you in person.
About the Author: I am a recovering entrepreneur. Micro-businesses that are family-owned are an American Dream and an important part of the community they serve.

When I was 12, I began delivering newspapers. In two years, my paper route grew from 18 customers to over 100.

At age 14, I began working in a restaurant as a dishwasher. At age 18, I enlisted in the U.S. Army and became a food service specialist. After my tour of duty, I ran restaurants for 50 years, gaining valuable experience from successful and unsuccessful restaurant owners.

While running restaurants, I also began other businesses. which included a publishing company with our monthly newspaper and magazine, a social media and public relations company, and a mobile retail store.

I had the opportunity to volunteer for several community and non-profit boards. To that end, I was the President of our regional chamber, a business improvement district, and received several awards. Volunteering, donating, and participating in forums and events are all aspects of community involvement that I value.

A business should get involved in the community it serves. Helping the community shows gratitude for their acceptance and support.

My experiences are wide and deep and allow me to choose people who are competent and reliable.

Your personal brand is your greatest asset in all aspects of your life.

People like to do business and associate with people they know, like, and trust. Cliff Moore v2.0