I spend a lot of my time professionally and personally helping people figure out who they are and what they are good at. My hope for others is that they can bring out more of who they are to the world. I believe in my core that when that happens, the world is a better place because we are helping each other with what we are good at and we get to experience the joy and satisfaction of using our strengths more and more. I want us all to have the experience that when we work, we feel like we are doing what we were made for. When we build a company, we know it is meeting unique needs that maybe the market hasn’t even expressed yet. I want us all to share in the experience of Olympic athlete Eric Liddel (portrayed in the movie Chariots of Fire) who was able to say, “When I run, I feel God’s pleasure.”
I have finally concluded that what I am doing is in essence real branding. I help people discover their real personal brands. Personal branding is in essence defining what promise you want to make and consistently deliver to the marketplace.
The process of defining a brand goes exponentially better (faster, more fun, etc.) when one fully appreciates and has a heart knowledge of the following 7 principles that I call the “Lucky 7.” I call them the “Lucky 7″ because when you really know you are, it is a gift and blessing.
The Lucky 7 Beliefs
7. I am being branded whether I like it or not. It is up to me to take control over my brand and resulting perceptions.
6. My future is not defined by or constrained by my past (failures, limitations in success, negative comments made to me.)
5. I am not defined by previous job titles or what I know.
4. I have core strengths and passions that can truly help others AND I am worth equitable compensation in return.
3. I cannot make up what I am good or what I want to be good at in order to create my brand. I have to discover my brand. But once I discover it, I can do a lot to make who I am more accessible to others.
2. I want to pursue living a life of congruence between who I am and what I do. No more masks. No more posing.
1. I want to live an abundant life (full and meaningful) and want to stop settling for less. I want to be happy. I want to be healthy. I want to be free.
How real do you want to be? How you answer that question will determine how effective your branding process will be and ultimately how successful and satisfied you will be with who you are and what you do.
© Betsy Jordyn 2010. All rights reserved
Betsy – well said. I agree it’s important to discover and define your real brand. When an individual is living their real brand they are living in alignment.
Everyday their expression of self is in alignment with their values, purpose and vision. Small acts and large are meaningful and fulfill the promise of who they are and who they are becoming.
Having supported many folks to be in “integrity” with who they really are and how they show-up in the world each day, I’m excited about the work you are doing.
As there is often confusion and misconceptions about personal branding, leadership branding, and corporate branding, it is timely that you are exposing “real” branding. Branding that starts from the inside out – versus many brands that start with a clever idea and promise and build out from there.