How to Build your Personal Brand

Personal Branding is a new idea in Jesse-land. Before I started my business I had zero awareness and even less appreciation for this idea of "branding" Which doesnt really make sense since the Learnings and Missteps Podcast is nearly 4 years old. 

Branding and marketing used to fit into a slimy bucket that resembled the feeling I get when someone is pushing me to buy something. You know that feeling, that person that has little to no interest in you. They are so focused on making the sale that you know their only focus is "closing the deal" so they can beat their chest after the close. Yeah I didnt want to be that guy.

But I did want the stories shared by my guests to be heard because them stories are super inspirational and filled with wisdom.

So I had to get over it and figure out how to do it in a style that I could be proud of. I used to think my "brand" was the logo of the podcast, but its not. Of course its not, that is way too easy.

Inevitably my peeps started saying things like "I love your brand" "thats totally your brand", but they were saying it at random times. I was like "what in the world are they talking about." Sometimes people would ask "whats your brand" and I would tell them the name of my company, which I could tell was not the response they were looking for.

So I decided to ask! and I am super glad I did and heres why:

I learned that my brand is the result of what people experience every time I show up. 

So what does this mean? 

• It means that even when we are not thinking about it, we are brand building.
• It means we dont need a publicist to help us create our brand.
• It means our brand is a delicate high value asset.

In case you missed it, the point is you already have a brand. Right now, this second you have a brand and it is defined by the way people experience you. In my head my brand is casual, playful, unpolished, and intense. These are the behaviors I do on purpose. But there are things we dont do on purpose that people are experiencing with every touch. Here is a list of some magical things my peeps pointed out to me:

• ability to ignite change in people
• reminds others to hold themselves accountable
• Prime Motivator / Encourager
• example of what is possible when you dont give up
• some gentle messaging 
• some straight up drinking mind-blowing concepts from a firehose
• Holistic mentor
• Holistic in leadership approach
• Lighthouse of the Construction Community
• and of course Chuy 😎

This list represents things that I have not been doing on purpose. This is how people are experiencing me, it is my brand from their perspective. no I didnt bribe anyone. 

More importantly this list represents who I can be, It represents what I can lose, it now represents what I aspire to. To Be Clear this was not the BRAND I thought I had, there was no strategery, content buckets or outlines that earned me this brand. 

It happened as a result of showing up, receiving, reflecting, and reciprocating. 

So how do you show up? Do you even know what your brand is😉