Why Everyone Needs a Personal Brand [M&M #030]
Listen to the audio version
As a freelancer and creator, I struggle to explain what I do for a living…
I got my hair cut at a new barber shop the other day (yep, I’m growing a sick on a modern mullet right now. come at me bro) and in conversation, I was asked the dreaded question…
Barber: “What do you do for work?”
Evan: “Well.. You see, it’s complicated..” 😅
I often feel silly telling people that I’m putting a lot of effort into my personal brand.
I think my reason is that I feel like most people assume I’m either dancing for TikTok views or tickling myself with feathers on OnlyFans… Hahaha how ‘bout that for a mental picture! 🤣
It almost seems vain or self-serving on the surface, but a great personal brand couldn’t be further from it.
As a one-person business, having a personal brand is essential for success.
A personal brand is a combination of your values, skills, and experiences that you use to create a unique and memorable identity. It is a way to stand out from the crowd and make a lasting impression on those around you.
Today, I’m attempting to convince you to start building your own personal brand.
There are so many benefits, but here are my favorite three…
Create More High-Value Connections
Having a personal brand can help you create deeper person-to-person connections. It allows you to communicate who you are and what you stand for in a way that resonates with others. Your personal brand becomes the platform to share your unique story and experiences, which can help you build high-value relationships with people who share similar values and interests.
What makes these connections high-value? For starters…
They’ll stick around longer
They’ll support your efforts with their time, attention, and wallet
They’ll share their feedback more willingly
Why? Because they see YOU as high-value as well.
How so? Because you’re sharing not only your expertise, but also your personal journey. This resembles a more life-like human to human connection that other brands just can’t replicate the same way.
Treat your audience as you would a good friend and they’ll gladly return the favor.
You’ll Have an Audience That Sticks with You Forever
A personal brand can last a lifetime and withstand many pivots.
It is something that you can carry with you no matter where you go or what you do. It’s a great way to stay connected to your core values and beliefs, even when your career or life takes unexpected turns.
Personal brands that continue to share unique content, ideas, insights, offers, and more tend to amass a following of people that like them for practical and personal reasons. This creates major buy-in from their audience.
And because they love you for more than one reason unlike many ‘identity-less’ brands, they’ll most likely stick with you even if your life/career path goes a completely different directions.
How about that for all of you creative-minded solopreneurs that want to dabble in so many things!?
Sounds like you’ll never have to start completely from scratch again! 🙌
You’ll always have your audience, as long as they know that they’ll always have you.
A Personal Brand is a Fantastic Insurance Policy
Having a personal brand is a great career-insurance policy. It can help you stand out from the competition and make a lasting impression on new potential clients or collaborators.
And if your career or life has to pivot, you have a potential fallback business in the meantime. Not everyone will monetize their personal brand, but you definitely can! For what it’s worth, I intend to do so in the future. Maybe I’ll share how you can too in the future - let me know if that’s something you’re interested in.
Not only that, but your personal brand also allows you to showcase your skills and experiences in a way that is unique and memorable. Talk about an impressive resume.
Creating a personal brand can be a daunting task, but it is worth the effort. It is great a way to leave a lasting impression on those around you and to stay connected to your core values and beliefs.
Creating a personal brand is a process that takes time and effort, but it is worth it.
So, if you want to be successful in the modern world, it is essential to have a personal brand.
Til Next Time ✌️🙂
- Ev
