As the caterpillar from ‘Alice in Wonderland’ says,
“Who Are Youuuu?”
Whether you classify yourself as a student, an entrepreneur, an employee, a mother, father, friend, pastor, marathoner, an activist, an asshole, a Christian, Buddhist, Hindu, New Ager, or any other label…your BRAND is what the general public thinks of you.
I conducted an exercise years ago that asked participants to reflect on how they view themselves. Then the group discussed whether an individual came across that way to others. Quite a few people were surprised with the results.
For example, Minnie Mouserson (name changed to protect the innocent, haha) believed she was an assertive leader, while her peers didn’t feel that way at all. There was a disconnect. Her actions were not conveying how she saw herself.
This exercise was not done in an effort to cause instant change. It was conducted to demonstrate the relationship between mindfulness and branding.
It is a process. Developing your BRAND is a process.
- Learning leads to awareness
- Awareness leads to development
- Development leads to growth and change.
Let’s take a famous celebrity as an example. Bill Clinton. He was known for years as a Politician, a Democrat, our President, etc. Then the scandal hit, and because of it, our perception of him changed. His BRAND changed. Its taken years for that dust to settle.
Let’s try another. Jim Carey. Originally coming into American homes as the goofy actor from “Dumb and Dumber”, people believed he was like that character. He got more acting gigs that mirrored that type of character. When he started dating Jenny McCarthy, society’s perception of him changed. And since they split, he’s written a children’s book lathered in philosophy and spirituality. His BRAND changed.
Enough with the examples, you get it. 🙂
Let’s get back to what is important, YOU and YOUR BRAND.
[bctt tweet=”Have you given any thought as to how others see you?.”]If not, that’s totally fine. There was a time when I didn’t think about it either. Today, I see its importance.
Communication is rapidly changing. Social media and marketing make it absolutely necessary for EVERYONE, yes…I said EVERYONE to think about their personal and professional BRAND.
OK…here’s a tremendously powerful exercise, and what I would recommend you do, as a starting point.
1. Think about words that describe who you are. Make a list of these words.
(Remember this activity is about discovery, and it isn’t in any way here to cause any judgment, guilt, etc…only awareness)
2. Get in touch with family, friends, colleagues, etc and briefly explain to them what you are working on.
Let them know you respect and value their honest opinion and would greatly appreciate some feedback regarding how they view you. And if they aren’t able to or do not wish to participate in this, that is totally fine. *They can tell you face to face, send it via text or email…whatever they are comfortable doing.
(You may be surprised by some of the things you hear, read, etc. That’s fine.)
3. Compare the lists. Notice when items match what you wrote and when they don’t match. This is key!
Remember this activity was solely for awareness.
You are in control of how others see you and what they think about you, positive and negative. If you want your BRAND to change, the change must start with you. In-person and online. You must be consistent.
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