Whoever you are, wherever you come from, whatever you do, and in whichever direction your life is heading, you are a brand.
You may not think of using this word when describing yourself because you usually associate a brand with a product or a big company. Regardless of what you think, the reality is still that you are a brand.
What is a brand?
The industry definition is that a brand is a name, term, design, symbol or other feature that distinguishes one seller’s product from those of others. Brands are used in business, marketing and advertising.
Based on this definition you might think that a personal brand is a name, term, design, symbol or other feature that distinguishes you from other people.
But this way of defining a personal brand is limited, simplistic, inaccurate and dangerous. It gives you the false impression that you own your brand, that you can somehow build a brand by hiring a designer and copywriter, and that a brand is only important if you want to be a public figure.
It’s no wonder very few people invest in building their personal brand, which is why very few people achieve success, for success is not the product of hard work; it’s the product of building a powerful personal brand.
So what is your brand?
Put simply, your brand is what people think you are.
That means you have a brand whether you built it or not, because people have thoughts about you even if you don’t know them, and they know nothing about you.
That also means you don’t own your brand; people do, so the only way to build a personal brand is with people, not in isolation. You can’t commission someone to build your brand for you; you must be involved fully in the process.
And if you have a negative personal brand, anything you create will be viewed negatively, rejected, and will most likely end up failing no matter how hard you work.
Why building a personal brand is a must
Your level of success in life correlates with your ability to build a personal brand.
So the thought that only public figures must build and maintain a brand is false. Everyone who wants to be successful must build a personal brand.
When you invest time and energy in building your brand, it naturally extends to everything you do and everyone around you.
In the same way, what you do and who you surround yourself with affect your personal brand, so your parents were right in asking you to hang around good friends in good places.
Hussein Hallak is general manager of Launch Academy.
