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Personal Branding: It’s an INSIDE job

March 22, 2018 By Suzanne

I get excited to read other people’s perspectives on personal brand development. So when I seen an article come through my email that is entitled “7 Ways to Build Your Personal Brand,” I am super excited to see what this perspective will be, and if I can learn new things in this area.

[One of my Personal Brand Values is “Growth/Evolution” so I am a sucker for a variety of topics that keep me evolving within what I do and who I am.]

But 99% of the time, within the first paragraph of the article, I can sense it is going down the path that so many other authors/consultants/marketing professionals go….down the ‘MARKETING’ path of the brand building process. There are so many articles regurgitating the same marketing techniques, over and over again, month after month…yet still missing the critical process components to actual Personal Brand [and business brand, for that matter] development.

My beef with this is that branding and marketing are two separate functions, but eventually operate in sync to deliver the brand, the experience, the promise, etc. We have to first create the brand, then we go to market with it. Makes sense, right? So why, then, is the term branding used as a synonym of marketing? No wonder so many don’t understand how to brand in a conscious, strategic and deliberate way; because they are focused on getting it out in the market. Well, my question is simple, “Then, what is it you are marketing?”

Your Personal Brand [if we get super technical here], started when you were born, as others began to form impressions of you. You may not have had a conscious understanding of it at that point, but it was actually forming way back then. The marketing of your brand happened almost instantaneously too, you figured out how to get the attention of others, for food, milk, diaper change, etc…..right?

As you grew older you started realizing how others have been perceiving you, and you got confused, or highly strategic in creating better and better marketing to continue to attract attention from the people in your life. However, you also realized that some of the people you ‘marketed’ yourself too weren’t ‘buying.’ They simply didn’t share the same position, values, philosophies, so to speak.

Most of my Personal Branding clients come to me because they’ve realized that they have been marketing themselves over all these years, changing it with their changing of environments, friends, and colleagues they were surrounded by, but have not actually done any due diligence of actual Personal Brand Development.

So, what are they actually marketing? A mish-mash of messages, inconsistent, trendy with the group, the situation, and based on the assumed ‘wants’ of others.

What happens in the case where they’re all focused on just the marketing of their brand, rather than the conscious, strategic, and deliberate identifying and defining of it first? Well, they tend to begin to ‘chase’ their audiences (friends, colleagues, community, family, etc.) wants, needs, and desires to please what they ‘think’ others want. Like a business chases its prospective customer market….never really knowing when they’ll shift, ebb, or flow.

This is what I call being overtly EXTERNALLY DRIVEN. Chasing something outside of yourself for validation. Always seeking others approval and opinion, or even status. Living vicariously through other’s perspectives. Losing connection to ourselves more and more, every day.

Oh, yeah, I remember you, where have you been?

When we make the decision to shift gears towards a more INTERNALLY DRIVEN focus, everything transforms in our experience. We start to re-member who we really are, at our core. We connect deeply to what makes us different, what our core values can do to shape our experiences, and even tap into and showcase our authentic personal brand STYLE, and own how we show up, manage our relationships, speak our truth, and so much more.

It’s critical to identify and define our own brand first [no marketing in this process, just discovery], put standards in place that enable us to live it regularly, and become highly consistent in KNOWING AND BEING our true self. Think of it as a road map for becoming our full potential. This is where self-actualization begins to root and expand exponentially.

My advice? Don’t spend another dime on marketing until you do the work necessary to construct and clarify what your brand DNA is really all about. It will change the way you look, the way you talk, the places you hang out, the company you keep, and so on…enabling you to become more of YOU from the INSIDE OUT!  ;0)   …Then strategically go to market!

 

Filed Under: brand building, Brand Differentiation, Brand Strategy, Brand Vocabulary, Personal Branding, Uncategorized Tagged With: brand experience, personal brand development, Personal Branding, re-branding, small business branding

Testimonials

“Wow, I wasn’t expecting such a breakthrough!” That is what you will tell yourself when you complete one of Suzanne’s Personal Brand Mastermind courses. If you are not aligned with your authenticity, everything in your life will suffer as a result. I highly recommend anyone who wants to get to the next level in business or their personal life to enroll in this series. This is an exclusive training program for high-caliber, high-potential clients so be ready to roll up your sleeves do… Read more
Cory Arcarese, CEO, CArc Media
“Suzanne is personable, precise in her communications, and extremely professional. Her concept and methodology of brand development is simple and powerful, and it’s already reaping great results! Her vast experience and impeccable integrity make her a powerful member of my business team. I highly recommend Suzanne to any business owner seeking greater impact and a bigger bottom line! Great Results, Expert, High Integrity!”
Chevy Chevallard, CEO, Conduct Your Life!
VW-Round-BW“I’m more clear and consistent in my actions and communication across the board. I’m more mindful about what I do – and even more importantly, how I think – and have more clear direction of what actions to take next and why. Identifying, defining, and stepping into my authentic self was exactly what I was looking for and needing to kick-start my next level of success! Because I am “Uniquely Wise, Deliciously Inspired!” Thank you Suzanne!”
Veronica WirthOwner + Creative DirectorDesign BistroVermont
SuzanneKladder-BW-Round“Suzanne and her Personal Brand program are amazing. She really gets you to take an honest, in-depth look at who you really are at your core and get past what you or others think you are. She helped me abandoned the idea that I needed to be perfect and to realize that perfection is me being me. The work I did with Suzanne continues to help me behave in a consistent, authentic way and it has had a positive impact on my business.”
Suzanne Kladder, Sales Whisperer
“Suzanne is a subject matter expert and superb facilitator for building a dynamic culture and brand. I have been in two organizations that immersed themselves in her engaging and powerful Brand DNA process. Her process fully enrolls everyone from customer facing staff to senior executives so that all conclusions are readily embraced and instantly internalized by all stakeholders. If your enterprise wants to experience immediate and lasting transformation, engage Suzanne.”
Robert Todd, Operations & Finance Expert
  JanePeck“Suzanne has facilitated training in our organization to bring the branding basics to our team.  She is dynamic, entertaining and engages all the senses in her training methods.  If you are looking to elevate your brand and engage your team in the process, I highly recommend her.”
Jane Peck, MBAAdministratorEndodontic Specialists of ColoradoColorado Springs
“For years, I have been the gerbil on the wheel, trying with all of my energy, to be all things to all people.  It is so liberating to focus on the strengths I bring to the table and not worry about who that will line up with.  I love what you said about how when you let go of those who don’t line up, it only opens the door for more of those who do.  I am totally seeing that happen in my life and especially in my business!  I shared this with my business coach and he said that you were rig… Read more
Lisa Gross, Sr. Mortgage Lender, Peoples National Bank

SarahRyals-Pic“Suzanne creates a wonderful experience to build an understanding of brand, especially for those who are new to brand basics. Her teaching modules are clear, well organized, thoughtfully explained, and she does a great job coaching teams through the work. The final outcome is an actionable foundation for delivering a consistent, meaningful brand experience for all the brand’s stakeholders.”

Sarah Ryals, Women's Resource Agency Board Member
“Suzanne is a fantastic brand expert who makes an immediate impact to the bottom line. Her efforts helped me successfully launch a small business venture (fitness gym: dynamic-gyms.com) into a very competitive market achieving break even revenue goals within three weeks of opening! Simply unheard of in this market segment. This would not have been possible without her direct efforts to help us succeed.”
Larry Solecki, CEO, Dynamic Training & Fitness Gyms
Tonya-round-BW-web“Building on a lot of prior soul-searching and “inside work,” the Personal Brand Presence DNA process has helped me to step into an image that is consistent with who I know myself to be. It helped me to articulate what it really means to walk my talk in a way that’s visible and tangible, not just to me but also to others, and I will forever be grateful for that.”
Tonya Henderson, Ph.D, Gly Solutions

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