Personal Brand or Personality?



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I’ve recently had the distinct pleasure of meeting (online)  two larger-than-life individuals who are experts at personal branding:  Mari Smith and Michael Port.  Both of them have a lot to say about the importance of being your truest self while being relevant and forging relationships.

I was looking over some notes I’ve made from their advice, when a Tweet from @johnhaydon popped up on my screen:

You don't need a brand, you need a personality. :-)

Now that made me giggle, but there is significant truth in that nugget.  Michael Port emphasizes that if you base your brand on your personality, you can take it with you when you change jobs or enterprises.  Mari Smith’s personality is so big and so unique that it truly is her brand.  And when Michael talks, people immediately know that he’s real and genuine and interested in connecting in meaningful ways.

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When I was a practicing Realtor, my personal brand was The Real Estate Cowgirl and later The NO BULL Team.  Now that I’m a freelance writer, I’m Writer At The Ranch.  Obviously the cowgirl theme is a big piece of my personality, and hence my brand.

You may be thinking that you don’t have a personal brand, or need one.  Personal brands are for entrepreneurs, right?  But I think you do have one, even if it’s simply your Facebook persona.

Your brand is what people think of when they think of you.  Are you bubbly, sarcastic, witty, or negative?  People attach recurring traits to you quickly.

What would you like your brand to be?  It’s something worth thinking about.

I would love to hear your comments.

Marianne M. Smith
Writer At The Ranch
Making You Look Brilliant One Word At A Time
http://writerattheranch.com
wordsmith@writerattheranch.com