Personal Brand

Hey guys!

So, you don’t think you have a brand? Well, I beg to differ! You don’t need to own a company to own a brand. It’s what I like to call your personal brand, and everybody has one! You are the President, CEO, CFO, CMO, administrative assistant, PR manager, and everything in between! The question isn’t do I have a personal brand, but rather, what is my personal brand?

24/7 you are the face and spokesperson for your personal brand. You dictate the mission statement, set the operating hours and establish the policies and procedures by which you will function.

Before I share seven things successful brand ambassadors do, I’m going to propose some questions I want you to think about. Ready?

1. How well can you articulate who you are when asked?
2. How do you think people feel after they walk away from you?
3. How do you act when you are having a good day/bad day?

The first thought I want to combat right now is Maya, I’m not a goody-two-shoes. This is why I call it behaviors of successful brand ambassadors, not personalities. Behaviors can be adopted by everyone from all walks of life.

Click to download my Personal Brand Checklist!

7 Behaviors of Successful Brand Ambassadors

They know who they are and what they represent.

This literally speaks for itself. Successful brand ambassadors understand the connection between their name and what it symbolizes to others. Try writing your personal brand statement. It’s harder than you think. I know, because I’m in the process of writing mine as we speak. But knowing who you are and what you do are the first steps to successfully putting on paper what you do in practice.

They know the power of their brand influence.

We’re living in an age where Social Media Influencer is a legitimate profession. They are successful by using some of the most powerful communication tools we have—verbal [words] and non-verbal [body language]. Brand influencers know how to take everything that they say and do and use it wisely. Whether it’s to promote products, deliver a presentation with confidence, teach difficult kids, network, or sell family/friends on the benefits of going vegan, influence is inspiring someone to take an intended action. Now that’s power!

They have a positive impact on the lives of others.

Your personal brand touches everyone you come into contact with, and even those you don’t. Think about some of your favorite celebrities. They probably have an impact on you in some way—maybe good, maybe not so good—hopefully for the better. They inspire you, but you don’t know them personally (well, maybe you do…then, hey girl heeeey!). There’s a power struggle in all of us, but successful people want to enact and spread positivity. It just gets you further in life and puts less stress on your body and emotions. A smile, an encouraging word, takes nothing away from you, but anger, jealousy, and bitterness are exhausting. The cover of one of my favorite notebooks says, “Be the change you want to see.” If you want to see good, be good.

They are confident, but not afraid to fall.

Pride goeth before a fall, but not confidence. Successful people know you have to deliver your message with some measure of conviction or it will be hard to get people on board. Whether your an executive pitching a new initiative or convincing your husband to get on board with an aggressive savings plan, if you don’t believe what you’re saying chances are no one else will either. You get that confidence by trying a lot and falling a lot, followed by trying some more. Through this trial and error, you find out what works and what doesn’t.

They are flexible.

Someone told me recently that flexibility was one of my strengths, and that it makes me very easy to work with. It was a trait that I hadn’t thought to associate with myself but now hearing how valuable it is to that person I understand that the success of your personal brand depends on your ability to bend before you break. Not bending in the sense of comprising your values or caving into peer pressure, but setting aside your desire to be right or putting your ridged perspective before others.

They know how to handle adversity.

So, life happens, right? We aren’t promised a life void of pain, struggle and bad days. When someone does something you don’t like, what’s your initial response? Successful people know their triggers and behaviors so they can counteract emotional outbursts, and manage tough situations and difficult people.

Adversity shows the type of person you really are, deep down. I always remind myself that you can’t control other people, all you can control is yourself. Ironically, even if you’re justified in your position, your personal brand takes the hit if you overreact. You want to have the reputation of being cool under pressure, instead of the hot head with no self-control.

They have a maintenance plan.

Successful people have a plan for longevity; to constantly improve themselves and have a positive impact on the lives of the people around them, for as long as they can. Brand ambassadors understand that with longevity comes loyalty. People will keep coming back—and endorse you to others—based on how you made them feel. Their personal experience with you.