Personal Branding - Let’s Dig Into It, Part 2.
All images on this page are from a mini personal branding shoot with the wonderfully vibrant Katherine Blake.
In part one of this two-part blog series we looked at three key questions you need to answer when forming your brand. Who are you, what do you do and why does it matter? We also looked at creative ways you can start to unpack those questions by thinking about your brand as a person. When it comes to your personal brand - you are the person.
You know what you love doing, what inspires you, where and with who you love hanging out, what kind of food and beverages delight your tastes buds, what sends excited butterflies racing around your stomach, what gets you out of bed in the morning, what environments bring you joy and what ultimate vision for your life sets your heart on fire. There will be a large degree of alignment with your personal and product brand if you are an entrepreneur or small business owner because you have birthed your business out of the depths of your own passion and ideas.
Before you invest in personal brand photography, I would advise doing a brand M.O.T. Where are you on your journey? Where are you strong, what needs some work? If you are at the beginning of your personal brand journey, this might feel overwhelming. It is also an exciting opportunity to delve into your business and find out what about it lights up your brain and gets your creative juices flowing. You started your business for a reason, so don’t forget your ‘why’. This is going to be what catalyses you into action and catapults the success of your business.
Here are three tips to help you:
Know Your Core Values - They are your compass that will keep you pointed to your true north, and help you navigate the world without compromising. You know you are making decisions for the wrong reasons when you feel uncomfortable, but you are overriding your discomfort for one reason or another - when your decisions aren’t resonating with your core values. This never pays off. Staying true to your core values will make you much happier in the long run and your dream clients will be attracted to your authenticity. Your core values should be the bedrock for all your business decisions, including how you present yourself to the world. You want to show up authentically.
Know Your Story - Your personal brand is the story you want other people to tell about you when you are not in the room. What story are you wanting others to tell about you? How well someone else tells your story is down to how well you live, present and communicate your story. Some examples: they are warm and friendly, they are professional, generous, creative, colourful, fun, passionate, knowledgable, they get the job done, I trust them (be specific). What do you want to be known for? Write it down - from what you currently feel really strong at and also what you aspire to. Don’t worry if there is a skill gap - it’s okay to dream and then put in the hard work to get there. This leads us to…
Know Your Vision - Create your own vision board and get very specific with the details. The type of people you want to work with, the type of work you want to be doing, the income you want to earn, the home you want to live in, the ultimate vision that maybe scares you a little bit (or a lot) but, if you knew you could get there, you’d be skipping like a lamb freshly released into a field of daisies. As entrepreneurs, we are often the ones with future in our eyes. We have an idea and a dream. This is our lifeblood. We need vision if we are going to chart unchartered territory (even if it is just unchartered for us). Remember, others who have gone before can inspire action or intimidate into inaction. We can learn from and be inspired by those who are ahead of us on the journey, but no one ever walks exactly the same path in exactly the same way. Fix your eyes on your own prize and then get strategic about how you get there.
Next Step - Once you have done all this work you can then boil it down to the most compelling signature story. This is the strapline that you’ll use that, at a glance, successfully encompasses your brand. Can you drill down to a one or two line statement that encompasses your values, your story and your vision? So when someone thinks of your brand, they immediately tell the story you want them to. Your strapline will also encompass the aesthetics of your brand. Once you have that, you can rock n’ roll with your personal branding photography and ensure your photos align with your aesthetics, your core values, and your story and propels you into your vision.
“Glenda is a wonderful photographer. She made me feel completely relaxed and at ease, and I am absolutely thrilled with the photos she took. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend her to anyone.”
All my clients receive a personal branding questionnaire when they book their session with me. This isn’t a process you need to go at alone. I love working with and encouraging my clients to dig for those gold nuggets until we are ready to create personal branding photography magic together. If you are ready to collaborate with someone who will be your biggest cheerleader, who will help you navigate your personal branding journey and deliver personal branding photographs that levels up your professionalism, fosters trust in your brand and attracts your dream clients then please do get in touch. I’m here to help.
