Editor’s Note: David Eccles School of Business Ambassador Adyson Edwards gives advice on personal branding from her own experiences. This series is called Fashion and Business.
We all have a personal brand. Whether we have consciously developed it or not, it is there for those around us to view. How you are viewed and perceived by those around you is especially important in a business setting. Here are five steps to building a personal brand that will turn heads as your name is called.
- Be authentic: there is no use in being someone other than yourself. Your brand must reflect who you are as a person. Your end goal is to connect with others.
- Understand yourself: Know your strengths and weaknesses. Although you need to be authentic, playing to your best abilities isn’t a crime.
- Maintain a strong online profile: (I’m not talking about your Facebook profile.) With technology today, it isn’t a secret that we can find out anything about anyone with just a few clicks. You must think about this as you communicate and post on your many outlets of social media. Keep a clean, simple, and professional online presence. You never know who is watching.
- Know (and stick to) your values: The purpose of building a personal brand isn’t solely to please others. It is to communicate to others who you are and what you have to offer. Having a strong set of personal values will make your brand more defined, and most importantly, true to you.
- Display your brand: By now, you should have a better understanding who you are as a person, and as a brand. It is one thing to know your brand, but it is another to utilize it in your everyday life. Show others your personal brand each and every day. Get out there and practice what you preach.