Have you heard the saying, "Dress for the job you want, and not for the job that you have?"
I love this phrase because it has a lot to do with how we show up every day through our personal brand. Your personal brand is a blend of what others say about you and what you believe about yourself. However, the key to building a strong personal brand starts with (1) Being Intentional, (2) Maintaining Consistency, and (3) Staying Focused.
It was a Sunday afternoon and I needed to make a quick stop at the mall to pick up an order at Macy's. I parked near one of the entrances and made my way inside to the customer service counter. On my way there I passed by the perfume and cologne stations and a woman, who gets my attention, asked if I was interested in one of her fragrances. I was in a bit of a rush, but I decided to pause for a moment to grab one of the test strips to smell. As I looked up, I noticed her eyeshadow, lashes, and all -- her whole face -- was BEAT! Her face was flawlessly done and I had to ask who did her makeup. So, I took a moment to talk with her, and of course, SHE was the infamous makeup artist. She then proceeds to give me her business card to contact her if I ever wanted to book in the future. So, let's use her as our example.
From the story, we know a few things about this woman. We know that her current job is selling perfume in a department store, and we also know that she has a talent for doing makeup.
What we don't know is the amount of time this woman adds to her morning routine to get ready for work, including the time it takes to apply makeup so that she can reach potential customers for her business. That is what being intentional is all about when building your personal brand. It's taking deliberate steps to make an exceptional impression -- and oftentimes that takes extra effort and time.
Ask yourself what do you want to be known for? How are you devoting extra time in that area, so that your brand will be strong and memorable?
Another thing about this woman that we don't know, is how long she has worked at the perfume counter. She may have been there for two months or two years, prior to me walking through those doors. However, it took a certain level of commitment to prepare, show up for work, and pass out dozens of cards to hundreds of customers passing by. This is a perfect demonstration of how to maintain consistency. Building a strong personal brand starts with consistently building awareness of what you do which helps your brand stay top-of-mind.
The last step in building a strong personal brand is staying focused. Earlier in the story, I mentioned the quote, "Dress for the job you want". That's exactly what our Makeup Lady did. While she worked for the perfume counter she stayed focused on her vision of the direction she wanted her business to go. You may be in a similar position where you're ready for a change and waiting for that day to come. I encourage you to take a moment to reflect and remind yourself of "the job you want next". Create a list of ways that you can begin working on your passion, positioning yourself for your next step, or sharing with others what you do.
I believe we all have personal talents and giftings that are planted within us to help others. However, it's up to us to be obedient to those callings and start being intentional with how we show up.
Philippians 3:12-14 reminds us to press onward and stay focused on what lies ahead. A strong personal brand comes by being intentional, having consistency, and staying focused. You can do it!
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