discovering your personal brand

What is your first thought when you hear the word "branding" ....

​​​Did you picture a specific brand with a logo?

Yes, a logo does represent a brand, but we're not talking about that here.  

We are talking about YOUR personal brand.  How you appear to the world.  

YOU... all of the amazingness that encompasses you!

Whether you are aware of it or not, you already have a personal brand.  

Everything you do, say, and post IS your personal brand.

"A personal brand is the total experience of someone having a relationship with who you are and what you represent as an individual; as a leader." ~ Glenn Llopis

Your brand is NOT essential oils; that is Young Living's brand.

​Your brand is meant to sell YOU and all the things you love.

Essential Oils are just one of those things.

So, ask yourself...

"What is it like to have a relationship with me?"

"What are the top five things I expect others to experience from me?"

"How do my closest friends see me?"

Go ahead, ask yourself!

I'm sure you've heard this before, but I’d like to remind you:

People need to buy into you before they will buy from you.  

​You need to ensure that the "YOU" everyone else sees is exactly what you want it to be!

Let’s test this out using your social media.  Pretend while you do this that you are some random person.  You can even ask someone else to do this for you and give you feedback.  See if what you discover and their feedback matches.

Set a timer for 5 minutes (so you don't get distracted) and open your Facebook profile.  Scroll through your timeline (remember you’re a random person here).  What do you see?

• What are they passionate about?

• What topic or theme seems to repeat itself?

• How do they feel about their friends?

• Are they trying to sell you something?

• Are they authentic and genuine about who they are?

• What excites them most?

• What are this person's values?

• What vibe do they give off? (mood, attitude, etc.)

• Do you want to spend time with this person?  

• Do you want this person to influence you?

Set a timer for 2 minutes (so you don't get distracted) and open your Instagram account.  Scroll through your profile.  What do you see?

• How often does this person post?

• Are their images consistent in appearance?

• Are their images appealing to the eye?

• What are this person's values?

• What vibe do they give off?

• What words would you us to represent what this person is about?

• Do you want to spend time with this person?

• Do you want them to influence you?

Check your vibe!  

Let's look at some of the examples of personal brand you will recognize and check in to see what kind of vibe they give off to you.  What words would you use to represent these people?

Adele

​​Honest. Authentic.  Real. Warm. Genuine.

Witty. Modest.  Integrative. Funny.

Johnny Depp

​Unique. Passionate.  Talented. Humorous. Imaginative.  Authentic.​​

Tigger versus Eeyore

Tigger

Positive. Passionate. Fun. Loving.

Eeyore

Sad. Pessimistic. Well-meaning. Negative.

I’m just going to leave this right here.

Now that you have an idea of what it looks and feels like, it's time to solidify your personal brand.

Choose 10 words that describe you, that describe the real you that you want others to see.  When people see your photo or your name, what do you want them to think? REALLY... take a few minutes to do this now before moving on.

Now that you have your list of 10 words, post them on your computer, put them in the notes or as the background of your phone screen.  Make them visible to you. These words describe your personal brand. With each social media post or photo you share, and with the interactions you have in person, consider these ten words.  Ask yourself: Does this post and/or photo fit your personal brand? If it's not at least ONE of your brand words, then try again! If it is... share, share, share! Conscientious. Consistent. Authentic to you.  This is the way to be intentional with showing the world "The Me I Want to Be!"

Pull the negativity out of your posts!  All of them, not just ones relating to oils.  You can share things that are real, and raw, and emotional, and tug at the heartstrings, just check yourself when you post them.  What is your intention? Can you find light in the darkness when you share it with others... a light that makes it authentic to you?   When you share articles and other people's posts, make sure you write something to tweak it to be from you. Show your personality and your personal brand even when you hit that "share" button.

Share yourself each and every day.  Step outside your comfort zone and show the world who you are.  WHOA!!! That negative, nagging voice creeping up in the back of your mind... Snap your fingers, give it a face palm, and tell it to shut up!  We will have NONE of that! Comparison has NO place here! This is about you, and ONLY YOU! You are valuable, you are worthy, you are loved, you are the freaking cat's meow!  Own it, love it, be proud of yourself!

In business and in relationships, we all love being able to count on someone.  This is a relationship business, and in order to succeed, we need to be the person others can count on.  Show them you are that person through your consistency and your authenticity. Share yourself every day. Make your personal brand clear.  While you're at it, have a little fun!

 Reflect and Process What You Learned:

• Why do you feel it is so important to periodically check your social media posts?

• When you looked at your Facebook and Instagram, what did you learn?  What is your personal brand right now?

• Are you happy with what you saw?  Have you been motivated to make any changes?

• What are 5-10 words/phrases you are choosing to represent you and your personal brand?

• How will you share TODAY to bring this to life?