Personal Branding

Early this year, I wrote about personal branding and why it is something that any entrepreneur should seriously consider having.  It’s not about a business brand. Not yet, at least.  But a personal one.

But what is personal branding, really?

According to Wikipedia, personal branding is essentially the ongoing process of establishing a prescribed image or impression in the mind of others about an individual, group, or organization.

If I am to put it simply, personal branding is that image created in a person’s mind when they connect with your name, specific skills and reputation.  When people see or hear The Happy WAHM, what comes to mind?

In online fora, particularly the groups on Facebook, I would get tagged when someone asks about virtual assistance, WordPress, time management, independent homeschooling, and even WAHM-ing without a helper and working bra-less.

Yes, that happens.

When attending conferences and I get introduced as Marge Aberásturi, I’d be greeted with a polite smile and a handshake.  But when The Happy WAHM gets tacked on to my name, it’s a different story.  There’s an instant recognition, and even a feeling of connection.  And then the questions begin…  🙂

This year, I can’t count the number of times I got tagged, or someone posted a link on my timeline, for things related to crochet.

So yes, I have established that recall in people’s minds about who I am, what I do, and what I’m good at.

But this did not happen overnight.

This is something that I worked hard for over time.  I worked hard on establishing my core purpose. For years, I stayed consistent with my message.  Until  finally, I was ready to have a visual representation.  Wasn’t it just last month that I finally had my visual branding done?

I’ve always been about walking the talk, leading by example, creating opportunities and all that jazz.  I don’t talk about topics that do not resonate.  That’s why I had, on several occasions, turned down sponsored posts.  I don’t want to get paid publishing articles I did not write. I want to stay true to my personal brand, so I would only agree to a paid post if my conditions are met.  Like, I have to personally write the whole article (no copy-pasting of media kit), it has to be written in my voice, and it has to be for a brand that I have actually used, or will use.  Like who would believe me if I write an article about make up?

When I first created the module for the Hobbies to Business Workshop, I was only thinking about how I could help my fellow crafters gain confidence in starting a business by simply doing what they love.  I never thought I’d go as far as including personal branding in the series.  And yet, here I am, preparing workshop materials for the second run of Hobbies to Business, happening on January 21.

And the progression makes sense.  An attendee of the first Hobbies to Business workshop asked me: “How do I convert the likes that I get on Facebook to real sales?”  Good question!

An inexperienced soul would likely jump into marketing strategies and conversion.  But… and that’s a big BUT… what will you market?  Your product?  What about your product?  I can buy that same product you are selling from another seller.

And this is where your personal branding comes in.  Again, this is different from business branding.  Personal branding is all about you.  And this is not limited to having products to sell. The product may be the service you provide, and so the personal aspect is even more important, because it is you, your skills, your values, your attitude.

Your skill and your passion make up your values.  Your skill and your experience make up your strengths.  Your passion and your experience make up your ideals.  Your values, your strengths, and your ideals make up your brand.

I have this on Kindle, Over The Top by Zig Ziglar, and while he is not really talking about personal branding per se, to me it kind of resonates that way.  Your personal brand will take you from merely surviving to a position of stability, and from stability to success, and from success to significance.

So will you join me on January 21?

I sure hope so!

Remember, you don’t have to be a crafter or a hobbyist to attend the Hobbies to Business workshop.  All you need is an idea that you want to create a business on, and I can help you make it happen.

Oh, by the way…

Some attendees from the first run of the workshop in August will be joining me in this second run, not as attendees, but SPONSORS!  They have taken up the courage to act on their ideas, and are now well on their way to establishing their businesses and their brands.

See, learning does not stop on the day of the workshop.  All attendees of the Hobbies to Business workshop series continue to receive guidance and coaching from me through an online forum that I have created exclusively for them.  Because really, I cannot expect people to absorb what I share and hit the ground running in just one day. Some may still dilly-dally.  Some may still be afraid.  Some need a longer time to let the ideas sink in.  And that is totally okay.  It has to be done intentionally and purposefully, so I continue the coaching after the workshop and get to know my attendees on a more personal level.

So if you’re ready to join the fun, register now!

Shares

Do you have questions, comments or feedback about this post?
Please leave me a message, or post them, at my Facebook Page.