Personal Branding | Wendistry

Reading about other people’s fantastically successful lives is all good, but at the end of the day, it’s all about what you’re going to do to move on and up. To that end, here’s a list of questions for you. Most are open-ended; some show some of my own bias. Either way, they’re yours to ponder and answer. Consider them at your leisure… consider them alone… discuss them with friends and colleagues. But, most of all, be honest with yourself.

Jot down what comes to mind first, and see what patterns emerge. This is a worksheet, not a concrete tablet, so don’t be too worked up about it. Use a pencil (with an eraser). Scribble, scratch things, tack on extra pages, erase… there are no wrong answers. And, don’t forget to revisit your thoughts from time to time. Now, let’s get down to business!

What gets you excited about your work?
What did you want to be when you were growing up?
Is there a way to unite these two?
What gets you excited about your life?
What do you do for fun?
Are you proud of the work you do?
Which one of your senses is most important to you? sight; hearing; touch; smell; taste; entitlement; outrage; snow; humor; wonder
Are you proud of the work you do?
Is there something you’d rather be doing?
Who influences you?
How does that influence manifest itself?
Who owns your work?
Are you OK with that?
Name your top five favorite projects? What made them fun?
Name your top five dream projects?
Name five mistakes you won’t repeat.
What scares you professionally? And personally?
Which of these fears are useful to you and why?
Which of these fears would you like to overcome the most?
How much money are you making now?
How much money do you need to earn each year to live comfortably?
What is the bigger luxury to you… A huge TV or saying “no, thanks” to a soul-less assignment?
Imagine yourself at 80. Think back on your choices. What have you done in your life that makes you proud? What did you miss? Why?
If you knew that you only had 6 months to live, what would you do?
You’re in truly deep trouble. Who is the first person you call?
The greatest thing in the world just happened to you. Who is the first person you call?

Do you like making lists? Do they spur you to action? If so, here’s your list of “TO DO LISTs.”

Make a list of 10 things you do to avoid working.
Make a list of 10 people you admire.
Make a list of 10 things outside your control that you worry about so much that you can’t even bear to talk about them anymore. Now, try to let them go.
Make a list of 10 people you’d like to talk to over the next 12 months.
Make a list of 10 things you’d love to do if only you could work up the nerve.
Name 5 things that make you feel confident about yourself as a person and as an artist.
Who do you love?
If you knew that you’d live to be 107, what would you do with the next 5 years of your life?

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Whatever you do, you leave an impression. We send out signals all the time, and it’s like walking through fresh snow. Our brand is based on the experience people have with us. Every action, every word, every element of our appearance is noted, recorded, and judged by the people we meet.

We have a choice. We can either leave the brand-building process to chance, hoping that people will understand the message we express, or we can take charge and CONSCIOUSLY and DELIBERATELY craft the message we want to send.

Your ability to gain influence with others is dependent on how they see you, whether they judge you to be trustworthy, whether they think you really know what you’re talking about, or whether you can manage the tasks you claim you can. Either we choose to develop our own brand… or our brand is decided for us.

In 1976, Oxford University biologist Richard Dawkins coined the term “meme” (rhymes with cream), which he defined as a basic unit of cultural transmission that passes from one mind to another and instantly communicates an entire idea. For example: the skull-and-crossbones symbol on a bottle is a meme that conveys “poison, dangerous.” Other well-known memes are the hitchhiker’s thumb, the white flag of surrender, and the Red Cross.

Memes, with their power to communicate a complete thought in a flash have the potential to revolutionize your personal marketing and brand. Memes are more effective than logos because they do more than just identify a company identity… logos don’t tell others what their business actually does. By contrast, a well-conceived meme can cut through the branding clutter and instantly inform your clients, your prospects, and complete strangers just met exactly who you are.

Understanding Your Professional Self

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Managing Your Image