“Does it have to be mine?”
Last week, I did a LinkedIn Poll to see which of three topics people would most like me to cover in a FREE LinkedIn Live webinar.
“Earning Your Wealth-Respect” came in first, and that will indeed be the topic of my webinar. In second place with 38%, was “Success Without Fame.”
I had a hunch, based on many, many recent conversations, that introvert entrepreneurs are struggling with the demands of branding themselves in the process of building their business.
“It’s not about me.” “It’s about the people I help.”
I respectfully offer a couple of tweaks:
How about, “It’s not ALL about me.” and,
“The people I help come first.”
I have clients who’ve tried it the other way: product-focused, solution-based, story-phobic. It’s like this amazing service or product was birthed from the head of Zeus. Or through spontaneous generation. Anything but the product of a beating human heart. Specifically, theirs.
I get it. I put my “brandmates” first, too. My YES, BRAND is not about me. It’s about my guests. YES, BRAND Builders is not about me, either. It’s about my clients. My kids are their own people. The only thing in this world that’s truly mine are my dogs (which is something they hide from my wife, whom they appear to favor).
But without “me,” none of that would exist. I mean, my wife would exist, but the dogs would starve.
I’m the beating heart behind my brand, which is bigger than the businesses. My Personal Brand encompasses my businesses. I assure you, though, it’s not ego, it’s energy.
How does that work? Well, consider the source of my joy. The guests, the clients, the wife, the kids, the dogs… I am happy when I engage with them, when I see them thrive. That’s why I came up with YES, BRAND: the “Yes, and” rule of improv dictates that you always accept the offer of your scene partners. You build. You assemble. You add. You neither diminish nor detract.
That paragraph is the kind of simple, personal storytelling every brand needs. It’s not self-aggrandizing, shocking, or wildly revealing. Most importantly, it’s not “fauxthentic,” meaning it’s not trying so hard to be real that it reads as fake.
Let’s tackle the word “Fame.” I chose that word, because YES, if you build your Personal Brand properly, there’s a good chance people will know your name. You will be well-known. Not necessarily world-famous, but you’ll be known to your audience. You don’t see many “unknown thought leaders” out there. And the people I work with are leading.
By the way, I don’t subscribe to the paradigm of “There are leaders and there are followers.” In a given situation, we may be called to lead. In another circumstance, we are called to follow.
So, when we are called to lead, do we assume it’s about us?
Like anything, Personal Branding is about balance, intent, and nuance. So, modest or shy though you may be, I urge you to keep those three elements in mind.
Option #2 “Fame w/out Becoming an A-hole” only garnered 8% of the vote. I’m glad, because truthfully there’s not much to talk about there.
The advice I give those who ask for it is this: If you’re worried about becoming an a$$hole, you’re not going to become an a$$hole.
Which leads us back to earning your “Wealth-Respect,” with 54% of the vote. This is gonna be a fun one, and it will touch on those other two topics as well, because as I say, “Know yourself before you Brand yourself.” And knowing your value is a precursor to exercising your generosity.
Don’t let “ego” get in the way of leveraging your Personal Brand to help others: Let’s talk.
