Are you so focused on your company’s brand that you’ve forgotten about the importance of your own? Even if you’re scaling a large company, in many ways, you’re still your own business – and your own brand. Believe it or not, learning how to build a personal brand that encapsulates your values and mission can take you from rookie to Ronaldo. Not convinced? Just ask staffing veteran Joe Mulling, CEO of The Mullings Group, who we recently spoke with on a recent podcast episode. When building a personal brand, Joe encourages staffing leaders to ask themselves these key questions:
“Who are you influencing in a negative or positive way? What does it mean to you personally about the content you put out and the effect that it has on people? What’s important to you?”
For Joe, it’s crucial for him to know that the content he’s putting out is making an impact on people and helping them overcome whatever challenges they may be facing. For you, your personal brand may take on an entirely different meaning. A personal brand that engages and attracts others requires a strategic and genuine approach. Here’s a blueprint for how you can start building your personal brand while transforming your company:
Become a connector – not an influencer.
In most industries – especially staffing – success is driven by personal relationships, which is why being a connector is so vital for any person’s brand. According to Joe, “An influencer feels shallow. A connector, to me, feels stronger and more important.” So, what exactly does this entail? It means putting less value on your social media following and more value on who you interact with on a regular basis. For instance, do you extend yourself to somebody looking for a job? What is somebody’s experience interacting with you? Do you emotionally connect with others, or are you too focused on your own gains? Giving yourself an honest assessment about how you treat others – and how you’re perceived – is the first significant step to building a personal brand that’s reflective of the thriving company you’re hoping to grow.
Find the right channels to communicate your brand.
In today’s world, a personal brand cannot evolve in a vacuum. It requires a sustained effort to share what’s important to you through the right communications channels. For some, Instagram or Facebook may be the best outlets to showcase a personal brand. For others, the best platforms may be LinkedIn or email. Connecting with your target audience is what’s most critical in effectively promoting your brand and impacting the people who will benefit from you most. There’s never been an easier time in history to grow your personal brand, as the internet provides so much opportunity to build a reputation in front of hundreds of thousands of people.
As Joe indicates,
“Networking is connecting people, right? You know, that’s what the internet’s about, is these amazing back connections that all keep it strong and has redundancies in place and brings far-reaching people together, because of those connections.”
The best part? Anybody – no matter how advanced you may be in your business – can shape their image online and build a network that resonates with their personal brand.
Define what matters most to you.
Your personal brand will have very little meaning if you fail to define what matters most to you. This comes down to one thing – your message. This is something most leaders struggle with, as it’s easy to become influenced by what others are doing and think you have to be like them. As you consider your message, first think about what problems you strive to solve. Your personal brand needs to go beyond superficial factors and encompass what you stand for both personally and professionally. If you’re having trouble with this, start thinking about your life’s purpose and what motivates you to wake up every day. What is it that you strive to overcome or achieve for yourself and others? How do you view yourself, and more importantly, how do you want others to perceive you? Asking yourself these questions will put you on track to developing a personal brand that essentially becomes your own mission statement. Once you become clear on this, you will be more effective at influencing others and building a network that appreciates your talent.
In many ways, a powerful personal brand can transcend into growing a successful business – which is often a huge motivator for many staffing leaders. However, on a more personal level, going through the process above can be an eye-opening experience for many professionals looking to achieve a greater sense of meaning in their professional lives.
Remember, becoming the next Ronaldo of your industry takes a high level of drive, motivation, and a commitment to personal excellence. As Joe puts it so well, “Ronaldo was his own brand, but so were the teams that he played for, and he didn’t represent those brands, and that team didn’t necessarily represent him. They were both true to themselves.”
Are you looking to go from Rookie To Ronaldo?
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