Personal Branding
Is personal branding important? Why or why not?
When it comes down to it, to me, personal branding is NOT important. If you create a name for yourself everybody is going to start to emulate or criticize you. It’s a win and lose situation. In the beginning you feel powerful and free. However, the longer it lasts the more difficult it is to maintain. Eventually you pass your brand off to someone else to take over and won’t be the same as it was afterwards.
I read in a Forbes article on the 10 Crucial Questions for Defining Your Personal Brand where it said that branding is rooted in authenticity and that means you need to know yourself – really know yourself – before you can start building your brand (Arruda, 2015). This shows that you are unique in your own special way and nobody can take that from you. However, in my first paragraph I said that after putting yourself out in the public, your identity will be emulated and criticized.
The article continues to talk about knowing what your passions, superpowers, and values are (Arruda, 2015). These are traits everyone has and everyone is trying to achieve, big or small. We are all trying to seek our own happiness. The most important take away I’m trying to get at is to be comfortable with yourself and know who you are. If you can put yourself out there and be able to maintain yourself in your success, then that’s a great achievement. If you are happy and confident in yourself and don’t want to be known, you better find someone to do it for you or find a job that pays well enough for you to live happily.
References
Arruda, W. (2015, June 9). Forbes. Retrieved from 10 Crucial Questions For Defining Your Personal Brand: http://www.forbes.com/sites/williamarruda/2015/06/09/10-crucial-questions-for-defining-your-personal-brand/#2d8054557ed7