Personal brand is rarely just about you

Ever thrown a pebble in the water and watched the ripples go all the way from the point of impact out to the edge?

Well, like those ripples a certain high profile saga (Ricky Nixon and his “inappropriate dealings” for those who have been living under a rock) show us how a personal brand is almost never just about you.

Here are some personal brand ripples to ponder:

1. Your personal brand doesn’t stop with you.

2. When your personal brand is the face of a business that brand can and will impact those you are in business with and do business with, for better and at times, for worse.

3. Perception about your personal brand doesn’t happen in a vacuum – it starts with something YOU do (or say).

4. No matter what your intentions are, your actions will tell the story.

5. If your personal brand is a masquerade, eventually the mask will slip and the “real you” will show.

6. Your personal brand is not a marketing tool to be trotted out when you need to increase your profile (or do damage control) and when you treat it that way… well see #8.

7. Your personal brand needs to be based on more than aspiration and hype – values, purpose and your story are the foundations of an authentic and resilient personal brand.

8. Personal brands are built, one action, one decision and one comment at a time. They are destroyed the same way.

When the brand rubber meets the road, a personal brand isn’t all that different to a business brand. It is still the result of the promises you keep, so make sure the promises you make are promises you can keep… and then keep them.

For more tips on how to build an authentic personal brand read more here and here.

See you next week.

Michel Hogan is a Brand Advocate. Through her work with Brandology here in Australia and in the United States, she helps organisations recognise who they are and align that with what they do and say, to build more authentic and sustainable brands. She also publishes the Brand thought leadership blog – Brand Alignment. is a Brand Advocate. Through her work with Brandology here in Australia and in the United States, she helps organisations recognise who they are and align that with what they do and say, to build more authentic and sustainable brands. She also publishes the Brand thought leadership blog – Brand Alignment.