Yesterday, The List, a national Emmy award winning show that talks on everything trending in pop culture, released a need-to-know article on how to create a powerful brand. Incitrio’s very own Founder and Chief Creative Officer, Angela Hill, a seasoned 20+-year veteran in branding, design, and marketing, shared her expertise on the subject. Angela discusses the importance of branding and how one’s personal brand has the ability to make or break your professional brand’s overall success. Here are key takeaways from Angela’s interview with The List on branding.
Self-Awareness Powers Authenticity
When we have a better understanding of ourselves, we are empowered to build on areas of strengths and focus on areas that may need improvement. It is hard to take a step back and admit flaws or problems in any facet of life; however, starting with oneself can lay the foundation of your future growth and overall success.
The silver lining is that everyone has a choice to change if they don’t like their flaws and what those flaws may represent. Determining how one wants to be perceived personally and/or professionally is a good starting point before introspectively confirming how realistic it is to ultimately change as an individual.
Authenticity Drives Consistency
Let’s say a LinkedIn profile showcases an individual as very serious and business-oriented both professionally and personally. Now, let’s say a Facebook profile showcases an individual as a rowdy party animal. Digitally speaking, if you have two profiles that are completely inconsistent with one another, prospective employers, clients, and the like may not know which profile is the real you. As a result, this individual’s authenticity may be in question. On the other hand, the individual may be misrepresenting himself or herself.
Consistency Promotes Sustainability
When there is a disconnect between one’s internal brand (personal) and external brand (professional), there is simply a lack of transparency. Without consistency, the internal brand controls the external brand.
That is why realistic expectations must be set in order to be truly authentic. There is nothing wrong with saying you work hard and play hard. People respect those who own who they are as in individual.
