Episode 001: Creating Your Personal Brand

Welcome back to The Speaking Up Podcast. What if I told you that you already have exactly what it takes to create a strong, authoritative personal brand? You already know who you are. The key is to let everyone else know, too. And you can do this by creating a stand-out personal brand that shows you in your best light--all day, every day.

In today’s episode we’re going to talk about personal branding. It can feel like an intimidating topic, especially if you’re just starting out. But I can promise you that it’s not that complicated.

You’ll learn:

• What a personal brand is and why it matters
• How I developed my personal brand using 3 simple but powerful questions
• The 5 life-changing steps to develop your personal brand

When we hear the words “personal brand,” we often assume it refers only to entrepreneurs and influencers. This just isn’t true. Everyone has a personal brand. Everyone can benefit from learning about how to showcase themselves in a positive and empowering way, whether that’s on social media, in the boardroom, or on your LinkedIn profile.

Having a strongly defined personal brand instills a sense of credibility. It influences the way others see how you move through the world, both personally and professionally. It shows that you care how you show up in the world. It shows that you take pride in your image and believe in your own unique strengths and abilities.

It’s not a conscious thing. But people do respond differently to workers who show up ready to thrive, ready to bring something new to the table, rather than those who seem shy or standoffish. If you’re fading into the background, you’ll never climb the ladder.

I learned the hard way in broadcast journalism. There’s nothing scarier than reading off a teleprompter for the first time on live television. I had some missteps, and I probably missed out on some opportunities because I didn’t have the confidence in my twenties that I do now! But sometimes you don’t realize what you’re capable of until you’re forced to just... do it. Diamonds are forged under pressure, right?

Before I share my 5 life-changing tips to get started on developing your own personal brand, here are the 3 questions I asked myself to develop my own personal brand:

“What do I want to be known for?”

“What’s my story?”

“How will I show it?”

In the episode, I get into the detail of how the answers to these simple questions shaped my personal brand.

These are the five steps I recommend to my clients when they’re working on developing a personal brand. I walk them through these steps and help them design a strategic game plan.

In this episode I take you through these steps in more detail so that you can do the same.

Step 1: Define your purpose

Step 2: Decide on your desired outcome or vision

Step 3: Start creating your personal brand considering how you want to be perceived.

Step 4: Develop a strategy and craft your message.

Step 5: Execute your personal brand and tell your story.

No matter what space you occupy in the world, it all starts with a strong, solid sense of self. Whatever your desired outcome is, you’ll need a strong personal brand. It won’t happen overnight and you can of course start small by giving your digital presence a boost, asking thoughtful questions during meetings for example. Your confidence will shine through and give you an edge.

Here are the highlights from this episode: {1:54} What is a personal brand?

{4:50} Nothing we do in life is pointless

{5:57} What do you want to be known for?

{8:22} What is your purpose?

{9:35} Dress for the position you want

Connect with Elizabeth:

Web: https://www.elizabethkoraca.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elizabethkoraca/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elizabethkoraca/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ElizabethKoraca/

Twitter: Elizabeth Koraca (@ElizabethKoraca) / Twitter

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGl8fu0OF8KEFHKz312rl9Q