Personal Branding - How to build your Brand

Firstly, who are your heroes?

Who inspires you, for example, Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Elon Musk, Batman, Professor Dumbledor?
List 3 to 4. Then write down what is it about them that you value.

You will discover that what you value in your heroes, is what you value about life & career, and you probably live those values yourself.
Now, your mission is to answer through action - how can I live my values, more like my heroes?

People trust people who have values and are developing themselves to get better. Notice, I said developing, NOT PERFECT.

The second exercise - think of a life or career moment that you are proud of. Maybe you succeeded at something or overcame an obstacle? Now think about the strengths you applied during this moment. Did you show courage, persistence, focus, or some other quality? These strengths are part of your personal brand and you should be comfortable talking about them. 

Each person has particular strengths (talent plus skills) that make them who they are, and valuable to their clients, company, or community. Hiding these strengths, or hoping somebody is going to one day recognize your contribution and give you a medal, is foolhardy.

Using Personal Brand to Build Influence

Aristotle, the Greek Philosopher noted that to influence, we need Ethos, Pathos, and Logos. Ethos is character or reputation, Pathos is an emotional connection, and logos is logic. Personal Brand builds your pathos and makes it easier to make a connection and get your point across.