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The Surprising Truth About Personal Branding Critics

by Ryan Rancatore

“Irony.” The dictionary defines it as “incongruity between what is expected and what actually is”.  Alanis Morissette describes it as “a black fly in your Chardonnay” – which ironically, has nothing to do with irony.  In any event, I want to discuss perceptions around the phrase “personal branding”, and why I find the positions of a select few critics to be so surprising – and ironic.

In the last decade-plus, the term personal branding has grown faster than the weeds in your backyard.  Originated by Tom Peters and popularized by Dan Schawbel, awareness of the phrase has gone from nonexistent to commonplace.  I’ll define it here loosely as “the outward expression of whatever the heck makes you unique.”  (OK, very loosely.)  Mix in the drive to constantly improve, and the desire to help and connect with others, and you’ve got yourself one hell of a personal brand.

Sounds simple enough, right?  Well, it isn’t.  Many folks out there aren’t jumping on the personal branding train, and interestingly, most of them happen to be damn smart individuals.  In specific…

Aside from their general questioning of the practice, there is one consistent trait that each and every one of these individuals shares:

They all have powerful and well-defined personal brands!!!

Pop in your Alanis Morrissette cassette tape, we’ve stumbled upon a heap of irony!  How can it be that those who best embody what personal branding is all about are the very ones who dismiss the practice?

The answer lies within the reasons each has for doubting the merits of personal branding.  Some fear the lack of authenticity.  Some predict selfishness.  Others foresee a world of cookie-cutter people marching to the beat of the same drummer.

Yet, somehow, someway, each has managed to build their own personal brand without succumbing to any of these frightening side effects.  And therein lies the ultimate point of difference: They all worked tirelessly and arrived at where they are today naturally, not by following rules or slapping a fancy title like “personal branding” on their efforts.

“Why can’t you do the same?” they wonder.

The answer is that we all aren’t superstars by nature.  Some of us need a gentle push, a few tips and tricks, a little guidance on our paths.  The stuff inside that makes folks different and unique has a tough time making it to the surface for some.  The process to aid that struggle is known as personal branding, and that phrase freaks people out – especially those who have mastered the skills organically.

But, the fact of the matter is this – whether you are trying to land a job interview, raise funds for charity, seek a book deal, or perform almost any people-based activity, having a strong personal brand helps immensely.  And in the Web 2.0, social-powered world of today, it matters more than ever before.

So, allow me to offer a middle ground, a place where we can all live in harmony.  If the term “personal branding” creeps you out, throw it in the mental garbage can and never use it again.  Let’s just agree that typical “brand-building” actions are damn powerful if done the right way.  Like…

Reading.

Learning.

Writing.

Connecting.

Helping.

Thinking.

Improving.

I call these tasks “personal branding”.  You don’t have to.  Let’s just agree that by taking these actions, people can further their careers, open new doors, and add value to their communities.  That is OK in my book, no matter what you want to call it.

Photo credit, Jon Ovington.

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  • http://melissacooley.com/ Melissa

    Wow — excellent post! Love how it's making me think…

    You made the point exactly when you said: “…we all aren’t superstars by nature. Some of us need a gentle push, a few tips and tricks, a little guidance on our paths.” Personal branding is, essentially, the promotion of our attributes. Some folks (like the ones cited in your post), intuitively know how to do that, but they don't see it as anything extraordinary because it happens so effortlessly for them. To eschew personal branding because it's an ingrained part of who some people are would put many who don't have an idea of how to effectively convey their attributes at a distinct disadvantage.

    I do agree with Mitch Joel's issue with personal branding when people “seem and feel like plastic and taste like vanilla.” That tends to happen when folks try to apply corporate branding principles too rigidly to the individual level. Problem is, personal branding differs from corporate branding. The goal of corporate branding is to promote attributes that will resonate positively with as many people as possible, while the goal of personal branding should be to resonate with the *right* people. If a person implementing personal branding feels slick, they're not doing it right because there's no authenticity. It lacks the stamp of their personality that would make it uniquely theirs. Done right, no one personal brand would be like another. The process to get there can be the same, but the outcome will be different based on interests and personality nuances.

    Another thing I noticed in the posts you referenced is a sense that someone with a good personal brand should never make mistakes or let them be known. Uh, no. I don't agree with that. People are human, and everyone makes mistakes. There is no way to hide every gaff from the public. What differentiates a person from the crowd is the way that the situation is handled after the fact. Tom Peters did a video a while back in which he talks about messing up. His advice when someone screws up is to “[m]ake those responses [to the problem] positive, quick, and overwhelming.” So it's not a matter of never making a mistake; it's more a matter of owning up to it and making it right. In the end, it brings more authenticity to the personal brand.

  • http://personalbranding101.com/ Ryan Rancatore

    Melissa – as usual, you've outdone yourself! Insightful comment, very well thought out – likely worthy of its own article on your site, I'd say.

  • http://jorgensundberg.net Jorgen Sundberg

    I really like that you can chop and change your own definition of it! Whether it's existensialism, social media networking, personal PR you are talking about, or colour coding your socks and tie – it's all within the realms of Personal Branding – the widest concept ever :-)

  • http://jakelacaze.com/ Jake LaCaze

    Maybe not giving a damn about personal branding is part of those people's personal brand? You and I seem to agree that it means different things to different people. Very interesting topic here, and well-laid out. There Alanis Morissette references cracked me up. ;)

  • http://melissacooley.com/ Melissa

    Well, thank you :)

  • http://personalbranding101.com/ Ryan Rancatore

    How right you are, Jorgen…it makes it easy to write about, but also easy
    to criticize for being undefined. Oh well, can't win 'em all!

  • http://personalbranding101.com/ Ryan Rancatore

    Jake – Yes, I think the “meaning different things to different people” is
    the real reason for widespread criticism. Taken at its worst, personal
    branding is not something to be admired or desired (if done through
    plagiarism or outright selfishness). But the way I see it, I'd think most
    would be on-board with the notion.

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