I speak on visibility, vulnerability and impact. I’m a brand strategist.
Creating a vivid brand requires these three cords, interwoven enough that you can’t pull one without pulling the other but still separate enough that you can see each thread individually.
So first, visibility.
Branding isn’t about being visible to everyone, it’s about being visible to the right people. Who those right people are depends on who you can best serve, who can only progress with the kind of help that you alone offer.
That is the crux of it. You have unique strengths. You have a unique story. And you have unique motivations. If you’ve ever taken statistics, you know that every time you add another layer of odds to an equation, the exponential odds become ridiculously small. It’s the combination of your values, your dreams and goals, and the story (life) that’s gotten you to where you are today that make you eminently qualified to help your best clients. You, exactly as you are today, are enough to help your best client, your target market, your customer avatar. Whatever you want to come them, you are enough.
So show it.
Put yourself out there.
Be visible.
The flip side of visibility is remaining hidden. I’ll challenge you to this: who does it serve to remain hidden? By hiding the light of your ideas, your message, what will happen?
If visibility is your commitment to being seen in a real way, remaining hidden is the opposite. Remaining hidden is either not showing up at all or showing up in an inauthentic way. Spouting off somebody else’s ideas, emulating someone you aspire to, putting on a persona that isn’t a real part of you. These are all ways to remain hidden and therefore, not be a part of the change you want to see in the world.
In this world of noise, you are untrustworthy until you show something real of yourself. That is visibility. You have to stand up to stand out. That is the first step to create a personal brand that spreads impact.