Becoming Your Own Brand

Thinking of yourself like Coke or Wheaties, says Judith Sills, Ph.D., helps you take control of your future in a rapidly shifting marketplace.

By Judith Sills, published on January 01, 2008 - last reviewed on August 19, 2009

Nestled just north of your reputation and east of your resume is yet another man-made mountain to which you might aspire. It's your Brand, the identifying marks of You, Inc., and it can be created as consciously as Disney's Matterhorn. Craft that brand carefully and, with any luck, yours might be as successful, too.

If your reputation is what people say about you, especially behind your back, and your resume is what you say about yourself, especially on paper, your brand is all that—plus. It is the professional identity you create in the minds of others.

The concept of brand has been around for some time, although not always labeled as such. The Fifties' corporate excitement over "image" and the Seventies' idea of "dress for success" were markers on the road to today's concept of branding.

Certainly, thinking of yourself as a brand, or actually aspiring to become one—as our best and brightest are urged to do—reflects our deep cultural dedication to consumerism. But it also facilitates personal marketability, an advantage in rapidly shifting business environments.

At its heart, branding addresses a hard professional reality: For a successful long-term career, do not look to your company or industry to take care of you. As in every other arena of life, you must take care of yourself. A well-built brand will be your life raft.

What does it mean to brand yourself? As our untouched selves we are, alas, merely one of the worker hordes. As a brand we become distinctive and desirable—whether in-house to managers, outside to clients, or across town to potential employers. A resume may summarize what we've accomplished, but a brand shouts louder: "Pick me off the shelf. Pick me. I'm special, reliable, trustworthy, high quality, excellent, expert. Pick me."

Branding means different things to different managers. Some emphasize the importance of establishing niche expertise. "I coach my direct reports to become acknowledged experts in some particular subject matter—say, 'business strategy consulting.' Branding means creating visibility and recognition as that expert, which makes our customers want to talk to them and, more important, believe what they are saying."

Other managers view branding as sending clear signals regarding key attributes. "Consistency, reliability, brings it in under budget, delivers on time, creative thinker, problem solver; these are the kinds of labels you want people to use when they say your name." I, for example, might strive to make Judith Sills, Inc., known for "timely creativity," while steering away from "quick and dirty," its near and more dangerous cousin. You would probably do well to come up with your own professional hook (remembering, of course, that timely creativity is already taken by me).

"An employee who brands himself does not let his job title subsume him," says one CEO. "He might be in accounting now, but I've stopped thinking of him as an accountant. I've come to think of him as a problem solver or a strategist. These people are identified more with the company's goals than with any current slot in the organization."

How exactly could you, as Brand X, manage to send the CEO that kind of message? There is no formula, but there are some tried and true tactics.

You'll want to participate in visible events. Speaking engagements at professional conferences or in-house presentations establish your expertise; working with groups other than your own to help solve problems in your expert area helps to spread the word about you.

You don't just show up; you make your presence known. You have to be at all those meetings, and you have to show what you know. It goes almost without saying that you will have to do your homework to assume this position successfully. You work with smart people; you can't fake being the expert. You'll actually have to do the extra work to make it happen.

Be consistent: At heart, branding means "I know I can rely on you for certain things, whether great graphics or ingenious spin." Understand what you deliver and make sure you deliver again and again.

Take the trouble to update your resume with every annual review. It's the only way you can remember all the terrific things you've done. It will also help focus your attention on the brand you are building: Are last year's projects in line with the expertise you are promoting? Do some skills need bolstering?

Annual resume review helps you promote your brand with your immediate supervisor and it helps give you a clearer sense of your larger goals. You can't send a message about yourself if your own thinking is fuzzy.

That is, of course, the biggest obstacle to successful self-branding. Anyone concerned with authenticity and complexity might resist the idea of reducing himself to cereal-box proportions for the purpose of marketability. But that sensibility gets in the way of sales. After all, you still need a great cereal in that box. The packaging just makes it more likely everyone else will try it.

Judith Sills, Ph.D., is a Philadelphia-based clinical psychologist.

Branders Beware

Much as we are herded in the direction of becoming visible individuals, there are pitfalls along the way. Proceed with caution and keep these sand traps in mind.

Stand up for yourself. Don't allow others to make your niche too narrow. Feel free to resist when that doesn't suit you.
Speak up and show what you know—but have the grace to admit what you don't. There's a fine line between demonstrating your expertise and being egotistical.
Stick close to your strengths. Branding is a simple and clear expression of who you really are. If you push yourself toward a brand, make sure the shoe fits.