If you desire to serve others through your business in a meaningful way, your personal brand needs to incorporate your lifestyle, interests, and passions. It’s not about ego or creating fluffy mood boards.
When you’re really clear on who you are, it’s easier to attract clients. Even more, it enables you to do what you do best. It’s also the mode in which you can best serve others.
When you’re living in a way that’s authentic to who you are, your passions and desires, all aspects of your life are aligned. When everything is in alignment, things flow and the energy is greater, clearer and everything is easier for you.
The opposite is also true. When you experience the mistake of living outside your brand, whether it’s taking on a client who is not the right fit, or practicing CrossFit when you’re more of a yogi, it just drains you of your energy.
By living on brand, you have the opportunity to chose who you work with and what kind of business you have. Here’s how to get started.
Get Clear on Your Values
First, put some time into determining your ideal lifestyle… when you like to work, where you want to spend time – both at work and in your free time – and where and how much you desire to travel or spend time with family.
You never know how seemingly random, unrelated interests will come together to be part of your business. For instance, I’ve always love, love, loved travel. I never thought it would be part of my business. In fact, while I was working in corporate, the best travel experience I had was the inside of a hotel conference room. I never would have dreamed that this passion of mine could actually be a part of my business and brand.
Next, get clear on your desires. You can tend to push them aside, and I see this with many of my clients. Write down what your desires are, from small things like getting your hair blown out to big decisions like where you want to live.
Your business can really enable you to live out those desires. It also helps you attract the right clients, because people with those same qualities of wanting to make your dreams reality are attracted to you when you’re living out your desires.
Finally, consider your talents. Knowing your gifts for helping other people becomes part of your brand.
Give yourself permission to aim for goals within each of these categories that are out of your reach. We limit our own desires unnecessarily. So think big about your lifestyle, desires and talents.
Establish Your Brand Pillars
…Based on your lifestyle, interests, and desires, and then stick with them. When making decisions, whether in your business or personal life, come back to those brand pillars. How to design your home interior and office space, what your growth strategy is, how you spend your free time and who you take on as new clients all become clear when you consider them in the context of your brand.
Work with a graphic designer to create a visual identity that reflects your brand pillars. Do photo shoots to visually represent who you are. And choose the people you work with to reflect your lifestyle and contribute to your brand.
Let Your Brand Evolve
Once you have your brand pillars, they don’t have to be completely set in stone. Your desires expand over time. What used to be okay may no longer be as you grow and evolve.
Travel always does this for me. I come back and find that the time away has highlighted my desires and what in my life and business is meeting them and what I need to change.
Your brand over time, and you can’t get it perfect the first time out. Look at it as go for it now, get started, and keep moving.
Jessica Nazarali is the coach who inspires women create coaching businesses and build beautiful, personal brands. Find out more at JessicaNazarali.com.