Branding and Relationships
A few days ago Scot Herrick left a comment on the topic of branding.
Rarely have I seen much on what you need to do to start creating a personal brand. Or, how you go about doing it (although the four steps comes close). —Scot’s comment
Scot’s observation and other conversations have led me to re-explore the idea of branding from the perspective of the relationahips that come together when someone finds a personal brand.
5 Ways to Help You Find Out Who You Are
Our relationships with ourselves are the basis for every relationship we have. That single relationship — me with myself — defines how I see me and how I see every other person I know.
In a real way, every relationship we have is really a relationship in our minds. We decide how we think other folks feel. We decide who we believe, what we perceive, and we make those things into reality.
Scot was responding to where I said Branding is knowing who I am.
Now there’s a BIG sentence.
Who actually knows who they are? I need to explain what I meant.
At best, even the most self-actualizing people among us are only on our way to becoming who we will be. We can only know who we are for a moment at a time. Then, we change and grow a bit more.
Finding a solid brand is understanding who we are right now as well as we can. Of course, knowing ourselves is subjective and fraught with tape recordings of things we’ve learned about relationships since the day we were born. It’s tricky business at best.
How do we know, how do we find out? The only answer is to pay attention.
Here are 5 Ways to Help You Find Out Who You Are.
- Pay attention to your history.
Everyone has lessons we face again and again. Which are yours? Those are your weaknesses. Everyone is called on by friends to help again and again to do the same things. Those are your strengths. Everyone has moments of tragedy — look for what you learned, not for how those events hurt you. Let the pain go. Find the learning. The pain gets between you and who you really are. - Pay attention to your body.
Learn the physical signs that you are acting out of emotion rather than logic. Learn the physical signs that you are acting unkind toward another human being. When you feel adrenaline, stop to breathe before you act, except when immiment physical danger is involved. - Pay attention to people who care about you.
Listen when they tell you what they see. Test the information against what you know. Try it on for size and ask others who care if they agree. Get to know yourself as others see you. UPDATE: Look for generous folks who have your interests at heart and who have no other agenda of their own for you. Test their feedback by asking them and yourself how balanced what they see is, and how someone who knows you in another role might respond to what they are suggesting about you. - Pay attention to your inner truth — you have the intuitive detail.
You are the sum total of everything you have ever done, ever experienced, ever dreamed or thought. Stop to reflect on what your heart says is so about you. Sometimes the voices around us are loud and the negative noises are many. In your heart you know what you are really about. We all do. Hearts speak the truth if we quiet ourselves to listen without letting other voices in. - Pay attention to the positive
We already are programmed to hear and respond to the negative, because negative things can hurt. Don’t throw the positive away. It’s a valuable source.
When we know who we are, it’s one bit easier for other people to see our value and our values.
Knowing who we are is the logical start.
–ME “Liz” Strauss
Check out the Work with Liz!! page in the sidebar.
Related
About that Word, Brand, that Keeps Coming Up
Finding Your Frequency in Business and in Life
See the Successful Series page Brand You Series.
I have put my passion in dedicating my blog to Law of Attraction.
http://www.secretofunlimitedprosperity.com
It is based on my inner joy to spread the awareness to more people.
So I will say I have tune towards positive outlook in life and believe in my intuition
It is so great to find your post today as it adds to my belief that we are all empowered to be, do and have what we really want to be
Cheers
Karen
Hi Karen!
We have a great of control over who we are. It takes a while for us to know that. Then it takes a while for us to learn how to make use of that information. But once we see our own light. Watch out!
I would say that feedback from others is important and to be able to apply your interests and abilities into your profession.
I find that I am always rediscovering myself, only to find out I’ve held the answer all along. Why do we doubt ourselves?
I have used all 5 ways in trying to find out who I am during my lifetime and was extremely happy, then slowly, almost in miniscule increments, I slipped backwards and didn’t even notice until I was at the opposite end of all five ways.
I love Pay Attention #4. To me it is the inner self that governs us, argues with us and empowers us. Always trust your vibes.
However, I am not so naive to think that I won’t have to deal with negativity, but as long as I practice Paying Attention, the power of the negative will not have the influence over me that it wants.
However, I am still trying to identify my personal brand.
Hi Dan!
Welcome! I agree that feedback is important. We need to take it in and value it against our own truth and the truth that others tell us. 🙂
A 360 degree is good, but only as good as the folks who contribute without other agendas. 🙂
Hi Carma!
I think we all do the same thing . . . we find our inner truth and for some reason things around us pull us away from it. Then we need to go back to find it again.
You’re right, too, I think that once we find our frequency we should always use it to guide us.
Knowing ourself is only the first step in finding our personal brand . . .
I like your insights on this post, Liz. It’s different from what books say about branding.. it’s more personal, pointing to the inside of all of us than looking at what the material and being influenced by the commercial stuff. Looking inside is impt in helping us know who we are and developing that personal ‘brand’.
Hi Liz
Both agree and disagree with #3.
Agree so far to sometimes other know us better (know what makes us ‘tick’).
Disagree so far that there’s always the danger that sometimes they want us to be as they want to see us (i.e. change us, not always for the better – better for us).
Vague lines sometimes. Then you need a strong #4
Karin H. (Keep It Simple Sweetheart, specially in business)
Hi Doris,
Thank you. As you might guess, this is only the first step in a process. We start with us and move slowly outward. But how else can we be authentic and be uniquely ourselves?
I know you know what I mean. 🙂
Good Morning, Karin!
I understand completely what you’re saying about the folks in #3. I tried to say that in the fact that we need to measure it against what we know as our own truth. Or to put it even more plainly, (I’ll go back to fix it) we need to be sure that the folks we’re listening to don’t have an agenda that goes beyond reflecting who we are and helping us see that. Their agendas can twist the information that they share.
Great and true friends who know us well can be a valuable source of information. Lesser people can actually steer us away from what we need to know. So right, Karin.
Morning Liz
Don’t think there is a need to ‘fix’ it in #3. We all know it there are times people do want to change us (and sometimes for the better even if we don’t realise it at that time).
But then, again, #4 will come in perspective: deep down we know they are right (and hence good and true friends).
It’s the ‘selfish’ friends we have to be ‘aware’ of 😉
Karin H.
Hi Karin,
Selfish people are a problem . . . sometimes they don’t look selfish at all, do they? 🙂
Devil’s advocate:
Sometimes we only have to look in the mirror to see them
😉
Karin H.
Hey Devil’s advocate:
I’m sorry to be the one to inform you that those who need to look in the mirror to see that somehow are mirrorly challenged and can only see “how lovely they look.”
Big chuckle
😉
Karin H.
Hey Liz, Great guidance on personal branding. Now that I’ve written on branding, I’m seeing it being written about in more places. Serendipity perhaps. Best regards.
Hi Agent Sully,
It could be sensitivity or serendipity. Or maybe it’s just the usual blogger synchronicity. Either way it’s cool to know that great minds think alike. 🙂
Hi Liz,
You know, of course, that as someone who teaches intuition, I’m going to love #4… 😉
But it’s not just because I love intuition. It’s because many of the others, imho, are looking to the past to define our present. And yet, I believe it’s in our hearts that we come closest to knowing how we truly feel.
I guess I’m saying that as much as our actions define us, they are but a mirror of our intentions, both positive and negative. And the more we align with our heart’s positive intentions, the more likely they are to succeed in being translated into positive actions from this point forward. And that can do wonders for our evolution, and how we show up in the world.
(Sorry if I got a bit esoteric there; hope it all reads well enough to make sense…) 😉
Of course you make sense, Adam! You were talking from your heart and hearts are really wise. They usually say things better than our heads do. 🙂
Nice!
Great thoughts on HOW to start building a personal brand, beginning with figuring out how to know yourself.
Good stuff, Liz — thanks…
Hi Scot!
Thanks. You were the inspiration and the fuel for this one. I hope you keep me going. It’s a tough one to follow through on. It takes some really deep, really clear thinking. Whoa. Sometimes I dig myself into a hole, don’t I? 🙂
liz, I came from christine’s blog on branding and wanted to say that yur points are very good. #4 adn 5 sre sooo true. thanks barb
Hi Barb!
Christine is a wonderful person, singer, blogger. I’m delighted to have one of her readers here. Welcome.
I like 4 and 5 myself too. 🙂
I’ve spent years learning to listen to my heart and inner voice. it’s not always easy to hear it! Sometimes I can’t tell the difference between ‘the guilt’, ‘the should’ and ‘the intuition.’ 🙂 Great list. ..I’m enjoying your blog
Hi Michelle!
I can be difficult sometimes to still ourselves long emough to hear what we’re really about. Sometimes it helps to have someone like me or a friend who knows you well to ask you questions to help you get there. 🙂
We often don’t know when we’re putting guilt or “have tos” on ourselves. 🙂
Hi Michelle ââ¬â if I may be so bold as to offer a tidbit I’ve found in my exploration of intuition…
If you’re ever stuck “between ââ¬Ëthe guiltââ¬â¢, ââ¬Ëthe shouldââ¬â¢ and ââ¬Ëthe intuitionââ¬â¢” again, try tuning into your heart; the level of your knowing that’s underneath all the personality-level chatter. There you’ll find that your heart is either constricted by what you’re listening to, or expanded.
Your personality can be doing all kinds of somersaults, but your heart will tell you in a flash where the voice you’re listening to is coming from… doubt/fear (constricted) or truth/love (expanded).
It takes time, sometimes, to wade through the reactions that our selves are having, but the heart always knows… good luck!
Oh Adam,
Why didn’t I go there? Thank you for that heart-filled, intuitive comment.
Adam, Thanks for the tidbit. It’s a skill that I get most of the time, but I still have to practice tuning in.. Sometimes I think I’ve got an intuitive hit, but when I tune in, I can feel its more of an ego thing. I’m learning along the way and loving it.
after reading this article i am much saisfied that who am i . we live in a surrounding where most of the time there is only negative talks going on and hardly we find someone who really believe in living the life with true spirit. i as a person love to grow my mind with good talks positive attitude . so i pray tht everyome should be positive and take your life as an experience
Hi Princess!
Welcome!
In a world of pessimistic and unhappy voices, I’m heartened that you have you positivity. I agree it can save your life 🙂
I always think about the Bee Gees whenever I think of rebranding – they did it for the 70s 80s and 90s and probably will do again at some other time..
Cant tell how many versions of myself that I have been – now looking as per point #1 to learn the lessons from the past and not to live there – which has been a bit of a problem at times.
Thankfully am not too bad at point #4 (listening to myself) and have definately nailed point #5 (being positive) in fact I think that its been my life line all the way thru…
Off to do my homework on the other points now – thanks for the giving me a kick-off point!
Growing is a constant discovery of who we are in the moment. Your positive spin on painful experiences and advice to pay attention is truly ageless (meaning, something we should all do, no matter how young, old or experienced we perceive ourselves to be 🙂