The Onion had a timely post about personal branding while we were in the midst of discovering our own personal brands for an advertising assignment. Our assignment was all about expressing our personal brand, from finding out what qualities and values we stand for to our personal identity and what our vision for ourselves was, including colors and brand story.

Part of me definitely felt like a huge tool while I was doing the work.

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I think I felt like this because while I may have a certain way I see myself, and a way I present myself, I’ve never taken the time to actually come right out and say exactly what that meant. I never took a moment to take stock of how I saw myself and how I presented myself to others, and if the way I saw myself lined up with how others saw me. Most of us have a general idea of what those things are, but actually writing that on paper makes you feel like you’re just complimenting yourself. It’s hard to be humble.

So instead, I thought about the qualities that I valued in other people. What are the things that make me want to be someone’s best friend?

  • imagination
  • a sense of fun
  • honesty
  • cleverness
  • professional, but still a little silly

Then I asked some people I trust a question: “Why do you like me?”

It’s a weird question to ask people, but seriously, ask your friends that. I mean your really good friends. The ones that you share silly insult battles with. They’ll give you the best results.

Guess what? They told me I had the same qualities I valued in other people! Magical.

SMASHING!

With my new found self-esteem, and some third party confirmation, I truly got to work. I talked about the projects I am proud of, the things I love, and the way I want to live. I was still talking about myself but, for me, it was easier to talk about the things I was proud of that I had worked on with other people, and sharing the things that I love.

I realized that those are the things that are extensions of me, and those are the things that I want people to know me for.

I wanted people to know, without me having to say it explicitly, that I was good with technology and kept track of the latest tools. So I made a Vizify profile. They let you do really awesome looking visual biographies with all sorts of cool social media aggregation features.

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I found a consistent color scheme and matched it to all my social media profiles and my website, KieranMoolchan.com. I spiced it up with some sweet photos that Jolene April Bergen took of me this summer. She’s a joy to work with, and really let’s you get comfortable.

Those are really all the ingredients you need for a personal brand. You need a sense of yourself, a sense of how others see you and how you want them to see you. You need things you’re proud of that you want to show everyone, and you need a plan for where you want to be. Then…

Boom.*angelic creativity unicorn dragon dust*

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And now I have established my own brand.

Maybe that makes me pathetic. Or maybe it showcases all that I am, and will get me hired.

I think it’s going to be the second outcome.

Personal Brands: Am I a Tool for Showcasing Myself?