Personal brand and relationship building have been hot topics around the 834 office recently. A core part of personal branding is relationships, connections and being visible. That being said, don’t be an asshole because it will come back to haunt you. On the other hand, keep in mind that you can’t be nice all the time. I mean is that even possible?
To be blunt, no. This is absolutely not possible.
I mean…have you met our founder? She is abrasive, blunt and has no problem saying what is on her mind. That is her personal brand, as well as being outgoing, forgiving, loyal to a fault and creative. Part of embracing your personal brand is accepting the good with the bad and not making excuses. You can’t please everyone all the time, and you will make mistakes. Owning up to them, learning from them, and moving on will help you grow and develop great relationships.
It’s not who knows you, but who will help you.
This is a very true statement, and it isn’t meant to be seen as using or promoting others. Communication and relationship building goes both ways. Help others with no expectation that they HAVE to help you or they ‘owe’ you at some undetermined time in the future. Seth Godin (our boyfriend) advocates for being a connector and a linchpin. Make yourself indispensable by assisting others, getting to know people and then saying, “Hey, you would really benefit from knowing this person,” or, “You should get involved with this it will really help raise your profile in the community.”
Do you get where we are going with this?
Here are the benefits of building relationships, defining your brand and being a kick ass person:
Promotions – who doesn’t want to be recognized for being awesome and indispensable?
Happiness – who doesn’t want to be happy?
Compensation – who doesn’t want more money?
Business – who doesn’t want more business?
Perks – who doesn’t want perks?
Be authentic, be transparent and get out there.
We would add one additional tip: Be helpful. Make a connection, help someone grow their business and send a handwritten note. It’s the little things.
As Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon, once said, “Your personal brand is what people say about you when you leave the room.”
