There are many reasons people don’t build their personal brand. Perhaps you feel you don’t have enough time. Maybe you don’t know which platform to start with or are confused about your messaging. However, in over 10 years of working with 100s of individuals to build their personal brand, I can tell you the reason that reigns supreme:

Most folks feel like they are cheating on their “main job” by building their personal brand.

The fear of stepping on “corporate toes” is shared by both employees and entrepreneurs. I hear many business owners say, “If I share more about myself, I’m worried about how that looks to my employees or external stakeholders.” Or, they say, “There’s this thing I love and am passionate about, like supporting other entrepreneurs, that isn’t necessarily the same focus as what my business is. How do I build my brand without confusing my audience?”

On the employee side of things, the concern is typically something to the effect of:

“I’m worried my employer will think that my dedication to posting means I’m not doing my job.”

Or 

“I have my day job that I enjoy and want to stick with, but I also have this other thing that is either tangential or unrelated that I want to share. How do I navigate this?”

So today, I’m going to break down the top things you can do to organically and authentically weave your brand tapestry together, so you, your audience, nor your employer is concerned or confused.

First and foremost, let’s talk about the offline actions you can take before building your brand:

1. Get ahead of any feared “backlash” and have an open dialogue with your employees or employer.

Professionals worry about personal branding affecting their income (whether from a salary or business). Still, they rarely discuss it with those they fear may not like it. 

If you own a business, let your teams and partners know you are intentionally building your personal brand, what your plan is, and what your aims are in doing so. 

If you’re an employee, have the same conversation with your manager. Managers may jump to conclusions about your social activity if you don’t get ahead of it. Understandably, many fear it means you are looking for a job change or you want to start a side hustle. Without communicating your intentions around brand building, these assumptions are logical. 

If you’re concerned about what your employer may think, outline your intentions and game plan with management, so they feel briefed and have a sense of buy-in versus being blindsided. Conversations prevent misunderstandings. Remember, it’s only weird if you make it weird. 

2. The follow-up question to number one is usually: “Well, what if they don’t take it well or tell me not to post?”

This is tougher, and as someone who's been self-employed for what now seems like eons, admittedly harder for me to relate to. (A large part of me being a corporate defector is because I loathe being told what to do.)

Having said that, here’s how I advise professionals to proceed:

1. Use disclaimers to protect you and your company.

Proactively offer to add “Opinions are my own and not reflective of {insert employer here}” to your social media page. 

2. Check this directive against your employee handbook. 

Most company handbooks have guidelines about what they will or will not allow you to do on social media. If you are not violating these, ask what their specific concerns are. Remember, this is a murky area for employers and managers, as social media is still a gray space. 

Sometimes it’s easier to say, “Don’t do it,” instead of navigating what feels like a nuanced area. By having a conversation about your manager’s concerns, you can perhaps agree to some “ground rules” that make you and them feel good.

3. If it’s still off the table, assess your next steps. 

Look, I’m not saying quit your job over social media or “all companies that don’t allow employees to build their brands are short-sighted jerks.” While I believe having strong employee brands bolsters a corporate brand and culture, companies will always do what companies do and mitigate their risks. Ultimately, it’s up to you to decide if not being allowed to build your personal brand is a deal breaker. If so, take this lesson and ask employers how they feel about it before taking your next job, or find a company that aligns more with your values.

Now that we’ve covered the offline conversations let’s talk about the structure of building your personal brand in a way that keeps everyone clear.

1. Stop thinking of your brand as binary.

Most people think their thought leadership brand has to be about what they do for a living -or- about their passion. Not only is this untrue, but it’s also contrary to what makes a personal brand so powerful. Personal brands dominate corporate brands because we are so relatable and so human. That means we have many different things that make us, well, “us.” Stop fighting that and start embracing that.

2. Outline the pillars that make up your personal brand.

I always tell our students and clients a personal brand can be organized with 3 core pillars: Personal, Passion, and Professional.

For me, my personal bucket includes my relationships, my travels, and my mindset.

For my passion bucket, I’m primarily focused on personal development and entrepreneurship. 

And for my professional bucket, I help people grow their personal brands. 

The “ratio” of my content usually breaks down to 25% personal, 25% passion, and 50% professional. 

3. Remember, your personal brand is a journey.

If categorizing yourself using pillars is challenging, try thinking of your brand from a story

perspective. When you do this, you cover the many multi-dimensional aspects of

yourself without even trying.

Here’s a graphic I created that can help you create content from your personal journey:

I have a "wall of audience members" in my office. It represents 4 personas I've narrowed my message to over the past 10 years.

Start with number one, and share all the experiences you’ve accumulated that have led you to your “aha.” You’ll find that those experiences come from various sources in your life, and your personality and values will naturally unfold.

The Recap

Building your personal brand shouldn’t be in competition with your commitments, it should encompass them. To ensure your brand grows your career instead of hurting it, take the following steps:

• Get ahead of any feared “backlash” and have an open dialogue with your employees or employer by sharing your intentions.
• Read through your employee handbook and put legal protections and disclaimers in place.
• Continue to facilitate open and honest communication with relevant stakeholders as necessary (just like a corporate brand would do!) 
• Understand your brand isn’t binary.
• Categorize your personal brand pillars.
• Share your journey, not just your “destination insights.”

Above all, remember, that you got this! See you in the feed 🙂