With the dawning of a new decade, many want to make resolution that results in “a whole new you”. I would like to offer a different challenge to this mindset.  What if you did more refining than changing?  This paradigm shift offers love and respect for who you are, yet it acknowledges that there is room for improvement.

I would like to introduce a concept that may revolutionize the way you think about yourself—what is your personal brand?  All successful companies have a tagline that is usually unforgettable. What is yours?  How do you want people to describe you and your brand? How do you define yourself?  Is it predominately personal or professional?

Personal branding is very import to your success.  You need to identify your core values and beliefs and let them be the driving force that shapes people’s recognition of you.  This will make you more competitive and more successful because you will most likely be doing what you love by defining what you want.

To create your personal brand, you need important two things:  a tagline and a mission statement.  While these aren’t the only things that make up a personal brand, they certainly represent what a person’s brand is all about.  Unlike an elevator speech which can be a bit boring, taglines and mission statements are descriptive, yet very succinct.

In formulating your own tagline, think of the various product taglines.  For example, BMW is “the ultimate driving machine” and Porsche’s tagline is “There is no substitute”.  What do you want your tagline to say about you?  Are you creative, ambitious, tenacious?  Make sure you include descriptive words in your tagline.  Once you have formulated a tagline that you feel properly represents you, put it  on your business card, your voicemail, your email.  Let everyone know what they can expect when they meet you.

Your mission statement should state your core values as succinctly as possible.  It can be a bit longer than the tagline, but it should still be to the point.  For example, your mission statement could be “to serve all my client’s needs with due diligence” or “to use my creativity to help expand another’s business outside the box”.  Your mission statement is deeply personal, so take some time to develop it.  My mission statement is constantly being revised.

I also encourage you to read about personal branding.  There are numerous books, many which can be found online which will aid you in your development of your personal brand.  Understanding yourself and what you have to offer will clearly convey these importance attributes to everyone you know.

To your success!