Breaking The Norm With Your Branding
In today’s digital landscape, personal brands are almost synonymous with online presence and social media profiles. When the term “personal branding” comes up, outdated associations often come to mind. We think of the polished corporate executives, the stiff suits, and the dreary grey backdrops. Although this was the convention for many years, the concept of personal branding has far evolved from that.
So many people are online and inundated with polished ads and pitches, they want authenticity. They want to know the person behind the products and services. It’s time to challenge the norm and reimagine personal branding as your tool for self-expression and connection!
Meet Jamia
Education is my passion . Love is my strategy.
- Jamia
Jamia came to our studio to get branding photos that represent her energy, her philosophy, and her spirit. Her brand is an embodiment of boldness, vivid colors, and an unmistakable 'JAMIA' essence.
In our discovery call, I asked her a typical question, "What's your style?” Hearing her response was nothing short of inspiring. She proudly answered that her style was entirely her own. She assured me that it was something you’d have to witness firsthand to understand. It was during our session when I got to experience her personality that I had the privilege to understand what she meant completely.
Before me stood a remarkable woman who was unwaveringly true to herself, a woman whose passion is education and is a doctor as well. She was not born to be a copy but to be legendary.
Creating Authentic Personal Branding
I say this often but existing in photographs is more than receiving pretty pictures. Likewise, personal branding goes beyond presenting yourself as a polished corporate version of yourself. Authentic personal branding goes beyond superficial appearances because the priority is to align your image with your inner values and beliefs. It is an art to be able to present your true self and create a brand that would resonate with your identity and your ideal audience. You are creating a legacy for yourself when your personal branding can authentically document your true self and unique voice.
This is a journey that anyone can embark on. You may journal or talk to a trusted individual in order to identify your unique personal branding. Consider the following steps in your journey of creating your authentic personal branding:
Reflect: Take some time to self-reflect on who you are, your values, passions, and your approach to certain topics and processes that make you stand out.
Core Values: What principles do you allow to guide your life and decision-making process?
Know Your Audience: The past version of yourself is the ideal audience that you’re trying to reach now. What were your needs, desires, and pain points? What do you wish someone could’ve told you or provided for you back then?
Why Quit?
Since meeting Jamia, I’ve made it a part of my daily morning routine to ask myself, “Why wait?” Taking the first steps to show your authentic self can be more challenging than it seems. There are overwhelming obstacles such as fear of judgment or internalized habits of comparing ourselves to others. However, Jamia makes a conscious decision every day to go against the grain and show up as herself unapologetically. Through meeting her, she’s felt like a big sister I never had. She’s inspired me to never give myself a reason to quit.
Are you ready to take the leap and show up as yourself too? We can help with that! Start with updating your headshots or book a personal branding session with me! You’ll feel more confidence in yourself once your personal branding reflect the true you.