Creating a Purpose-Driven Personal Brand

In the area of professional development, the concept of a personal brand has evolved into a pivotal element of a successful career strategy. Distinguishing between business and personal branding is crucial to understanding the unique value of a personal brand. While business branding focuses on the identity and values of a company, personal branding—or professional branding, as some refer to it—is intrinsically tied to an individual's character, expertise, and experiences. This person-centered approach becomes particularly powerful when driven by a clear purpose.

A purpose-driven personal brand is not just a showcase of skills and accomplishments, but also a reflection of one's deeper motivations and values. This kind of branding goes beyond conventional professional positioning; it connects with others on a more profound, human level, fostering trust and engagement. In a landscape where authenticity is increasingly valued, a purpose-driven personal brand can be a differentiator, leading not only to career opportunities but also to greater fulfillment and alignment in one's professional journey.

“Personal branding is the overlap between how you see yourself and how others see you. It’s your job to be the chief marketing officer for the brand called you.”
~ Kellie McElhaney, Faculty director: Equity Fluent Leadership

Personal Branding Frameworks and Principles

When defining and communicating a personal brand built on purpose, several frameworks offer structured approaches to this introspective and strategic process. Some of these are listed below. Each framework, while unique in its methodology, converges on helping individuals articulate and embody their personal brand effectively.

Four C’s

This framework revolves around core elements: Clarity, consistency, content, and communication.

Clarity involves having a clear understanding of who you are and what you stand for.
Consistency refers to the need to consistently represent these values and attributes across various platforms and interactions.
Content focuses on creating and sharing material that reflects and reinforces your brand.
Communication emphasizes the importance of building relationships and effectively and authentically conveying your brand to others. ¹

Seven Pillars

Jill Hauwiller, owner and principal consultant at Leadership Refinery, describes the framework she leads her coaching clients through—one that encompasses seven key components: Purpose, Values, Clarity, Strengths, Energy, Legacy, and Ownership.

Purpose is about understanding why you do what you do. Asking questions like, “What gives meaning to my life?” can help us identify our purpose.
Values represent the guiding principles that shape your actions and decisions.
Clarity, again, emphasizes the importance of clear self-understanding and authenticity.
Strengths focus on recognizing and leveraging your unique skills and talents.
Energy pertains to the passion and enthusiasm you bring to your endeavors.
Legacy involves considering the long-term impact and imprint you wish to leave.
Ownership is about taking responsibility for your brand and its development. ²

Four Questions

In her presentation "Building Your Brand One Story at a Time," Jessica De Anda, public Speaker, executive coach, and director of MBA Career Programming at Haas, advocates for crafting a personal brand through storytelling. She emphasizes using four guiding questions to shape this narrative-driven approach.

What is your story: who you are, what you’ve overcome, what makes you credible, your mission?
Who is your audience: who will benefit from your story?
What are your goals: e.g., establishing thought leadership, building credibility, connecting with the community, etc.?
What are your metrics: how will you measure progress on your goals? ³

The Personal Branding Roadmap

Despite their differences, the frameworks presented guide you toward answering similar fundamental questions about who you are, what you stand for, and how you wish to be perceived in the professional world. However, understanding and defining your brand is just the beginning. The real challenge—and opportunity—lies in applying this understanding to your career and life, where a practical roadmap for implementation becomes essential.

An effective roadmap transforms abstract concepts into concrete actions, ensuring that your personal brand is not just a concept but a living, breathing aspect of your professional identity. The following roadmap offers a detailed and flexible process that goes beyond merely defining your brand. It guides you in embodying and consistently refining a brand that authentically aligns with both your personal and professional identity.

Self-Assessment & Reflection

Begin by identifying your strengths, values, passions, and goals. Also, engage in exercises like a Personal SWOT analysis to evaluate your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. As noted by Berkeley Haas Lecturer Kellie McElhaney, a particularly impactful exercise is identifying and writing about your personal brand “hero,” which has proven to be a transformative experience for her students in crafting their brands. ⁴ For a list of helpful self-assessment resources, refer to our article, ‘Harnessing Your Inner Compass’.

Define Your Brand Vision

A clear brand vision provides direction and purpose, guiding your actions and decisions toward consistent and authentic representation. Define your vision and craft a personal mission statement that captures who you are, what you stand for, and what you aim to achieve. Utilize the ‘Why, How, What’ model, as proposed by Simon Sinek, to structure your brand vision effectively, ensuring it resonates with your core values and objectives. ⁵

Identify Your Target Audience

You can’t speak to everyone, but you can resonate deeply with those who share your values and connect with your message. To identify who that might be, you may want to ask:

Whose attention are you trying to get?
Who would most benefit from your products/services?
Who are you trying to impress?
Who are you trying to befriend? ⁶

This can include clients, potential employers, or anyone else who might be interested in what you provide. Once you’ve clarified who you wish to reach, consider creating a detailed profile of your ideal audience or client, including demographics, psychographics, needs, and preferred communication channels. Use tools like the Customer Persona Template to visualize and better understand your target audience.

Develop Your Unique Value Proposition (UVP)

Everyone possesses a unique value proposition: a distinct blend of skills, experiences, and perspectives that only you have. Make a list of your unique attributes, and then craft a concise statement that captures the value you uniquely provide. The Value Proposition Canvas can be a helpful tool in defining the key components of your value proposition. ⁷

Create Consistent Branding Elements

Consistent branding helps you visually communicate your unique values and personality to your audience. Select colors, fonts, and visuals that align with your brand identity. Consider creating a personal logo or symbol. A Personal Brand Style Guide can ensure consistency across all your branding materials. ⁸

Build Your Online Presence

A compelling online presence and regular content creation are important for subject matter experts to effectively showcase their knowledge and enhance their personal brand in the digital world. Create or update profiles on LinkedIn, personal websites, and other relevant social media platforms and regularly share valuable content that aligns with your brand. A Content Calendar can help plan and organize the content you share. ⁹

Engage & Network

Engaging in career discussions with alums, peers, and others can provide valuable insights into what you value in a role, a company, and a mission or cause. These conversations are instrumental in understanding how these elements align with your vision of meaningful and rewarding work. ¹⁰ Actively participate in industry events, webinars, or workshops and use resources like calendars to organize your networking activities.

Seek Feedback & Iterate

Because your brand isn't something you create but rather something you discover within yourself, effective personal branding demands deep introspection. ¹¹ But don’t just look inside; regularly solicit feedback from peers, mentors, and your audience. Their feedback can provide valuable insights for brand improvement.

Stay Updated & Continue Learning

Professional development involves strategically increasing your skills and knowledge. Neglecting it can lead to career stagnation, diminished confidence, and job dissatisfaction. Dedicate time to your professional development by attending courses, reading books, or listening to podcasts in your field. Creating a ‘personal development plan’ can help prioritize and organize your learning efforts. ¹²

Monitor & Protect Your Brand

It probably should go without saying that your online reputation is vital to your brand. Consider using one or more Online Reputation Management (ORM) tools to monitor and manage your online reputation, ensuring your brand remains positive and intact. ¹³ Also, set up Google Alerts for your name and brand and promptly address any negative mentions or feedback.

The journey of building a purpose-driven personal brand is both a strategic and deeply personal endeavor. From the initial self-assessment and reflection, guided by frameworks like the 4 C’s and the 7 Pillars, to the creation of a brand vision and the continuous process of engagement and iteration, each step is integral to developing a brand that not only stands out but also aligns with your core values and aspirations. With the right approach, a purpose-driven brand can not only enhance your professional presence but also contribute significantly to career fulfillment.

References

Haas School of Business. (n.d.). How to craft your story and create your brand STAR. Berkeley Haas. Retrieved Dec 2, 2023, from https://blogs.haas.berkeley.edu/the-berkeley-mba/how-to-craft-your-story-and-create-your-brand-star
Art of U Creative. (n.d.). Elevate your personal brand: Mastering the 4 C's. Retrieved Nov. 15, 2023, from https://www.aoucreative.com/post/elevate-your-personal-brand-mastering-the-4-c-s#:~:text=To%20unlock%20your%20full%20potential,defining%20what%20you%20stand%20for.
Forbes Coaches Council. (2019, February 19). The seven critical pillars of your personal brand. Forbes. Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescoachescouncil/2019/02/19/the-seven-critical-pillars-of-your-personal-brand/?sh=7ee17f2254c8
UC Berkeley People & Culture (Feb. 6, 2023). Building Your Brand One Story at a Time [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJ0Oh6lw9Zs
Haas School of Business. (n.d.). What's your personal brand? New class helps students craft one. Berkeley Haas Newsroom. Retrieved Nov. 3, 2023, from https://newsroom.haas.berkeley.edu/whats-your-personal-brand-new-class-helps-students-craft-one/
Business Model Ideas. (n.d.). Why, how, what: The Golden Circle as a leadership tool. Nov. 3, 2023, from https://www.businessmodelideas.com/blog/why-how-what-the-golden-circle-as-a-leadership-tool#:~:text=The%20Golden%20Circle%20by%20Simon%20Sinek&text=In%20his%20book%20%22Start%20with,only%20then%20address%20the%20%22what.&text=The%20%22Why%2C%20How%2C%20What,work%20from%20the%20inside%20out.
Evans, L. (2020, September 11). Identifying target audiences for your personal brands. LinkedIn. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/identifying-target-audiences-your-personal-brands-linda-evans
Strategyzer. (n.d.). The Value Proposition Canvas. Retrieved November 18, 2023, from https://www.strategyzer.com/library/the-value-proposition-canvas
LinkedIn (2023, Aug. 27). How do you design a personal brand? A guide to the skills of personal branding. https://www.linkedin.com/advice/3/how-do-you-design-personal-brand-guide-skills-personal-branding
Hunter, M. R. (n.d.). Build Your Content Calendar. Personal Brand. https://personalbrand.com/build-your-content-calendar/
Haas School of Business. (n.d.). Career tools: Networking. University of California, Berkeley. Retrieved December 2, 2023, from https://haas.berkeley.edu/cmg/career-tools/networking/
Arruda, W. (2023, June 4). Why feedback is your best friend and 4 ways to get it. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/williamarruda/2023/06/04/why-feedback-is-your-best-friend-and-4-ways-to-get-it/?sh=630fc8234696
MindTools Content Team. (n.d.). 8 ways to prioritize your professional development. MindTools. Retrieved Dec. 2, 2023, from https://www.mindtools.com/a3mkubo/8-ways-to-prioritize-your-professional-development
Mumtaz, S. (2023, Feb. 2). 5 online reputation management (ORM) tools to use in 2023. LinkedIn. Retrieved Dec. 2, 2023, from https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/5-online-reputation-management-orm-tools-use-2023-sohail-mumtaz
University of California, Berkeley. (n.d.). Brand You [Video]. Retrieved Dec. 2, 2023, from https://hr.berkeley.edu/brand-you
Canva. (n.d.). User persona templates. Retrieved December 4, 2023 from https://www.canva.com/templates/s/user-persona/
Clark, T. (2012). Business Model You. Wiley.