How do you know when you’ve succeeded in your field?

Answer: when others begin to associate your name with what it means to be successful in that area.

Until then, you can safely assume the following: there a million other people who are just as passionate and driven as you and will gladly take your position if you “don’t feel like it” anymore or let the lazy bug catch you.

Instead, commit to being world-class in your field and in turn, blast past the million others like a rocket heading for zero-gravity.

And that all begins with your personal brand, which starts with the single most important factor in defining your “personal definition:” knowing who you are!

How do you do that, you say? By getting a little woo woo and asking yourself some important questions:

• What makes you unique?
• What makes you tick?
• What are your tastes?
• What would others say is the 1 thing you kickass at?

And honestly, people.

Answer this: why are other people attracted to the brand of you?

Think about this long and hard, perhaps place it in your brain and let your subconscious grind at it for the week.

Until you find your true unique differentiation, your personal brand will be half baked, false, and likely modeled off someone else (which is the antithesis of being unique, right?).

Besides answering those 5 starter questions, here are 5 exercises for getting to your authentic, personal brand:

#1: What Would A Company Risk Without You?

Answer this: what does a company risk or miss out on if they DON’T hire you?

Let’s pretend you’re a publicist where you take advantage of your media relations for press opportunities like interviews, speaking engagements for founders and paid partnerships.

If a company doesn’t hire you, they risk losing thousands of dollars from these missed relationship opportunities.”

#2: Steal From Many

You’re not only the average of the 5 people you surround yourself with but you’re also the average of the 5 mentors that inspire you.

Steal from many influencers or role models you admire, and in the process ask “why” you gravitate to that certain quality.

Then unapologetically adopt them yourself.

#3: Engage Your Inner Child

What piqued your interest or drew you in when you were young? Don’t know? Go ask your mom!

This is a quick but powerful clue to defining what makes you really tick.

#4: Build a Personal Glossary

You heard right. Build a personal glossary of words and terms that you want to be synonymous with your name and brand.

Then, use them often across your website, blog articles, social posts, elevator pitch, speaking engagements, and every other piece of communication around your profession.

#5: Exercise Your Personal Brand Muscles

Let’s pretend you’ve answered most of the above questions and identified your strengths.

Congrats, you’re 5x closer than 90% of others.

Now it’s time to amplify those strengths through learning (ex. read 5 books on the subject) and share your knowledge through teaching (become a regular Redditor, find a mentee, or teach a Udemy course).

Why? Because some of the world, especially the haters, want you to prove your stuff!

Teaching is the highest form of understanding, so prove it to everyone, including yourself that it’s in your bones now.

As Simon Sinek says, “People don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it.”

Albeit elusive, your personal “why” could be the key to exploding past those 1 million others, leaving them as specs on the branding tarmac.

~JK