TH!NKsulting!

Boris Glants asks -

I love your idea of TH!NKSULTING! I had a question regarding personal branding that I was hoping you could help answer. I have a lot of seemingly divergent interests. I’ve been able to manage them by looking at them as projects that I as a person engage in. I always look for ways each project can help my other interests and it really becomes a time management issue after that. However when it comes to a personal brand, which takes some time to build – it seems strange to create a brand for each area of life I am interested in – suddenly start to feel like a I have a personality disorder. Is there a way to create one personal brand that encompasses my divergent interests? If so what steps do you suggest? Or is it a fool’s errand? And if so, how do you suggest I build the unique brands so that there is at least some interconnection between them?

My take -

Boris, thank you for asking this question. I have to say that this is a common problem for super-talented people - they don't want to be boxed within one box because simply they are good at many things. Put them in one box and they will probably feel like they have sacrificed something.

Let us first look at brands in general. Different companies have approached branding differently. Let's take two cases:

Coke, Pepsi and P&G have created individual brands for their products.

Virgin, Microsoft and Apple on the other hand have mega brands that are extended to their individual offerings.

The strategies are different but in both cases one thing is common - building a brand is hard work. It takes years and you may not find any return from this exercise for a long time.

Personal Branding is the same. Strategies can be different but there is no short-term gain with any personal branding strategy.

Since you (and any other person for that matter) have limited resources, time and energy (as compared to an enterprise,) I suggest that you focus on building ONE personal brand with one message.

[ Note: Many people confuse "activity in social media" with building their personal brand. Some people go to the extend of building a personal brand on building a personal brand. It gets very confusing. Please don't get sucked into the "social media activity" trap without a solid strategy ]

The bedrock of a solid personal brand (for me) is valuable accomplishments. So with your diverse interests, easy way to determine where you can build your brand is to think - "where will I focus my energy for the rest of my life to create valuable accomplishments?" Personal Brands without accomplishments are hollow and brittle. They are facades and should be avoided if you are looking for long-term success. If you think you will create valuable accomplishments in multiple interests, then rank them and choose the top most one as a focus area to build your personal brand.

You are not giving up your diverse interests just because you are focusing on building a personal brand on one of them. Once you get going, your diverse interests will add color to your personal brand. For example, if you know of an entrepreneur that you respect a lot, would you be happy or distracted if you learn that this entrepreneur is a rock star or a skiing champion? Typically, the respect you have for that entrepreneur goes up when you learn more about this person and his accomplishments in seemingly unrelated areas.

In summary, please make an investment in building a powerful personal brand in the domain where you can have the most valuable accomplishments - where you want to leave your biggest legacy. Next, strategically put your other interests to play to strengthen this personal brand.

All the best!

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More about Rajesh Setty
Blog: Life Beyond Code | Twitter: @UpbeatNow | Website: Rajesh Setty | Have a Question?

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