We’ve all heard how important it is to have a strong understanding of your personal brand – how you show up in the world and want to be perceived by others. A strong personal brand can help you professionally – it can aid you in creating authentic social media content, it can help you find and connect with other like minded professionals, and it can definitely help you in the job search and interview process.

But… having a strong understanding of your own personal brand can also provide a number of benefits to you personally. From building confidence to connecting you to a greater sense of purpose in the world, here are four unexpected ways a personal brand can help you. 

1. A authentic personal brand can deepen self awareness

When you put in the necessary reflection work to create an authentic personal brand, you will find that it has the unexpected benefit of helping you clarify and affirm who you are. Putting in the work to create an authentic personal brand is an invaluable exercise in developing self awareness. Now, self-awareness (and self-discovery) is a lifelong practice, but putting in the work to develop your personal brand is certainly a way to jump-start the process!

When we truly know who we are, we’re able to consistently show up in the world as the most authentic versions of ourselves, and that’s a beautiful thing.

2. An authentic personal brand can clarify your long term vision

When I work with clients to help them create their authentic personal brand, one of the aspects we spend a lot of time talking about is, “What are you working towards? In an ideal scenario, where will this personal brand help you get to?” So, in order to develop an authentic personal brand, a necessary part of the process is determining where you want that brand to help you go — you need to put in the time to really clarify your vision for your life.

A good personal brand affirms who you are, and helps launch you toward where you want to be.

3. An authentic personal brand helps you make a stronger and more memorable impression

When you have a clear understanding of:

1. This is who I am
2. This is what I’m working towards

You will find that you will naturally exude a sense of confidence. Amy Cuddy, a sociologist and the author of the book “Presence: Bringing Your Boldest Self to Your Biggest Challenges” (one of my favorites!), describes something similar in her core definition of presence – which is certainly another byproduct of developing a strong personal brand:

“The way that I see presence is that it’s the state of being attuned and able to comfortably express your true self — your values, your beliefs, your skills, your passions. To be attuned to them and able to deliver them — especially under pressure — that’s presence.”

When you are armed with this information – your values, your beliefs, your vision – you bring a sense of presence into any room you enter — which ultimately helps you make a stronger and more memorable impression, usually without even realizing it!

4. An authentic personal brand connects you to something greater 

A sense of “purpose,” or a reason for being, is something we all strive for. We want to know what our purpose is, and the reason why we were placed on this earth. It’s a natural human inclination to search for this connection.

When you put in the work to craft an authentic personal brand, a necessary part of the equation is diving into – What is the impact I hope to make? What kind of legacy do I hope to leave? What do I want to be remembered for?

These are big, heavy questions that many of us spend our whole lives trying to find the answer to! But that’s the power of an authentic personal brand – it helps us get there quicker. It gives us a roadmap to fill in other blanks that ultimately help us discern these purposeful elements of life.

Do you feel you could benefit from these four benefits of developing an authentic personal brand? If so… then I encourage you to check out my Authentically You Personal Branding Bootcamp! I’d love to help you create a personal brand that doesn’t just help you reach your professional goals, but also helps you develop a greater connection with your most authentic self.