The importance of building your personal brand

“Life isn’t about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself”. We all want to be that one person who walks into a room and is respected by everyone, but what does it really take to get there? Do you have to be a celebrity? A CEO? An astronaut? The answer is really simple – just make sure people can associate your name with greatness. How do you do that? That’s more complicated.

I want you to think about Google for a moment. What comes first to your mind? How about Apple? Or maybe Albert Einstein? I’m sure there are many things that crossed your mind. Now, when people hear your name, what exactly do they think?

My fascination with the concept of reputation started when I was a young boy who spent too much time around cars. Constantly seeing their names, logos and hearing drivers talk about their experiences made me form opinions on various manufacturers without ever driving a single car. In other words, I knew which car I wanted before I actually drove it. This was the moment I realized the power of a good brand name.

As I grew older I understood that the same concepts that apply to businesses also apply to us – if we want to be recognized we need a strong personal brand. The reputation I always wanted to build was of a person who can get anything done no matter how hard it may be. In university it meant multitasking and maintaining a balance between classes, social life and sports. When I joined Deloitte the act of building a strong reputation became even more valuable because my network started to grow exponentially and along with it my name started receiving more exposure. I started to get involved in everything I could, and believe me, Deloitte has enough opportunities to occupy you for a lifetime. However, no matter which project I take on, which group I join or which social event I plan, I always make sure to give my very best because people will remember you by your actions and these actions will precede you wherever you go.

Maintaining high standards, being reliable and staying motivated are traits that go a long way in our competitive world. As Martin Luther King Jr. said, “If a man is called to be a street sweeper, he should sweep streets even as a Michelangelo painted, or Beethoven composed music or Shakespeare wrote poetry. He should sweep streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth will pause to say, 'Here lived a great street sweeper who did his job well’.”

So deliver on your promises and own your work! Do it often enough and long enough and eventually you will form a successful brand name and it will be yours to keep, and when people mention your name the right impression will be crossing their minds.

Daniel graduated from the University of Western Ontario with a Bachelor of Science, specializing in Physics and majoring in Applied Mathematics. He is currently a Business Technology Analyst in our Technology Consulting practice.