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I want to draw attention to a concept I came across from Alex Hormozi, founder of Acquistion.com. He leads with the notion that our minds are much better at finding problems than they are at finding solutions.
While pondering this idea, I thought it would be brilliantly beneficial to describe how you can reverse engineer the challenges you may be facing in building your personal brand. Once you understand what they look like, you can either avoid these situations, or identify that you’re in them right now, and then make a plan of action to actively change this.
So, if your personal brand is invisible, then that’s because you are:
… continuing to do nothing Why do you think we put off things that are important to us, or that we know will help us? Because the unknown is more frightening than the known. Maybe you’re comfortable being in a familiar mindset where you aren’t confident in your personal brand. Or maybe you build certain responsibilities up in your mind so high that you feel stuck in knowing how to make your next move towards your goals. Whatever the case is for you, my suggestion is to start small. Consistency is so much more rewarding than sporadic intensity!
… continuing to not invest in your skills No one is going to value you more than you value yourself. When you practice new skills or ones you already have, you’re exercising your brain in a different way than if you were to stay in bed or continue watching TikTok videos on your phone. Showing up for yourself doesn’t have to mean all or nothing every single day- simply starting to create different habits around your skills, talents, or interests will help you not only feel more fulfilled, but also strengthen your potential. This leads to more opportunities that you can start to recognize and take as you develop or improve your personal brand.
… of the belief that your personal brand builds itself Rome wasn’t built in a day, and neither will your personal brand be. In fact, it takes consistency and time to really hone in on how you want to present yourself, and what you want your relationship with yourself to look like. This is why it can be so dangerous to assume that your brand will magically put itself together one day. Every moment you’re thinking about, taking notes on, or deliberately working on your personal brand, you’re getting closer to where you want to be!
… in love with imposter syndrome A lot of people think making money or being happy is about luck. I’m happy to tell you that it’s not! Finding success for yourself is simply about becoming the kind of person that you want to show up as every day. This doesn’t mean that you need to be or act like someone else that’s doing “better” than you. Really, it’s just creating a skillset. Build a unique character, a unique brand, a unique mindset where luck then finds you, rather than you chasing it. The more you attract, and the less you chase, the more you’re putting yourself in a position where you can leverage the things that make you unique, instead of feeling like you don’t deserve them.
… turning a cold shoulder to networking I think the term “networking” can sometimes take on an intimidating impression to a lot of people. Honestly, it just boils down to sharing or trading value with someone. (P.S. “Value” is subjective, and it can look different for everyone!) Networking doesn’t have to be this big scary thing; you can network anywhere, with anyone! An art exhibit, a supermarket, the school gates on a drop-off, or even Linkedin: any of these locations can be where you find a connection that changes your life. Networking can also be a much more natural and human interaction that you may imagine. You can start a conversation simply asking someone about the topic or area that your personal brand or skillset is related to. Not only does this bring the idea of networking back down to earth, but it can even lead to some really amazing relationships with people that were never in your scope before!
From Invisible To Invisible
Have my words have given you some insight, confidence, or motivation- or all three? No matter where you’re at in your personal brand journey, it’s always good to be open to new strategies or ways of thinking about things. That’s how we evolve as humans, after all!
Related: Four Reasons Why You Should Invest In Self-Development