“So, what do you do?” The guy in the black T-shirt asks me. This was in a DC start up networking event. That was a very good question — what do I do? At that time, I was doing improv in New York to keep myself ‘busy’.
In the true spirit of improv — improv is about creating scenes and telling stories in the moment — I looked at him and said, “I’m a traveling storyteller, before the US, I was living in Argentina, I work with startups and their founders to find and develop their stories.”
“Really?” He asked, “Tell me more, I’d love to hear more about what you do.”
That was how I started as a storyteller. I got my first gig at that event. He was engaged because through my story, I stood out.
So what makes you unique? Your experiences and insights are what makes you unique. Your stories make you unique. Your stories build on your brand.
What is branding? Branding is developing an image and differentiating it from others, with stories of results to back it up.
Branding is essential to getting ahead because branding defines who you are, in what ways you are a great, and why you should be pursued.
It is about creating a name for yourself, showcasing your uniqueness, and describing your value to a situation. Your brand describes your essence and significance to your current / prospective employers / employees.
Most individuals are not proactive in setting up and promoting their career brand. Instead, they hope their actions speak for them when they are looking for a promotion, new jobs or staff. But what if no one’s looking? In this day and age, is it enough?
You can make yourself a much more attractive employer, employee or job candidate if you take the time to master some basic tactics that can help you build your career brand.
If you don’t brand yourself, others will — and that might not be in the best of light.
Branding is, fundamentally, storytelling, and an advantage of branding yourself is that your story is unique.
Getting your brand story out there increases your visibility and desirability as an attractive employer / employee / candidate for hire.
Likewise, elevating the world’s awareness of you, online and offline, creates new opportunities for networking. Especially in this digital age, where success can spring not just from who you know and what you know, but also from who knows you and your story.
In essence, your personal (career) brand is your value proposition.
Your Story Supported Branding Statement
An effective way to begin your personal career branding effort is to develop a “branding statement“ — a few sentences or a paragraph that sums up your value proposition.
This statement can be used in media like your CV, LinkedIn page, or website.
It should compose of the following:
- What value you provide to your target audience — market needs
- What makes you unique — your skills, experiences, passion and personality
You can enhance this brand statement with one or two stories behind it.
Why should your branding statement be supported by a story?
When you build your brand identity based on your own experiences, you bring out what no one else can. Your experiences convey your uniqueness and that’s the most solid foundation of your brand identity.
What stories should you tell to brand yourself?
Try this exercise:
Take a minute to write down what you are known for — either in the professional or personal space.
In what area(s) can you offer yourself as an expert? Ideally you are considered an expert in some area of your career or professional life, but hobbies and interests also work.
Now, compose a brief story about your expertise in each area, perhaps how your expertise has made a difference or changed someone’s life.
For example:
Branding Statement:
I am a storyteller who believes that everyone has a unique voice. I coach companies and people to craft, develop and own their stories.
The story behind the statement:
As a storyteller, people often make the assumption that I dress up as a fairy and tell stories at children’s parties. I don’t do that. Instead, I work together with my clients to craft stories in their own words.
Storytelling is how we connect as humans. It is through our stories that we share our passions, hopes, and dreams. Through stories, we invite our listener to keep an open mind to our view points.
I consulted for a start up’s non-profit fundraising project. They were raising money to build a computer lab for a school outside Siem Reap, Cambodia. They had not been able to get much engagement from their donors. They had been running this campaign for two months and had not raised more than US$100. Their campaign stated their initiative and why it is important, in formal bullet points, but there was no story to explain why the founders believe in the project or what impact this project would bring.
So I asked the founders to share their stories on why they believe in this project and why this is important. I then asked them to write these down, as these stories need to be in their voice. One shared an inspirational story behind a brick where he wrote in English and Khmer, the words “Dream Big.” Upon sharing this over email and social media, they were able to get more traction on this initiative, and within 2 weeks of sharing the stories, they were able to raise more than US$1000.
I invite you to think about the following types of stories as the basis for your brand statement:
- A story that demonstrates your understanding of and experience with your client’s/employer’s needs
- A story that shows how you are uniquely qualified to meet your employer’s / client’s needs
- A story that illustrates how passionate you are about your field / job / role
- A story about your enthusiasm for your startup / volunteer / philanthropic work
- A story that showcases the roots of your ethics and values
Once you’ve established your brand statement, you can carry it through your career marketing communication, such as in your CV, website or LinkedIn profile.
“Wow, your story is really interesting and your business sounds fascinating,” the guy in the black shirt said.
And that was when the idea for my business WYSH was born.
