Who would not want to be successful in their life? I cannot ever recall hearing someone say “mediocrity is for me—that is my goal.” Yet, there is an abundance of unfulfilled potential among us. Many reasons can be cited for not attaining the performance level for which we are capable. I am convinced one of the greatest obstacles is self-doubt. We cannot envision changing from our current state to one in which we could find greater abundance and joy.

If you are blocked by feelings of discouragement that you are incapable of realizing success, the words of the late Zig Ziglar invite an attitude change. Ziglar was one of the best known positive thinkers of his time. His thoughts about greatness can thwart the temptation to wallow in self-doubt that we cannot achieve greatness because we are not already there.

My desire is to build a great personal brand. The good news is my brand does not have to start great. However, I must commit to starting down the path to greatness.

What Holds Us Back?

Building a personal brand is challenging because it can be confusing to understand exactly what personal branding is… and is not. In the book Me: How to Sell Who You Are, What You Do, & Why You Matter to the World, Colby Jubenville and I address personal branding myths before we get into how-to aspects of building a personal brand. These myths are harmful because they hold us back from shaping the personal brand we desire.

Among the most damaging myths are:

• Personal branding is bragging. When we read about or watch others talk about themselves and accomplishments, it is easy to have feelings like “I can never do what he has done” or “She is so together, but I am a mess.” Keep in mind that some people get personal branding wrong in that they put the focus on themselves, not how they benefit others. When you focus on how you bring value to other people, your actions will reflect a brand that has meaning, not a shallow brand that is all about self-promotion.
• Personal branding requires you to act differently. Building a great brand is sometimes perceived as synonymous with building a perfect brand. In reality, there is no such thing as a perfect brand. You do not have to strive for perfection, nor do you have to act differently than the person you are. Authenticity is a trait that is highly valued. Be yourself!
• Personal branding is all about appearances. One of the greatest misconceptions about personal branding is its scope is limited to tangible characteristics: your personal appearance, how your website and other digital real estate looks, and information found about you online. While these elements are part of your brand, many more elements influence how you are perceived. In Me, we advocate the 3Ms of personal branding—meaning, makeup, and message—as a framework that goes beyond the esoteric aspects of personal branding to include those elements that create value.

How to Start to be Great

The keyword in this week’s message is easy to detect: start. Zig Ziglar suggests we need not beat up ourselves if we are not great. The permission to not be great now is contingent on being willing to start the journey toward greatness. You may be at point A but long to be at point Z. Rather than getting down about our brand not being at the desired state, we should channel our energy to start moving toward who we want to be.

The comprehensive view of a personal brand shared in the Me book includes several elements falling under meaning, makeup, or message. Three critical elements related to personal brand development include:

• Knowing your value. We encourage people to write a purpose statement. The template can be as simple as:

name > job role or profession > value offered > benefit

When you articulate value offered, you gain clarity on who to serve, what tools you need, and how to communicate your value.

• Setting goals. Make statements about how you want to be great. We advocate setting goals in a variety of life parts or roles including career, relationships, wellness, spirituality, finances, and “bucket list” goals. When purpose and goals are known and aligned, you set the stage to produce results that benefit others and bring you fulfillment.
• Identifying the requirements. Clear vision on your purpose and what you want to accomplish are important, but they are not sufficient to spur personal growth. Take inventory of the mindset and skill set needed to reach goals. Resolve to fill in any gaps or deficiencies to strengthen brand makeup.

One More Thing

Do the work. Plans to enhance the elements discussed above is meaningless without doing the work needed to make things happen. Many people do not realize their brand aspirations because they are clueless about the work required to effect change. Awareness of the actions required is an all-important first step, but managing your brand so that it is solid in the three dimensions of meaning, makeup, and message is a must.

You have the potential to be great… what are you waiting for?