The Problem Of The Personal Brand - Where It Goes Wrong

The Problem Of The Personal Brand - Where It Goes Wrong

I have recently been seeing a lot of people discussing Personal Brands.

It's been Growing in Popularity of the Years.

To be fair, there are some Aspects of the Movement that are Great.

Vulnerability.

Authenticity.

Connection.

These are things I agree with being Valuable.

Plus, many of the Individuals who Teach Personal Branding are amazing people who are doing incredible work.

However, there are some issues with the Idea of Personal Branding.

Especially when it comes to Business.

For instance, the Idea of Personal Branding is essentially a way to try to "Commoditize" Your Life.

This Creates a Strange Conflict of Interest Internally (while Simultaneously Lessening Your Value).

Do you do this because it is "Authentically You", or because "This Authentically Sells"?

It walks this Razor-Thin Line of Being Yourself and Being Sellable.

Which Line "Wins" when there is a Conflict?

When do things go from "Being Authentically You" to "Authentically Chasing The Goal at the Required Cost"?

Do You "Change" to Win?

I ask because You "Can" Change Yourself, and therefore still "Be Authentic".

I have watched many people, including myself, make Incredibly Beneficial Changes to their Lives over the Years.

I have seen the Opposite as well.

When you begin to Commoditize Yourself and Your Life, where the "Authenticity" begins and ends becomes a Blurred Line.

That Line can also Move.

Sometimes Quickly.

You see it happen "Frequently" with "Successful" Individuals.

If you Lose Track of How the Line Changes, it becomes Difficult to "See" where the Business Ends and the Person Begins.

When the Business Changes and when the Person Changes.

However, there is another Aspect that is also Problematic.

What is the Point of a Business?

To Provide a Good or Service.

So, What is a Business About?

The Customer.

What the Customer Wants.

What the Customer Needs.

When you think about a "Personal Brand", Who is the Business About?

You.

How Your Life fits into the Brand.

How Your Life Helps Sell.

When the Business is about "You", it Ceases being about the Customer.

When it is about the "Customer", you Discover it was "Never" About You.

99% of the time, the Customer does not care about "You" at all.

They Care about Themselves.

"If" they Care about You, it is Primarily to see if "They" can give "Their" Trust, or if "Their" Beliefs Align.

When you Tell the Customer, "Pay Attention to Me", you Fail to Serve Them.

The Truth is they are Not Buying "You".

"You" are Not the Product.

There is Something in "Their" Life they Need.

It's Not About "You".

It's About "Them".

So a "Brand" Shouldn't be about the Individual "Selling" Said Brand.

If you want a "Brand" (which may Not be the Best Strategy), then it should be "Beyond" You as an Individual.

For an interesting example of this, let's look at a quick History of Christianity (You don't need to "Believe" to Learn the Lessons here).

You have the Judaic Church Leaders at this time, and what were they doing?

They would say, "Here are the Rules, I'm Following the Rules. Follow Me. If You Fail at Following the Rules, We'll Cast You Out."

It was not a very "Customer-Centric" Approach.

Some of them were also called Hypocrites later on, but "They" would have Disagreed. (Perhaps the "Razer-Thin Line" I mentioned?)

Now, a different Guy comes along, Jesus.

What does He say?

"What do you Need?"

He wasn't "Telling" People to Follow Him, He wasn't "Selling" His Brand.

Jesus went out and Healed.

He called out Hypocrisy and Explained Why it was Damaging to Others (It's About "Them" Not "You").

He Pointed to "The Father" and "Heaven" (Beyond the "World").

People would Ask Questions about Their Challenges, and Jesus Taught Answers to Those Challenges.

Can you see the Difference?

Jesus did not have a "Personal Brand".

He Helped Real People with "Their" Real Problems.

Many of these individuals were "Cast Out" by the other Judaic Groups at the time.

These were people who "Needed" Help, and most of the world cast them aside.

When Jesus made it about "Them", they began to Frantically Follow.

Now, there is not really any difference in Today's World.

Customers today are Seeking Help for "Them".

They "Only" Care about "You" as much as it Serves "Their" Needs and Problems.

It is alright to use yourself as an Example (As long as you are Authentic), but Do Not make it About "You".

You must become an "Example" of something Beyond "You".

That "Beyond" is the Goal of those You "Serve".

If You Discuss Your Success, it must be about how "They" can Succeed Higher.

If You Discuss Your Fears, it must be about how "They" can Overcome Their Fears.

If you Discuss Your Pains, it must be about how "They" are Not Alone in Their Pains.

Go "Beyond" Yourself.

Back to blog