Jan 03, 2018
Have you ever noticed when you ask someone to tell their personal story, they immediately launch into where they work or what they do for their profession?
A personal brand story is more than what you do for a living. It speaks to who you are and what you represent—it speaks to the core of why you do what you do. Everyone has a personal brand story, whether you’ve consciously created one or not, so you might as well make yours remarkable.
Recently I wrote an article for Entrepreneur, How to Create an Epic Brand Story Like Elon Musk’s and Henry Ford’s. The article explains how to know and create your personal brand story, and how to make it stand out.
Think about Elon Musk and Henry Ford.
Both entrepreneurs have once shared a similar vision. They both aspired to transform the market for automobiles. But they’re more than the cars they manufactured, they have a personal brand that tells a story of why they do what they do.
Like Ford and Musk, entrepreneurs who build a personal brand story worthy of remark — a story with purpose and passion — increase their chances of long-term success in life.
Here are three steps to create a remarkable personal brand story.
Step 1: It really boils down to “why”
It’s essential to discover simplicity in your purpose of why you do what you do.
Your “why,” shouldn’t be because you want to make a lot of money or to pay your bills. It derives from your beliefs and personal motives for yourself.
People who have identified their passion are more likely to express why they do what they do. Think back on Elon Musk, he has clearly identified his passion for more clean and sustainable sources of energy for the world. Musk didn’t create the Tesla for just any reason. He had a purpose behind every step he has taken and is passionate about making a better and more sustainable world.
Musk has a remarkable brand story; his passion is ruthlessly shared through his story and he works everyday (with very little sleep), to continuously improve his efforts and move one step closer to his dreams.
So, take a minute to think. What drives you to get out of bed in the morning?
Step 2: What do you do
The most remarkable personal stories are generally about a transformational journey. It doesn’t mean what industry you are in, or the type of business in which you currently work. It’s the “what,” you do to enact the changes and steps required to fulfill your why.
If Ford had limited scope of his “what,” to the manufacturing processes and the technologies of his day, Model T would have never been possible. Same with Musk and the Tesla, if he had accepted the current state of battery technology, the Tesla would have never come to be.
It’s so important to identify what you need to do and what steps needed to be taken. Read that book, schedule that meeting, whatever it may be, take action.
Step 3: How do you do it
Your audience is the hero, and you are simply the guide on their journey.
Your story is bigger than just you, and your audience should want to become part of the story you’ve created- just ask a new Tesla owner about their personal role in reducing carbon emissions on the planet.
How is your story impacting the world? Most people don’t have (or don’t care) to take out the time to figure this out on their own, so you need to clearly state the outcomes that they are helping achieve by joining your story.
Coming up with your personal brand story is not necessarily easy, and you should expect to go through a few drafts. But utilizing this simple, yet extremely impactful Why-What-How process will help you to create your personal brand story.
Understand a personal brand story really derives from your passions and should make people pause and consider what your saying. If you truly give your audience a reason to care, a reason to listen, and a reason to engage, they might consider making your story a part of their own.
For more information on the process to build your personal brand story, check out our slideshare – Your Six Second Personal Brand Story in 5 Exercises.
Learn how to bring simplicity, clarity, and alignment to your brand story, strategy, and systems in our ebook Transformational Marketing: Moving to the TopRight. Download it now!
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