Building and Owning Your Personal Brand TWIST

Personal Brands Need Attention and Cultivation

Your personal brand isn’t just your personality. It’s a more deliberate and crafted presentation of you. It’s still you, but you in your best moments. If you’re  on Facebook or other social media, chances are you’re already participating in a form of personal branding. Think of the photos you tend to post. Probably not photos of yourself rolling out of bed looking a bit disheveled and au naturel? Aren’t you more likely to post pictures of your favorite and proudest moments with family, friends, and celebrating work achievements?

Building and Communicating Your Unique TWIST?

Start by thinking about a color or style that you feel best  represents you, and then be more conscious about wearing it. A big part of my own personal brand is purple, for instance.  I’ve always loved the color, but it’s more than that. When I started my own consulting firm, BrandTwist, a few years ago, I wanted to create a logo and website for my business that stood out from competition (which in my area is often corporate blue and grey). I also wanted to reflect what was unique about my branding approach. I wanted to create a TWIST.

My marketing materials aren’t the only things that are purple. Whenever I appear in public for work–whether I’m meeting with five people or presenting in front of 500– I always dress in purple, including purple polish on my toe nails. It helps people remember me, it connects me with my business and what I love to do, and it gives me more confidence.

I’ve been rocking this purple for over seven years, and I keep it fresh and fabulous by working with stylists such as FabOverFifty contributor Terry at H.O.T, who helps me incorporate different shades, patterns, and textures, while still projecting my memorable personal brand.

Think About Your Hobbies and TWIST Them With Your Business

As women, we often think we need to separate our personal interests and our work life, but that can make for very long, dull days, and me-too marketing. Not long ago a fabulous kitchen designer who attended one of my online branding classes said she was having trouble attracting the high-value clients she deserved. She decided to TWIST her hobby of ballroom dancing with her business, and she rebranded under kitchen choreography. Prospective clients loved it, and her business rapidly expanded.

A Personal TWIST is your most important asset to help you stand out in a crowded job market, move ahead in your current job or participate in exciting volunteer opportunities. Focus on YOU in 2019 and shine a light on your unique gifts with our Personal Brand Plan call.

and enter code FOF at checkout to take advantage of our exclusive 15% discount for the FOF community.

Julie Cottineau is the author of the best-selling book “TWIST: How Fresh Perspectives Build Breakthrough Brands”. She is the founder and CEO of BrandTwist, a branding consultancy, and Brand School Online,  the premier branding program for entrepreneurs, nonprofits and small businesses. Julie honed her branding chops as the VP of Brand for Richard Branson’s Virgin company , and she currently is a guest lecturer for #ProjectYou, a class at Stanford Graduate School of Business School co-created by Tyra Banks.