What Constitutes Your Brand
You are your brand.
Some people still don’t get it. Some projects a different persona in public, but lives a different life in private. I do not mean opening your private life for all to see, but in case someone tries to dig a skeleton in your closet, they will find none.
It may not be fair, but sometimes, the stigma of the wrong decisions we made in the past can follow us in the future. For example, if you had a bad credit history, chances are, you will find it hard to secure a loan from a bank. If you had a bad employment record from your previous employer, you will have a hard time getting a new job. And so on…
So what’s my point? The examples I cited above should at least make us mindful of the decisions we make. It’s true we can not unscramble a scrambled egg, but the least we can do is to correct and/or make retribution from our past mistakes. Running away or ignoring the bad record will not help your brand. Transparency will also help. If you are forthright about your mistakes, society may understand and accept you. However, if you position yourself as better than the community, a few will look for an opportunity to destroy your brand.
Personal brand management, therefore, is not just positioning your brand in the public perception. But more importantly, ensuring that your brand can withstand scrutiny and test.
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