8 Steps to Your

Personal &
Professional Brand

Dawn Stanyon, AICI FLC, Personal Brand Expert

TABLE OF CONTENTS:
1.  What is a personal brand anyway and
why should you even care?

2.  Be fearless: Adopt a “So what!” instead

of a “What if?” attitude

3.  Be a lifelong learner starting…now!

4.  You are valuable: Invest in you.

5.  Access experts and mentors

6.  Be humble. Be open. Laugh at yourself.

7.  Your next steps

8.  Personal Brand Worksheet

 What the heck is a personal
1 brand…and why should
you even care?  

Do you feel like you’re spinning your wheels? Do you want

to move forward but don’t receive the respect you feel you
deserve, garner the praise you crave, receive the
promotions you should, or look the way someone in your
position, or the position you want, should look?

Please consider your personal brand.

 A personal brand is
consistent, confident and
credible.
“Personal brand” is a buzz phrase and it’s going to get a black eye
soon. But don’t let the term dissuade you from the importance of
projecting a consistent, confident and credible image. People want
to promote, mentor and work with people they understand and can
count on. Don’t you want to be the person people think of first
when it comes time for promotions, responsibilities and [gasp!] pay
increases?

A personal brand is simply the consistent image you project of

yourself. It can be a standard that you establish and maintain (or
not!). Feel free to look up “brand” in the dictionary of your choice.
The thrust is always that a brand is marketable and recognizable.
The word “brand” comes from Middle English meaning torch or
sword. Your personal brand is how you light and fight your way to
personal and professional success.

Whether you are aware of it or not, you are projecting a personal

brand. But if you are unaware of your personality type, your verbal
and non-verbal communication, your learning abilities, your
strengths and challenges, and your passions, you might be
projecting an image that isn’t conveying the messages that you
would like for others – like employers or potential employers – to
immediately recognize.
Your personal brand is what people
say when you’re not in the room.  

These eight steps in your brand

journey will help you open
yourself up to personal change
and increase your self-
awareness so that you can:

•  Project a professional
appearance for the job you are in
or want;

•  Communicate in a confident
and consistent manner;

•  And build and maintain work

and personal relationships.

For many people, this process

seems overwhelming. They want
to put it off like they do cleaning
a cluttered desk or paying the
bills. Like any trip, you have to
start with the first step.
Yes, I’m a born optimist. Maybe you
are a member of the “glass-half-
empty” society. Either way, it’s never
too late to learn something new and
move in a fresh direction.

And you’ve already taken the

first step: You’re reading this and
are in the mindset to move
forward. Let’s go!  
 2 Be Fearless!
Adopt a
Choose a “So what!” attitude
to grow and change instead of
a “What if?” mindset.
“So What!”
Let’s say you want to interview
Attitude  
for a new position within your
company but you’re nervous
that your colleagues and the
manager will think you’re
getting beyond yourself and
that you’re not qualified. Do
you think you have the talent,
skills and ability? Well, then…
so what? So what if they think
you don’t? So what if you don’t
get the job? Will your career
end? The answer, of course, is
no. And in fact, even if you
don’t get the job, and you hear
someone say something snide
in the lunch room, the fact of
the matter is you will have
taken a step toward the job
you want. You will have
learned more about TO DO: Think of mistakes as steps
expectations for such a forward. List a few career – or
position. And you will have other – mistakes you have made –
that make you feel uncomfortable.
signaled to all those around
Now write next to those “mistakes”
you that you’re in the game. what you learned.
 3 Be A Lifelong
Learner
Starting…Now!  
Whether you’re a college student, a new hire, an experienced
professional or at the top of your field, you should be open to
learning. Learn more about your industry, about management,
about relationship building, and the areas that interest you
personally. As the author Lillian Smith said, “When you stop
learning, stop listening, stop looking and asking questions, always
new questions, then it is time to die.” Keep learning and moving
forward.

If you are not inspired by the career path you are on, it’s time to
start focusing on the career you want. TO DO: Learn about what
you want: read books; attend workshops; become a
Ted Talks fanatic; find a YouTube channel that has outstanding
content; listen to podcasts; have coffee with someone in the field.

Beyond the “on the job” practicality of learning, be open to learning

about yourself. You cannot increase your self-awareness if you are
not willing to learn more about your skills and ability, your personal
appearance, your personality type. Are you an introvert or an
extrovert? Are you a visual, auditory or tactile learner? What’s your
default communication style? What’s your body type? When you
can answer these questions and an another hundred or so, you
can say, “I think I understand myself.” If you’re not at that point, get
to work so you can get what you want.
 4 Your are valuable:
Invest in YOU  
Are you saying to yourself, “This
sounds great. I’d love to invest in
myself but don’t have time for
being introspective or the money
for education.” But what’s your
alternative? More of the same
and no forward movement.

When you can do something for

yourself, whether it’s resting and
re-energizing, laughing with
friends, learning something new
about the world, paying for and
taking a course, or working with
an expert or coach to enhance
your expertise or self-awareness,
you then have more ability and To Do: Research courses – even
energy for those around you, degrees - in the field you want to
including work colleagues, and excel in. If a $1,250 class is going to
more brain power to help you do help you move into a new position
what you want to do. and increase in pay, please
consider!
Maybe you’re a leader or maybe
you’re content to be part of a
group working towards a
solution, either way, investing in
you and solidifying your personal
brand is worth the expense.
“
5 Access
Experts &
Mentors  
To  established  your  
personal  brand,  you  will  
need  to  do  it  gradually  
on  your  own  or  take  a  
speedier  trail  and  work  
with  an  expert.”
If you want to access experts, there are thousands of personal brand,
image, life, and professional development experts on the Internet, and
living in your city, state, and country. And just like all of us, their interest
and expertise areas vary. Here are some definitions to help you when
searching out a expert.

Image Consultants can guide you in the following areas: physical

appearance – body awareness, grooming, hair, makeup, color,
wardrobe, and personal shopping; behavior – social skills, stress
management, etiquette, civility and protocol; Communication skills –
diction, non-verbal communication, body language, relationship-
building. Look for consultants who use words like “professional
presence,” “executive presence,” and “personal brand,” and check out
their certifications, experience and affiliations.
 Access Experts
& Mentors  

There are as many types of coaches as there are flavors of ice

cream: executive, life, career, organizational. Professional coaches
guide you to examine where you are in your life, discover your
challenges, and choose courses of action to help create the life
and career you want. Some coaches favor mentoring through the
“Socratic method”: they ask questions and offer opportunities that
will challenge their client to move forward. Just like with image
consultants, I recommend you find a coach through a trusted
friend, a colleague’s recommendation or through searching for
certified professional on coach membership sites, like the
International Coach Federation (ICF). You may have to interview
several coaching professionals before you find the right fit.

Some Personal Brand Experts are image consultants, some are

coaches, some are social media-focused gurus, but all have a
passion to help you understand your strengths and limitations so
you can own a consistent, confident and credible persona.
Personal brand experts want you to be able to define your
professional brand so that you can be easily recognized and
identified for personal and professional success.

To find personal brand experts, you can troll the internet, go to your
local bookstore and look for personal brand books in the
“Professional and Education” section or reach out to me! I’m happy
to push you in your right direction.
6 Be humble.
Be open.
And laugh
at yourself  

Some of us are intense. Some of us are fragile. Some of us

are oblivious. Most of us are sensitive. You can be all these
things and still have the ability to laugh at your mistakes,
quirks and foibles.

Your personal brand journey is going to be significantly

more difficult if you beat yourself up. We all have our
limitations and weaknesses – so what! Let’s commit to
looking at our sticking points and enhancing our strengths.
Be aware that you are going to sometimes feel confused
and just plain annoyed. Heck, you’ll still feel all those things
if you have a great sense of humor, but you’ll be able to
take the hit, guffaw, and move on a little faster to keep
learning and growing.
 7 Your Next
Steps  
You’ve  just  made  the  effort  to  read  my  sugges3ons  on  how  you  
can  increase  your  awareness  of  your  personal  brand.  I’m  
assuming  you  read  this  because  you  want  to  be  and  feel  
successful.  You  want  to  do  work  that  makes  you  happy,  that  
you  feel  contributes,  that  uses  all  your  gi@s,  and  that  supports  
you  (and  your  family)  in  the  way  you  feel  you  deserve.  
 
My  wish  for  you  is  that  you  will  move  forward,  at  your  own  
pace,  just  one  step  at  a  3me.  You’ve  already  learned:  

• What  a  personal  brand  truly  is  

• Adopt  a  “So  What!”  AKtude  
• Keep  −  or  start  −  learning  
• Invest  in  you  −>  Because  you’re  worth  it  
• Access  experts  and  mentors  
• Be  humble  and  laugh  at  yourself  
 
I’d  like  to  hear  about  your  efforts  and  success  stories.  My  
contact  informa3on  is  on  the  last  page.  Join  me  on  TwiSer.  
The  next  page  is  a  Personal  Brand  Worksheet.  What  
did  Ramses  say  over  and  over  again  in  Cecil  B.  DeMille’s  “The  
Ten  Commandments”?  “So  let  it  be  wriSen,  so  it  shall  be  
done.”  Go  ahead  and  tackle  the  worksheet.  Move  forward.  
 8 Personal Brand
Worksheet  
What are my attributes/strengths? List three to five innate gifts that you
have. Of course you have more than that but let’s start small (and keep going if you’re on a
roll). Questions to ask yourself: What comes easily to me? What do people say I’m good
at? When I have achieved something, what did I do to get to that goal?

1. 
Op3onal  To  Do  
2.  _________________________________
Interview  three  family  
3.  _________________________________ members,  three  friends  &  
4.  _________________________________ three  colleagues.  What  do  they  
see  as  your  strengths?  
5.  _________________________________ LimitaFons?  Just  listen.  

Words  to  consider:  

Determined    Commi<ed    Visionary    Consistent    Brave  
Leader    Hard-­‐working  Risk-­‐taker    Organized    CreaFve  
EnthusiasFc    AuthenFc    Reliable    Sincere    Curious  

Whom do I admire?
Get a piece of paper. List at least three people you hold in high esteem and then
write down why you admire them. Perhaps you’ll list a professional athlete, a
politician, a world-leader, a teacher or a family member. Why have they made a
difference in your life and why do you see that as significant? Review your
answers and circle words that are meaningful to you.
 
What am I passionate about?
What if the money fairy came down to you and said, “You don’t have to work
another day in your life!” What would you do? What books would you read? What
places and people would you visit? Where would you live? List three passions
 

Start researching education options, coaches and careers.

Professionality Recommends
Personal brand and career books:
Branding Yourself: How to Use Social Media to Invent or Reinvent
Yourself by Erik Deckers and Kyle Lacey

Ditch. Dare. Do: 66 Ways to Become Influential, Indispensable and

Incredible at Work by William Aruda and Deb Dib

The Etiquette Advantage in Business: Personal Skills for

Professional Success by Peggy Post and Peter Post

Go: Put Your Strengths To Work by Marcus Buckingham

The Definitive Book of Body Language by Allan & Barbara Pease

Professional development websites & blogs:

Blanchard LeaderChat leaderchat.org

Brazen Careerist Blog blog.brazencareerist.com
Classy Career Girl classycareergirl.com
Dan Schwabel’s Personal Branding danschawbel.com/blog
Emily Post’s Etiquette Daily emilypost.com/blogs

Guy Kawasaki Blog blog.guykawasaki.com

Illustra Consulting (Sarah Hathorn) illustraconsulting.com
LinkedIn Groups:
American Management Association
Genos Emotional Intelligence
Training Magazine
Ovation Communication ovationcomm.com/blog
Penelope Trunk blog.penelopetrunk.com
Professionality (of course) professionality.tumblr.com
Seth Godin Blog sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog

Follow Professionality:  
About the Author
Dawn Stanyon
Dawn is a relationship builder and
personal brand expert who helps
people reach success no matter
their career, age or stage. Her
company, Professionality
Consulting, brings soft skills
experts and corporations
together. Strategic Partners
include leaders in presentation &
communication skills, business
etiquette & relationship building,
leadership & personal branding,
emotional intelligence, and sales.

Dawn is a graduate of The Emily

Post Institute, the London Image
Institute, Genos International's
Emotional Intelligence training,
360Reach Brand Analyst training,
and has received a First Level
Certification through the
Association of Image Consultants
International. She’s also a mom,
wife, little dog lover and determ-
ined blogger.