The 5 Step Blueprint to Architect Your Authentic Professional Brand

The Invisible Man

2 years ago, I walked away from a 20+ year corporate career.

To celebrate of my decade a Bridgewater, my team arranged an absolutely stunning going-away gift:

They created a small children's library in my family's name at a local shelter.

Because if you worked with me, it would have been nearly impossible to miss the fact a) I'm a proud father above all else, b) my girls both love to read, and c) I deeply believe that the right book or teacher at the right moment can change your life.

This gift was pitch-perfect.

To make this tribute even more touching, they asked 75 people I had worked closely with select their favorite children's book and inscribe inside the cover why it was so moving to them.

As I read one after the next: tears.

While many spoke about what the book meant, several mentioned what I meant to them. We rarely get to see our reflection in the eyes of others.

Consistent. Insightful. Patient. Coach.

The themes echoed the intention I had brought to work daily. At that moment, there was no daylight between my brand and me.

Unfortunately, what I had worked hard to build inside those walls was nonexistent outside them.

• My resume was 7 years stale.

• My LinkedIn profile was generic.

• My bio read like a bad conference flyer.

• Zero likes. Zero comments. Zero shares.

• No posts. No panels. No publications.

The transactional networking I had dismissed as icky had now left me invisible.

So with 20 years of lost time, I set out on a path I had actively tried to avoid.

It was time to be known for something. But what?

What Do You Want To Be Known For Next?

Setting out to create a personal brand is daunting.

We're multi-faceted. We're constantly changing. We're a mix of everywhere we've been and everywhere we'd like to go.

The best brands are just the opposite.

They are clear. They are concise. They are consistent.

Take Nike.

They've been Just Doing It since 1987. They've been elevating the dream of transcendent athletic performance with Air Jordan for nearly 4 decades. Their Swoosh is the most recognizable logo in the world by a double-digit margin over #2 Apple. 

So how do we mere mortals harness the tactics of the world's most dominant brand to build one for ourselves?