Building a Business from Your Personal Brand [+ steps 1-3 to get started]

You are a brand.

Whether your path involves corporate work, consulting, entrepreneurship, education, a portfolio career, or a career transition, the key is recognizing that you are your own headquarters, business, and entity. You must understand your strategic positioning and how you fit within your industry, network, and the marketplace.

Why? Because opportunities will come your way regardless.

What will you say?

How can others leverage your expertise, support, and services?

Drawing from my own experience and the hundreds of conversations with clients who find themselves at this same turning point,  I've outlined three straightforward steps:

NOTE: I cover a lot of Steps One and Two depth in my Executive Presence Challenge, Workshops, and 1:1 Services.

Step One: Crystallize Your Value Proposition & Brand Story

Your value proposition connects your expertise to your audience's needs. Consider these key questions:

• Your Audience: Who are you trying to reach? (This includes your immediate colleagues, industry network, personal and professional connections, and those you hope to inspire.)

• Their Needs: What problems can you solve for them? What are their pain points?

• Your Expertise: What unique abilities, skills, or expertise do you offer that are valuable to their business, needs, or bottom line? Why are you the right person to help them? Why not you?

• Your Working Style: How do you approach your work?

Your brand story is how you present yourself externally. Essential elements include:

• Branded Imagery: Professional visuals that capture your essence.

• Biography: A concise and compelling bio highlighting your expertise and mission.

• Messaging: A sharp, clear, and concise message (including an elevator pitch and your "why") that resonates with your audience and inspires them to learn more, take action, or become a client.

• Strategic Skill Application:  Understanding the nuances of different settings—boardroom, networking event, mastermind, or sales call—is crucial. Honing your communication skills, including presentation, public speaking, and sales techniques, allows you to effectively translate and advocate your value to every potential partner, client, referral, or contact.

  • I recommend developing proficiency in the following areas:

    • Media Training

    • Sales

    • Public Speaking

    • Elevator Pitches

    • Key Messaging

    • Call to Action

      
      

Step Two: Raise Your Profile

In today's interconnected world, building a strong personal brand requires cultivating influence across multiple spheres. For the purposes of building a business around your personal brand, I focus on three key areas:

• The Digital Sphere:  Establish your online presence through content creation (blog posts, articles, social media), a professional website, and engagement with media outlets.

  • Fellow Personal Branding expert, Madeline Fetterly, reminds us that"LinkedIn is the modern town square." Let's have a strong digital game.

• Your Industry:  Differentiate yourself and communicate your unique value proposition to your industry. Two effective strategies include:

  • Convening: Host events, panels, dinners, gatherings, roundtables, or task forces to bring your industry together.

  • Promoting Your Message: Develop a signature talk or "stump speech" to position yourself as an authority.

• Interpersonal Connections:  Nurture relationships with your existing network and new contacts through consistent and genuine engagement. This includes:

  • Sending regular thank-you notes.

  • Building an email list and sending a newsletter to share updates and insights.

  • Maintaining non-transactional contact with clients and colleagues.

(Note: These concepts are explored in depth during the final weeks of our 12-Week Executive Presence Challenge. See images below.)

Step Three: Define Your Menu of Services and Processes

Clearly defining your services is essential for potential clients to understand how they can engage with you. Here's a suggested structure for your menu of services:

Defining Your Menu of Services

• Programmatic/Productized Consulting Packages:  These packages focus on your area of expertise and offer a structured approach. For example, a four-meeting program could include:

  • Meeting 1: Discovery (Week 1)

  • Meeting 2: Strategy Deep Dive (Week 4)

  • Meeting 3: Implementation/Execution (Week 5)

  • Meeting 4: Deliverables and Review (Weeks 9-10)

  • Follow-up: 30-60 days post-program

• Retainer/Fractional Services: Offer ongoing, project-based support with a clear scope of work, communication schedule, and deliverable timeline.

• Speaking and Workshop Facilitation: Provide options for various durations:

  • One-Hour Keynote

  • Half-Day Workshop

  • Full-Day Workshop

• Lead Magnets (Free/Low-Cost): Attract potential clients and generate leads with valuable resources such as:

  • Worksheets/Templates

  • E-books/Guides

  • Webinars/Power Hours

  • Free Consultations

Defining Your Pricing and Processes

Pricing: Determining your pricing is entirely discretionary, and I recommend consulting with a financial advisor to align your pricing with your financial goals, considering the time and effort involved in each service outlined in your menu. A helpful starting point is to calculate the time commitment for each service, your business administration time, and your cost of doing business (overhead). Numerous experts can assist you with this process.

Processes and the Client Journey:  A well-defined client journey, supported by clear processes, is essential for a smooth and professional experience. Key stages include:

• Lead Generation

• Client Acquisition

• Defined Goals, Scope of Work, and Performance Period

• Client Onboarding

  • Review all Facets of Agreement

  • Communication Preferences, Meeting Cadence, and Project Timeline

• Service Delivery and Execution

• Off boarding/ Upsell Towards Continuity

Certainly, there's a lot more to consider when building and scaling a business from your personal brand.

These three steps, however, have been  instrumental in scaling my own business while maintaining work-life balance and delivering high-quality work.

No matter where you are in your journey, having a clear path to serve others (while diversifying your income streams) is a worthwhile pursuit.

—————

Tamara Edwards is the Founder and CEO of Tamara Edwards & Co.

Our mission is to equip businesses and brands with valuable insights, tools, and techniques that build timely and relevant awareness. 

We build integrated PR, Communications, and Branding strategies that enable visionary founders, entrepreneurs, executives, and businesses to strategically and intentionally raise their profile in a way that aligns with their business goals.

Simply put: we get people excited and in the know about your business or brand. 

Hello@TamaraEdwards.co