“Who Am I? Why Unravelling Your Whole Story is Crucial for Your Future Brand!” By Michelle Scheibner7/29/2024 As a Brand Strategist, I prefer to describe my work as ‘Guided Mentorship’.
Why? Because it utilises all the training, development and learning gained from a lifetime of struggling to understand who I truly am. Something I’ve come to realise is crucial, not just for our piece of mind but for our business brand as well. It’s something so many of us struggle with, yet we often don’t know where to start when it comes to finding our true identity. Who are we at our very core? I had always known a piece of me was missing. I began searching in earnest during my university years, starting with Philosophy of Religion, Astrology and then seeing a counsellor. When my quest for validation was unmet, I tried meditation and then mediumship in an effort to contact the baby brother who I believed had died, leaving so many pieces of my childhood unanswered. I moved on to spiritual healing and then more formal learning with post graduate studies in Career Development, and personal growth courses like Find Your Destiny, NLP, Reiki and Kinesiology. More recently, I trained in the neuroscience of conversation and narrative coaching and finally Inherited Family Trauma. It was here that at last I began to unravel who I really was. Critical to connecting with our identity, is understanding the origins of how we came to be — knowing that challenges we face didn’t start with us. Those who came before us left imprints on our DNA. By looking below the surface, naming the evidence, we release the past and enter the future with intention and freedom to celebrate who we are, shaped by where we came from. For many, it’s important to uncover these hidden perspectives of our identity story in order to resolve the pain points that are preventing us from bringing our true identity to our work and the world. Only once we recognise the foundational factors of our identity do we have a clearer pathway to our full potential. As a counsellor, coach and advisor, I believe our identity builds into our business brand. We’re constantly looking for an edge in very crowded markets. This is why thought leadership is a booming business growth strategy across many sectors. You only have to look at LinkedIn with one billion members across 200 countries, all jostling to post something meaningful to attract opportunities. How does one stand out? I believe the one thing we have that no one else has, is our ‘identity story’. No one else has this same combination of elements and knowing this can be your golden point of distinction. Your audience wants to hear your identity story. When you know your story and can identify the role the different characters played in shaping who you are, a world of opportunity opens. You become visible. Where do you begin to find your story? One way is to start with an A3 sketchbook and mind map your personal brand identity. 1. Start with a Blank Page: This blank canvas represents your opportunity to fully explore your personal brand identity. 2. Centrepiece Concept: In the centre of the page, write down the core concept or message you want your personal brand to convey. It could be a word or a short phrase that encapsulates your brand essence. 3. Branch Out with Attributes: Create branches radiating from the centre concept. What sits on your DNA? These links represent the attributes and characteristics that define you. What do you know of your ancestral history? Think about your strengths, values, skills, and unique qualities. Write these words or phrases on the branches. 4. Explore Visual Elements: Incorporate visuals into your mind map. Use symbols or sketch models that resonate with your personal brand. These visuals can convey elements you don’t have language and enhance your own self-identity. 5. Connections and Relationships: Draw lines connecting related attributes and concepts. This shows the interconnectedness of your personal brand elements. For example, if “creativity” is one attribute and “innovation” is another, connect them to demonstrate how they relate. 6. Incorporate Experiences: Add key life experiences, achievements, or milestones that have shaped your personal brand. This provides a context for your identity and demonstrates your journey. 7. Include Quotes and Influencers: If certain quotes, books, or individuals have influenced your personal brand, incorporate them into your mind map. This helps to illustrate your sources of inspiration. 8. Define Your Audience: Dedicate a section to your target audience or those you aim to impact. Consider their needs, desires, and how your personal brand aligns with what they seek. 9. Future Aspirations: On another branch, outline your future aspirations and goals related to your personal brand. What do you want to achieve or convey in the future? I gave myself the gift of telling my story in my memoir HUSH — A memoir unravelling the unintended legacy of family secrets and in doing that found my voice. Its purpose is to give you permission to go on your own journey of self-enquiry and tell your true story. Meet Our Contributor — Michelle Scheibner Michelle is passionate about personal learning and growth, health, fitness, and loves getting on her fruit box to talk about the power of personal brand identity. Since establishing her coaching practice in 2004, Michelle has provided services developing and delivering programs including leadership effectiveness, competency frameworks, future leader career management and change strategies to support people through large scale business transformations. Michelle developed a reputation for working with successful professionals to articulate and amplify their personal brand as a way of generating leadership presence and influence. She also developed a reputation for asking the difficult questions; pushing accomplished individuals to recognise that their hybrid identity was a gift, positioning them for accelerated success and fresh satisfaction. Then she turned the questions on herself. In 2020, Michelle stepped out from behind the carefully managed professional brand she’d been wearing all her working life. Over three years, she delved into research and introspection, culminating in her memoir, Hush. Learn more about her work here.
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