We all want to make a lasting impression. Especially with the brand that we are creating. But how do we ensure that we accomplish this? Leaving a legacy is the ultimate goal but first, we need to start at the beginning before we can cross that finish line.

Make sense?

Carefully building your personal brand is where all of this starts. This is influenced by the people you associate with before we’re gone, activities that you participate in, and the organizations that you support. The words you speak, the way you treat other people, and your contributions to society all come into play here as well.

Some of you reading this will hate to hear this, but your activity on all social media channels has a big impact on your personal brand too!

Check out this quote from “The Shark” Daymond John from his book, The Brand Within:

“You can trust your gut, but your gut can only take you so far. At some point, you’ve got to respond–and how you respond puts a stamp on everything that happens next.”

Powerful isn’t it? No one is exempt from challenges, so the only thing that separates us is our unique perspective and the way we choose to respond. It is easy to forget that even when no one is watching, there is always someone watching. What we do when we think no one is looking determines if we have integrity. This is a critical cornerstone in constructing a powerful, personal brand that others will flock to.

Here are 10 tips that I will offer to you, to help strengthen your brand:

Examine the company you keep in all social settings

Think before posting photos from your wild weekend

Genuinely place your interests in other people

Spend your spare time in worthy pursuits, rather than reckless ones

Continuously focus on personal development

Regularly contribute your time and energy to causes that are larger than you

Mentor and develop those who look up to you

Be intentional and calculated in your actions

Focus on what you can do today to become who you want to be tomorrow; let the past go

Stop focusing on acquiring nice “stuff” because no one really cares

If a single tip above gets you thinking, then I have done what I set out to do. I don’t have an interest in preaching to you, but I do want to push and challenge you. Why? I know that growth occurs when we are pushed or challenged, so this is my contribution today to helping you. When the energy in the room changes when you arrive, people are starting to notice the brand that you are building. Please don’t confuse this with positional power and influence.

How will you know when you are on the right track with building a brand that other people want to be a part of?

People follow you and embrace your ideas by their own choice, not because they have to. You can completely remove positional power from the equation and people still want to be around you because your influence gives them something to look forward to. Others are regularly seeking your input on personal and professional matters. The requests for your time and involvement outnumber the available hours in your week. When you bring something unique to the table that no one else can bring.

Building your brand is a process, not a destination so be patient.

When you do this correctly, people notice when you are present and notice even more when you are not. This is how legacies are built. I fully intend on leaving mine with my family and with the world. How about you? This has nothing to do with education, money, power or keeping score in any way. It has everything to do with the impact and influence that you have on other people, in all areas of your life. For people to care that you are gone, they must first know that you were here. Place one foot in front of the other and repeat. You only need this one step process, my friends. Ask yourself how you will respond to this post. What will your stamp look like? Time will be the judge of the effectiveness of that and there is no better opportunity than the present to get rolling.

[Tweet “For people to care that you are gone, they must first know that you were here.”]

If you believe in your ability to build a reputable personal brand, you will achieve great things. You have my personal guarantee on this. Best of luck with all of this and I am confident that you will do great.

You already have the creativity; now it’s time to gain the business insight from the book “Creative Strategy and the Business of Design” by Douglas Davis. Once you understand what the people across the table are thinking, you’ll be able to think how they think to do what we do.

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Written by Jason Wright