How to Write Your Personal Brand Story
I’ve worked with hundreds of people on their Personal Brand Story and here’s what I’ve learned: Crafting your Personal Brand Story is like laying the cornerstone of a foundation. Without a solid cornerstone, the foundation becomes unstable and weak over time.
Similarly, your Personal Brand Story serves as the foundation of your brand, providing stability and a clear path forward. When you know your story, you know your message. This, in turn, can empower you to show up more confidently in the world. Our stories not only shape our own lives, but also influence the way we interact with others, online and offline.
Finding Your Story
Even if you think you have nothing to share, that simply isn’t true! You have a unique story to tell - one that only you can share. Here are a few simple ways to start finding your story:
Think about a moment in your life that had a significant impact on you. What happened? How did you feel? What did you learn?
Consider your passions and interests. What led you to pursue them? How have they shaped your life?
Reflect on a challenge or obstacle you've faced. How did you overcome it? What did you learn from the experience?
By exploring these ideas, you can begin to uncover the details that make your story unique. Don't be afraid to dig deep - the more you share, the more others will be able to connect with your story. If you want us to celebrate your victory, you have to take us through your valley of despair. Remember, your voice matters, and your story deserves to be heard.
Outlining Your Story
Every great Personal Brand Story has three distinctive structural elements that must be clarified both in written and spoken form. This framework is intended to be used as your guide. It shows you the order in which to reveal the parts of your story so you may have a more significant impact on your audience.
Start Strong
The start of your story should grab your audience's attention, set the scene, and make us care about what's coming next. Instead of just summarizing events, create a vivid picture that your audience can imagine. Explain what you thought about yourself (even if it wasn't true) and how this belief influenced your behavior.
Identify the Moment of Change
Show us the obstacle and the decision you made. What was as stake for you? What was the turning point that made you realize your "False Belief"? What made you change direction? Clearly express what is emotionally at stake for you and don't shy away from highlighting your errors or weaknesses.
Reveal Your Transformation
Your story's end should show how you transformed and inspire your audience. Share how you triumphed and crossed the finish line, and how you've changed since. Connect your story to your "why" for building your personal brand. Your goal is to leave your audience feeling hopeful, inspired, and connected to you personally.
Writing Your Personal Brand Story
Now that you’ve outlined your story using the PBA framework, it’s time to write your story and practice sharing it out loud.
Step One: Write a Stream of Consciousness
When starting to write, don't worry about grammar, sentence structure, syntax, or spelling. Just let your thoughts flow freely onto the paper. Write in a way that feels messy and meaningful to you, without considering how anyone else might read it. This is for you, not for anyone else.
Step Two: Take a Break
After writing your first draft, set it aside for 24-48 hrs without looking at it or thinking about it. Give yourself time to rest and decompress before going back to it.
Step Three: Review with Fresh Eyes
After waiting for 24-48 hours, read your story from start to finish with no interruptions or changes. Read it as if you are a new reader with no prior knowledge of the story. Take note of how you feel while reading it. Do you feel sad, proud, or any other emotions?
Step Four: Refine Your Story
Eliminate grammatical errors, rephrase language, and rearrange paragraphs if necessary. After taking a break and returning to your work with a fresh perspective, you'll be amazed at how much you can edit.
Step Five: Send Off
After editing your story, it's time to send it to two trusted people for feedback. The first person should be someone who knows your story well enough to help you spot any blind spots or missing details that could affect the overall theme. This could be a loved one, family member, spouse, or sibling. You need someone who will review your story from a place of love and compassion.
The second person should be someone whose opinion you value and who doesn't know you well. This could be a coach, mentor, or guide. You need an outside perspective, someone who will tell you the truth about their experience while reading your story.
As you receive feedback, remain open and willing to hear it. Try not to make initial judgments about their opinions. Remember, everything your friendly editors experienced while reading your story is true for them.
Sharing Your Story
You may not feel ready to share your story with the world, do it anyway. Speaking your story into existence is the best way to actualize your work and realize the heights you are capable of reaching. Telling your personal story takes immense bravery, it requires a degree of vulnerability and courage to be honest about the truth of our experiences and share them openly with others. Here are some tangible ways you can share your story:
Share it in video format for Instagram or TikTok and have the potential to reach a wider audience.
Use it on the about section on your personal website to introduce yourself and give visitors a clear idea of who you are.
Use it as the introduction for your next presentation and set the tone for your talk by providing context and background information.
Personal branding is about so much more than just sharing content online. It's about telling your story and sharing your unique perspective with the world. Whether you're hesitant to put yourself out there or simply feel overwhelmed by the process, know that you're not alone.
The good news is that there's never been a better time to start building your personal brand and sharing your story with the world. Remember, you don't have to be an expert to get started. You just have to be willing to take that first step. So, whether you're writing for yourself or for an audience, don't be afraid to be authentic and to share your truth. Your story is valuable, and it deserves to be heard.
