Two Brands Walk Into a Bar…

Picture this with me…

You’re in a bar sipping on a Lemon Drop. 

It’s after 7:30pm on a Thursday.

As you lift the sugar-rimmed glass to your lips, you notice a shadow in your periphery.

Saddling up beside you are two brands.

Doing your best not to eavesdrop (but you do anyway) you notice how distinctly different they are from one another.

Brand 1:

Introverted.

Classic.

Accommodating.

Brand 2:

Extroverted.

Eclectic.

Contrarian.

Curious, you turn and notice there is only one brand sitting beside you, a woman, and she’s been chatting up someone at the end of the bar.

WTH, is this a case of multiple personalities, you wonder??

A Brand Called Cybil

A couple years ago, I underwent a personal brand identity crisis that made me feel like Cybil.

One week I was the extroverted rebel and the following week, an accommodating introvert.

I was at odds with my positioning, my brand voice felt all over the place and I had two opposing design plans.

In my brand consulting days, I advocated for a single specialized area to create brand focus. Everything from market strategy to design was directed in a straight line.

…this was when being Jill of all trades was grounds for dismissal.

I cut myself some slack when I realized that things have changed.

In the past few years, personal branding has evolved (you have too I bet).

It’s no longer necessary to put who you are and how you can help your people into one box.

To do so is like having one pair of shoes – the horror!

Most of us have been put into boxes and consequently, we’ve put who we are, what we do and what we’re capable of in boxes too.

…it’s become our normal.

Get Liberated

Today, the “normal” line is curved.

That’s a good thing because the opposing qualities in you (and me) gives your personal brand color, texture and appeal.

Hooray! Built in differentiation.

There’s a liberating opportunity on the table…we just need to grab it by the short hairs and pull.

Are you experiencing a push pull when it comes to your personal brand and business direction?

You’re not alone.

Jot down those differences and instead of choosing one over the other, have them co-exist. It may take some creative muscle but you’re built for this.