Self-Awareness precedes Confidence
I’ve coached almost 100 business owners on how to use content to build their personal brand since starting my own business 2 years (and 2 name changes) ago. Air kisses to you if you’ve followed me since I made food and recipe content under The Sunny Studio. 🪦
I’ve hosted a course teaching the foundation of all iconic brand accounts; authenticity, aesthetic, and intention.
But let me tell you something that if you lack, those three foundations are gonna be really fucking hard to nail and feel cozy in, and grow in.
✨Self-Awareness. ✨
Imagine if you leant in hard to building a spicy personal brand as a founder or a creative, but were a little too strongly influenced by your ‘that girl’ pinterest board or people you look up to. Basing all of your output on what you thing ‘they’ would do, or think, say or wear to make content. You’re gonna burn out and be a prisoner of your own mind, I guarantee. And your progress will suffer because of it.
Let’s reframe.
Imagine if you leant in hard to building your spicy personal brand as a founder, creative, you deeply understood why you see the world the way you do because of that one music video on Video Hits when you were 10.
Why you want to make a difference, and why your business is the answer.
Why your morning routine is essential to the way you operate.
Why you listen to 00’s R&B for deep focus and country honky-tonk to feel a little silly and get your imposter syndrome to fuck off (just me?)
Cultivate self-awareness by figuring out: I ________, because ______. And this ________.
I [collect fancy lingerie] because [I spent my 20’s conforming to what a Mother of 2 is supposed to wear.] And this [is why I’m empowering female founders to spread their mission and change stigma.]
I [religiously write this newsletter at a cafe], because [I can’t procrastinate staring into the fridge]. And this [keeps me excited to bring you fresh, salty perspective each week].
Try it. Apply it to absolutely anything. Use it is a content prompt, I promise you your audience (of existing followers and soon-to-find-you superfans) always want to hear things they can connect with.
Personal Brand being the buzzword of the year (despite being around since forever; Cleopatra, Marie Antionette, Jesus etc which I elaborate on in my Business + Pleasure Masterclass) gives it an icky association. I get it.
But I teach that a personal brand is really just where you demonstrate (see: create or document) your personality, your mission, your style, your transformation in a way that builds connection with your audience, moves the needle for your business/es AND builds your reputation.
Permission slip: personal brand does not need to equal personal diary. Example: I keep my motherhood and 1950’s house renovation content for my private account because that’s right for me.