3 Steps to Refresh All Aspects of Your Personal Brand, From the Digital to the Physical  

Just feel that vibrant energy of spring! Invigorating, right? As we enjoy this season’s fresh take on nature and life, it’s a great time to focus on yourself and refresh your personal brand. We are constantly evolving, and yet sometimes the image we portray in our professional lives falls behind, and no longer reflects us or our goals accurately.

I like to take a bit of time each spring to reflect on my goals and my professional image. Does it still align with who I am? Where I am?  What have I achieved? Where am I going next?

I encourage you to ask yourself the same questions. Here are three areas to evaluate to be sure you are presenting the image you want in your professional life.

1. Your Digital Attire and Engagement. We’re all so used to our smartphones and devices that we don’t really pay attention to this one. But other people do. The devices you choose to use as well as how you use them all represent your personal brand. People form impressions of you based on how you behave in the digital realm.

For example, with stated intention, I use LinkedIn and Twitter as channels to establish my professional reputation. I share and post articles I find interesting, read others’ articles to expand my knowledge in business and marketing, and comment and share the posts I think others would find valuable. In this model, people form an impression of me, my passions, whether I am generous or selfish, and with whom I associate – all of which make up my personal brand.

It’s important to separate the channels you use for their different purposes. For me, LinkedIn and Twitter represent my business persona, and Facebook is reserved for my non-work life. Take a look at your social channels – how are you using them?

2. Your Digital Profile. Along with your digital attire and engagement, you need to be sure that your profiles are updated, and that they represent who you are and your beliefs. Use your profiles to their maximum for your benefit, and be sure to fill them out completely. Also, ensure your recommendations are balanced among leaders for whom you’ve worked, plus direct reports, peers, influencers, etc. Ask for recommendations if you need more balance. Nothing is more credible than what others say about you, so pay attention to this area. Also, be sure to add links to articles you are quoted in, press interviews, etc.

3. Your Professional Wardrobe. We’ve all heard the adage, “don’t judge a book by its cover” and yet, when the “cover” is the first thing we see, it’s natural to form impressions. Female professionals especially need to understand the value of this. It’s not about fashion (though that’s obviously an important part of expressing who you are) — it’s more about credibility. (At this point I could write a whole new blog about why this shouldn’t matter to strong-minded, successful and driven women, but to be honest this applies to men as well as women, and this IS the reality we are living in, so I won’t digress!)

In fact, according to an article in the Wall Street Journal, new research suggests that dressing for success leads to success. Why? You feel more confident, and consequently, others have more confidence in you. It’s an energy and perception phenomena and it works. (They don’t call it a “Power Suit” for no reason!)

It has been noted that the most credible clothing a female executive can wear is a navy suit with a white blouse. Obviously, we want more variety than that! But, if you have a key meeting and you need the other participants to feel you are absolutely credible, a navy suit is your go-to choice.

Another good piece of advice is to dress for the next position you want. Dress a level above your current role, but not so out of sync with others around you that you make them feel uncomfortable. Your work culture will dictate the level of formality of attire, but picking it up a notch tells people you know how to own your power. And you mean business. Take a look at your wardrobe – what needs to be tossed, donated, altered, updated, or purchased?

The point of refreshing your personal brand comes down to authenticity. How you represent yourself, both  during the workday and throughout the digital realm, needs to align with who you truly are – otherwise, people will sense the disconnect, and you will lose credibility. Confidence, genuine warmth, responsiveness, humor, and approachability (or their opposites!) all come across in your personal brand, so be sure that you are your own best advocate.