How To Build A Personal Brand

Be bold. Be real. Be you.

I may not be an expert, but I’ve definitely learned a lot about building a personal brand over the years. I started my digital journey using an anonymous pseudonym “MorganFreeman7” in May 2011. But as I quickly gained followers in those first few months, it wasn’t long before I realized how important it is to create a strong, authentic personal brand. Rebranding & revealing my true self as “Denise Joyce” was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. So whether you’re just starting out or hoping to improve with hopes of growing & retaining your audience, here are my tips on how to build your personal brand.

Be you.

The first thing that I learned creating content as “MorganFreeman7” was that I didn’t want to gain followers as someone else. Every time I gained a new YouTube subscriber, I felt ashamed that I was hiding behind an anonymous screen name & referring to myself as “Moe”. Don’t build your personal brand around a facade. Authenticity allows your audience to get to know the real you. Your brand should be a reflection of who you are, what you believe, & what you stand for.

If you don’t come across as authentic to your audience, it’s much harder for them to relate & believe in what you have to say. Though I gained a good amount of followers as “MorganFreeman7”, I constantly felt disingenuous. Building a personal brand requires developing an understanding of your true self & choosing to share that person with the world. Don’t be afraid to take off your mask & be vulnerable! Believe me, your audience will appreciate it. 

Build your online presence.

The way you project yourself online becomes your public persona, so you need to be aware of how you’re appearing and coming across to your audience. Be sure to build your online presence in a way that represents your true self & improve upon it on an ongoing basis.
Every so often, take some time out to evaluate your social media profiles. Your online presence should accurately reflect your persona as you continue grow & change. You will always be your best PR, so be sure to interact with your audience as well as other creators in your industry. Even if you get anxious & shy interacting with new people like I do, just go for it! You never know what opportunities await you if you just take a risk & put yourself out there. 

Keep learning.

Industries are constantly changing, so depending on your niche/area(s) of interest, it’s important to stay relevant and up-to-date with new trends. It’s easy to get lost in the shuffle if you can’t keep up with any new changes within your market. 
Even if you’re not actively creating content, I encourage you to keep learning. Read books, read blogs, listen to podcasts, or watch videos. Your next exciting burst of inspiration can come from a variety of outlets. I’ve always been an advocate of learning, developing new skills, & expanding your knowledge. I refuse to be complacent.

Be kind to yourself.

Especially if you’re just starting out, understand that it takes a lot of time to build your personal brand. Don’t beat yourself up & compare yourself to someone else who much further along on their journey. As long as you keep moving forward at your own pace, you’ll eventually find what works best for you. 

It’s also good to recognize when you need to take a step back & relax. (Don’t worry – even I have trouble doing this!) In the past couple of weeks, I’ve been told that I’m “overly ambitious” & “addicted to the hustle”. Despite the sincere concern from my peers over my well-being, I usually brush off these types of comments, because I like being driven and ambitious. 

I prefer to wake up each day with purpose & determination, but like they say too much anything is bad for you. Be sure to pay attention to your mind & your body. You’re not going to accomplish much if you end up exhausted mentally & physically. Taking a break doesn’t mean you’re giving up on your dreams, it just means you’re human. Feel free to also check out my recent blog post about my secret to staying productive, if you need help finding the time for self-care!

XO Denise

tray of fruits and coffee near powered on laptop on brown table

Things to Stop Doing on Social Media

The past 7 months of 2021 are the happiest months that I’ve had since Social Media came on the scene in the early 2000s. At 10 years old, my dad allowed me to create my first AOL screen name, dkjoyce. Then, at 11 years old, I taught myself HTML & JavaScript coding & created my first website “Neecie’s Mystic Universe” hosted by Angelfire. Since 1999, I’ve been maintaining a public online presence, which ultimately became the demise of my happiness. Beginning with MySpace, followed by Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc., I got caught up in the world of who has the most friends/followers, likes, & retweets/shares. While I thought getting validation from others made me happy, instead, I realize now that it’s everything I’ve stopped doing that’s made me the happiest. That said, if you’ve been looking for solutions to help your mental health, here’s a list of things to STOP doing on Social Media.

Things to STOP Doing on Social Media:

  1. Believing that your Social Media channels determine your self-worth
  2. Checking who has viewed your Instagram Stories
  3. Comparing yourself to others
  4. Deleting posts or tweets that don’t have enough engagement
  5. Feeling embarrassed about the things that give you joy
  6. Following celebrities or influencers who make you feel bad about yourself or your life
  7. Reading old comments, DMs, & threads
  8. Refreshing your notifications
  9. Scrolling back in time & dwelling about the past
  10. Trying to impress others

“Comparison is the thief of joy.” – Theodore Roosevelt

As Theodore Roosevelt said, “Comparison is the thief of joy.” Remember, Social Media is everyone’s life through rose-colored glasses. Do not let having amazing content to post, a huge following, or more likes than the average person determine how you perceive yourself. Personally, I hate the Memories tab on Facebook. Now, when I see something that I posted for attention from 10+ years ago, I delete it immediately. I now use my Social Media as a visual journal & a platform to share who I truly am & what I love with the world.

XO Denise