Personal Branding Formula Nailed By 6 Top Female Entrepreneurs

Personal branding goes beyond the idea of what you have already achieved. It implies what you really want to be known for.

“You too are a brand whether you know it or not. Whether you like it or not.”

Marc Ecko

Personal branding is all about owning your natural skillset to build a career and go beyond it. Not surprisingly, there is a deep-rooted connection between personal branding and EQ. Some entrepreneurs focus on the product but these female entrepreneurs used their personal story and knitted it smartly to create personal branding. In most cases it involves building a community where people would come together and be your brand evangelists. However personal branding and self-promotion, the two terms that are confused as synonymous are actually poles apart. Here’s how we can witness the combination of personal branding and Emotional quotient.

• Build your brand around your personal story
• Set your own rules about how a leader should be
• Be yourself because everyone else is taken
• Revolutionize the industry where you serve

We are not just creatures of reason but also of empathy and these female entrepreneurs taught us how to do it right and build a brand in the process.

Personal Branding With A Social Cause

Sheryl Sandberg has been in the limelight as some might perceive due to her position at Facebook. However she emerged as a thought leader after observing real gender inequalities in the workplace. In her book “lean in”, she focuses a major part of the problem is that women take a step back thereby letting the men take charge which ultimately undermines the possibility of women at C level jobs.

“We hold ourselves back in ways both big and small, by lacking self-confidence, by not raising our hands, and by pulling back when we should be leaning in.”

Through the power of her personal brand, she aims to bring to attention that the female serving in the workforce should also negotiate for better salaries and stand up for the promotions and compensations that they truly deserve. Sheryl has a unique style that shows her as a strong competent women who is not overpowering but manages to convey her message effectively. She has branded herself as an iron leader with a soft heart. Check out her brilliant Ted Talk on “Why we have too few female leaders?”

Personal Branding Through Range Of Emotions In Work

Zaha Hadid is one of the iconic architects whose name recognition and personal brand actually predates the popularity of the very idea of personal branding. Just take a look at these images that are results of an emotional genius. Looking at them is one thing but when you pass by one of these buildings, the surge of emotions leading to wonder and bewilderment cannot be explained in words. This is years of work from a creative professional whose work is a well-lit window to her emotions.

“Architecture is particularly difficult for women; there’s no reason for it to be. I don’t want to blame men or society, but I think it was for a long time, the clients were men, the building industry is all male.”

While gazing through some of her work, one realizes how she added a bit of her personality into her work. She revolutionized the industry with aesthetic yet still balanced feel she gives to the shape of her building. Her buildings practically scream, “I’m a Hadid”. To be honest she never needed any other form of branding.

Image Source: Businessinsider.com/Zaha Hadid

Personal Branding Breaking Stereotypes

A boss is supposed to be dominant and shoot orders and be relentless at rejecting ideas from others. That’s a stereotype we have lived with but it’s time for a change.

Hilary Genga, founder and CEO of women’s swimwear company Trunkettes says;

“Be yourself, and have confidence in who you are. You made it to where you are through hard work and perseverance, but most importantly, you’re there. Don’t conform yourself to a man’s idea of what a leader should look like.”

The glaring gender gap is narrowing fast in the startup industry. Yet the female entrepreneurs are expected to conform to social standards that require them to appear aggressive, and competitive to be heard in a noisy stereotypically male environment. The female entrepreneurs of the digital world sucha as Hilary takes a slightly different approach. She is a trendsetters not only in terms of business idea but also when it comes to social dealings and public appearance. She wholeheartedly believes that the bigger the risk, the bigger is the reward.

Personal Branding For Unique Storytelling

Pum Lefebure has certainly elevated herself to the level that her say in the design industry matters. The CCO of Design Army, Pum has been included in the Adweek’s list of 50 creatives. She regularly judges elite design competitions around the world including Cannes Lions and served as the chair of the One Show Design jury. In her work, you will notice a mix of wit, aesthetics and nostalgia. The set design, art direction and the attention to detail clearly depicts her focus.

Pum says.

“Our designers focus on the concept, not on what font or style of execution to use, but on what we’re trying to say”

Of course, the unique plot is what draws attention. Every project that this group takes up is carefully selected and no matter how limited the scope of design is, when Pum takes up the challenge, you are bound to see magic come to life. There is always a well-crafted story that totally connects with the audience. Here’s a quick look at a short film whose visuals and language narrate a coherent story.

Personal Branding Using Humility

While some people set their goals to get extremely rich and popular, others would aim higher. Oprah Winfrey is among the media personality who has seen the highs and lows but that did not change who she really is. It does not go unnoticed that she deeply cares about the topics discussed on her show which is all about reflections on human emotions. Despite being one of the most popular celebrities, she never cuts herself from her roots. During filming of the PBS show African American Lives, Oprah had a DNA test and discovered she is 8% Native American. The confidence with which she embraces every part of her personality is what makes her an outstanding brand and a source of inspiration.

“Real integrity is doing the right thing, knowing that nobody is going to know whether you did it or not.”

She is one of the first celebrities who built their brand around their personal story.

Image Source: Thefamouspeople.com

Personal Branding As A Thought Leader

Arianna Huffington has branded her way to the top of journalism and for that she had to climb a ladder and in the process she mentored several other journalists. She was never afraid to be a risk-taker to build one of the most focused blogs on politics. After years of building credibility, her blog now serves as the standard to which all bloggers like to refer. Everyone knows that she’s made it to the Time magazine’s list of 100 most influential people but the fact that she is able to connect with the audience on an emotional level often goes unnoticed. This is the real reason why gets Google results that most marketers struggle to achieve.

“We need to accept that we won’t always make the right decisions, that we’ll screw up royally sometimes – understanding that failure is not the opposite of success, it’s part of success.”

Image Source: Youngomeninenergy.com

Highly successful women don’t leave things to chance. They create a way through rough times. This could involve identifying a possible gap in the market or going for the impossible even it’s a long shot. They eventually end up building a personal brand by remaining consistent throughout their career.