How To Build Your Personal Brand In 3 Easy Steps

Personal branding isn’t just a buzzword, it’s a game-changer for anyone looking to stand out in today’s tech-infused world. Since Tom Peters’ groundbreaking manifesto, The Brand Called You, appeared in Fast Company nearly 28 years ago, personal branding has become a key component of career management. It has been integrated into talent development and leadership programs at many of the world’s most revered brands.

Why You Need To Build Your Personal Brand
As artificial intelligence and other tech advances continue to dominate the workplace, the human element—your personality, creativity, and unique value—is what makes you irreplaceable. Your personal brand doesn’t just help you land that next big gig, sign on new clients, or get you a promotion, it helps you find more happiness, purpose, and meaning in what you do every day. And in 2025, its importance is greater than ever (these 2025 personal branding trends will help you keep your brand relevant).


If personal branding sounds like a monumental task, don’t worry. Building your brand can be broken into three fun, actionable steps:

KNOW – Discover Your Personal Brand
SHOW – Tell Your Story
GROW – Expand Your Visibility And Value
Let’s dive into each step to help you craft a personal brand that’s authentic, unique, and memorable.

Step 1: KNOW – Discover Your Personal Brand
The first step to building a personal brand isn’t about creating an image to impress others. Instead, it’s about uncovering the real you. To build a strong, enduring brand, you must focus on authenticity–who you really are. That means it’s time to get to know yourself deeply through introspection and feedback. Let’s start with introspection.



Personal branding isn’t just a buzzword, it’s a game-changer for anyone looking to stand out in today’s tech-infused world. Since Tom Peters’ groundbreaking manifesto, The Brand Called You, appeared in Fast Company nearly 28 years ago, personal branding has become a key component of career management. It has been integrated into talent development and leadership programs at many of the world’s most revered brands.

Why You Need To Build Your Personal Brand
As artificial intelligence and other tech advances continue to dominate the workplace, the human element—your personality, creativity, and unique value—is what makes you irreplaceable. Your personal brand doesn’t just help you land that next big gig, sign on new clients, or get you a promotion, it helps you find more happiness, purpose, and meaning in what you do every day. And in 2025, its importance is greater than ever (these 2025 personal branding trends will help you keep your brand relevant).

If personal branding sounds like a monumental task, don’t worry. Building your brand can be broken into three fun, actionable steps:

KNOW – Discover Your Personal Brand
SHOW – Tell Your Story
GROW – Expand Your Visibility And Value
Let’s dive into each step to help you craft a personal brand that’s authentic, unique, and memorable.

Step 1: KNOW – Discover Your Personal Brand
The first step to building a personal brand isn’t about creating an image to impress others. Instead, it’s about uncovering the real you. To build a strong, enduring brand, you must focus on authenticity–who you really are. That means it’s time to get to know yourself deeply through introspection and feedback. Let’s start with introspection.

Strong personal brands are clear about the six drivers of personal branding:

Purpose: What’s your “why”?
Goals: What do you want to achieve now and in the future?
Values: What principles do you live by?
Passions: What energizes and brings you joy?
Superpowers: What do you do better than your peers?
Differentiators: What sets you apart and makes you unique?
But discovering your brand goes beyond being self-reflective. In the KNOW phase, you must solicit feedback to validate your self-perceptions with feedback from others. After all, your brand–although authentic to you–is held in the hearts and minds of those who know you. The input you receive from others will help you clarify your brand.

Once you’ve gained brand clarity, it’s time to combine everything you’ve learned into a clear, compelling statement that captures who you are, what makes you unique, and why others should care.


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Jan 5, 2025,060am EST
Updated Jan 5, 2025, 02:30pm EST
Confident man thinking about his personal brand
Photo credit getty
Personal branding isn’t just a buzzword, it’s a game-changer for anyone looking to stand out in today’s tech-infused world. Since Tom Peters’ groundbreaking manifesto, The Brand Called You, appeared in Fast Company nearly 28 years ago, personal branding has become a key component of career management. It has been integrated into talent development and leadership programs at many of the world’s most revered brands.

Why You Need To Build Your Personal Brand
As artificial intelligence and other tech advances continue to dominate the workplace, the human element—your personality, creativity, and unique value—is what makes you irreplaceable. Your personal brand doesn’t just help you land that next big gig, sign on new clients, or get you a promotion, it helps you find more happiness, purpose, and meaning in what you do every day. And in 2025, its importance is greater than ever (these 2025 personal branding trends will help you keep your brand relevant).

If personal branding sounds like a monumental task, don’t worry. Building your brand can be broken into three fun, actionable steps:

KNOW – Discover Your Personal Brand
SHOW – Tell Your Story
GROW – Expand Your Visibility And Value
Let’s dive into each step to help you craft a personal brand that’s authentic, unique, and memorable.

Step 1: KNOW – Discover Your Personal Brand
The first step to building a personal brand isn’t about creating an image to impress others. Instead, it’s about uncovering the real you. To build a strong, enduring brand, you must focus on authenticity–who you really are. That means it’s time to get to know yourself deeply through introspection and feedback. Let’s start with introspection.

Strong personal brands are clear about the six drivers of personal branding:

Purpose: What’s your “why”?
Goals: What do you want to achieve now and in the future?
Values: What principles do you live by?
Passions: What energizes and brings you joy?
Superpowers: What do you do better than your peers?
Differentiators: What sets you apart and makes you unique?
But discovering your brand goes beyond being self-reflective. In the KNOW phase, you must solicit feedback to validate your self-perceptions with feedback from others. After all, your brand–although authentic to you–is held in the hearts and minds of those who know you. The input you receive from others will help you clarify your brand.

Once you’ve gained brand clarity, it’s time to combine everything you’ve learned into a clear, compelling statement that captures who you are, what makes you unique, and why others should care.




Step 2: SHOW – Tell Your Story
Now, it’s time to share your brand with the world—or at least with the people who matter most to your career (now and aspirationally). Think of your personal brand like a storybook. You’re the author. Crafting your narrative lets you connect deeply with others, making you memorable and relatable. These are the tools for telling your story:

Elevator Pitch
Your elevator pitch is your first impression. In 30 seconds or less, how can you spark curiosity and make someone want to learn more about you? In our world that’s becoming more and more virtual, your elevator pitch needs to work in both the real-world and online too. And the real and virtual versions must be congruent so that regardless of where someone meets you, they’re meeting the same exceptional person you are.

Branded Bio
Your branded bio is your career story told with personality. It’s not your resume, although it does include accomplishments and accolades. By highlighting your passions, purpose, and other human elements you make your bio emotionally connective. The most important version of your bio is your LinkedIn About. That’s because LinkedIn is where we go when we want to check out people in a professional capacity. Make sure your About has at least 30% personal content. People want to engage with people they can relate to.

Social Media Profiles
Optimize all the social media profiles you use to reflect your brand. Use a consistent tone and professional headshots that make people want to connect with you. Include a version of your branded bio that aligns with your authentic brand and makes people want to know more.