You are not in high school anymore.

There has been a lot of talk and much written about Personal Branding. Everything from it’s dead to it’s nirvana. Let’s forget about the term and focus instead on what it really means.

It doesn’t mean conforming to some ideal of who you should be. It doesn’t mean pretending you are something you are not. It’s not all about the packaging. It is about the substance and content.

It does mean getting in touch with what your values and passions are and trying to integrate them into your everyday life. It does mean taking a chance and standing out, taking a position and having opinions that may not necessarily jive with everyone. By definition, your personal brand makes you different than everyone else because it is as unique as your finger prints.

Do you remember your high school experiences? For many people HS was a time of feeling insecure, wanting to be liked, feeling inadequate, unable to compete. I saw a movie a few years back called Never Been Kissed with Drew Barrymore. She was a journalist who decided to go back to high school and write about the experience.

During her time there she met two groups of people, the nerds who excelled at school and the popular kids. The popular kids were in charge of determining who was “in” and who wasn’t based on superficial qualities – clothes, hair, accessories, etc. Although the nerds made fun of this group, deep down several of them wanted to belong and be part of their constellation. Try as some of them did, they could not sublimate who they were and take on the characteristics and qualities of the popular group.

They remained authentic to who they were. They could not blend in. And neither can you. Besides, wouldn’t you rather stand out?

Mary Rosenbaum is a Certified Personal Branding Strategist who works with professionals interested in gaining a better understanding and improved communication of their unique promise of value. Get her free report on Getting Visible and Getting Ahead.

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