Just do it

Intro
How about a personal brand… If you’re plugged into the online cloud called the internet like me, privacy seems to fade and content about yourself is scattered over the internet. These days, your online footprint left by i.e. messages, opinions and discussions are online and viewable through a simple search, on either Google or through social networks like Facebook, Linkedin, Hyves, etc. There is no hiding anymore and transparency and authenticity are the only means to survive and thrive in this new digital kingdom. Although so it seems… I think it’s best to manage the personal information yourself, that way you control the things you want and don’t want on the internet.

This actually is the second step from creating my personal brand. So let me start off by explaining why having a personal brand would be useful for me or other people existing in the cloud.

My Personal brand
To control the way I want to be perceived through the internet, is to find out how other people perceive me. This part is crucial into finding my passion which can be turned into a personal brand. I think it’s quite hard to really cut down to one passion, as I have more than just one. This journey into finding that passion is a thing not done overnight and is the thing that’s keeping me busy at the moment.

As I have been taking care of my online footprint already, I missed out on taking step 1; which is considered to be making an equation equal:

Your self-impression = How people perceive you

Before stepping into step 2 again, I’ll have to make clear for myself what my personal brand should be…what passion of me do I really want people to find when they google my name.

When I’m ready to take the next step, I’ll be sure to write down my findings on step 1 and explain all there is to the 2nd step. In the mean time my brain will be occupied with finding that passion I really want to brand.

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Last night I visited the Overtime event in Maastricht, which was supposed to focus on social networking on a professional level. It turned out to be more of an event similar to a night out, but then for business people. I had been looking into the different ways of preparing myself for such an event, i.e. by reading a post like this. But preparation isn’t everything…

Of course I make use of a few other social networking tools, which reside in the cloud, i.e. LinkedIn.com. Through such a networking site it is easy to stay in touch with people you worked with, (ex)colleagues, classmates, etc. mainly focused on a professional level. Connecting on LinkedIn however is not quite the same as connecting on a social networking event, but the outcome at an event can be much higher than with only connecting with a former colleague or future business partner. Due to the fact that face to face meetings make a bigger impression, putting the positive or negative impression aside.

Remember your days at school where you had to present for the first time and the feeling of a whole classroom listening to you, was taking your breathe away… Compared to presenting this is more about approaching, connecting and trying to find a level of interest to get the conversation started, but I’m looking to improve this part of me. I know a few of my unexplored areas and I’m willing to improve this. I will continue to improve myself for these events and in the near future I will visit another similar event, hopefully more focused on social networking for professionals.

I think that just like with presenting for the 1st time, it starts with:  Just do it!