Brand identity. Brand message. Brand equity. Brand language. Brand logo. Brand this and brand that. I can’t be the only one who is just a tiny bit over the whole idea of branding. I mean I went to school for this stuff. I use to like learning about this. Then I had to actually do it for myself.

I’ve read and read on branding. There’s got to be thousands of different opinions on what works and what doesn’t. In all those there are some great tips and points. It’s just that when I read about the theories, tried the programs, and joined the groups I ended up covering myself in SEO, catchy phrases and words and sounding less and less like myself. Whether you’re new to entrepreneurship or have been in the game for a while I want you to try something when it comes to branding.

Don’t be a brand. Be a person.

All right let’s get some defections out here first:

1. A concept is an abstract idea or general notion. – Merriam Webster
2. The American Marketing Association defines brand as, “A name, term, design, symbol, or any other feature that identifies one seller’s good or service…the legal term for brand is trademark.”

Check out these 29 other definitions of brand.

Since brand is defined as a concept if you were a brand you would be an abstract idea of yourself or a feature set of yourself. Huh? That’s what I was thinking too. In an attempt for people to connect to the products and services we put out in the marketplace we have limited ourselves to the concept of brand. Don’t get me wrong; concepts are very important to understanding the foundation of anything. They help you understand the industry that you are in.

After all that learning I want you to stop overthinking who you are and what it is that you do. You are a person who in light of wanting to help others creates a product or service. You are a person who has the passion and knowledge to help others.   

Here’s the point. You are more than just a concept. People don’t need to understand the concept of you. People don’t buy concept. People don’t connect with concepts. People connect with people.

• The person behind the program.
• The person behind the product.
• The person behind the logo.
• The person who emails them.  
• The person they meet at a networking event.
• The person they complain to when something goes wrong.
• The person whose story they connect to.
•  

Why should you not focus on the being a brand? Okay you don’t want to miss this. Because you are a person. BOOM. If you didn’t know that then I’ve just changed your life forever.

It sounds simple right? The thing is that it is simple. However simple doesn’t always mean easy. My boyfriend’s mentor sent a message to me through him. He said, “be a person not a concept.” And on that particular day of the week while sitting on my living room couch it finally made sense. I realized I had been over consumed with becoming a brand. Being a concept. I had lost my authentic voice in the name of branding.

Seth Godin wrapped this thought up well in his his post, “I am not a brand,”

You’re a person.

A living, breathing, autonomous individual who doesn’t seek to maximize ROI or long-term brand value.

It’s not your program, it’s not your 10 steps, and it’s not your courses. What you put out has value because, y-o-u, are valuable. You are a person with a unique story. Someone who has lived and is evolving. No, it’s not rocket science. It’s foundational. The concept of you will never be as authentic as simply who you are. Take the time to step back and get back to the basics. Share your story, your drive and your journey. Because at the core of it all people connect to that.

I’m probably not the only one who is working on sharing who we are and what we do with the world, right? Share with me. What has helped you in sharing about your products and/or services? How do you keep your authentic voice alive?

First published via This Is Her Movement.