Our online world is a mess of flashy claims and stories on overnight business success.
7 figures in 7 days!
I quit my job and made millions overnight!
Hands up if you’ve ever felt personally victimized by entrepreneurial glory stories? 🤚
As a personal brand coach, the main problem I have with these stories and flashy claims is that they undermine the foundational work we all must do to create a successful and sustainably profitable business.
At the same time, I never want you to feel that finding success in your personal brand is out of reach because that simply is not true! I and my clients have proven again and again that no matter what your background or where you start from, you have what it takes to build a profitable business that you love.
My clients have proven again and again that no matter what your background or where you start from, you have what it takes to build a profitable business that you love.
Ati Grinspun • Personal Brand Coach
Two of the biggest misconceptions about building a profitable personal brand are…
- It takes forever to build a profitable personal brand (Not true!) Or…
- You will have instant, overnight success (Also not true!)
The good news is that you can (and should!) build a profitable personal brand. In this blog post, I’m sharing the top 9 lessons I’ve learned from growing my personal brand to 6 figures.
1. Don’t let the pressure to niche down hold you back from success
There is incredible power in owning a specific niche (see point #2 for more on this). But when first starting in business, or pivoting to a new industry or direction, I see many female entrepreneurs place too much pressure on themselves to niche down deep.
If you cut yourself off from opportunities by honing in your brand focus or getting too narrow in who you serve, you might actually be doing more harm than good in the beginning.
When I first left my successful bartending career to follow my passion for photography, I worked with all different types of clients in different shoots. From family and baby photography to commercial and brand photography, I tried it all!
Keeping my options open like this, in the beginning, allowed me to try new things and figure out what it was that I enjoyed most in my area of expertise.
Give yourself time to explore your services and offers. Pay attention to which particular clients you love to work with. Make note of your preferences, because this will lead you to the appropriate choice when it is time to niche down.
2. Figure out what lights you up
The moment that you decide to be known for one thing is the moment you are setting yourself up for explosive, wildly successful growth in your business.
It may take time to determine exactly what you want this “niche” to be, and that’s okay! While exploring your options, be on the lookout for the type of work that lights you up. That makes you excited to jump out of bed and get to work. That makes you want to do the work just for the joy of doing it.
When you’ve found that work that lights you up, you’ve found your niche!
3. Once you find that one thing you want to be known for, go all in
If I had to go back in time and grow my business back up again from the beginning, I would niche down so much sooner.
I (like many of my clients!) let the fear of niching down hold me back from focusing on what I loved most. Even though I knew in my heart that working with female entrepreneurs was my passion and my mission.
So when you find your niche, go all in and proclaim your message from the rooftops.
4. Don’t shy away from authenticity
People can spot inauthenticity a mile away. If you show up to promote your business on social media or in-person copying the energy, tone, or style of other entrepreneurs in your space, your audience will pick up on your insecurity.
Don’t shy away from sharing your core values and your passions with your audience.
Insecurity never sells. If you want to attract dream clients and grow a profitable personal brand, then you need to show up authentically.
(Wondering what the heck I mean by a personal brand? Check out this blog post where I break it down.)
5. Embrace community over competition
In our entrepreneurial space, the room is big enough for everybody. When you embrace an abundance mindset around your brand and business growth, you will only stimulate your growth.
Don’t be afraid to reach out and connect with others in your space you might have thought of as “competitors.”
Those “competitors” may just become your closest friends and biggest supporters!
6. Don’t neglect the power of the story
Sharing stories is one of the most powerful things we can do as business owners.
Studies show that stories help people retain information more than any other medium. When we learn to utilize storytelling to connect with our audience, we can harness this power to forge deep connections with our followers.
Share the stories of your clients’ growths and successes. And share your own personal story and what you learned to bring you where you are today.
7. Build your authentic network
Networking is so much more than simply connecting with potential clients. You could do that from behind your phone screen!
Networking is all about surrounding yourself with people you can learn from and grow with as you build your personal brand. (Remember that note on community over competition?)
Joining a networking mastermind of women in business with similar goals and aspirations to my own was one of the best things I did for my business as a new entrepreneur.
8. Commit to showing up with educational value for your audience
Don’t let the fear of not being “the best” or not being “good enough” hold you back from reaching your ideal clients.
Even when we don’t know it in the moment, there is always someone out there who needs your expertise. Even if you only know 10% more than your ideal client, she can still learn from you!
Commit to sharing on social media every day with value-packed, informative content. Your audience will take note, and will begin to trust you.
9. Clarify what it is that you offer
All this sharing value, community building, and authetic networking?
It will do nothing to help you grow your business if you don’t first gain absolute clarity on what it is that you offer. You should be able to say in two sentences (or less!) who you are, who you help, and how you help them.
Stuck on where to start when it comes to clarifying your offer? Start by thinking of the biggest problem your ideal clients have. Then, brainstorm ways that your offer or service can solve that core problem for them.
Want to learn more about clarifying your personal brand? DM me on Instagram or join the free Facebook group to chat more. I can’t wait to connect with you!
