The 8 Rules for Building a Successful Personal Brand
No matter what part you play on your team, whether you’re a rebounder, a leader, a shooter, or even a manager, you should always be YOU and make sure everybody knows YOU are special, YOU are different than any other.
While most people tend to focus on just playing the game, many don’t take the time to evaluate their skill sets (weaknesses included) and how much of an impact they actually have on the team.
Another way of thinking about it… If you were to walk down the ice cream isle at the grocery store, there are dozens of different brands of vanilla ice cream. Yet, out of all those dozens of brands, most people have one particular brand they love more than any of the rest. Now apply that same principal to you and your basketball skills. What is your ‘brand?’ Are you just one of the many basketball players that your coach has to choose from? Or are you that favorite brand that is better than all the rest?
A ‘personal brand’ is not just some jazzy little logo that companies and high-dollar clothing or shoes have. If you are a player, then you too should develop your very own personal brand. No I don’t mean a logo, but instead you need to be known for being the best at something.
For those of you who don’t know where to begin you can start with the 8 Rules for building a successful personal brand:
1. Be Consistent
Think about who you are and who you wish to become. Make sure this is a true reflection of self and not a watered down carbon copy of someone else. Consistency will lead to recognition and ultimately this is what brands are known for.
2. Live & Breathe Your Talent
Don’t talk about it. BE about it. If you make the conscious decision to go ‘all in’ for something whether it be rebounding, scoring, ball handling, or being a good leader, etc….actually go ‘all in.’ In order for your ‘brand’ to thrive, you need to practice what you preach and soak up new knowledge about what you are doing. I know sometimes the road gets rough and your passion may get tested but realize that this is what will make you special. Separate yourself from the other ‘brands’ of players. The only thing left is to start now and never look back.
3. Sweat Equity is the Best Equity
Live the tradition the Lady Lions have established over the past few years: 100% effort in everything you do, fear no team or no player, and never surrender regardless of the score. If you believe in what you want to become, then prove it. If you aren’t investing any time into your own brand then why should someone think you are different?
4. Be Professional
You would think this would be self-explanatory but it’s not. No matter what you do, where you go, or who you talk to, always keep in mind that impressions are everything. Live by this quote, “You can’t control how you are perceived but you have 100% control over how you are presented.” Believe that! Because you never know who is watching.
5. Be Resilient
How many times have you felt like you’re not making progress over the past week? Month? Year? DON’T GIVE UP. No matter what! Yes, it’s okay to take a minute and pick yourself up off the ground and dust yourself off and get right back at it. Maybe you need to go ask a teammate for encouragement or maybe ask a coach for advice, but you can’t succeed if you give up when things get tough..
Keep grinding and never let someone else determine your future. Do not let your personal brand be affected by a third party. YOU are in control of your brand.
6. Be Transparent
Nobody expects you to be superwoman. Be real, be honest and most of all, accept that everybody makes mistakes, including you. Every once in a while let someone in on your thought process and technique so that they can give you some feedback. Don’t try to cover up when you mess up…talking about it can actually give you more insight into what went wrong in the first place and how it could have been prevented or improved upon.
7. Be Strategic, Daring and Open to Suggestions
Think about your brand and who you want to be. What do you want people to think about you? Strategically map out the things that you can do to achieve these goals. It’s imperative for you to have a plan to be the YOU you want to become. Planning is essential.
To be daring means having a plan but also leaving some room for new possibilities. Take risks in the way you do things. Most players don’t want to change the way they’ve been doing things (i.e., shooting mechanics) and be open to suggestions from others. You never know what you can learn to help make your brand better until you try.
“We have two ears and one mouth so that we can listen twice as much as we speak,” – Epictetus
8. Develop Small OC-esque Habits
Obsessive = repetitive thoughts
Compulsive = repetitive drills
You have to be obsessed with your personal brand. You should obsess about the way you practice, the way you play, the way you lead, etc. All of these categories are important to establishing your brand. Examine your flaws and embrace them; turn them into assets. Be meticulous in the way you strive to make your brand the absolute best there is! You want people to look at YOU and talk about YOU in such a way that they see YOU as the best brand at whatever it is you do.
Magic Johnson once said… ”How you do something… is how you do everything.” So essentially, when you become known for doing things a certain way - give yourself a pat on the back because you have created an identifiable brand that is personally yours.
(thanks to Sakita Holley for the idea)
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