I occasionally bump into a businessman selling sweets in public transport vehicles on my way to work. Even though I’ve met many small scale business people before, several things stand out from this particular businessman. First, unlike other small scale traders, he’s usually meticulously dressed in smart fitting suits. Secondly, he’s an excellent communicator. Lastly, he’s got a touch of resilience within him. His spirit is not dampened easily. He always hopes and looks forward to a better tomorrow. This particular businessman is self aware and knows how to brand himself. The reason why we buy from him is not because of his unique products but because he just exudes a confidence that is hard to resist. He depicts a great picture of a successful personal brand. A brand is how people view or understand you. But what things matter when communicating to others about what you stand for?

1. Authenticity: In this age of social media, authenticity is fast becoming a rare characteristic. It’s much easier to desire to be like someone else rather than being the best version you can be. Authenticity is not just about being different from others. Its also about the combination of traits that seem all to common but which uniquely define you. One might not necessarily be a good speaker but has a great sense of dry humor that defines him or her. It’s better to build up on that than trying to be something else. Some of us are not so excellent academically but are gifted very uniquely in arts or sports or music. We can choose to be authentic and develop the gifts we already have.

2. Differentiation: In simpler terms, choose to be different. Two people might have the same gifting but manifest it in different ways. A good example is musical artistes.
Though gifted in the same way, they may choose different genres to let their gifts speak. In society there seems to be a pull towards conforming and adapting. We want to be acceptable and embraced. Being different from the rest isn’t always easy. It calls for a deep self awareness and a desire to pursue what one believes they are cut out for. These are the kind of stories we hear from entrepreneurs. This is the reason Coca cola sells to a different market from Pepsi. This is why Daimler Benz appeals to a certain demographic different from Toyota.

3. Relevance: Its amazing how just twenty five years ago Kodak was making incredible sales in the photography space. Fast forward to today and they are just a historical name because they lost relevance. As one seeks to redefine themselves, do they see themselves as relevant to the times? Do we make sense to people? Making sense to people has to do with meeting their needs. Do people feel that their needs are being met by us and our endeavours? Do they feel their questions answered or their problems solved by our engagements?

Redefining ourselves is more than just reinventing oneself. It is about rediscovery of what already exists within us. It’s about making our hidden gems count.