Personal Branding, More Like Personal Torture

One of my annoying little New Year's Resolutions was to work on my career and part of the career-building plan is to develop my personal brand. *crickets*

I've been doing a little reading up on personal branding and the daunting task of developing my brand is looming on the heels of another 20-something birthday and well, all of this self-exploration and self-identification just isn't any good for the quarter-life crisis I'm already struggling with.

But alas, here's the best of the best tips I've gathered so far:

1. Personal branding is identifying who you are based upon your expertise, profession or craft. It differs from product branding, because it's not about how you advertise yourself. In fact, the personal brand is defined by what other people think about you.

Well I'm a writer... my focus is black history, race, social issues, pop culture and randomness I suppose? I'm not too sure what other people think my expertise is.... one of my co-workers told me that I have a unique eye for highlighting the social context/pretext for pop culture happenings.

2. You can cultivate and manage your personal brand by being clear about who you are and who you're not, by understanding your unique promise of value, and by being consistent and constant.

Uh oh. Here's where we run into problems. If I'm not sure about who I am, how can I be clear about my brand? ....and "Unique promise of value"...? ... Okay and "consistent" and "constant" are definitely not words that describe me accurately. I'm neither. I change like the weather. I guess I'll have to figure out what the few things that are constant about me and run with those?

This reminds me of an episode of Daddy's Girl's where Angela and Vanessa were struggling with whether or not the decision on whether or not to take the money from the club owner in exchange for an appearance because they wanted to maintain their "brand clarity"... (I'm so in love with their show... and secretly, their lives too!)

3. Articulate what you're doing in your profession and expertise. If you want to create a brand then be very, very specific. Capitalize on your own interests and fulfill them by actively participating and creating an identity around that interest.

Um? *crickets* How do I do this?

4. A lot of people think a personal brand is the way you package yourself, but that's incorrect. You don't own your brand, it's owned by the people around you.

Hmmmm I wonder what you all REALLY think of me? I might have to do some research.

5. Personal branding transcends the commodity and people begin to come to you and offer opportunities.

::sigh::

Any suggestions?