The pros and cons of building a personal brand
Jeraldine Phneah
August 11, 2024 • Estimated Reading Time: 9 minutes
I first learned about personal branding from the book Key Person of Influence written by Daniel Priestley.
Back then, I was still in school. The idea resonated with me. We are all selling our services to companies or other people. A good brand helps us stand out in a crowded market and capture mind share.
Over time, I managed to build up a following and was listed as one of the LinkedIn Top Voices.
I do get questions about personal branding often, how to get started and whether it is worth it.
In this post, I will share about:
The cons of personal branding
The pros of personal branding
Tips on getting started
Feature on Her World
Let me talk about the cons first:
1. You’re exposed to judgement and higher expectations
When you write in public, this means you’re exposed to every segment of the population. Public expectations are often high.
You can add a lot of value with your writing, provide tons of useful advice and help the less fortunate, but you’d still be at the receiving end of gossip.
You can be exceeding targets and land roles at great companies but people still say you not impressive.
This type of scrutiny spills over to real life.
I recall once attending a barbecue event. I just decided to go for it randomly as I happened to be free.
When I go for any non-work event, I usually try to just be chill. I avoid talking about career, anything to do with investments and just really want to connect with others on a more personal level.
Recently, I chanced upon a post where this person shared about meeting me in real life at the event. He commented about how Jeraldine is just an average person, nothing impressive and no leadership potential.
There are a few incidents like these. When added up, they made me feel worried about not living up to this public image.
I some times feel anxious now about going to new events and being recognized when I am outside.
I recall once at 7 AM, a lady met me a the ice bath facility I go to. I was still quite sleepy and not as chatty as I’d normally be. I spent the afternoon feeling worried, thinking about the conversation and wondering if I made her feel like I was cold.
2. You increase the number of fake people in your circle
Better visibility brings fake people in your life. At times, it is hard to discern.