When someone hears your name, what do they feel?
[Your Name], the guy/girl who....
Whether good or bad, they'll probably have a reaction.
When you hear my name, you probably get a feeling too. I hope it's positive. Maybe its "ahh, that guy who writes a marketing newsletter every day."
I did an interview with Harith, founder of Green Factory some time ago, asking him about how he built his personal brand.
Listen to the interview below:
But then I had the biggest realization.
I've not met Harith face-to-face. I've only DM-ed him on Facebook. But what made me reach out to him?
- It wasn't because I saw an ad from him.
- It's not because I saw a billboard.
Thinking back it was because I kept seeing his posts and noticed him appearing in interviews. Plus, I've never heard of a 'green carpenter' before.
What Harith taught me about personal branding.
1 - Stop faking it.
People are afraid of being judged. So they put on a different type of persona in public. They try to build authority by attempting to own a grand claim, whether true or not, like "I made RM1,000,000 in 24 hours!".
What I learned from Harith is that you don't need that. All Harith does is sharing his journey and the lessons he learned.
2 - It'll take longer than you think.
In my interview with Harith, I learned that he has been posting content and putting himself out there for years!
Yet, it's only now that I've noticed him.
The Obstacle is the Way by Ryan Holiday took 6 years to become a best-selling book. And here we are trying to get known with just a few days of trying.
It'll always take longer than you think. Read about the Hofstadter's law
3 - Personal branding isn't about selling.
Trust grows like the speed of a coconut tree growing, and falls the speed of a coconut falling to the ground.
Through my interview with Harith, he has never once tried to sell his products to me. Weirdly, that made me trust him more, and ever since, I've been telling people about his business and even writing about it today.
