The Paradox of “Personal Branding” and Why It’s Actually Bullshit
“To brand” — by its ancient roots — means to burn. Marking livestock with a red-hot iron has been around for centuries. Some suggest the word ‘brand’ comes from Old Norse.
In recent years, especially in digital creation, digital writing, and online influencers the phrase “personal branding” gets vomited out everywhere. However, it has little connection to the ancient, or even more modern roots of the word, or the practice of branding. Or does it?
In the Middle Ages, some artisans would use ‘branding’ to differentiate their products at the market. And, ‘market’ in this sense means the actual physical market. Not some flimsy, hairy-fairy definition of “the market”.
In the more modern era, mass manufacturing meant many goods were produced by different companies, but were similar types of products. ‘Branding’ then became a term to separate that doo-hickey from this similar-looking doo-hickey. Companies started using logos, slogans, and distinctive packaging (branding) to create unique identities and build customer loyalty to the ‘brand’.
In the current digital era of relentless 24/7 digital exposure, “personal branding” has become an alluring mantra. From self-help books to career consultants, this call to curate a polished persona is pervasive and widespread. But it's largely Bullshit. (And, I say this with respect to many of my digital colleagues who have drank the Kool-aid on this concept…)
This perceived path to success — personal branding — is fraught with pitfalls. At its core, personal branding, ironically, risks creating a cycle of conformity and limitations, sidelining our unique attributes and diverse potentials in favour of some bullshit-polished but restricted identity for some invisible ‘market’.
It’s fake bullshit authenticity — which means it’s just -ity without the ‘authentic’…
In the 20th century, with the rise of mass media, branding took a turn. Businesses created narratives and emotional connections around their brands, which led to an era of “brand personality”. Businesses try to make their brand seem like a thing, a person even. Are you old enough to remember the TV commercials for Mac vs. PC computers? (mid-2000s)
The Mac guy was made to resemble a cool, calm, professional-looking dude. The PC was a frumpy, anxious, pen protector-wearing type.
Apple personified its ‘brand’ — as hip and part of the ‘in-crowd’. “Get a Mac” they said. And it worked.
Today, in the age of digital media and globalization, branding has become integral to businesses. It has now expanded beyond products and corporations to encompass individuals, leading to the concept of ‘personal branding’. And, yes, a one-person business can still be a business — but the brand is you. Period.
See here’s the thing… I’m a Dave. There are a lot of Daves. Sometimes I’m David. There are a lot of those too. The numbers begin to reduce when we add my last name. They dwindle even more if I go by my middle name too. Dwindle even more, if I use my credential “Dr.” Then geographic, and so on and so on.
Nobody, absolutely nobody, has my life experience. Nobody has my eyes, my ears (of which only one works), my brain, my resumé. 20 years ago, nobody rode a bicycle over 10,000 km in 3 stages over 3 years along the western fringe of North America. That was only me.
Inuvik to Los Angeles: Some Life Lessons From a 10,000 kilometre Bicycle Trip.
Nobody, like me, married their current wife in under 4 months of meeting her. (We’re almost 15 years in now…)
Nobody has had the run of at least 5 different careers in the particular sectors I have:
forestry
fisheries
tourism business
community development
healthcare
higher education
And, now Solopreneurship (Digital Writing).
Why in the hell do I need to try and differentiate myself “in the market” with a ‘personal brand’?
And, what market?! What is this ‘market’ thing?
I’m me, and there’s nobody else like me. Similar maybe, but not the same. The same goes for you.
Are there other people trying to do similar things as me? Like building a digital writing business from scratch? Sure.
Are others providing Ghostwriting services? You bet there are.
And this is where the ridiculous paradox enters — by ‘personal branding’ myself, I actually make myself look like every other Dave (or Jim, or Sally, or Dianne…) that runs similar Solopreneur operations as me. I become like all the cattle at the ranch.
I don’t actually want a scar on my ass from a red-hot iron (metaphorically speaking). It’s my job to write, illustrate, speak, and do things in the same way that I always have — unique to me! [case in point with the illustration at the top of this story]
That’s what makes me, me. I’m authentically Me.
Personal Branding: The Curse of Social Media and Marketing
The rise of social media laid a foundation for a new reality where personal brands begin to outweigh personal abilities.
Followers, likes, and shares have started dictating ‘worth’ and ‘value’ in this new, silly dynamic — fuelling a culture of vanity over substance. In the quest to appear ‘cool’ and appealing, authenticity can take a back seat — as does the unique identity everyone can bring to the online world.
Think of it like a unique IP address. You are unique in your own ways, why do you need to ‘brand’ this?
Personal branding has become largely about crafting a fake persona (often artificial for the ‘market’) rather than representing the unique identities, skills, and values that each of us already has.
How do most people start to think about designing their “personal brand”?
They look at others that have done the same. Then, just like the branding that arose during the 20th century, they try to ‘differentiate’ themselves from the other Jim-Fine-Dandy’s with an online presence.
But that’s the problem!
Just being Jim-Fine-Dandy is dandy for representing a unique, authentic, and special personality. Your Self!
The Dangers of Conformity — it may get you castrated.
Imagine a young bull on a traditional ranch. It gets rounded up into a pen. It gets roped and tossed on the ground. It smells the dust and something hot.
See, when a young bull gets branded, it's for recognition (the ranch brand), but it also generally gets de-horned and castrated.
Similar to how a young bull is made to conform to the needs of the ranch, personal branding trims off some distinctive pieces of each of our identities. And since “everyone’s doing it” — it is also making each individual fit into neatly labelled boxes dictated by societal expectations — or the invisible “market”. The online one. With 5 billion people with access to the Internet, what the hell is the market that people are ‘branding’ themselves to…?!
Trying to align ourselves with what is popular or trendy, and some invisible force that nobody can actually really identify, the ones seeking to brand themself actually risk losing their unique voice, diluting their creativity, and confining and reducing the potential for success. They lose a piece of themselves… just like a young bull when it gets branded.
Three additional reasons why personal branding is problematic
Creates Unnecessary Pressure: Personal branding can lead to constant pressure to maintain a certain image or persona, causing unnecessary stress and anxiety. It can become exhausting to continually manage and curate how one is perceived, leading to burnout and anxiety. It can also cause individuals to feel they are living a double life — the “branded” persona versus their authentic self. And obsessing over likes and comments — or lack of.
Encourages Superficial Judgments: Personal branding promotes the idea that people, like products, can be neatly packaged and presented. This encourages superficial judgments based on the ‘brand’ rather than appreciating the complexity and depth of any individual. It can inadvertently discourage critical thinking and understanding, reducing people to caricatures of themselves. And, it means people don’t share the sometimes tough realities of life, navigating the deaths of loved ones, the challenges of child-rearing, lost jobs, failed businesses, affairs, and more. Those are also part of this thing called life. Leading to👇
Promotes Inauthenticity: With personal branding, the focus shifts from cultivating and sharing genuine skills, talents, and character to simply promoting a desirable image. One that individuals think their ‘brand’ should portray. This leads to scenarios where individuals become more concerned about seeming knowledgeable, successful, or innovative rather than actually being so. Such inauthenticity leads to mistrust and disillusionment once the true capabilities (or lack thereof) become apparent. Sometimes one of the most powerful statements we can make is: “I don’t know…”
The idea of personal branding is getting a lot of airtime in social media circles. I’m seeing more courses popping up. More stories, posts, and so on. There are aspects where this might seem beneficial at first glance, however, dig deeper. Engaging in some ‘thinking about thinking’. Ask why? (a lot).
Save yourself the burns and scars of Personal Branding
Instead of succumbing to the lure of this bullshit concept: personal branding — what about more focus on self-reflection? On actual authenticity starting with ourselves?
Who am I in this work?
What are my values? Why those values?
What are my ‘go’ and ‘no-go’ boundaries? Did I determine these? Or did someone else?
What makes me unique in this wide world? And, how can I share that?
Look to real authenticity — not the kind that parades around in britches that fit the ‘branded’ authenticity. This means talking about real things, moles, and failures. Embrace what is distinct about you — about me — and use your diverse talents to truly thrive. This journey begins with rejecting the scorching branding iron of conformity and limitation.
Three Ways to Reject the Bullshit of ‘Personal Branding’
Embrace Your Individuality: A castrated bull loses some of its bull-ness when it gets branded. What do you lose when you think of yourself as a Brand? A ‘personal brand’ strips us of our unique attributes. Resist the temptation to conform to a stereotypical concept and instead, let your actual identities shine. Instead of being another face in the branded crowd, stand out by celebrating and leveraging your uniqueness.
Dare to Be Different: In the sea of branded sameness, what makes you different can also be your greatest strength. Harness it to carve your own path, create unique solutions, and disrupt the status quo. Authenticity and originality are much more engaging and impactful than a carefully curated persona.
Embrace the Empty Give-A-Shit Meter Approach: It might sound counter-intuitive, but freeing yourself from the constant concern over likes, shares, and followers can actually be a catalyst for authentic growth. Here’s how: when your ‘Give-A-Shit Meter’ about social media vanity metrics is hovering near empty, you allow yourself the freedom to be genuinely creative, innovative, and impactful.
Instead of producing content tailored to gain maximum likes or shares, you start creating content that you actually believe in, content that adds value to an audience or community. This leads to more meaningful engagement and builds a dedicated community of folks who appreciate your work for its substance rather than its popularity.
This approach prioritizes impact over image and substance over superficiality. By focusing on what you truly care about rather than what you think others want to see, you create a more authentic online presence — and much closer to your personal values. This authenticity resonates with audiences and fosters a more profound connection, leading to sustainable growth. Remember, genuine influence isn’t about having a multitude of followers; it’s about making a difference, however big or small.
There are many examples of folks who have chosen to operate on a Give-A-Shit Meter near empty. Folks like Joe Rogan, Tim Ferris, Codie Sanchez (and her approach to boring businesses), Seth Godin, Christopher Lochhead, Elon Musk, Lilly Singh, and more.
For me, I returned recently to including more of my rudimentary sketches in social media posts and stories. I stopped for a while. I thought they were a bit silly and elementary. And… well… they often are. But ChatGPT and other AI programs sure as hell can’t re-produce my sketches. I’ve got some of the best stick folks going. Case in point 👇
The Case for Authenticity Over Branding
While personal branding presents a picture-perfect package, its inherent limitations stifle personal growth, learning, and potential. It’s time to shift focus from superficial images to crafting actually authenticity and real impact. How about we emphasize reputation over branding?
A reputation, unlike a brand, can’t be contrived. It’s built over time, grounded in authenticity, often hard and consistent work, and delivering value. Real value, not bullshit value. It’s about how one influences their field, or focus area, contributes to the community, and impacts the world. It’s about real people and real work, not a mirage created for likes and shares, or, conformity parading as uniqueness (e.g. branding). It’s also about screwing up, making mistakes, and, as Mark Manson suggests and wrote a book about, it’s also about: “The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck”.
As a large portion of the world traverses digital landscapes, more people arrive daily, reject the confinement and absurdity of personal branding, and instead live the freedom of being true to one’s Self — without the heat and scars of the brand. The world doesn’t need more glossed-up personas; there’s enough ‘artificial’ intelligence and images. It needs more actual-authentic individuals with a desire to make a difference.
The next time someone offers to ‘help you with your personal brand’ — ask them if they know the first person you dated, or slept with. Ask them if they know how often you screwed up in elementary school.
Embrace your authentic self, your genuine abilities, and the tangible value you bring. Remember, a legacy is not built on a well-curated image but on meaningful work and impactful contributions. When all is said and done, your reputation and authentic work will speak louder and resonate longer than any contrived personal brand ever could. Abandon the BS, skip the scar of the brand, embrace actual authenticity, and let your work do the talking.
What do you think of this idea of ‘personal branding’? Am I missing the boat to the market?