How to Brand Yourself While Working a 9 to 5

Branded

Welcome back to Branded: your comprehensive guide to creative branding. In this episode, we're diving deep into personal branding and how unique elements can transform your visibility and career trajectory--even if entrepreneurship isn't in your plan. We’re joined by Dave Polykoff, an expert in startups and branding, who has worked with several big names in the industry like Brand.com, Presto Media, and Zenpost. We explore how branding isn't just about logos and colors; it's about storytelling, authenticity, and finding unique, engaging elements to make your brand stand out. We discuss everything from Larry's experience of changing his business name following recognition at a Bitcoin conference in Miami, to Sara's personal branding experiment with tattoo storytelling, all the way to Dave's invaluable advice on starting small and gradually building your content without overwhelming yourself. This episode is filled with real-world examples, personal stories, and practical tips to help you establish and grow your personal brand in today's digital age. We emphasize the importance of authenticity, creativity, and the strategic use of personal stories to make meaningful connections with your audience. Key takeaways:

1. Start Small and Build Up: Dave Polykoff emphasizes the importance of not biting off more than you can chew when it comes to branding. It's essential to start with small, manageable steps in content creation and gradually work your way up to more complex projects. This method helps you stay consistent and prevents burnout.
2. Unexpected Elements in Branding: Unique and unexpected elements, such as Larry's red hat or the confetti that Dave mentions, can significantly impact your brand's visibility and memorability. These elements not only make your brand stand out but also create a lasting impression on your audience.
3. Authenticity is Crucial: Being yourself and showing up authentically helps people understand how you will be in different settings, whether virtual or in person. Authenticity attracts your true audience and allows you to engage more deeply by being genuine rather than trying to impress or adhere to external expectations.
4. Personal Branding in Corporate Roles: Both Sara and Larry discuss the importance of personal branding even within corporate environments. Your personal brand can impact your career advancement and job security, helping you stand out in a crowded job market and opening doors for future opportunities.
5. Leveraging Unique Stories and Humor: Real estate and car sales agents who use humor and authenticity in their branding have shown how effective these elements can be. The hosts emphasize that integrating storytelling and unexpected twists in your content can capture and retain audience attention far better than generic posts or content designed purely to follow trends.

Tune in to gain insights from Dave Polykoff's rich experience in branding and learn actionable tips to elevate your personal and professional brand. And don't forget to check out Sara Lohse's book "Open This Book" on Amazon for more compelling storytelling advice. For those interested in diving deeper, be sure to subscribe to Dave's podcast, "Brand Science," for more episodes on the nuances of branding. [embed]https://youtu.be/rqnX2xFPKS4[/embed] About Dave Polykoff Dave is the Co-Founder and CEO of Zenpost, a brand and content strategy agency that teaches entrepreneurs how to show up consistently on the right channels and convert their audience into leads. He focuses on the entire funnel, from message to conversion, and teaches busy clients simple social strategies that maximize impact and the only KPI that matters, new business. Dave has a lengthy resume in startups and as a founder of his own businesses, and literally started his career at an online reputation company called Brand.com. He founded the content marketing agencies Presto Media and Zenpost and has worked with brands including Yahoo, Ask, and PandaDoc. You can find him on LinkedIn, and subscribe to his podcast Brand Science, where he interviews experts across the content creation landscape, from fellow coaches to photographers, to learn new tips and strategies for growing a personal brand online. Dave’s goal is to make posting content easy AF so that his clients can focus turning their expertise into content, and their content into customers. Visit Dave's website or connect with him on LinkedIn.