Auditing My Personal Brand
Last summer’s theme was change. I was juggling more grief than I could handle after a rough start to the year, a very fresh breakup, my mom’s breast cancer diagnosis, leaving a job after 1 year and starting a new one among other things. With all of that going on, I also pushed myself to make some adjustments to my personal branding.
What will everyone see when they look you up? What do you want them to think when they do?
Headshots are a crucial part of everyone’s personal brand, especially in the age of social media. As a job candidate, hiring managers, potential teammates and others will all sift through your LinkedIn and Instagram feeds to see who you are, what you’re like and how you present both of those things. Their first glimpse of that is through your headshot. When you finally land this job, you’ll need your headshot for all of your applications, most importantly Slack, which acts as a employee directory for many companies. What will everyone see when they look you up? What do you want them to see or think when they do?
The last time I did these I wasn’t fully comfortable with being myself in spaces history says I couldn’t and shouldn’t be in. I thought I needed to conform and make myself small. I thought I needed to do my best to not stand out more than I already did. I went the safe route with a black dress and simple jewelry in front of a forgettable background.
They were perfectly fine headshots until they weren’t anymore.
Since that time, I’ve learned and embraced so many things about myself. I’ve also become way more comfortable with loving who I am and all of those things I’d learned out loud. I desperately needed my headshots to reflect the internal work I had been doing. I spoke to that in my Instagram caption from the day I posted my new photos: “This time I just wanted to look like me. I wanted to look like the creative leader who aces job interviews wearing a headwrap and confidence. I wanted to be colorful, expressive and free.”
After finding a WoC photog via AIGA DC’s Diversity & Inclusion Slack channel, I came up with a concept and look that really spoke to the woman in my old shots but most importantly the woman I am now. They were shot in front of a mural on the grounds of Union Market DC, my first “client” at my first full time job after college. I had fresh tribal braids done for my birthday a few weeks before and wore a softly made up face. Another key detail was the colorblock thrifted top I wore from my favorite vintage clothing app, Depop. Every crevice of these photos tell a story. Combined they reveal the layered woman I hope people see when they look me up and before they reach out to me on Slack.
The best personal brands look good but they also feel authentic and true to the person behind them. Find the special things about you and highlight them. My headshots do that now and I hope I’ve inspired anyone reading this to embark on a similar journey even if it’s one small thing. Happy branding ya’ll.
