Who Are You At The Office?

Today’s Chicago Woman is running an interview with chief executive officer of Energy BBDO, Tonise Paul.

Q. How can someone build a personal brand or image? Is it as simple as wearing bright colored suits?
A. I had a male entrepreneur friend ask me once in a social setting, “Who are you at the office?” I answered, “I am me. The same person you know here. Who are you?” He answered in his usual jovial, fun-loving way, “Oh I’m an ——-.” After I picked up my jaw, I realized there are a lot of people who build an image that suits them professionally, but is not consistent with who they are personally. For that reason, I draw a distinction between “building an image” and “living your brand.”
The way to go about “living your brand” is to uncover what you do best and what’s most important to you. Those two things are the primary guideposts for building a strong personal brand. As for wearing shocking pink, if you’re passionate about pink and it’s a genuine reflection of you and what you want to express to the world, it works. The key is authenticity.