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Nyaradzo Mavindidze  Motivation
In business branding is more effective, powerful and sustainable than marketing and sales. It is an effective way to eliminate your competitors. It’s about influencing others through creating a brand identity that associates certain perceptions and feelings with that identity.
Branding, however, is not just for companies anymore. There is a new trend called personal branding.

Successful personal branding entails managing the perceptions effectively and controlling and influencing how others perceive you and think of you.

Having a strong personal brand seems to be a very important asset in today’s online, virtual, and individual age. It is increasingly becoming essential and key to personal success. It is the positioning strategy that is behind the world’s most successful people, like Oprah Winfrey, Oliver Mtukudzi, Michael Jordan, Strive Masiyiwa, Donald Trump, Richard Branson and Bill Gates.

Zimbabwe’s representative to Big Brother Africa Pokello has invested in leveraging her brand through the show. It’s therefore important to be your own brand and to become the CEO of your life.

Everyone has a personal brand but most people are not aware of this and do not manage this strategically, consistently and effectively.
You should take control of your brand and the message it sends has an effect on how others perceive you.

This will help you to actively grow and distinguish yourself as an exceptional professional.  Most traditional personal branding concepts focus mainly on personal marketing, image building, selling, packaging, outward appearances, promoting yourself and becoming famous.

However, becoming famous has its own dangers as it can turn into an ego trip and let you be perceived as egocentric and selfish.
Personal branding is more than just marketing and promoting yourself. Your personal brand should be authentic. Authentic personal branding is a journey towards a happier and more successful life.

Your personal brand should therefore emerge from your search for your identity and meaning in life, and it is about getting very clear on what you want, fixing it in your mind, giving it all your positive energy, doing what you love and develop yourself continuously.

Your personal brand should always reflect your true character, and should be built on your values, strengths, uniqueness and genius.
If you are branded in this organic, authentic and holistic way your personal brand will be strong, clear, complete and valuable to others.

You will also create a life that is fulfilling and you will automatically attract the people and opportunities that are a perfect fit for you.
If you are not branded in this unique way, if you  don’t deliver according to your brand promise, and if you focus mainly on selling and promoting yourself, you will be perceived egocentric, selfish and a unique jerk, and branding will be cosmetic and a dirty business.

Remember, Rampersad (2008) says no vision + no self-knowledge + no self-learning + no thinking + no mindset change + no integrity + no happiness + no passion + no sharing + no trust + no love = no authentic personal branding.

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