Brand simplifies choice.

It makes it easier for consumers to choose amongst the mass. Likewise, we should think about our personal brand, because we should always make sure that we get remembered: 

Our bosses should immediately think of us, when it comes to assigning the next really important project. Our network should reach out to us first, when they seek a certain expertise.

Because business is about people, and to advance and to succeed, what really matters is who we know and how we personally can add value (and our brand should convey exactly this).

So:

What do you want to stand for?

As a generalist consultant, I always found it hard to "nail myself" on one field or function, but I realize that it wasn't about choosing one skill and voiding others, but rather which skill I wanted to highlight and be remembered for.

So think about what you are good at, or what the 1 or 2 skills are that you want people to associate you with, ie. could be functional (digitization), or industry specific (transportation) or even a skill (singing) and see whether it feels right when pitching your own brand to yourself and then to your broader audience.

As for me, my personal brand I am tackling right now is around innovation and corporate innovation. I want people to reach out when they want to build innovation labs, when they want to define an innovation processes or harness start-ups. 

And here is another good news: 

There is now real potential to monetize your skill and brand ― this is what has been coined the Passion Economy (I can really recommend this article by Andreessen Horowitz!).

We are moving away from the gig economy and the "Uber for X" era where standardized work packages are distributed amongst the mass and more towards a unique knowledge and skills-based society.

What started out as influencers and influencer content on Social Media has morphed into a knowledge-based expert trend ― bloggers now earn $500,000 a year on Substack and Medium, teachers on Podia and MasterClass make $100,000 a month with selling digital content subscriptions. And also don't forget the more traditional expert networks such as GLG or ThirdBridge which can earn you $500-$1,000 per hour. 

Perhaps this could be the start of a wonderful side business? Anyways, here are some platforms that help to amplify individual skills and passions and may provide some inspiration for you: