What a personal brand really is
Your personal brand is what your friends say about you when you're not in the room: "Oh, she's the one who's great at drawing." It's not a logo. It's what people remember you for.
- A personal brand is the reputation and set of ideas people connect with you, rather than with a company.
- You already have one. The choice is whether you shape it on purpose.
- It's built from three things:
- What you say (your message and topics),
- What you do (your work, results, how you treat people),
- What others say (reviews, referrals, comments, word of mouth).
- A strong personal brand is specific: "the coach who helps adult beginners love tennis" is easier to remember than "sports person."
- It's not faking a luxury lifestyle or pretending to be an expert. That can break trust, and false or misleading claims used to promote a business can break advertising law (for example, in Canada, the Competition Act; see Lesson 4).
- Choose 3 people who know you well, such as a friend, a classmate or a co-worker.
- Ask each one: "What would you recommend me for?"
- Write down their exact words, not your own version.
- Look for words that repeat across the three answers.
- Compare with what you want to be known for.
- Check: you have three quotes and one sentence saying where they match and where they differ from what you want.
Videos by other creators on YouTube, for reference. They are not made by or affiliated with The Future Market.
Read the video script
[Host] "Your personal brand isn't your logo. It's what people say about you when you leave the room."
[Text on screen: Say + Do + What others say] "It's built from what you say, what you do, and what others say about you."
[Host] "Everybody has one. The question is: are you choosing it, or leaving it to chance?"
[Text on screen: Specific beats general] "And specific wins. 'The coach for adult beginners' beats 'sports guy' every time."
Ask 3 people who know you: "What would you recommend me for?" Write down their exact words.
ClaudeStuck? Copy a ready-made prompt for Claude
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For a grown-up: Claude is for adults (18+). Copy this, paste it into Claude, and use the answer to explain the lesson to your child.
I'm learning "Personal Branding" on The Future Market. Lesson 1: "What a personal brand really is". What the lesson teaches: - A personal brand is the reputation and set of ideas people connect with you, rather than with a company. - You already have one. The choice is whether you shape it on purpose. - It's built from three things: - What you say (your message and topics), - What you do (your work, results, how you treat people), - What others say (reviews, referrals, comments, word of mouth). - A strong personal brand is specific: "the coach who helps adult beginners love tennis" is easier to remember than "sports person." The exercise I'm working on: Ask 3 people who know you: "What would you recommend me for?" Write down their exact words. --- I'm stuck. Please: 1. Explain the main idea in plain, simple words with one everyday example. 2. Walk me through the exercise one small step at a time. Ask me what I've done so far before giving the next step. 3. Don't just give me the final answer. Help me do it myself, and check my work when I share it.
I'm a parent helping my child (about 8 years old) with a lesson called "What a personal brand really is" from the course "Personal Branding". Here's what the lesson says: Your personal brand is what your friends say about you when you're not in the room: "Oh, she's the one who's great at drawing." It's not a logo. It's what people remember you for. The activity: Ask 3 people who know you: "What would you recommend me for?" Write down their exact words. --- Please explain this so an 8-year-old understands: short sentences, a fun everyday example, and no hard words. Then give me 3 simple questions I can ask my child to check they understood, and a way to do the activity together, one tiny step at a time.
Your "known for" statement and content pillars
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Profiles that make sense in 5 seconds
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Build trust by showing your work
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From personal brand to product (a public example)
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Protect your privacy and reputation
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Final project
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Quiz
What three things build a personal brand?
What you say, what you do, and what others say about you.
Fill in the known-for formula.
I help [who] with [problem/result] through [how].
What are content pillars?
3–4 topics you post about repeatedly.
What's in the bio formula?
Who you help, the result, proof, and a call to action.
What do advertising guidelines require of testimonials?
They must reflect genuine and current opinions.
When did Feastables launch?
January 29, 2022.
What does Google's Results about you tool monitor?
Your phone number, home address or email showing up in Google Search with your name.
Final exam
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Certificate
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