Personal Branding is Gross — but Being Authentically Yourself and Using Your Voice is Important.

Being a leader means making the people around you better — unselfishly. This includes getting out of your own head, out of your comfort zone — and out in front of others. As a leader, you are an example in all that you do.

That’s me and my favorite coffee cup! Thanks for the cup, Nesha!

Do you cringe at the term “personal brand” like I do?

According to Wikipedia, personal branding is, “ the conscious and intentional effort to create and influence public perception of an individual by positioning them as an authority in their industry, elevating their credibility, and differentiating themselves from the competition, to ultimately advance their career, increase their circle of influence, and have a larger impact.”

For most of my career, I have intentionally stayed away from anything that resembled self-promotion. Devoting time and effort to cultivate an image for public consumption certainly…