With this blog, I don’t always want to show finished thoughts or polished processes. Sometimes, I just want to talk about what’s going on at the moment. One of my biggest professional focuses during Shelter in Place has been me questioning why I haven’t been promoting my personal brand.
I spend a lot of time encouraging my clients to promote their personal brands
People connect to people, and the more personal a brand is, the easier people connect to it. I believe that because it’s my job to understand how this works, and I’ve seen the results: The only client I’ve had who was genuinely excited about this, got the best results we’ve ever seen at Out Loud Studio. We never created a following so easily.
And as I learned these lessons, I didn’t apply them personally–I did the opposite. I withdrew further and further into myself online. I stopped sharing my thoughts on Twitter, I stopped posting my pictures on Instagram. I told myself it’s nobody’s business, and who cares anyway?
But if you are a brand, which I am, it’s a bit silly to let those thoughts get in the way. As a freelancer, I provide a valuable service to clients who love and appreciate my work. I have been able to exponentially increase incomes, and foster their connections with their audiences, all the while making myself almost impossible to find.
There is also a reckoning happening in every industry
We’re all discussing who gets to be seen, who has authority, and why. In my industry, like many, faces like mine are rarely seen. I was scrolling through @wherearetheblackdesigners on Instagram laughing because truly, where are they? But there I was, a black designer, hiding away. I am part of that problem.
With the lessons we’re all learning lately, and all of us finding a way to create a more inclusive world moving forward, I’m going to make more of an effort to add my perspective, and my face, to the mix. As I expand into the world, moving to a new place, refining my services, and pivoting Out Loud Studio to a digital marketing ONLY service (my next project, stay tuned!) I find myself pushed to ignore the fears that stopped me from putting myself out there.
I’m making an effort
So I added details to my service page, started posting my work to Pinterest, created a link-in-bio page for Instagram, and started posting again on all my socials. And to be honest, I’m terrified. Social media is a lot more difficult to penetrate and find your place than it used to be, and I am an introvert at heart. But you need to start somewhere, so I’m starting here. Posting this for accountability more than anything else.
So if you are interested in my professional knowledge, the life lessons I’m learning, the ebook I’m working on, the prints and downloads in my shop, or the music I’m releasing, connect with me. And if not, that’s fine. Either way, I do hope you take this as an encouragement to start wherever you are. Whatever you are afraid of, it’s probably not even that deep.