Creating a legacy is one of the hallmarks of a strong personal brand.

Bear with me on this one, whilst I share this story…

A few years ago, I was working at one of Australia’s top banks, before my move to the UK, and I instigated a project to create more inclusivity at my work. Part of that was creating signage recognising Indigenous Australians.

We were the first bank, and one of the first companies in Australia, to have this recognition signposted on the front of our 1000+ retail banking branches. Then all of the brands under our banking umbrella followed, and then our competitors followed, too.

It was a huge project for me that I initially had no idea how to approach and I faced a myriad of issues: “what if the sign doesn’t stick straight”; “who should cover the budget?”; “how can we do inclusive training to add to this initiative for 7000 employees?”. But I got through it and I had some great people backing me.

I recently returned to Australia for a trip to visit my family, and I’m thrilled and proud to say that every branch that I walked past still had the signage. This time, I got to show my son George and we talked about what it meant.

Of course I checked, and yep, the competitors still have theirs up too.

It was a tough project, but my legacy, seven years later, lives on. Reflecting on this now, I see that making changes that have real impact may be challenging, but these are the things that help shape your career and your personal brand. They are the projects you’ll be known for not only while working on them, but in the future when they continue to have impact, even after you’ve moved on from a role or company. It’s these types of achievements that you’ll cherry pick to discuss when approached with future opportunities – perhaps in a job interview, when striving for promotion or pay rise, or faced with internal restructures – so don’t shy away from projects that may feel outside of your comfort zone.

Having a strong personal brand can work wonders for your confidence – it defines who you are, what your strengths are and your purpose. Spending some time working to define these things can be incredibly beneficial, whether you’re looking for a career change, a new job or looking to progress in an existing role. And please don’t let fears that’ll you’ll be viewed as arrogant or showing off hold you back – this is one of the biggest barriers I see with women, who hope their work will simply speak for itself (my advice is that competition is tough, both inside and outside of organisations, and a strong personal brand will always help you stand out). 

If you want to chat about properly establishing your personal brand – without fearing you’re blowing your own trumpet – send me a DM and we can chat, or book one of my complimentary 15-minute taster sessions to find out how we can work together.

Olivia x

How to shape your personal brand: sign up to my masterclass here to help you achieve:

• More inner confidence and clarity on who you are and what you stand for
• Articulate your strengths and goals leading to better opportunities at work
• Have the tools to develop and continue to enhance your Elevator Pitch useful to build your profile
• Get rid of your imposter syndrome and stand in your own true brand