Be careful what you upload to the internet, mistakes are dangerous

Introduce yourself in a few words..

In short - with over 14 years of experience in business, I have a primary focus on B2B sales of services, as well as team management in the field of human resources. For the last more than ten years, I have been actively working in the IT outsourcing sector in Bulgaria. I have completed two master's degrees at TU-Varna – Industrial Management and Microsoft Information Technologies. My last position was in an international IT company that operates in over 10 countries and I held the role of Site Manager & CEE Talent Acquisition Manager. Additionally, I was a municipal councilor in Varna from 2019 to 2023, as well as a member of the Public Council of the professional high school of economics in the city. In 2020, I received the highest recognition – the title of senator in the international non-governmental organization Junior Chamber International (JCI), represented in over 110 countries. As a hobby, I strive to share my experience with the youth and present practices and knowledge at various events in schools and universities, as well as to go to the gym and swim.

How would you define personal branding and why is it so important today?

Personal branding is at the core of our social skills and career achievements. Based on it, we can sell ourselves faster, more expensively, and more correctly among the audiences, companies, and organizations we desire. Our leadership qualities, character, vision, and the image we convey among our family, friends, acquaintances, and colleagues collectively form our personal brand.

How did you start building your personal brand? What motivates you?

I started back in the days when I deleted all photos from my school and university years (there were less than 5), which were from parties. Subsequently, I began to upload quite a few business insights on social media, actively developing LinkedIn and yes… I can't fix my character, but I believe it's easy to work with me, and regarding the clothes, which are also part of the brand, well, there is still room for improvement. I strive to be comfortable at first glance. The motivation came when I decided that I wanted to be part of the corporate world. My career start and many years were spent in B2B sales, and I had to maintain my brand.

What are the most important elements of a successful personal brand?

Personal branding is our business card. It is important from day one of its development that we have a clear vision, goals, and principles to present to our audience (here I again include family, friends, business partners, and colleagues). Our online presence is becoming increasingly essential for our brand – what we show, how we comment, what stories we write, and what we aim to create as a feeling for our audience and what we want them to associate us with.

How to find your niche and unique value?

Here I would say that intuition comes into play and what makes us truly happy. If we are hypochondriacs, we might engage in medicine and supplements; if we are sporty types, we might be part of teams in sports stores, warehouses, or production bases for sports goods; if we don't like face-to-face contact but want to work with people, we might be in contact centers where we communicate via email and phone. Each of us is unique in our own way, and each of us has something to give to this world.

Should personal branding be built around personality or expertise?

The most accurate answer, in my opinion, is a combination of both. In the years when a person has not yet accumulated much experience and expertise, they can focus on personality, but by middle age, it should be a combination because at one point our business card is our name, expertise, and the personality behind it all.

What first steps would you recommend to someone just starting out?

To carefully check the content in their social networks and remove any provocative photos, messages, and similar things. To create a LinkedIn profile that starts to accumulate contacts from companies they like and want to be part of. To follow all those companies, to take professional photos – in a shirt and blazer, for example, that are representative and to use them as headers in their professional networks and resumes. To take some online courses in the direction they want to develop and to always prepare by attending various events and getting closer to people from the business, for example, career forums, to introduce themselves and add them as quickly as possible to their professional networks to maintain further contacts. With persistence and determination – goals are achieved.

What platforms are most suitable for developing a personal brand today?

Professional networks – LinkedIn, XING

Social networks – Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter

The digital world is developing rapidly, and I might miss some trends. I myself have not yet delved into the depths of TikTok.

What role does authenticity play in personal branding and how to maintain it?

If we do not show our authenticity and uniqueness and if we strive to be as trivial as possible (although many of my answers may seem so to you), we cannot stand out. If our strong suit is sales, we should focus on sharing the most content on that topic and presenting our successes; if we are good at something else, we should emphasize that in our stories presented to our audiences.

How to create content that engages and builds trust?

The field of information is currently too vast, and our content can increasingly blur against the backdrop of everything that flies around the internet. This should not worry us. We just need to be consistent and present ourselves as we are – unique and driven, witty and ready for victory. Trust is built gradually and can be lost in an instant, so it is important to always be measured in our actions and words. Again comes the rule that if we decide to write something sharper, especially if it is personal, we should first take a deep breath and think through the situation. In a world where whatever you upload to the net stays on the net, it is dangerous to make mistakes.

What are the most common mistakes people make when building a personal brand?

Everyone makes mistakes, and it is human to err. Here, instead of commenting on mistakes, I would like to say that if a person has realized a mistake, it is good to think about how not to repeat it. I myself often make mistakes – at times I can appear intrusive with some of my posts and content, while at other times I may not share anything for too long; balance must be found.

Additionally, outside the network, any deviation from our identity and mission can be considered a mistake. We should always remind ourselves of the questions: Why are we here and what is our mission? By following their answers, we will remain within our personal brand and story.

How to deal with negative comments and criticism?

There are various options. If they are just malicious attacks, we can ignore them. If the criticism is constructive, it is good to reflect on it and learn from it. We should not be blind to our opinions, and our opinions are not always correct. We need to be able to listen and analyze other opinions, comments, and constructive criticisms.

How to avoid burnout when investing a lot of effort in your personal brand?

I personally failed here, and not just once. Protection from overheating lies in balance. For myself, I discovered that sports and travel help me a lot to avoid this. For others, a good and totally “laid-back” rest may be beneficial. Everyone needs to find their own way because stress and overheating lead to nothing good. The world is dynamic, diseases are dynamic, and the problems we may bring upon ourselves if we do not pay attention in time and do not ease off the gas pedal when needed can leave an unpleasant mark until the end of our days. Therefore, everyone needs to find balance – whether it will be sports, meditation and yoga, travel, or some hobby, anything that can take our minds off work frequencies for a given period can help us recover and return stronger and more disciplined than ever.

How can a strong personal brand lead to more opportunities (jobs, partnerships, clients)?

I will give an example of my colleague from the very first company where I developed. He is well-known – he has published both paper books and audiobooks, speaks captivatingly in front of an audience, and is a wonderful facilitator who has no problem standing in front of 100+ people and speaking for hours. 11-12 years later, he continues to be a star and sells himself. People from different companies seek him out and want to work with him. But behind all this stands consistency and many years of work behind him. Can a well-developed personal brand lead to more opportunities? The answer is easy and unequivocal… and it is a firm YES.

What are the best ways to monetize a personal brand?

I have been in consulting companies for a long time – this is one way – now we have modern terms like coaching, various types of consulting. If we are very good in a given field, we can write books, create podcasts, offer something unique that touches large audiences, as many people do. No one has to reinvent the wheel. Any public appearances or creating a website, for example, with paid access, there are many options. In the digital world, we can sell everything. This is not like having a hotel with 50 rooms, and the maximum we can earn is the sums for 50 full rooms per night. In the online space, there are no such limitations. The question will always be about the added value and what it can bring to people.

When is the right time to start offering paid services or products?

This question is a bit like when it is appropriate to buy a new home… seeing the market prices, the answer will always be yesterday. And even if it is a failure, success will come with persistence.

How to maintain sustainability and long-term growth of the personal brand?

The last word from my previous answer – persistence… and determination. We must not give up, we must not quit, we must be disciplined and always move within the framework we have set for ourselves and want our environment to see in us.

What habits and discipline are needed to build authority?

To be ourselves, to write down all goals and tasks – every day, regularly! To monitor the fulfillment of these goals and tasks. To always consult with people who are more successful than us. To have a good environment and good friends. To adhere to the maxim that if we are in a room with many people and we are the smartest in that room, it is time to leave it and seek a new one, and not least – not to forget ourselves. Whatever self-assessment we put on ourselves, it is always good to have trusted people to consult with and to check whether our view of ourselves and the view of the people we trust regarding our authority and values are on the same page. It got a bit complicated, but I hope you understand me.

Which personalities with a successful personal brand inspire you and why?

I will not mention specific names, but for many years I have worked with wonderful colleagues, super managers, entrepreneurs, and leaders, and each of them has inspired me in one way or another. Outside our reality, it is good to follow and read biographies of people who have truly changed the world and give a lot in terms of goal setting and achievements – Richard Branson, Phil Knight, Steve Jobs, Muhammad Ali, Andrew Carnegie, Napoleon Hill… all kinds of stories of different people from different fields and different eras can inspire us.

What three specific things can people do today to improve their personal brand?

Create a LinkedIn profile if you don’t have one, or if you do – review and edit your Headline, Summary and show yourself with a good profile picture, as well as create your background. After that, review your content there and optimize it – clean up anything inappropriate and follow at least 10 companies that you like and aim to be part of their teams/structures one day. Add at least 10 people from those companies, and when they accept you, introduce yourself to them. Don’t add more people if you haven’t done so in a while, and still, there are limitations… no one wants to be blocked.

And again – be yourself! No matter how much we want to present ourselves in some star light, there will always be a moment when we will show ourselves without the mask we have put on, and then the disappointments can be greater.

And finally, some words from Benjamin Franklin, which are invaluable advice for all of us - “Do you love life? Then do not waste time, for that is what life is made of.”.