Seek opportunities, create them! And never be discouraged!

Introduce yourself in a few sentences..

My name is Gabriela Gateva, I am a psychologist by profession, a basic consultant in positive psychotherapy, author of articles, publications on topics from the field of psychology, psychotherapy; I am a co-author in a scientific publication; Author of the book “The Trap of the Narcissistic Relationship” 

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

Personal branding  aims to distinguish and create a unique product or service in itself, relying on the personality of its creator and all their talents, gifts, and skills in a specific field or profession.

Why is it important? Because it gives a characteristic and unique appearance and inspires others to develop themselves, valuing and respecting their individual differences.

Personal branding is the face of the individual who has the qualities to unite as a leader and to be a conduit for ideas for public benefit.       

How did you start to build your personal brand? What Inand motivates you?

I simply do not know another way to act other than to do things my way. I have always been driven by my strong sense of independence. I could not function within a unified framework – whatever happens, I seek to place my perspective, to escape the cliché.

I do not believe in the theory of the therapist as a blank slate, who is impersonal and simply reflects their client. I perceive the specificity of my personality as part of my overall approach and manner of working.

I believe that my clients understand my authenticity and resonance, and it is they who open trust between us. I make them laugh, cry, be open and spontaneous. The therapist-client relationship is more than anything, and you cannot afford to be fake and pretentious.

I know who I am as a person and I firmly hold to being a person in everything I do, whether I am in the role of a therapist,  author or anything else. When I work – I burn. When I write – I write from the depth of my experiences.  I rely on the universal human language of emotions in writing articles for my publications online, but for specialized sites related to mental health, I adhere to the academic style – after all, my audience has different needs and I strive to be relevant.

Branding for me means leaving your mark on the things you create and at some point becoming recognizable.

I conduct my personal research through my clients – a large part of them tell me upon arrival “I read your article….I read a post on Facebook and you shook me… I recognized myself in the description…

At one point, what was written resonated with people and that was the motivation for them to seek me out.

I have never tried to imitate anyone else, it is not inherent to me and I do not like it. I have a direct, candid, and even painful writing style – that’s how I work. I do not spare or hold back my observations – it does not work to stroke your client only with a feather, sometimes you need to be firm and unceremonious. I have a huge reserve of compassion, garnished with bitter analytical insight.

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

The personality itself in the foreground. Raw authenticity. Own style – preferences in expressive means, tools of work, professional approach in collaboration with experiential knowledge;

An inspiring example. Everything we ourselves have succeeded in. The ways and tribulations. Sharing our human sides that are common to all of us.

How to find your niche and unique value?

It is related to what we as specialists feel comfortable with, as well as sensing where we burn and where we would invest all our efforts. This is a test for each one to discover their field of action.

Should personal branding be built around personality or around expertise?

One does not exclude the other – on the contrary, they are connected. Personality could enhance and further develop existing theories and professional approaches, regardless of the field we are in.

What first steps would you recommend to someone who is now starting?

The first steps are simply to start, without being aware of what lies ahead. To walk in the dark and feel your way to find your direction. To wander, to be ready to fall and get up in the process. To be consistent and to be aware that there will be days when you will not be at 100% and that is completely normal.  It is necessary to work even at 20% - step by step.

It is important to avoid perfectionism, because it can actually be the biggest obstacle to starting something. We can postpone indefinitely and  never allow ourselves to start precisely because of perfectionism. Things have never been and will never be perfect. Instead, focus on sincerity and think about what you could give of yourself to people. It will surely be appreciated.

What platforms are most suitable for the development of personal branding  today?

Everyone must decide for themselves how and where. I use Facebook, as well as various websites, there is still much to add, but the path is personal – whether it will be videos, text, photos….I believe it needs to be in more places.

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

Authenticity plays a fundamental and essential role in building a personal brand. Authenticity in the field of activity, authenticity in personal life, consistency between the ideas we support and our way of life in reality. Fake heroes are quickly recognized because it is hard to maintain an image that does not correspond to you – even the avatar we build is part of us and must contain to a large extent aspects of our intellectual and emotional charge.

How do we create content that engages and builds trust?

By striving to be as honest as possible with ourselves and others. By offering them a product or service that we ourselves would choose – in terms of quality, dedication, and attention to detail.

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

They wait too long, postponing the start under the pretext that there is still more to learn. Of course, there is. You will learn in motion, constantly and from everywhere.

Another mistake for me is that they wait for the ideal circumstances and moment to start. There are none. The mistake in itself is the expectation not to make mistakes – get used to making mistakes and testing. Yourself, the search, the needs of people, where they perform best.

And most importantly – do not be discouraged. Seek the opportunities, create them. Be open to new experiences.

How do we deal with negative comments and criticism?

Accept them as a test for your ego, humility, and endurance. Haters are a measure of what we are ready for, and they rarely reflect our personal weaknesses, rather their own.

How do we avoid burnout when we invest a lot of effort into our personal brand?

There is a significant risk of burnout, especially when a person believes, holds, and fervently desires to achieve their goals. This is the moment of slowing down, patience, biting your tongue when we want to share plans and seek approval.

To strive to remain calm even when you have failures, to be careful how you accept successes. Always with moderation and understanding that they can change quickly.

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

Sometimes it is enough to work dedicatedly and with all your heart. To give a little more initially, to have generosity, not to do everything at all costs and not to neglect professional ethics – this is my way.

What are the best ways to monetize a personal brand?

Patience, dedication to work, professional ethics, human ethics, developing the qualities that will turn us into a complete and quality specialist in our field.

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

When we have confidence and a desire to give to others. By first asking ourselves the question – What can I contribute to the good of others with my work, service, or activity? The most important question.

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

I would answer like this – by taking care of it, just as we care for and raise a child – with love, tenderness, and patience.

What habits and discipline are needed for building authority?

Self-respect, firmness, and resilience. Patience. Will, character, and courage. Criticality and compassion towards oneself.

What qualities inspire successful personal brand you and why?

There are many and they are in different fields and positions.  I admire people with energy, drive, and assertiveness. People with their own position, hardworking and diligent. I infinitely respect and like integrity, adherence to universal values and morality. Whatever one engages in, I believe this is the foundation from which one should start.

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

To think about what are the things that are important for people in general, I sift through a few. A sense of belonging. The desire to serve others. The need to have meaning in your life. The need for communication, connection, and community in ideas, searches, and dreams.

Let us not forget – no matter how different we all are, as people we have basic needs – to have love, to be useful with our work, to be needed somewhere, with something.