To leave a lasting mark on people, you must be unusual

Introduce yourself in a few words:

I am Velizara Surchadzhieva, I am engaged in acting craft, mainly with theater.

I organize and produce performances through the theater organization “Duende 14”.

Currently, I am pursuing a master's degree in journalism and I also work at the Bulgarian National Radio.

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

Every person is a separate world and stands out from the others with something.

To have followers, I’m not talking about those on social networks, you need to be unusual. This way, you instill trust in the audience and attract their interest. In my opinion, surprise is at the core of a productive personal brand.

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

This is my way of expressing myself and goes along with the need to share with the world.

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

Those that attract me are unpredictability, unexpectedness, depth, playfulness, humor, positivity.

How to find our niche and unique value?

By trusting ourselves and not giving up on our desires! We overcome ourselves and fight to improve. Often, discovering our own niche can be painful, through catharsis. It requires character and patience to establish ourselves.

Should the personal brand be built around personality or around expertise?

Both go hand in hand. Sharing is at the core of everything. To be able to give, you must also be able to receive and vice versa. The measure and the ability to sift the useful from the chaff is important.

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

Before starting any activity, it is good to get acquainted with the field. Jumping in headfirst makes the path much slower. Boldly diving in with the necessary knowledge and prior efforts is the key to success.

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

Everyone assesses what is suitable for them according to their product.

Social networks are not a small field for expression, but it depends on the target audience.

What role does authenticity play in a personal brand and how do we maintain it?

To leave a lasting mark on people, you must be unusual.

Personal responsibility is key in maintaining authenticity and the level of the personal brand.

 

How to create content that engages and builds trust?

When we do it with a specific purpose, not to fill volume or for constant presence. Originality in writing, concise and clear expression, and adherence to one’s own style engage and build trust.

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

The most common is to dive in without having the necessary preparation and knowledge. Achieving high quality requires a lot of hard work and persistence, but also thought, good strategy.

How to handle negative comments and criticism?

If everyone likes us, something is wrong, it “rings hollow”. From negative comments, we could extract constructive criticism that can serve us. If we don’t find any, we move on and continue forward.

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

To be more productive, we need to impose breaks, otherwise we will be constantly drained and apathetic.

Rest is part of the work. It turns out that slowing down is a rarely encountered skill in our fast-paced way of life.

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

When you make an impression, it is inevitable that people will talk about you. From person to person, from mouth to mouth, you find new allies, clients, and opportunities.

What are the best ways to monetize a personal brand?

The best way is when you have a business sense. The other is to learn such and attract people through already tested and your own methods.

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

When we have a product that is worth it. But let’s not forget about the considerable expenses to be able to sell. We need to be sure that we will be able to attract clients who will then recommend us and “get the wheel turning”. It is necessary to try, there is always a risk, but if it is assessed, it is more favorable for us.

The same applies to ourselves, when we have improved and are at a good level, we can step firmly into the market.

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

With persistence and without overestimating ourselves. Gradually, step by step, we build and increase our capacity. But nothing is guaranteed, there are always ups and downs. There are many circumstances to consider, but if we create with love, we will undoubtedly receive satisfaction.

What habits and discipline are needed to build authority?

Dedication first and approaching others with understanding. Being honest in your work, in your intentions, striving to give the best of yourself.

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

I admire personalities that have no pretense, there are many such creators from the past. I think of Katya Paskaleva, Todor Kolev, Ivan Ivanov, who are extremely different and memorable. But they also stood by their principles and positions, they were not conformists.

I am greatly impressed by the golden voice of Bulgarian radio Bozhana Dimitrova, who was an innovator in her time. She is part of the iconic show “Conversations with You”, which held a record 25 years on air.

Brigita Cholakova also inspires me, she is a journalist with a noble stature, an extremely intelligent and charismatic woman.

So far, I am most amazed by the great Petar Uvaliev, who combined an extraordinary number of activities and was good at all of them. He was a producer, screenwriter, theater director, film director, art critic, teacher, writer, translator, radio journalist and critic. I am probably missing something.

He worked at BBC and constantly talked about Bulgarian works and personalities. He was a whole universe and an incomparable one. He didn’t waste his time, but sought, created, and inspired. He didn’t act superficially, but always with a second, third plan standing underneath.

I believe we have the power to change, regardless of the political system and what we see on the surface. Petar Uvaliev was banned from returning to Bulgaria, but that didn’t stop him from changing it, even from the outside in.

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

Ask yourself what you want to achieve, set a feasible goal for tomorrow and believe in your idea. If you yourself don’t believe, there’s no way others will believe in you.