The document provides advice on how to successfully rebrand one's personal brand. It outlines 6 key steps: 1) Define your new destination by determining where you want to invest your energy and building necessary skills, 2) Leverage your unique selling proposition and distinguishing characteristics, 3) Develop a coherent narrative that explains how your past experiences fit your present goals, 4) Reintroduce yourself to existing networks while establishing consistency across all contact points, 5) Showcase your new abilities through projects and opportunities, and 6) Prove your worth through blogs, podcasts, and demonstrating value before solidifying your rebrand through associations in your field.

1. REBUILDING A PERSONAL BRAND
You have worked longand hard,sacrificingto build a solid reputation.When
you are out of the room, you know what theyare saying. He is an innovative
person.She is a perfect patent lawyer. But what if you want to rebrand
yourself?
People reinvent themselves all the time to take on a new challenge, shift
into more meaningful work or rebut perceptions that havehindered their
career progress. Taking control of yourpersonal brand maymean the
difference between an unfulfillingjob and a rewarding career.
1. DEFINE YOUR DESTINATION-
Rebrandingisn’t easy.Start by determiningwhere you reallywant to
invest your energy. Check out relevant industrytrade journals,do
informational interviews,even bysome internships.
Next you need to build skills necessaryfor yournew path.If you have
been a game developer for the past decade, you may understand the
technologybetter than anyone else in the company.But if you want to
move into video game marketing,technical savvy isn’t enough.Ask
yourselfwhat else you need to know and howto learn it. Learning the
skills you need will give you the confidence to start publicizingyour
new identity.
2. LEVERAGE YOUR POINT OF DIFFERENCE.
What is your Unique SellingProposition?That is what the people will
remember and you can use it to your advantage.Don’t entirely
abandon yourold brand.Re-configure it to compete in a new market
place.
Use distinguishingcharacteristics to youradvantage, even if theyare
not strictly relevant to work. Robert Reich, U.S. Secretary of labor is
short in height.He didn’t want his height to be a distraction . So, he

2. would loosen up crowds with a joke or two. Like it or not,beingshort
was part of his brand and he shrewdlyleveraged it.
3. DEVELOP A NARRATIVE.
You used to write award-winningbusiness columns and nowyou want
to review restaurants and it is human nature to havemany interests,
to seek new experiences and to want to develop new skills.But people
often view that as a sign of dilettante.But to protect your personal
brand,you need to develop a coherent narrativethat explains exactly
how your past fits into your present.
“I used to write about the business side of many industries,including
food and wine. I realized that my big picture knowledge of agricultural
trends and business finance uniquelypositioned me to cover
restaurants with a different perspective.” You have to turn what could
be perceived as a weakness into a compellingstrength that people will
remember.
The key is to explain yourtransitionin terms of yourown interests.
Don’t mention that “I was bored with my job and decided to try
somethingelse or I am in a personal journeyto find the real me” but
focus on the value that your priorexperience brings.
Successful rebrandingdoesn’t involveinventinga new person.It’s a
shift in emphasis that should prompt others to say“ I can see you
doingthat.”
4. RE-INTRODUCE YOURSELF.
Once you have embraced your rebrand,makingnew contacts is the
easy part.They will take the new you at face value.The harder slog is
reintroducingyou to your existingnetwork.We haveto strategically
reeducate our friends and acquaintance, because theyare going to be
your buyers and recommenders for new jobs.

3. 5. MAKE SURE YOUR CONTACT POINTS ARE CONSISTENT AND UP-
TO-DATE.
When you sought to rebrand yourselfas an IT strategy consultant
(before –IT contractor),make sure you roll out a new website and e-
newsletter to ensure your clients and colleagues get the right
message.
In some case, being disciplinedabout stickingto the new behavior
reflects your aspirations.
get involved in projects that will showcase your new abilities and
interests.Leveraging opportunities withinyourcompanyis another.If
a major new initiativeis launching,try to jump on board.If
competition is too fierce, take on jobs that others don’t want but that
will help you meet new people and build crucial connections.
6. PROVE YOUR WORTH-
There is a wide difference between knowingthat you havelaunched a
new companyand trustingthat you will do a good job for the clients.
That is where blogs, podcasts,videocasts and other forms of social
media come in .
First step-securing your own internet domain name and startingto
produce unique intellectual properties.
Second step-ensuringthat your material offers real value.You will
quicklyestablish yourexpertise ifyou help people solvea problem or
do somethingbetter.Sharingthe content you have created allows
potential customers oremployees to test drive yourapproach before
making a large commitment.
After you have demonstrated yourability,solidifyyourrebrand by
associatingwith the leadingorganizations in yourfield.Make a
focused approach to publish in respected journals,speakat
conferences or take a leadership role in yourtrade association. The

4. resultingvisibility,connections,and credibilitycan paymajor
dividends.
BE COMMITTED AND CONSISTENT.