What is it to be on-brand?

One of the principles of being on-brand is to be aligned with the brand you’re embracing, be it your personal brand, the corporate brand of the company you are working for, maybe the brand of your own company, or the brand of the products or services you are selling.
I would even go further on the idea of being on-brand for people who inherently hold the perceived brand of their professional domain of activity or expertise, such as being an Artist, an Architect or a Banker. Wearing the “hat” of the denomination of their titles makes it implicit that people brand you or have a given perception about you, your professional culture and how do you proceed within your fieldwork.

But are you really on-brand with the “perceived brand” tagged to the professional community you’re supposed to belong to?
One of my preferred replies to this question is this quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson which says: “To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment”.

Just Be yourself?
Drawing from my personal experience as a woman and business woman in Morocco, grown in a mix of cultures, spent much time working abroad, and having to differentiate herself from a growing culture of how to be an “emancipated women”- a kind of “format” of how a business woman has to be to find her way into the business world in Morocco - I also first thought: Just be Yourself! But then, how “to be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else?”
Just Be fulfilled!
Be curious! about yourself, what you like, what you enjoy doing, what are your passions, how do you have fun, and allow yourself to achieve on whatever energizes you. Discovering what you’re talented for is one of the first greatest accomplishments.
Be free! to consider the ever possible ways to exploit your talent, just take the time to dig deeper into which directions the different perspectives could lead you.
Be your own leader! have a vision for yourself, commit to a mission for yourself and be convinced about your value and what you are able to deliver, in alignment with your talent.
Be creative! be original, break expectations, give unforgettable moments, share and create knowledge.
Be the other’s fulfillment! choose the right audience and contribute to other’s fulfillment by delivering yours qualitatively.
When you are fulfilled, you can be a business woman working in whichever environment you like and that gives you the right conditions to nurture the world cycle of fulfillment.
Be fulfilled, look for fulfillment, and you will be on-brand with your identity, your culture, your community, your company, and ultimately with yourself ! The energy you will exude will be so magnetic that it will gather around you “alike’s” and siblings, and this will be your first step to leadership.

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