Perception is everything. That's why Personal Branding is so important today. Your success depends largely on how you're perceived in today's marketplace. Because the talent market has become so competitive, you want to stand out from the crowd and have your "story" down. Creating your personal brand is a sales campaign where you are the product. You are selling you. You want to educate people about who you are and why you matter. Here are a few tips to get the process started: 

1. Know who you really are. Make a list of words you use to describe yourself: leader, professional, listener, results producer, forward thinking, etc. 

2. Create your "I Am" statement. Example: “I am a corporate communications professional who writes effectively for many audiences and gets results.”  

3. Use your "I Am" statement when you introduce yourself. Try out different iterations until you find one that works.....you'll know because people will pay attention and ask more questions. 

4. Write articles about your industry and become a subject matter expert (SME) and guest blogger. Writing increases your visibility and credibility. Make your articles short, interesting and informative. 

5. Believe in yourself and your brand. If you don't, no one else will. 

6. ACTION ITEM: Commit to taking action - what three things could you do this week to begin building your personal brand?