Your Personal Brand Story: Transform Pain Points into Powerful Connections

Video Sections

00:00 Introduction
00:31 What it is NOT
01:30 The Hero Story
02:57 Negative Challenge
05:55 Positive Outcome
07:23 Relating to Your Audience
09:07 Put it All Together
10:10 Write Your Story

So, what is a personal brand story for coaches, consultants, service professionals, practitioners, speakers, doctors, and experts?

Before we dive into what a personal brand story is, let's first talk about what it's not. A personal brand story is not just about you. One of the mistakes many service professionals and transformational coaches make is thinking it revolves solely around their own experiences. While your story is a part of it, it’s not the whole picture.

There are specific ingredients that go into writing a personal brand story. This story forms the foundation of your marketing and your message. It will guide you throughout your digital marketing strategy, helping you grow your personal brand online and attract more clients, sales, and opportunities. So listen up!

The Hero Story is about your audience.

They are the hero, and you are simply the tour guide, the sensei, the master, the coach— the person who helps them along the way. The star of your personal brand is actually your audience; you are just the mouthpiece for your message. The story that your brand or personal brand tells is about how your audience, your potential clients, are struggling. They are the stars of the show and the heroes, and we want to share a story about how you, your offerings, and your unique message will help them get from A to B to C and all the way to D. The first

Let's dive into all the elements. And before we do that, if you aren't subscribed yet, please go ahead and do so. I'm going to provide you with so much more content. If you need help with any of these stages of writing your personal brand story, be sure to reach out. I will include information in the video description so you can get assistance with creating your personal brand.

The Negative Challenge

An essential element of crafting your personal brand story is starting with your audience. Focus on their problems, challenges, or pain points—what is truly hurting them? For this video, I'll use an example of a client I've worked with who is a surgeon.

Some of the pain points and challenges their target audience faces may include a lack of confidence. While confidence is the root of their pain, the presenting problem might be that they are very busty, have trouble getting dressed, and don't feel comfortable in their bodies. This could lead them to consider a breast reduction.

So, let’s start with their problems. What is the story behind their struggle? Examine their day-to-day life; for instance, what is it like for this client or potential client while getting dressed? How do they feel at work? Perhaps they do presentations and feel like everyone is looking at their chest. They might not feel comfortable in bikinis, or their heaviness could be causing back pain—these are real issues.

You want to consider not just the problems and challenges they face but how these issues manifest in their daily lives. Look at how it impacts their work, relationships, health, and mindset. For example, if this woman is single, her discomfort might make her feel self-conscious and hesitant to put herself out there, affecting her ability to make friends or date.

To identify pain points and problems, revisit your past clients and examine why they chose to work with you. If you’re starting from scratch, consider consulting a branding coach like myself who can help you uncover and research these problems.

Once you identify the specific presenting problem—like having a big chest—you also need to understand the deeper root of that problem, which in this case is self-confidence. Recognizing that there are levels to the pain points is crucial. You need to be aware of both the presenting problem and its deeper cause because the presenting problem is what will resonate with people. In your brand story, you will then delve deeper into their pain points.

These are two very important elements of your brand story that address negative issues, but you also want to highlight the positive outcomes.

Positive Outcomes in the Personal Brand Story

Of what they want. So if they were to move away from this problem, what would the light look like? You want to get to the dark and the light of both extremes. If they were to solve this problem, what would that look like? If they did reduce it, they probably wouldn't have as much back pain. They would fit into their clothes easier and nicer, feeling more confident and at home in their bodies. They would easily go out more because they can get dressed without a hassle and feel more self-assured. They wouldn't be afraid to talk to people in public, especially if they need to present, and moving up in their career while communicating confidently is important.

So you would look at the complete opposite of the pain and the problem. Once you know where they are now, usually facing a challenge, and where they want to go, you have the beginnings of your brand story. That is actually the main foundation of all that you will do with your personal brand story. You'll continue to deliver a message that inspires them to move from A to B to C and all the way to C. The next element...

Relating to Your Audience

A key part of your brand story is how you specifically relate to the person facing an A to Z problem. This is where you come in as a personal brand. You'll draw from your own experiences, interests, hobbies, knowledge, and expertise. Consider what you learned in school and all the tools, certifications, and degrees you possess. It's about who you are and how you connect with your audience.

You can relate through your own personal story. For example, you might say, "I had that problem; I wanted to change my nose because it felt too big, and after the change, I felt confident." Alternatively, you could share insights from working with other clients, expressing empathy for their challenges and your desire to help them, particularly in building confidence.

If you haven't worked with clients yet, there's still a way to share your perspective. You could present the facts: if someone had this problem solved, they would achieve a specific outcome.

Ultimately, you should share your unique story and explain how your knowledge and experience can resolve their problem. For instance, a plastic surgeon might say, "Based on my experience and all the people I've worked with, I can guarantee this outcome for you."

Put it All Together

Once you have those elements—the person you're helping, the A (where they are), and the Z (where they want to go)—you, as the vehicle, bring your personality, skills, expertise, and more into play.

Now, tell the story: "Hey, I understand what you're feeling in this situation. You might feel like staying home or think you're not good enough. If you don’t look good, you don’t feel good. I can relate. I have helped many others solve this issue with these tools, and this is the outcome."

And that’s where the brand story begins.

From that story, you craft a message. What is that message? Is it that you deserve to look and feel the way you want? You deserve to be confident and show it. Summarize the story, and that message becomes the essence of your brand story.

So, those are the elements of a brand story. If you are confused about any of them, feel free to reach out; we offer personal consultations for building personal brands and would be happy to help. My team would also be thrilled to work with you.