Branding ourselves STINKS

What is with all the personal “branding”? I’m not sure it’s good for human-kind.

Individual people are just humans trying to make their way in this world – they aren’t a “brand” unto themselves. Yet, I feel personal pressure to “brand” myself. I don’t quite get why we need to “brand” ourselves. If this is the social norm these days, I’m in big trouble, and so is 90% of everyone else.

Organizations have ‘brands’ because people “organize” around a set of values That I get.

But expecting people – real, individual people – to “brand” themselves seems like it is asking a lot.

The problem with “brands” is that they are ongoing – everyone has to have a “brand strategy.” And, if that’s not enough, the brand strategy needs a digital strategy to maintain itself.

It’s like everyone needs to put their self-esteem on a silver platter and serve it to the world for approval.

This doesn’t sit well with me. I know the feeling all too well – every damned time I write my resume (what am I good at, what are my skills, why am I “special,” what makes we worth the pay . . . . ).

The problem is that “branding” takes “writing the never-ending resume” to a whole new level !! The pressure is to “brand” appropriately NOW and forever - - - - after all, digital never goes away.

That is a lot of pressure to “figure out your brand.” (Hi, my name is John. I’m from accounting. Please “like me” for my skills in accounting, presentations, and research).

Here’s the real issue: People are terrible at branding themselves. There are “resume-writing” schools for a reason – people don’t always see their own strengths realistically. We are all hard on ourselves. It is for this very reason that all of the famous painters we know have “agents” – The agents “brand” the artist because the artist has a hard time “admiring” their own work.

How this ends up in modern times is that people are now expected to “tout their own horn” – figure out how “great” they are – and send it off in spades through digital media.

I get quite frustrated when I contemplate how horrible this is for human kind in general. It seems like we are made to do the thing we hate the most – “brand ourselves.”

I, for one, don’t enjoy “branding” myself. I like being a free spirit that is allowed to change, grow, & develop – all for the better, is what I expect - but do I have to tell you ????