It took me 2 years to make up my mind.
During this time, I avoided jumping on the personal branding bandwagon.
I don’t know about you, but the whole talk made me NERVOUS.
I had heard countless people sing its praises, and even those close to me attempted to convince me to do it.
Despite their efforts, I made sure to delay it as much as I could.
The Scolding Sessions
My family, especially my mother, told me to take it seriously. Unfortunately, she was unsuccessful.
I remember one day, she even threatened to not talk to me if I didn’t start my personal brand!
Her exact words were, “Hafsa if it is that important, why do you keep avoiding it? You talk about its benefits, but you haven’t taken any action. Writing for your clients takes more time than setting up your personal brand ever will. Come on, this isn’t the Hafsa I know. You’re always eager to learn and experiment. If something is bothering you, let’s talk about it.”
My response was simple: I was nervous.
Her response, however, was far from sympathetic.
She gave me a stern look and said, “That is not a valid reason. Buck up and set up your LinkedIn profile, or I won’t ever talk to you again.”
Her warning did have some effect, and I opened my profile, which was covered in cobwebs by now.
I started with my banner, the headline, and the About section. And that was it: THE END. I didn’t bother to do anything else.
Day 2:
My mother asked me about the progress of my LinkedIn profile, and I told her what I had done.
But she wasn’t quite satisfied with my answer.
I guess parents do have superpowers. I felt as if she had read my mind! She asked me to show her my profile, and at that moment, I panicked.
I knew I was screwed; she saw the profile and was disappointed!
And I felt terrible. She gave me the phone and left my room.
There’s one thing in the world that I dread the most, and that is seeing my parents disappointed.
The Tables Had Turned
But strangely, that was not enough to motivate me to kickstart my LinkedIn profile.
Despite the pressure and letting them down, something else moved me…..
And the credit goes to this message…
This was my first-ever inbound LEAD!
I was over the moon to see that someone loved my portfolio articles!
What baffled me was that I hadn’t shared my portfolio link on my social media or promoted it in any writing groups.
This just happened! I know it’s too good to be true, but it was all TRUE!
I was humbled and grateful for this opportunity. And this client is one of my best ones!
All of this led me to think that if, without promoting my services, I got such a fantastic opportunity, why don’t I take personal branding seriously?
Even if I don’t get leads, I will make some meaningful connections and have a community.
And that was enough to push me through the shadows of doubt!
Defeating My Worst Enemy
It wasn’t easy. I felt vulnerable. It sounds like a strong word and an over-exaggeration, but that was my exact feeling.
But thankfully, it started to get better with time. The more I engaged in the posts of my fellow creators, the easier it got!
And I am glad I finally overcame my fear!
There’s a long way to go and a lot to learn and do. But there is one thing I know for sure: I will not stop!
The End
If you’re scared of setting up your brand, trust me, you’re missing out on many things. It’s all in your head; just do it! I learned this from the book “Mind Your Mindset”; that’s a story for another day.
And if you’d like to see how I’m doing, you can check out my profile. 😀
I’ve made a strategy and will post soon (PROMISE that is true!)
