How can you use your hobbies to build your personal brand?

If you want to turn a hobby into a business, make sure you will still like it if there is a dollar sign attached to it. When it comes to hobbies, be very careful. An issue happened with a couple of my early clients who had an idea they wanted to turn their hobby into a business. They stopped wanting that as soon as it stopped being fun. And it stopped being fun as soon as we introduced some metrics. Some hobbies should remain hobbies if you are happy to spend time on them because it relaxes you from the stress. If it is an escape, don't turn it into a business.

Most of my clients say they only want to create content around educational content on LinkedIn. However I always suggest we should also share their personal thoughts, hobbies, and experiences, if they want to build their personal brand. Why? It will help them connect with their audience on a deeper level. Here is what I do: Although most of the content I create is educational, I also share some personal information. I often talk about my hobbies & daily life experiences. While LinkedIn is professional platform, there is nothing wrong with being your authentic self-- especially while you build your personal brand.

It can take you 1 minute or weeks, months and years to find what you’re truly passionate about. Try new things & observe how do you enjoy spending your time? It doesn’t have to be something specific, can be many things. Just go with what makes you happy and not bored

If you’re looking to integrate hobbies into your external personal branding, think about storytelling. How can you relate that hobby to your specific audience and make your skills shine? And be wise on how often you talk about your hobbies.. especially on LinkedIn… knowledge and advice first

Making a list of your hobbies is helpful, but understanding which ones get you thinking on a deeper level is critical. Hobbies can become passions. And passions are often inspiring to others in completely new ways. When we write about something we are passionate about, we have more potential of eliciting a deeper response in the reader. And that's what personal branding is about. It's your opportunity to use your voice and your unique interests to connect with others on a deeper level.

Whatever you’re passionate about and makes you happy, connect it with your personal brand and niche Share your story, share your passion with your audience

This is where people struggle. They don’t know their skills and expertise therefore they just talk about themselves and their hobbies randomly and nothing connects. First figure out your core offer and expertise and hit that hard with your branding efforts. Then you can integrate your hobbies that make sense to relate to your audience.. and still.. on LinkedIn, not something to talk about everyday. Value first

Underrated growth hack: SHOW YOUR WORK Love photography or designing? Post on instagram Love video making/editing? Post on YouTube/Tiktok/Reels Love writing? Post on LinkedIn, medium twitter

Collaborate. Don’t compete. Join hands with the influencers in your network and create something together. Increase your network.

BE YOU: Authenticity and consistency are the keys for a successful brand! Don’t hesitate to tell your story. People love authentic content

Absolutely! When building a personal brand you need decide what topics you want to be associated with. Everyone’s biggest piece de résistance! Here is what I recommend: => one topic that focuses on your expertise => one topic that has nothing to do with what you do but everything with who you are - and yes it can absolutely be a hobby as this article suggested. This second topic is key as it humanize your personal brand and builds a connection with others.

I'm a home baker. Sourdough specifically. I didn't share anything about this on my LinkedIn personal branding journey until one day when I made an exceptional loaf of bread. I didn't plan the post, it was all done in the moment. I connected it to the journey of building a personal brand and included my genuine excitement about the end result. That post received more engagement than anything I had shared in weeks or perhaps months. This got me thinking, and I realized it was a fun connection to make with people. Because let's face it, many of us enjoy good food. So I decided to weave it in here and there and have had some fun conversations and connections as a result. Showcase who you are. People want to know!