Authentic Branding: Excerpts from My Ebook to Transform Your Tech Career

Cracking the code of your personal architecture will unlock a level of fulfillment in your life and career that you've yet to experience.

In this week's newsletter I share some excerpts from my eBook collaboration with CTO Benjamen Pyle, which you can download here: https://www.hustlewithease.co/tech-career-growth-resources/p/how-to-build-an-authentic-personal-brand-without-sounding-fake

In order to be irreplaceable, one must always be different. - Coco Chanel

The Mission

Without change, the next steps are already decided. These steps have played out before.

So why not try something different?

Embrace the decision to learn more about who you are, lean into understanding your why, and make the investment in YOU!

This is just a step in the right direction. It can't be guaranteed that this will be easy, but it can be promised that putting in the work will lead to coming out better on the other side. Like any good software project, there will be ups and downs, bugs, and refactors.

But keep focused on the end product and the requirements will present themselves. Oh, and that end product is YOU and where YOU want to be!

Anchoring your true north

Personal Values

Our personal values serve as a guiding light, much like the North Star, helping navigate life's choices and decisions. They represent deeply held beliefs about what is important and meaningful, shaping behaviour, goals, and priorities.

Just as sailors rely on the North Star for direction, individuals can rely on their values to stay true to themselves and navigate through life's challenges.

I think that in many ways, code is similar to our values system as it represents the instructions of the build or the creation. This is also what our values do or represent.

They are instructions for how we are built.

They can be thought of as our own internal architecture and structure as they shape how we see and process information around us

So, if you rush the build, use shortcuts, and create code that isn’t optimal or ideal, what will be the outcome?

This holds true for our VALUES as well; there’s no need to rush to understand them or use shortcuts.

Otherwise, the end result will not be aligned and may turn up with bugs further down the track that will constantly need fixes.

Our personal values are not something we make up or aspire to; they are innate within us. They come from our culture, upbringing, religion, and personal experiences.

‘Allow me to share a rookie error I made back in 2012 when I started formally studying coaching outside of my corporate workplace. At the time, I was working in Telecommunications.

The foundations of studying coaching sees you also being coached and working through what you are learning which includes an understanding of your values and belief systems.

I mean if you don’t know your own values and belief systems, how can you coach someone else on theirs?

Surely that would be impertinent, when leading by example is key. There I was, working through my values list, and what I started to create was an ASPIRATIONAL list of values, external to me, that I would never align with!

I remember back then having things written out like GRACE and CONSERVATIVE, two values that are not congruent with me at all.’ There are a few insights for us all here, what’s your takeout, or are you not ready to play yet? That’s OK, sit back and read on. The case study might just be the ticket for you. PRO TIP: Don’t make this hard for yourself. The information is already there; you just need to retrieve it. What are we talking about here? SELF AWARENESS.

Clarity vs Alignment

Your values will reveal your underlying motivators, your priorities and ideals, plus where you like to spend time and what you want to achieve out of life.

Your values sketch out a framework for your decisions and the actions you take. They help you make your decisions and choices. They also rarely change.

How to tap into your authenticity

Discovering Your Values

1. Get to a list of 10 - 15 values and START BIG. It’s okay, you can keep refining your list until you land comfortably with a succinct 3 to 5.
2. When you are ready, start to prioritize your list. Arrange each value by its order of importance to you.
3. It might be great to start by identifying your top value, then your second highest, and so on and so forth.

PRO TIP: This can be a challenging process; take your time, and remember there’s no deadline on this project

Testing Your Values

Once you start to get clearer on exactly what values are important to you, then you can start to get feedback and test them out:

• Run them by family, friends, or colleagues
• Start to use them in your work conversations and in meetings to see how they land with people

Look for people’s facial expressions, non verbal body language and check in on the verbal too, and ask.

INSIDER INFO: This is where we kick start the process around the essence of our personal brand.

Showcasing Your Values

With a broad list of values married together with family and friends input, it’s time to start thinking about an elevator pitch.

Or more simply, a one or two liner that captures your essence, spirit, and character.

Think of this pitch as a way to share who you are to someone new in the time it takes an elevator to rise a few floors. Building a compelling pitch around your values is like creating a succinct and powerful code that represents who you are.

An elevator pitch is a brief, persuasive speech that you use to spark interest in what your organization does or in a project, idea, or product. It's called an "elevator pitch" because it should be concise enough to present during a short elevator ride, typically 30 seconds to about 2 minutes.

The goal of an elevator pitch is to give your audience a clear and engaging overview of your offering, compelling them to want to know more. It's particularly useful in networking situations, job interviews, or pitching to investors.

Turning Your Values into Your Pitch

Building a compelling pitch around your values is like creating a succinct and

powerful code that represents who you are.

For example, if one of your core values is 'passion’ or ‘candor’ are your key

values, you might say this:

I bring an unwavering passion to everything I do, whether it's tackling complex problems or driving innovation.

'I value candor, and you can count on me for straightforward communication and honesty in all situations.

Your Values Form and Underpin Your Personal Brand

Remember, your elevator pitch is your quick introduction, your personal brand

encapsulated in a few sentences. It's the 'code snippet' that leaves a lasting

impression on those you encounter in your professional journey.

Hi, I'm Kirsty Norton and I help techies stand out and level up their career.

PS: When you are ready here's 3 ways to I can help you grow your value and impact faster:

1. Sign up to my Linked Newsletter and receive my tips and insights every week, it's easy - hit the SUBSCRIBE button.
2. Jump into my blog for more in depth tools and resources.
3. Speak to me directly and let's brainstorm how you can code your own brand of success.