I wondered about this question when I read Penelope Trunk’s comment on Nicole Crimaldi’s blog, Ms. Career Girl.
I’m 42 years old. I have had a very successful career, and I can be judged on my track record. So I don’t need a personal brand.
So, newsflash, you never hear me writing about my personal brand because I don’t need one. I am not at the beginning of my career, I am not trying to figure out what I stand for. I am not trying to explain to people how they should view me.
While I’m normally not a follower of Ms. Trunk, her comment got me thinking: Is there a certain point in life when you no longer need a personal brand? Is it an age, or more of a milestone?
I asked this question of my Twitter followers, and someone responded, “When we die!” Similarly, @Critiques4Geeks said, “For some, reaching that point might not be anytime too soon! Especially re: entrepreneurs, small biz leaders, and C-suite level. Their business identity and persona are very closely linked, so personal branding is very much a part of the picture.”
It’s not your age
In reading her comment, I don’t believe Ms. Trunk argues she no longer needs a personal brand because of her age, although she does mention she’s 42. Age, in my opinion, is not the sole determiner of whether or not you need to maintain (or create) a personal brand. After all, as Ms. Trunk aptly goes on to point out, she’s already had a successful career.
It’s a milestone – that you set
Although “when we die” might be a little extreme, I am going to respectfully disagree with Ms. Trunk about the fact that she doesn’t need a personal brand at this point in her life. While I don’t know her – at all – I’m willing to bet she still has plenty of future plans. But the good news is, even though she might not be writing about her personal brand, she’s been living it.
She makes some very important points about when it might be useful to create a personal brand: at the beginning of your career or when you’re trying to establish yourself as an expert. And she’s right – she’s not at either of those points. However, as long as you still have a career-related goal to accomplish, regardless of your age, I argue that personal branding is still valuable.
