YOU ARE A BRAND
“know, first, who you are, and then adorn yourself accordingly”
Why should you care about Branding?
Everyone has a brand. If you deliver a skill you have a brand. Understanding the fundamentals of how to leverage that is crucial to optimizing your personal and professional potential.
who am i?
Rarely do I begin by recounting how I entered the world of rehab and performance. However, the idea of sharing my early, but short career in marketing and branding, may help illustrate how these concepts can be applied to the field of rehab and performance.
Before becoming a physical therapist, I dreamt of working on large marketing campaigns for renowned companies to help establish their brands. After completing my communications degree and working as a brand consultant for an agency, I discovered an even greater passion for having an impact on physical performance. In addition, I wanted a tangible skill set that I could have control over that would enable me to provide individual care to patients and athletes. However, having a front row into how large brands operate, I discovered important lessons that are worth considering as rehab and performance specialists. As professionals in this field, we all possess a valuable set of skills. Learning to make the most of these skills can improve how we present ourselves and our personal brands.
This 3-part blog will serve as a guide, offering insights on how to enhance these skills from some of the lessons I learned from the world of brand marketing.
What is not a brand?
Before diving deeper, it's essential to establish a clear definition of what is not a brand. Branding isn’t about the size of your social media following or the scale of your company. Those can be by-products of a well established brand; but there are plenty of large companies that sell inferior products, and social influencers with big followings whose purpose is to maximize clicks; rather than the quality and accuracy of their content — this doesn't embody a true brand. Moreover, branding isn't advertising. A great brand doesn't have to be sold, it sells itself because its reputation, expectation, and image provide credibility.
what is a brand?
Renowned branding expert, Seth Godin, eloquently defines brand as follows: “A brand is the set of expectations, memories, stories, and relationships that, taken together, account for a consumer's decision to choose one product or service over another.” A clear and distinct brand attracts people because they're drawn to the expectations, connections, relationships, and captivating stories associated with it, and fosters their trust and preference for that brand.
Why does this matter?
Consider the expectations, the memories you have created, the relationships you have established with patients, athletes, and colleagues. These factors will influence people's decisions, prompting them to choose your brand over another when faced with a choice.
Make sure to check out part 2: The Framework for a Personal Brand coming October 26th
MEET THE AUTHOR: chris meinhold
Chris is passionate and an advocate for post graduate mentoring. He completed his Fellowship in Sports and Manual Therapy and an Orthopedic Residency. Currently, he mentors students and new graduates as an adjunct orthopedic professor. He is a graduate of Azusa Pacific University's Doctor of Physical Therapy Program and UCLA, where he earned his bachelor's degree in Communications and was a student athlete. Chris is also part of the USA Ski and Snowboard medical pool, specifically working with the Para Snowboard Team. He and his wife are based in Southern California and love traveling to find good snow to ski, and waves to surf.
Follow Chris:
Email: chris.meinhold@gmail.com
Instagram: @chrismeinhold
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