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Welcome to Jon Michail’s Personal Branding Masterclass. Jon is the founder and CEO of Image Group International, an award-winning image consulting and personal branding pioneer established in 1989. This podcast will bring you old-school wisdom, inspiring ideas, strategies, and hacks for the new tech world. Here, you will learn everything about personal branding: the system, the techniques, and the right mindset to have a successful personal brand, image, and reputation.

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Hey everyone and welcome back. I'm John, Michael, your personal branding confidant. Now, before we get into today's episode, a quick plug. Connect with me on social media. My Twitter, or X, is Jon_Michail, my LinkedIn is Jon Michail, and you can find me as Image Group International on Facebook. Today's episode will, uh, ruffle some feathers. And if you're creative, a writer or a musician, designer or change maker, you'll want to tune in closely. We're talking about personal branding with you in mind. Yeah, I know you know that concept, personal brand, that we talk about every week, something that makes, though at times, many creatives cringe. But here's the twist, it doesn't have to be the Solus corporate game you think it is, boom, boom, boom. And here's the real question for you to think about, how do you build an authentic personal brand when your identity is wrapped up in your art? How do you sell out without Well, selling out. Okay, so let's go for it. First up, embrace your story. Creatives, I say to you right now, listen up. Your story is your biggest asset, not just your work. People connect with you, not just what you create, they connect with you the human being. Whether you like it or not, you are the brand for most, though, there is a brand, but there is no branding. So what do you think Banksy, for example, is a global phenomenon. It's not just the art, it's the mystery, the anti establishment ethos. Well, certainly that's how it all started. Is it commercial? Well, of course it is. It was a brand specifically built with curated messaging, and in my opinion, right from the start, of course, it's become super, super commercial and super successful today from its early days. And what do they say? The rest is money in the bank. 

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So According to research from Stanford's Graduate School of Business, customers are 22 times more likely to remember facts when they are part of a story. Yes, you got that right, 22 times. So if you're keeping your backstory in the shadows, thinking your art speaks for itself, well, guess what? You're missing out on a massive, massive opportunity. So ask yourself, What's the story behind your creative work? What's your journey? You don't have to air all your dirty laundry, but the world is craving for realness, and what that means is people are hungry for authenticity. Just look at the backlash against AI generated art or cookie cutter influences your journey is unique, and that's your edge next. This is crucial define your core values. This should guide not only your creative work, but also how you engage with the audience. So it could be about innovation. So if you are on about innovation, that's fine, social justice, sustainability, whatever it is for you, cool, but here's a catch. Talk is cheap. You've got to live these values in everything you do. Let me get controversial here. You know the phrase authenticity means showing everything? Well, that's a myth. It doesn't mean showing thing all at once, and certainly, if ever sometimes, it's about revealing what matters in a way you know that just reveals what your goals are and certainly aligns with them, and, of course, your values. So what I say to that is, you have a choice. It's your choice, and also it's your human right, you don't have to spill your guts on social media. Be authentically strategic, show what matters and keep some of the mystique intact. Remember, being authentic doesn't mean oversharing. It means being aligned with what's important to you and your audience. Richard Branson once said, respect is how to treat everyone, not just those you want to impress. So if you're building a personal brand, this means, of course, being consistent and especially being respectful as well around your own values and also how that relate with others from the point of view of your clients. But. Also more important, especially if you value relationships. If you don't, then maybe values don't matter. But the point here is that becomes in more a transactional relationship, but as an artist, relationships matter, and a heart centered approach, of course, makes a big difference here, especially if you're communicating to your audience, but if you don't do any of that, like a lot of successful artists these days, might not do, other than for the media, but reality is, every time you communicate your you know that's your opportunity to connect with your audience, so show it through your actions, not just through your words. This act in itself will get you noticed, because it's getting rarer by the moment. That means authenticity. So that brings us to the third strategy, and that's consistency and creatives, again, it you're spontaneous, right? I get it. I can relate as I've also been there in the past. As a designer, your work is based on inspiration. I get it. It's all about being sporadic. And of course, your personal brand can't be sporadic, otherwise the consistency, then, is is a little bit incongruent, and without consistency, you can't build trust. 

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So consistency, it definitely builds trust. And of course, we've discussed before, without trust, you've got nothing. So think about this. A 2019 study by Edelman revealed that 81 of people said trust is a brand deal breaker when making a purchasing decision. So if they don't trust you, right, most likely, in many cases, not always, will not buy from you if your website says one thing, but your Instagram says something else. You're sending mixed messages. This is also similar. When you're exhibiting your art, all your messaging must be congruent. That also means in the gallery, people will scroll past unfollow. Worst of all, forget about you and to get started. You know, regarding becoming memorable. Here's a hack, pick three words that define your personal brand and use them as your North Star. Everything you post, everything you say, every interview you give, should reflect those words, whether your brand is about being bold, innovative and empathetic or rebellious, you know, raw and real, own it. Have no fear, whatever it is for you. And think about Picasso as you're doing this. You know he, he didn't just make art. He branded his rebellious avant garde style and became a global icon from the outset. And I know you're not going to believe that, right? But if you study his history, you'll see with all the ups and downs, of course, there was some sort of strategy there. So even his signature became a brand. That's the power of consistency, and yes, strategic personal branding. Now here's a contrarian twist, and by the way, as I'm talking about artists, I mean all creatives, whatever creative field you're in, designer, anything specifically that is in the creative space, films, etc. I'm talking to you while we've talked about consistency, I also need to bring up the word that F word called flexibility. As much as we love consistency, the world moves fast, and guess what? So do trends. So as much as you stick to your brand ethos, you've got to be flexible enough to adapt, otherwise you might be risking at all. And adoption is in a very important way of being because, of course, that also is part of survival. You don't have to follow every trend. But how about staying relevant without losing your voice? And of course, in the art world, that could happen fairly quickly unless, of course, you're an old, established artist, for emerging artists or new artists. This is 100x even more so important in my art world experience, and I'm using art world experience as an example here, although I've got over 20 years experience in the art world, but I'm relating this to all creatives. The right direction and approach is easily done. However, there must be a will. Okay, that's the sweet spot, because if there's a will, there's a way. And of course, without sounding cliche, you know it really matters. Without the will, it's not going to happen. So what I'm going to say here is, don't be afraid to pivot when necessary. The most successful creatives are the ones who evolve without losing the essence of who they are.

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Like you create art, how about creating also yourself to prosper? This is very, very important. You know, of course, creating yourself becomes a little bit harder work because you gotta face the mirror. But as a creative myself, once upon a time, and of course, hopefully still today, it's a constant you've gotta do the self reflection element is. Essential here if you want to evolve. So here's the bottom line, authenticity doesn't mean staying stuck. It means evolving Well, staying true to your core and with Personal Will, all is possible. So if you really want to do this, and also possibly some ambition as well, this is easily done. History shows that basically, with the right mentoring, coaching, assistance, support, whatever you want, to use the miracles possible. All right, so we've talked about embracing your story, defining your values, and staying consistent, and, of course, the power of flexibility. But here's my final thought, personal branding as a creative is a holistic journey. It's not a destination. You're going to look at this totally so your brand will evolve just like you do. The key is to stay true to who you are while adapting to an ever changing world, and that means online and offline. So my final thought is this challenge a traditional artist versus marketeer mindset. My intention is showing creatives how to marry their artistic spirit with personal branding, authentic personal branding to stand up and monetize in a crowded marketplace. Yes, I repeat the word monetize. The world might not always favor the pure artist, but it will always favor the authentic one. And as I mentioned earlier, history shows that. So don't be afraid to take risks and push boundaries and most importantly, stay real as an artist. I know you've been there and you are possibly there right now, and yes, you can become financially successful and still be real and also celebrate that you don't have to beg for the next commission. Authenticity is about being perfect. It's not about that. It's about being real. And it's been real in a you know, at times calculated risk. Yes, you gotta take some risk, because with our risk, obviously nothing happens. But it's a risk, in my opinion, when it's calculated worth taking. So thanks for hanging out with me today. It's always great to have you listen to my shows and, of course, respond with your feedback, I really enjoy that, and I hope you got value from today's episode. Be sure to hit the subscribe button, leave a review and share it with somebody who needs to hear this. So until next time, I wish you well. Stay bold, stay authentic, and keep on pushing the boundaries of your creativity.

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Jon Michail’s Personal Branding Masterclass Podcast is sponsored by Image Group International, a global team of practical, digitally savvy personal brand and image strategists based in Australia, committed to maximizing your impact, influence, and authority in the business world. To learn more and apply for personal coaching, seminars, and group workshops, please visit imagegroup.com.au or call 1800 631 311.