Hi! I'm late to this but here's a thought - does personal brand 2.0 need a signature scent? More of a provocation than a genuine position. But if we can charm people with scent in our personal lives, why not also apply that in a professional context (albeit with the right fragrance etiquette)?
Hi Philip. It's a good provocation, and I'd take it further. What scent points at is identity that only exists in co-presence, anything that can't be consumed asynchronously. But the stronger example might be hospitality: how someone hosts a dinner, a meeting, a conversation etc. It's uniquely calibrated to the people in the room, it can't be templated much, and it's made entirely of what the other person experiences. would be fun to put together a list of provocations
So interesting! I feel this as someone trying to cultivate more than one “niche”. I also love the connection you made on the personal brand as a taste/ cultural capital indicator, that makes a lot of sense. I think it goes back to the truth that it’s always better to prioritise a genuine-ness to what your posting and let it compound your growth rather than to chase metrics but constantly change shape.
this came at the perfect time, I just had to attend a “corporate personal brand workshop” and this article articulated everything I’ve been feeling perfectly!
This is so damn good Kima. Sensorial identity is the perfect way to describe the impact a personal brand can have in a much deeper sense. It’s that sort of feeling when something colossal happens and you think, I can’t wait to see what they think or let’s read their take on it - it’s almost like a safe place, a reset for the nervous system. Incredibly smart writing as always.
The Goffman reference is doing something interesting here but I keep thinking about people who have done the inner work, who are genuinely located, and still get flattened by the rooms they walk into. Is sensorial identity something you build, or something other people grant you? Because I'm not sure you get to decide which one it is.
You build it. The room decides whether to honor it. Those are two separate transactions and we keep collapsing them into one. The work is yours. The reception isn't. The practice (and it is a practice) is learning to hold both without letting the room's verdict affect your sensorial identity.
Hi! I'm late to this but here's a thought - does personal brand 2.0 need a signature scent? More of a provocation than a genuine position. But if we can charm people with scent in our personal lives, why not also apply that in a professional context (albeit with the right fragrance etiquette)?
Hi Philip. It's a good provocation, and I'd take it further. What scent points at is identity that only exists in co-presence, anything that can't be consumed asynchronously. But the stronger example might be hospitality: how someone hosts a dinner, a meeting, a conversation etc. It's uniquely calibrated to the people in the room, it can't be templated much, and it's made entirely of what the other person experiences. would be fun to put together a list of provocations
So interesting! I feel this as someone trying to cultivate more than one “niche”. I also love the connection you made on the personal brand as a taste/ cultural capital indicator, that makes a lot of sense. I think it goes back to the truth that it’s always better to prioritise a genuine-ness to what your posting and let it compound your growth rather than to chase metrics but constantly change shape.
Hard same on trying to cultivate more than one '“niche”. Thanks for reading
Your shit is so good. 🙌🏻 glad it’s in my feed.
This means so so much! Thank you
this came at the perfect time, I just had to attend a “corporate personal brand workshop” and this article articulated everything I’ve been feeling perfectly!
I remember time when I though something was wrong with me as none of those training were resonating
Really resonating with this. Well done
Thanks Sean!
as genz reading this, all of this resonates with me. I think the majority of personal branding advice is super outdated as you noted stuck in 2016
the good part is that we can take whatever makes sense and leave the rest behind
This is so damn good Kima. Sensorial identity is the perfect way to describe the impact a personal brand can have in a much deeper sense. It’s that sort of feeling when something colossal happens and you think, I can’t wait to see what they think or let’s read their take on it - it’s almost like a safe place, a reset for the nervous system. Incredibly smart writing as always.
thank you! I love your framing: a safe place and a reset for the nervous system.
The Goffman reference is doing something interesting here but I keep thinking about people who have done the inner work, who are genuinely located, and still get flattened by the rooms they walk into. Is sensorial identity something you build, or something other people grant you? Because I'm not sure you get to decide which one it is.
You build it. The room decides whether to honor it. Those are two separate transactions and we keep collapsing them into one. The work is yours. The reception isn't. The practice (and it is a practice) is learning to hold both without letting the room's verdict affect your sensorial identity.