Branding Tips For All 20-Somethings From a Dude That Hates Branding

“You need to brand yourself.” — every single useless marketing guru online.

Shut up with your branding. We are not all robots. We are human beings. Do you know what I mean?

Okay, with that being said, I have to tell you about how to brand yourself.

We already looked at what your parents didn’t tell you about life in your 20s. Now I’m going share even more tips nobody has ever informed you of.

I’m not a fan of branding and all of that crap. I would never buy a myfullname.com domain. But I’m a huge believer in perception. I really believe that many of us struggle with perception in our 20s.

We may want to be seen as something, but we just aren’t because are actions totally differ.

If you don’t watch how people perceive you, then you won’t get treated the way you would like to and you might lose out on opportunities that lead to money and many other things.

I’m here to show you how you can watch how you present yourself so that you never miss out on opportunities or get treated in a way which you don’t appreciate.

How do you brand yourself/alter the way people see you/create a positive imagine/not be a complete clown?

Dress for how you want to be perceived.

The way you dress is important. This is superficial yes. But I’m not going to sugarcoat it.

I still remember this one conversation. It was 2005 and I was new on my college campus. I ran into a friend who was a few years older than me. I was wearing baggy sweat pants and an Ecko shirt. He pulled me aside and said:

“This isn’t high school. Thug life is over.”

I’ll never forget this. I thanked him and realized that I was dressed like a complete clown. Who would want to be in a group in a business class with a guy dressed like this?

Perception is reality.

I’ve always been told to dress for the job you want, not the job that you currently hold.

This is just a wake up call that you might need to watch how you dress. Don’t wear those sweat pants to church.

Now don’t yell at me for being shallow or throw out excuses. Everyone watches how you dress.

You don’t have to spend all of your money here either. You don’t have to be an expert. I’m pretty horrible at dressing up and with not wanting to spend money on clothes. I do find ways to make it work though.

It’s cool to be a minimalist too, just make sure that the few items of clothing that you do own don’t suck.

Never be down on your luck in public.

Nobody respects someone who they feel sorry for. Keep the pity party guest list to just yourself

I need to share a few harsh truths with you right now:

If you cry about a break up on Facebook, you’re not attracting anyone! People might feel sorry for you, but they sure as hell won’t want to date you. We all want what we can’t have.

If you lost your job or hate your job, don’t bash it or complain about it. The best time to look for a job is when you have one.

You need to stop feeling sorry for yourself. This isn’t cool.

I totally understand how tough life can be in your 20s. I’ve had many breakdowns. I just never do it in public.

For one, everyone will just laugh at you and turn your “epic breakdown” into screenshots or comedic fodder.

Also, nothing good will come out of it. You might get a pity job or a pity bang.

I’ll take it one step further: avoid social media when you’re upset, sad, hungry, lonely, or have any negative feelings at all!

On a similar note…

Watch who you hang out with.

“No, I don’t do that crap.”

That’s me explaining myself. You see, I used to associate with folks that did stupid things.

I don’t mind drinking and getting silly. I actually love it to be honest. And I’m not judging you for your vices. I just personally don’t want to be around certain shady crowds. To each their own.

Back to the original point: you have to watch who you hang out with.

Your parents likely told you that you are who your friends are. 

That’s very accurate. I hate to break it to you. Your friends will influence everything that you do.

Try to live an interesting life and share it.

We don’t follow boring people. We want to follow those who are interesting. This is why I want you to try to be more interesting. Say yes to new opportunities and share your journey with the world. We all respect someone who at least tries to be different.

Stop throwing out empty catchphrases.

The following are annoying and need to stop:

• Only God can judge me.
• Screw the haters.
• Everything happens for a reason.
• YOLO.

Shut the hell up. These are all just excuses. Stop convincing yourself that the world is out to get you.

If you do something bad, happen to be in the wrong, or are just flat-out incorrect about something, you need to apologize quickly. Don’t argue.

And maybe you should think about how you receive certain criticisms. I’ve had people criticize me, my business ideas, this blog, my workouts, and anything else you can imagine. I appreciate it. Someone with a valid criticism is not a “hater.”

Do you expect people to love everything that you do?

Stop throwing out empty phrases and get your work done.

Let people talk.

This is something that we all struggle with. I catch myself just bulldozing people sometimes with my interruptions.

Nobody will have a favorable opinion of you if you always talk about yourself and don’t let anyone else get a word in.

Let people talk. Don’t be the annoying guy that everyone avoids because he’s got a million useless stories to tell.

Do what you say you will.

This is very important. If you say you’re going to do something, you better do it.

Don’t waste time. Be reliable. If you want to be taken seriously, you have to do what you say you’re going to do.

And finally…

Stand for something.

Okay, this is getting really corny. Thankfully this is the last point!

You’ve got to stand for something or believe in something. Don’t be neutral. Don’t be a coward. Be proud of what you do, what you like, and who you are.

You’ve got to proud of what you do and what you bring to the table. Don’t be afraid of sharing your ideas with the world.

That’s how you can work on building your personal brand. I don’t want you to miss out on amazing career or income opportunities just because you act like an idiot 24/7 without knowing it. Watch how you present yourself to the world.