Think of your personal brand of what people say about you when you’re not in the room. What would you want them to say about you? Whether you are intentional about it or not, you are creating a personal brand with everything interaction folks have with you; you are your own walking advertisement. It is important to understand what brand image you are conveying and how to develop a Unique Value Proposition that positions you for success.

Authenticity is at the heart of every powerful, impactful, and influential leader. As an aspiring leader, the fastest path to crafting a brand reputation that is aligned with the best of what you have to offer is simply being authentic. Only when your actions and words are congruent with your beliefs and values and you are showing up fully as yourself, are you leading authentically. It is your differentiator, your secret sauce.

Without your Why You lose your way. Many small businesses fail in their marketing or messaging because they do not have a clear understanding of their Why—their reason for being. Understanding your Why is critical to ensuring that your product or service is well-differentiated, it informs how you articulate your brand’s value, and it enables you to tap into the core emotional connection your brand has with its customers.

Many newbies think personal branding is all about their social media presence and website design. While these are certainly important aspects of your marketing and branding, the heart of your personal brand is about you—your entire persona. It includes your personality, strengths, values, beliefs, experiences, and your own image. Here are six personal branding checkpoints.

Personal branding is still a concept that is misunderstood among women who are new in the quest to carve a niche for themselves. But it is a critical component of marketing, as it informs your messaging and is the heart of your identity as a professional or business owner. Make sure you build it on a solid foundation.

Humility is not typically thought as a strength, and certainly not a core leadership attribute. But a closer examination of trailblazing leaders of our time highlights that they all possessed the quiet trait of humility, and argues that this trait is what helped them to achieve their success.