By Heather Kuhns, MBA, DBA, and Mark Koscinski, CPA, DLitt

Building a personal brand concerns more than what you stand for; it is how you want to be remembered. Your brand is your stamp when you leave a meeting or conversation. Quite simply, it’s the impact you have made on others. Personal branding is an important exercise, and it is one that should be at the forefront of every organization’s planning. Accounting firms are no exception. Having your partners and employees embrace their own personal brands can have a significant impact on your organization’s overall success.

Personal branding is the process of developing a mark, per se, around your name or career. It aligns your values, purpose, and passions, and expresses and communicates your skills, personality, values, and personal story. This mark is what comes to mind when others think of you. It’s not just who you are and what you offer, but how you want to be remembered.

What is your mark? How does it, as well as your partners’ and employees’ brands, fit the organization?

Personal branding can contribute to an organization’s success by fostering partnerships, enhancing reputation, strengthening brands, supporting marketing efforts, and promoting innovation, to name a few. By prioritizing personal branding for your employees and leadership, you can expand opportunities in the marketplace and elevate their competitive advantage. Personal branding plays a pivotal role in shaping and supporting the organization's strategic goals and objectives. Organizations that invest in developing and leveraging the personal brands of their key leaders can significantly enhance their overall success in the marketplace.

This effort is an important tool in your toolbox because it is a key differentiator. Personal branding highlights what makes you unique and, ultimately, what sets your firm apart from others. This is particularly important in accounting. Those who are self-aware and in tune with their personal brands tend to exude more confidence and are perceived as more credible and trustworthy. Knowing what you bring to any client conversation is an important aspect of personal branding. Understanding how your personal brand contributes to the firm sets you apart. For example, a financial professional may place higher value on knowledge of economic trends and skills with the latest technology as components of a personal brand.

Reflect to Reveal the Personal Brand

There are endless ways to reflect on and develop personal brands, but the goal is always to go deeper than just who you are. One way to do this is to reflect on a series of value statements. How would you and your employees finish each of these statements?

• Values – “My principles are …”
• Beliefs – “I’m motivated by …”
• Reputation – “I’m known for …”
• Behavior – “My personality is …”
• Skills – “I excel at …”
• Image – “My style is …”
• Purpose – “My greatest impact is …”

Do the answers connect? Do the individual value statements connect with the organization’s?

Now, take each question a little further. For example, why are your values important to you? Your values are like your compass: they guide you and provide direction. But why do they bring you meaning?

Different words have different interpretations. Consider the value of flexibility as an example. The word flexibility could have two very distinct meanings. It could mean the ability to be nimble throughout the workday; it could also mean interest in adding different organizations or working on different kinds of projects. You can take these statements further by filling in your greatest impact, which allows you to do what, and how it adds value. For example, if one personal branding value is purpose, the following is one way you could expand that statement:

My greatest impact is helping others find purpose and develop the perfect story, which allows me to help clients further their brand or project. My greatest passion is storytelling, and that will always be at the forefront of any client encounter.

By doing this with each aspect of your brand, you are further contributing to the organization’s brand.

Why Personal Branding Is Important

You Are Seen as an Expert in Your Field – Your personal brand speaks to the “why” you do what you. When people connect with the more authentic you, they are more inclined to want to work with you. Word of mouth will create enthusiasm about what you do and how you bring it.

You Have a Higher Perceived Value – When you demonstrate the value you are bringing, people connect with you on an emotional level, not just on an intellectual level or with the job title you carry. When your passions shine through, you create a powerhouse of enthusiasm and engagement.

You Are Differentiated from the Competition – Much like a positioning statement for a product, your personal brand is what separates you from your competition. The more you build your brand, the more you elevate yourself above your peers.

You Are Always Uniquely You – Your personal brand is built upon your values, goals, skills, and passion, and they all shine through. It evolves from what you stand for, and everything you do has purpose and contributes to your overall happiness. There is power in that.

You Attract Ideal Opportunities – Since your brand is authentic and deeply rooted with what brings you meaning, you will attract similar-minded people with the same values and goals. Synergy is also powerful.

5 Cs of Personal Branding

Personal branding continues to evolve as your employees and the business landscape change. It should grow as your organization does. Providing the space for employees to reflect on personal brands, perhaps as part of performance reviews or goal setting, is an important step in helping develop the truest of brands and connections to them. One exercise to help develop and connect with personal branding is to assess the 5 Cs of competence, connection, courage, character, and credibility.

• Competence – You are the expert in your field. How can you use your skills, knowledge, and experience to leverage the client conversation?
• Connection – How are you connected in your industry? Your brand should demonstrate that you are friendly, approachable, and willing to collaborate.
• Courage – What risks are you willing to take? How far will you go to stand up for your beliefs? Your brand should show that you will speak up about issues important to you.
• Character – Your brand should show your personality and speak to your values. What makes you uniquely you should shine through.
• Credibility – Your brand should demonstrate that you are a trustworthy and respected professional in your field. What makes others want to work with you?

Look at how you put these 5 Cs into action, both for yourself and your organization. All of these qualities should be prominent throughout your conversations – in person and on social media – and formulate what makes you uniquely you. Personal branding takes time, but once your organization commits to it for everyone, it is time well spent.

Heather Kuhns, MBA, DBA, is an assistant professor of practice in management at the Moravian University School of Business and Economics in Bethlehem, Pa. She teaches across marketing, management, and leadership disciplines. Kuhns also is owner/chief inspiration officer of zenspire communications, a boutique agency specializing in branding, social media strategy, and communication planning. She can be reached at kuhnsh02@moravian.edu.

Mark Koscinski, CPA, DLitt, is an associate professor of accounting practice at the Moravian University School of Business and Economics, where he teaches undergraduate and graduate accounting courses. Koscinski has worked for a Big 4 accounting firm and also held various executive positions at privately held and public companies. He can be reached at koscinskim@moravian.edu.

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^{Statements of fact and opinion are the authors’ responsibility alone and do not imply an opinion on the part of the PICPA's officers or members. The information contained herein does not constitute accounting, legal, or professional advice. For actionable advice, you must engage or consult with a qualified professional.}