Back in the day, owning a business felt like something that was STARKLY different from just… being a person. When I first started System Envy, this was kiiiiiind of starting to change — and people really were starting to show, like, their actual FACES on the internet.

 

But, at the same time, it still felt different. There was a business side, and there was a personal side. And that was how it went.

 

This, like, kinda didn’t work for me. Because, sure, on one hand I spend a lot of time knee-deep in ads strategy. Numbers. Focus. Client calls.

 

But on the other, I love home design. I’m a mom of boys who are my whole dang world. I love to fish, and to shop, and to be a WHOLE bunch of other things that don’t have anything to do with ads strategy.

 

And I think these can work together. And should.

 

So I started merging them together and focusing on building a personal brand alongside my business brand. I didn’t want to do it the old-school way, you know? And I’m going to assume you don’t either.

 

Inspired by that, here are a few of my tips for building a personal brand alongside your online business:

 

Blend your passions:

Your job is not your life, and it shouldn’t have to be. Show your audience how you go beyond your niche by blending your work with your passions — kind of like how I do with home design!

 

To do this, just take a few of your interests — whether you love home design, Formula 1 racing, traveling, teaching your kids how to paint, you name it — and allow them to take up space in your content. This could be going as far as working with clients in the spaces you’re interested in, but it could also be simply mentioning your passions more often in your newsletters or your Stories.

 

Create content pillars:

One of the easiest ways to get more intentional about building a personal brand is choosing content pillars that you can focus in on for your blog and social media presence — and making sure those content pillars are half business and half, well, YOU!

 

Need some ideas? Peek inside of mine:

• Ads strategy and tips
• Facebook ad-centric news
• Interior design favorites
• Fashion roundups
• Inspirational content

 

Get personal:

While you don’t need to share intimate details of your personal life with anyone, it’s important to be authentic online when growing a personal brand — and that means inviting people into the picture. Social media really does reward this, and it’s FUN. I promise! Just lift the veil a bit.

 

Want some inspo? Here are people I think do a great job at it:

• Jenna Kutcher
• About Mondays
• Katie Creative Company
• Oat Haus
• Jasmine Star

 

Here’s the thing, friends: you deserve to show up how YOU want to at work, at that means that building a personal brand might be exactly the fun piece that you need to do it. If you want to join me on the personal brand journey, you’re in the right place! Welcome.