Back in January, when I was at Alt Summit, I sat in on a session given by Jasmine Star on personal branding. I've found myself meditating a lot on something that she said regarding being balls-to-the-wall (my words, not hers) about your personality, and how you portray that through your brand.

You either love me or you hate me.

When developing my personal brand, or – better yet – working and living my personal brand, I try to stay pretty full-throttle in my beliefs and opinions, sometimes causing some folks to know right away that I'm not the designer/consultant/friend for them.

And that's exactly what I want. Having people know right away that we're not going to mesh well steers clear of lots of problems right off the bat.

Likewise, those who can tolerate my opinionated, overly-passionate nature tend to become fast friends.

And not even fast friends, but dream customers. My dream customers respect me for being honest, being a bit of a work horse, and aren't offended by my occasional foul language here on the blog. When I'm very clear about my brand and who I really am, they're not surprised when we get chin deep in a project and I'm pushing them to say "no" to the idea adding Papyrus to their webfonts.

The more assertive I become regarding who I am, the more I enjoy my own work. I'm not getting hired by nightmare customers anymore because my brand is so in-your-face about what kind of designer and person I am. I'm attracting the people that I want to work with, and repelling those whom I don't.

Just to give you a clearer idea, here are a couple of things anyone who is ever wanting to talk to me should know:

My Favorite "Love Me or Hate Me" Qualities

1. Unabashedly, and unapologetically, honest.
Being painfully honest is one of my very favorite qualities. But it's also one that seems to push people away the most.

On one hand, if I think you're a genius, I'll gush about it. But, if I think your idea sucks, I won't just go along with it to save face. I'll let you know how I feel. I'm not going to be rude about it, I'm just going to be genuinely honest.

This also lends to me having some for-serious relationships. Completely honest relationships are something I wish a saw more of. Sure, you love your mother but you can't tell her that you don't actually want to be a lawyer? You're paying a designer to design something, but don't tell them you want edits because you don't want to hurt their feelings? (That is until you explode in anger when the project is completely finished.) Get real, folks. Own your own truths. Be who you are.

What this means for my brand: I'm pretty assertive when it comes to client requests, whereas I used to be pretty wishy-washy just to make a client "happy." And because using Papyrus makes no one happy, these projects always ended up with me ashamed to put something in my portfolio, and the client returning to me a few months later to make the same changes I had suggested, not "required." Now I don't let clients make bad decisions. My dream customers respect the hell out of me for this.

2. Hardcore potty-mouth.
I read something once, and I have no idea how accurate it actually is, that said that people who curse tend to be more honest. I believe it. And though it's not something I usually grade non-cussers by, it is something that makes me appreciate my own potty mouth more.

If you have problems expressing your feelings with a word, I can only imagine how hard it is for you to express them with a whole sentence.

I'll express my feelings freely, thanks.

And, honestly, I think the idea of a word being bad is just plain silly. Like, how silly would it be if I thought that red was a bad color, because of it's use in bloody horror movies. Silly, indeed. So, I curse openly, when in appropriate company, of course.

What this means for my brand: I'm pretty straight-forward here on the blog. I'll say shit if I want to. Literally and figuratively. But, I'll be the first to admit that I don't curse in client emails; I'm well aware of how unprofessional that is. But, I do have a general rule: if we've shared a cocktail, there are no holes barred. You're getting the full Emily Thompson vocabulary.

3. I call you out on your bullshit.
Part of my being unapologetically honest is that I don't take to bullshit very well. If you're being overdramatic, ridiculous, or are flat out making shit up, I'll call you out. Beware.

What this means for my brand: This follows up closely to #1 above. And this one plays a lot more into my "real" persona than my online/client one. Calling out others' bullshit works a lot more in person. Like when I recently had to put an organization leader in his place when he was up-playing the organization's role in our downtown community. I'm not as sweet/innocent/naïve as I may look, sir, and I will/did call you out on your bullshit. (A dream customer that was present for this event applauded my reaction, and then hired me a few weeks later.)

4. I've got some thick skin.
Sometimes I wonder if David wishes I were daintier. More sentimental. Softer. Maybe even less driven. Then, I realize that, after almost 10 years, if he wanted me to be then he'd have told me so long ago. Or left.

I've got some pretty thick skin. You can call me any name in the book and I'll laugh it off. I work my ass off to get done what needs to be done. I'll barrel through whatever is ahead.

What this means for my brand: I work hard. I will stick to my guns. I can take changes in pace, but will also hold course. I'm a pretty awesome person to have on your side.

Do these revelations make you hate me a bit?

Good! We probably wouldn't get along very well. See ya 'round, mate.

Do they make you love me a little more?

Then we're friends. For real.

Want me on your team?

I can rock a creative business because I'm so confident in who I am. I don't do wishy-washy or half-ass. I get shit done. I'm now taking on dream customers for summer projects. If I haven't offended you or made you angry with this post, then give me a shout. We just might be perfect for each other.

RELATED POSTS
Putting Your Personality into Your Brand
Tough Love
Celebrating Saying "No"