Identity Crisis: Personal vs. Business Brand

The walls between our personal and business lives are coming down fast. The evolution of social media has blurred the line between work and after-hours. Business meetings once conducted behind closed doors are now held in coffee shops and bars. While in New York City I overheard one young entrepreneur saying she was going to a nightclub to meet with a client. With the rules relaxed, business seems more fun. So what possibly could go wrong?

Everything.

First of all, if you are the business owner, be very mindful of not piercing your own corporate veil. When your business activities become indistinguishable from your personal life, you may have effectively side-stepped your own business’s liability protection. Moreover, you may have compromised your own brand. You want your business to build a brand for itself with the products and services it provides. You want to build your personal brand for the skill set that you possess. If you become the brand of your business, and something happens to compromise either side, both will suffer, and sometimes with disastrous consequences.

I recently had a client who founded a successful marketing business. In a few short years, business swelled and word-of-mouth marketing attracted a near-cult following to them. After several years in the business, the founder took a leave of absence for a month and left the staff in charge. Reality set in fast. Customers weren’t attracted to the business, they were attracted to the founder! Business dropped significantly but rebounded somewhat upon their return. Unfortunately, the damage was done and some customers had left for other services. The company is now closed and the founder is working on a plan to launch under a modified format. In my discussions, I learned that this individual put too much focus on themselves and not the quality of the product produced by the company. The new business plan is focused more on the business’s ability to produce a quality product and less on the individuals within the organization.

Your personal brand should stand independent of your business brand. Should you eventually exit your business (or even just your job), you want to be able to carry your brand with you to your next venture.  You also do not want the business you worked so hard on collapsing without you. Or, instead of exiting, you might operate several businesses at once and become branded as a successful entrepreneur. Over time, your professional successes and relationships will define and mature your personal brand.

So what is the right balance between your personal brand and business brand? That will of course vary by person and company. Generally, one should not define the other, but compliment each other. Being able to juggle the two is rapidly becoming an important skill for any entrepreneur to have. Master this with a positive reputation, and you are well on your way to being a great success.