I never wanted to grow a personal brand.

When I even thought of that expression, it made me imagine cheesy influencer-types, all in my face with social media ads, telling me how to be better at my job, or my relationship, or at losing weight — the modern day version of the snake oil salesman.

Even when I saw friends and peers start to elevate their brands and grow their followings, I didn’t want to pursue that path. Even when they pushed me to, I resisted.

I wanted to be taken seriously as a “real” filmmaker, whatever that meant. 

As my business coach once put it: “Do you make films and do you get paid for it?” When I responded, “Yes,” he replied, “Well, then you’re a real filmmaker.”

Something else was going on inside my head and I needed to figure it out.

Could that same voice that was telling me I had to prove I was a real filmmaker be telling me that “personal brand” was a dirty word and attempting to grow one would mean I wasn’t able to cut it as a filmmaker?

Well, after I finished making “Raise Up” — where I grew a decent amount of followers of the movie — and then had some other projects fail, I realized three things:

  1. I couldn’t build a new brand for each new project I created, starting from scratch each time and then virtually ending it when the project was complete. I had way too many projects that I was pursuing. I would burnout quickly.
  2. If I built up my personal following, it would actually help any of the projects I was working on. That means there was transferable attention and I had been missing it.
  3. We all already do have a personal brand, whether we craft it or not — it’s the story people tell about us. Why wouldn’t I want to take control of that?

Once I had this realization, I decided to put more of my energy into telling the stories of my experiences, lessons learned, failures faced, and goals achieved. 

When that happened, things started to change. 

What I hadn’t realized before, was that the more I shared my personal stories, the more impact I had on others. Most people go through the same issues and have the same kinds of voices in their heads telling them false narratives. But few people actually talk about it.

So when I did talk about my experiences, it helped them overcome their obstacles and get closer to their goals.

Not only that, but the more business I created for myself. 

The number of people listening to me started to grow. It was a slow growth (and it still is), but like anything, time and consistency are key. 

Having that audience is crucial as an artist — especially one who is creating several projects — because they will follow you anywhere if the value you provide is consistent and helps them.

If your values are aligned, a personal brand can take you to places and levels you previously thought impossible.

I never wanted to be “that guy” in your social media ads talking about how to be better at whatever.

But I finally asked myself: “Be WHAT guy? A guy who helps others live to their potential, does what he loves, and gets paid well for it?”

I actually don’t mind being that guy at all.

It’s only when we learn to silence those voices in our heads and embrace the vulnerability of sharing our own stories that our true power is allowed to grow and flourish. 

 

Rain Bennett is a two-time Emmy-nominated filmmaker, writer, and competitive storyteller with over a decade of experience producing documentary films that focus on health and wellness. His mission is simple: to make the world happier and healthier by sharing stories of change.

You can read the rest of “Right as Rain” here, and check back every Wednesday on Chapelboro for a new column! 

Chapelboro.com does not charge subscription fees. You can support local journalism and our mission to serve the community. Contribute today – every single dollar matters.

 

Related Stories
None