Lessons from a Haircut

Have you ever had one of those moments where something completely ordinary turns into an unexpected lesson? That happened to me during my recent, and long overdue, visit to the hairdresser.

Unexpected Luxury

Picture this: I’m leaning back in the chair at the hair washing station, you know the one—where your head rests in that funny-shaped sink. My hairdresser, Emma, asks if I’d like a massage. Naturally, I assume she means a scalp massage while washing my hair. But no, with the push of a button, the chair reclines, my feet lift up, and suddenly I’m being massaged from head to toe while getting my hair washed.

Pure bliss.

And in that moment of unexpected luxury, a thought struck me: Why had I waited so long to do this?

INDEX

• Understanding Personal Branding
• What is a Personagram
• How to find your Personagram
• Bringing your Personagram to Life
• Practical Applications
• Common Challenges & Solutions
• Product and Service Development
• Strategic Team Building, Partnerships and Finding Mentors

Unintentional Growth

This got me thinking about how building a personal brand is remarkably similar to growing your hair. Here’s the thing: your hair keeps growing whether you visit the hairdresser or not. Whether you get it cut and styled, or not. Even if you completely ignore it, it keeps growing.

The same goes for your personal brand.

Growth happens whether you’re intentional about it or not.

Before you know it, your brand, like untended hair, doesn’t really have a shape or style anymore.

It’s not that it necessarily looks bad, some people might actually like it the way it is. But it’s unintentional. And in branding, just like in hair care, being unintentional rarely leads to the best results.

Is “accidentally acceptable” really what you want for your brand?

Oh, what to do…

I just wasn’t sure what I wanted to do with my hair. I like it long. I used to have my hair down to my waist for many years, and many people told me I should grow it out again while I still could. 😆

But I felt most comfortable when I had my hair short. I also wasn’t sure how I felt about the gray hairs that kept multiplying. 👵🏼 Should I color my hair (like ALL the other women in my family)? Should I let it grow?

So I was torn and indecisive. And my hair kept growing.

Sound familiar?

Many of us hesitate to take action because we don’t have the perfect plan. But here’s a truth worth embracing: sometimes, you have to move forward with an imperfect strategy. Action creates clarity.

Taking Imperfect Action

Here’s what I’ve learned: change starts with action. Sometimes we need to trick ourselves into moving forward by taking imperfect action. We don’t need to have everything figured out before we take the first step.

Sometimes we need to trick ourselves to continue moving forward by taking imperfect action.

When I finally made that appointment, I showed Emma some Pinterest photos and explained my dilemmas. She listened, offered advice, and helped me find a solution that felt right for me.

The Beauty of the Process

The cool thing about personal branding is that you can make building your brand part of the branding process itself. Just like that awkward phase when you’re sitting in the salon chair with foils in your hair or wearing one of those unflattering capes—it might look funny, but it’s part of the journey.

Without context, these in-between moments might seem confusing or unprofessional. But when you share the why behind what you’re doing and the outcome you’re aiming for, it all makes sense. It becomes part of your story.

Sometimes we have to take the next step without fully knowing or understanding quite yet how we’re going to get to where we want to go

And we have to remind ourselves that’s ok to look funny in the process.

The Human Advantage

Contrary to popular belief, showing that you haven’t figured everything out doesn’t diminish your authority. In fact, it makes you more human. And in the age of AI, that’s a huge advantage.

It’s not about WHAT you know anymore. It’s not about WHO you know either. It’s about who you ARE.

We’re no longer in the information age where success was determined by what you know or who you know. Today, it’s about who you ARE. Your authentic self is your greatest asset.

The Perfect Blend

In the end, I went with a style that’s short in the back and longer in the front—the best of both worlds. Emma didn’t color the gray hairs (which would have trapped me in a cycle of root touch-ups I didn’t want). Instead, she created a perfect blend that allows me to stay true to who I am while fitting my lifestyle.

Isn’t that exactly what we should aim for with our personal brands? A perfect blend of authenticity and practicality?

Let’s grow!

If you’ve been putting your personal brand on autopilot because you have a business to grow, or if you think the personal branding ship has sailed (it hasn’t!), or if you’ve been watching others create huge impacts with their personal brands and wondering if you could do the same—this is your sign.

It’s time for a brand refresh. It’s time to be intentional about your growth. It’s time to show the world who you really are.

It takes guts to show the world your authentic self. But just like a great haircut, the results are worth it and will make you feel more confident.

What’s the first step you’ll take today toward a more intentional personal brand?

Next Steps

If you resonate with the Providing Structure superpower, it means your brand has the potential to become a trusted leader in your space. Your next step? Use this insight to refine your brand strategy.

Want to know your brand superpower? Take the quiz! Then check out this article about Personagrams and Superpowers.

Need help applying this to your brand? Let’s talk! I specialize in brand strategy for chiropractors and other purpose-driven service providers. Schedule a Discovery Call with me to start building a brand that stands the test of time and feels like you.