Let’s talk labels

Right here, today, I am rejecting my fear of being labeled. In fact, it’s time to label myself.

Yes, this stirs in me all sorts of fears and vulnerabilities. I’m too complex to be labeled. … You don’t know me. … There’s more to me than that. But this desire to define how others define me started recently with something I can only describe as coalescence — a small series of unexpected phone calls and surprising e-mail messages, all leading me to the conclusion that people were beginning to figure out what Kristin Magette is all about.

Now, before I get any closer to the self-importance ledge, let me say that these connections and opportunities were not of the life-changing variety. Agreeing to write a short blog post for the web site company at the school district where I work. Sitting as the subject of a video blog for a consultant we’d hired to help us embrace social media, which got exciting traction when Edudemic picked it up. Speaking on a panel in a local social media workshop for non-profits. Writing an article or two for an education journal about social media in schools. The kinds of things that flatter but don’t make you some kind of a Big Deal. (Which is good because I’ve watched enough reality shows on Bravo to know that I am not entirely interested in being a Big Deal.)

But in the midst of realizing that I was kind of becoming known for something, I read the perfect post by (amazing) Jonathan Fields. His point: People will label you – so you’d best label yourself first. And this was the moment when I decided to take control. I am more than someone who has ideas about social media in schools — I love that part of my job and professional identity – but it is just one part. The need to label myself more holistically is what led me to personal branding. And if I’m going to brand myself, I need to decide what that means and how to get there. Learning from a friend and colleague who has a masterful approach to personal branding (read about it on his blog here), these are the goals I set for myself:

1. Improve my profile on LinkedIn to maximize for SEO, and be purposeful about my use of social media, in particular Twitter and (sigh) Google+. Seek to engage with the users and spaces I want to be connected to.
2. Create greeting cards featuring a quote that gets to the essence of who I am and how I want to be perceived. Use these cards to send personal notes to friends and colleagues on occasion.
3. Write a short, easily remembered personal boilerplate. (Insert shout-out to the awesome journalism teachers of my past for the fact that I know what a boilerplate is.) Weave this into my LinkedIn profile, and include it on the back of the greeting cards.
4. Upgrade my professional photograph. (No, that selfie I took from my laptop in an old dumpy office doesn’t quite do it for me anymore.) Since I currently lack a budget for this goal, I’ll focus on other goals for now. The free ones.
5. Start blogging. (This was not an original goal, but seeing as how I’ve now done it, I am adding it to my list. Does anyone else out there add things they’ve already done to their to-do list? Oh. Okay.)

If you have worked on personal branding for yourself or have thoughts about my goals, please share!