Who you are today differs from who you were a decade ago. A pivot is not something to fear; it is an opportunity to promote something new.
The Manifesto's author pivoted several times, from network marketing to podcasting, to managing musical talent, to public relations, to personal brand consulting, and kept an audience throughout because people were connected to the person, not the profession.
That trust is what makes a pivot safe. When you change direction, your past becomes the building blocks of the new story rather than something to hide.
Developing trust with your fanbase gives you the security to take those leaps and change directions.
Personal Branding: A Manifesto on Fame and Influence, Second Edition, 8.6
The moves ISIA, the engine behind the Brand Audit, draws from this part of the doctrine. Each one is something you can do this month, and the reason it matters.
This page is a summary. The subchapter itself goes further, with the reasoning, the stories behind it, and the exercise that closes it.
Not if they are connected to you as a person. That is why the Manifesto insists on building the personal side, not only the professional one.
Only when your work genuinely changes. The Manifesto is not an endorsement of changing paths every other week.
Advice Isaac Mashman has given on his own shows and in interviews on this subject, from the same library MCG consultants work from. Each one keeps the words he said it in, and links to the transcript where there is one.
Keep your name, your accounts, and your story when you change business models. Announce the new direction as the next chapter of the same person.
“it is who you are”
Unrivaled Results with Mashman Ventures, “UNRIVALED: Personal Branding Training”, April 13, 2022
Name the one theme that has run through every business and role you have had. Make it the constant thread in your story as you change direction.
Read the transcript ↗ (opens in a new tab)“the main pillar of my brand has remained the same”
Chase the Vision with Isaac Mashman, “The Future of My Brand and Chase the Vision Podcast”, August 18, 2020
Do not hold yourself to who you were five years ago in the name of authenticity. Present who you are now and who you are building yourself into.
Read the transcript ↗ (opens in a new tab)“your authentic self of yesterday might not be your authentic self of today”
Chase the Vision with Isaac Mashman, “Pursuing Authenticity Leads To Inauthenticity”, February 4, 2022
Sharing stories from your own life is one of the best ways to build rapport. People who only hear about your profession only stay for what they can get.
A 2:1 ratio from Identity Positioning: A Macroscopic View on Personal Branding. For every two steps that grow the brand side, take one that grows the personal side.
There should be no doubt who you are when someone introduces you, on or offline, and no question that you are the right person to follow.
Engagements are accepted by application and seats are limited each quarter. Tell us who you are, what you are building, and the position you intend to hold.
