The ROI of a personal brand.
Three overarching reasons, drawn directly from Personal Branding: A Manifesto on Fame and Influence (opens in a new tab). Most people are driven by a combination, and the mix can change over time without undermining the brand.
Money
Personal branding is a vehicle for revenue: driving awareness to a business, sponsorships and affiliate income, paid speaking, and the ability to charge more as reputation compounds. The book's own example: a consultant may start at $100 a session and scale toward $10,000 an hour as their brand grows.
Mission
A widely-known personal brand gives someone the platform to advance causes they care about, at low cost and high efficiency. The book cites Richard Branson's climate and education initiatives and Bill Gates's public health work as examples of the mission-driven archetype.
Vanity
People like attention and recognition; wanting to be known is treated as a legitimate, ingrained human motivator rather than something to be ashamed of, provided it does not become the only driving force.
You do not need just one reason.
A person may be driven by one, a combination, or all three, and the mix can change over time without undermining the brand. Do not present them as mutually exclusive or ranked in importance in body copy; the Money/Mission/Vanity order is a presentation choice for this page only.
Your name is already being interpreted. The question is who are they, and what are they thinking?
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.