Who am I?

by Anders Jildén

What is your personal brand, when there isn’t that one thing you are really good at?

I’ve been wrecking my brain for a long time with this question. Mainly because I’ve been thinking on what I want to / should focus my personal brand on. What’s bothering me most about this issue is that I can’t seem to focus on one particular thing. I’m supposed to find the one thing I enjoy the most and one I’m good at and go on with creating content around that topic. Go deep instead of wide. Gary advised so and there is no disputing his word. He is THE guy we should listen to when it comes to personal branding. I worship the guy. Yet I’m struggling with myself when it comes to this.

I can’t figure out what that one thing is!?

I like too many things. So many in fact, that I feel decent in many of them, but I’ve not really mastered any of them.

I like playing video games. But I’m not particularly good. I also like to play different kinds of games. But my insight into these games is superficial at best. I was never interested in understanding the intricacies of trading in World of Warcraft, just as much as I’m not keen on putting in the necessary time and effort to become a global elite in Counter Strike GO, because once I achieve that goal, what am I supposed to do then? Play that one game for the next 30 years? Same goes for every other game. I play games for the fun of it, not to achieve the ultimate endgame that most people seem to want.

Then there’s woodworking. I love making things out of wood but I’m not very good at it. Some people, family included, may disagree because I can build things they would never even attempt. But to me that’s not at all something I’d say I’m particularly good at. And this hobby of mine is limited to vacation and weekends as this is not the sort of thing I can do from 7pm to 2am, the neighbours would probably not like the noise.

And video editing. I used to love doing it, to an extent I still do. I was OK at it and even got some commission work done. But I never really mastered it to a point where I could say I’m better than someone else, and could offer insight into it. In the time since I last did it properly, so many things have changed.

Same goes for music. I’m a drummer, I have an awesome kit. I love playing it. But there are far better drummers out there and I don’t feel I have something to contribute to this community. And again this is not really a thing I can practice late at night …

Photography and picture retouching, writing, voiceover recording, sound editing, graphic design, consulting, music composing, cooking, PC building, landscaping, playing poker, interior design, reviewing all sorts of content and the list goes on and on and on …

I’ve tried doing everything and I, for the most part, liked doing everything. But none of them to an extent where I’d be willing to say: “Yes! This is what I want to do for the rest of my life and I will love every second of it!” I love the variety. Doing something different every day.

Perhaps that IS my personal brand. I can and will do anything and everything, just not very well. 🙂 Jack of all trades kind of thing. Because hell, that’s my life. That’s my story. All I can do is tell it, the way it is. Authentic and open.

Is there even anyone that would be interested in reading/watching content like that?

I’ll get back to you …

Let me know what you think on twitter.

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