Your Reputation Precedes You
You never know how people think about you until you ask.
For a long time, I’ve lived a digital double life. I had a professional presence that was a bit too quiet, and a personal life that was vocal, fun, and full of heart.
Earlier this year, I was accepted into a Global Biodiversity Advocacy course. My goal was simple but ambitious: Expand my professional network and immerse myself in the high-level conversations surrounding international diplomacy.
It’s been an incredible journey so far. I’ll be sharing a full piece on my experiences and the lessons I’ve learned from the world of advocacy, but today, I want to talk about personal branding.
What is the Tone of Your Reputation?
Last week, we had a powerful session led by Denise Caesar, the Founder and Executive Chair of Freadom Finders. Caesar is a marketing and branding specialist, and she spoke to us about personal branding. I must say, she delivered one of the most riveting and engaging virtual presentations I’ve ever experienced.
I knew I was in for a ride when she started the session with this scenario,
“Imagine that you have been shortlisted for something big… but you are not allowed into the room just yet.
Your reputation is going in first.
It’s going to begin to speak on your behalf.
Your reputation is not just your resume. It’s your habits, conduct, comments, reposts, silence, associations, consistency…
What tone would your reputation have? What is your reputation going to say.”
I was locked in.
I knew this was going to be a thought-provoking and potentially life-changing presentation.
The Old Me
Prior to this session, I hadn’t given my reputation much thought.
I spent years building a career as an ecologist, carefully mapping out forest structure and environmental dynamics, but I realized recently that I’d forgotten to build the most important map of all: the one that leads people to who I am and what I do.
I just thought, well…I’m good to others, I stick to my word, and I am good at what I do. That should be good enough.
Right?
But if a tree fell in a forest and no one heard it, did it make a sound?
The obvious answer is yes, but no one heard it.
The internet is the forest where people come to hear your sound. You may not care too much about what others think, but what others think of you may be linked to your next opportunity.
The Perfect Double Life
Who does Google, LinkedIn, Instagram, TikTok, etc. say you are? Does it align with who you are, who you want to be, or what you want others to know about you?
Allow me to be 100% real and transparent with you. My professional page reflected my career, and my personal page reflected my life. Both were authentically me, just two different perspectives.
If you look at my personal page, it’s giving: funny, adventurous, thoughtful, family-oriented, amateur chef, and motivational. Maybe even stylish? At least, I’d like to think so!
But my professional page wasn’t giving much at all. I have a LinkedIn, but I barely interact with it. I don’t post much about my technical skills, I rarely showcase new tips and tricks for data analysis, and I rarely speak on environmental topics that I am passionate about.
I have only recently started posting about my expertise in modeling and mapping, as well as how I think about science.
If my reputation walked into a room, it would tell half of the people that I was an educated motivational speaker who loves makeup, travel, outdoors, and family-time. It would tell the other half that I am an ecologist. But everyone would probably be left with the question,
“But what does she actually do?”
Separating Personal and Business
We’ve been told to separate our business and personal lives online, and keep our personal pages private. I say do what resonates with you.
I’ve always lived by the rule: Never put anything on the internet that you wouldn’t want your parents to see. As someone born and raised in the Caribbean, that rule holds significant weight.
Regardless of the situation, you should definitely amplify the things you want to be known for. That is if you desire to be found.
I have been in situations where I’ve recommended someone in my network to another person for an opportunity. I’m sure you can think of a time when you recommended someone you knew for an opportunity as well.
The reality is that many of our greatest opportunities come from sideways connections. I’m talking about the opportunities you get through your friends, colleagues, or even people you meet on the street who ask for your Instagram.
Your reputation often precedes you.
Before you even have the chance to introduce yourself, your reputation is at work.
What do you want to be known for?
I knew what I thought of myself, but I had no idea what the room really saw. So last week, I decided to embark on a new mission: taking full control of my personal brand and being intentional about how I present myself to the world.
I realized that if I didn't define myself, someone would do it for me, likely leaving out the best parts. So, instead of just sitting with the 'double life' dilemma, I decided to build a bridge between them.
I bought a domain, opened a WordPress template, and set out to build a digital home that finally housed both the scientist and the motivator. Let’s just say, I now fully understand why web developers charge what they do! It is no easy task.
As I sat down to build my website, I realized that I wanted to see myself through the eyes of the people I’ve actually impacted. With a bit of nerves and a lot of curiosity, I reached out to my community to fill in my blind spots.
I think that there is a specific kind of authenticity that comes from others describing how they encounter you.
So I sent out a simple message via Instagram, WhatsApp, and email: “Hey, would you mind writing a brief review of our time working together?”
Almost immediately, a response came in from one of my former mentees from the South Pacific Islands. And while reading it, I was moved to tears.
Reflecting on our time during the EcoREU, she wrote:
To me, a good mentor is someone who is patient, honest, and actually invested in your growth, someone who guides you but also lets you find your own footing. That is exactly who you were to me at that time of my life.
You created a space where I felt comfortable asking questions and learning
I always tell people about you when they ask about my time with EcoREU.
This response showed me that maybe my reputation isn’t as quiet as I thought.
It reiterated to me that your reputation speaks in spaces you have not been (yet).
And it reminded me that how you show up matters.
It was Maya Angelou who said,
“I'’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”
So I’ll leave you with 3 questions:
What are you known for?
What tone does your reputation have?
