The Del Taco Approach: Refining Your Personal Brand to Showcase Your Talents

In our ongoing conversation around personal branding, I recently had an engaging discussion with my brother and longtime friend, Leonidas Caldwell. He is a multi-faceted and multi-talented individual with significant brand equity and tenure in his industry. The challenge we discussed was how to effectively showcase his multiple talents without compromising the focus of his personal brand. This dilemma is something many of us face as we strive to highlight our diverse capabilities.

To help my brother, I introduced the "Del Taco" analogy. At first glance, one might assume Del Taco only serves tacos. However, once inside, customers discover a wider variety of offerings. Similarly, when it comes to personal branding, it's crucial to create a focused message that invites people in and then pleasantly surprises them with your full range of talents.

To achieve this focus, we went through an exercise that I want to share with you. Here's a step-by-step guide on how to develop a strong foundation for your personal brand:

1. List your talents: Write down all the skills, talents, and qualities you want to showcase.
2. Group your talents: Organize your talents into buckets based on what works best together.
3. Identify your current experience and aspirations: Determine which talents represent your current expertise and future aspirations.
4. Align your messaging: Anchor your personal brand's messaging, social media content, and other communication around your current experience and aspirations.

By following these steps, you create a focused and cohesive brand. People may initially perceive you as a thought leader in a specific area, but once they explore further, they'll discover your additional talents and expertise. This approach ensures that all your talents are part of the bigger theme of your brand, rather than being left unrecognized.

To bring more awareness to your talents and skills—whether for attracting potential partners or employment—develop content pillars based on your current focus and aspirations. This alignment will result in a clear, focused message that effectively communicates who you are now and who you aspire to be in the future.

Embrace the Del Taco approach to personal branding, and you'll create a strong, focused brand that pleasantly surprises others with your full range of talents.