If I had a dollar for every time I heard that, I’d be on a yacht in the Bahamas instead of sitting writing this blog.

It’s pretty simple really. A personal brand is all about what you bring to the world. It defines who you are and how other people perceive you.

According to the experts we form an opinion of someone within the first 5 minutes of meeting them. In today’s instant connection world you can probably shorten that to 140 tweet characters, or the time it takes you read a Facebook status update.

Every day in every way, people are forming opinions about what we say and do and think, and judging us on how we look, how we present ourselves, how we work and how we relate.

So whether you’re into this personal brand thing or not, you’ve got one. And just like any brand – celebrity, business, product or YOU – it needs to be authentic, sustainable and engaging if you want it to produce results. 

And personal brands have the power to produce some amazing results, let me tell you. Whether it’s getting a better job, winning a business pitch, or enjoying a more fulfilling relationship with your kids or significant other, your personal brand has a significant part to play.

But just like any successful brand, brand YOU needs to be well managed or it can lose traction and credibility in the marketplace. 

If you think working on your personal branding sounds too much like hard work, and prefer to adopt the “take me as I am and like it or lump it” philosophy, that’s your choice. It also makes you the complaints department if you aren’t where you want to be in your life, and could warrant a bit of navel-gazing and a good hard look in the mirror.

Personal branding is an investment in yourself and the people you care about most. Think of it as raising your interest rate and increasing your value in the marketplace.