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Your brand identity is closely tied to what you stand for and what is unique or offers value to an intended target audience. It can be anything that you want to be known for, such as a particular set of skills, a vision, or some other value. Determining a brand strategy is rarely about one's basic skills or strengths alone, but, rather, how those play out within a particular environment and among other individuals in the environment, such as with your peers, colleagues, or upper management.

Authenticity and passion are imperative. No matter how much you may want to be associated with a particular value, if it is not well supported by your competencies, your audience will not accept it. It is important to remain honest with yourself. This does not mean that you cannot focus on or work to develop skills that support your desired brand. Simply start with a solid basis for your true value. Passion is related to your reflection on the world around you and any opinions you may have. The greatest brands are associated with missions to solve an important problem, and work best when the problem is being solved by a true desire and ability.

Just having particular assets and skills are not enough; you need to be known for your value. You do this by building your brand. Through building a clear plan and direction, you are able to stay consistent in how you communicate about yourself and ensure that you reach the people that matter to you. Consistency over time and media are key to building one's brand, so having a plan or direction is important.

The purpose of this chapter is to describe how to create a plan for your brand. It will uniquely describe the process specific to physicians and researchers and offer solutions to common questions that make building a personal brand so challenging for many individuals.