How your values become a personal brand

Have you thought about what kind of people you admire? What are your values?

Creativity, freedom, energy, dynamic living, challenges and independence are some of the most common values.

But what are they exactly?

Here’s one question that’s even more important. What’s charisma? And why do some people have such a strong personal brand? Charisma comes from ancient Greek, “hari” means “a gift”. Your values are your gift and your trademark.

A lot is said and written about values, let’s explore what they are and how they relate to our careers.

What are values?

Values are neither material nor mandatory. They are a state of being that accompanies you throughout your life, whether you realize it or not.

Sometimes you feel bad about something you did, but you’re not sure why. Very often it is because you have acted against a value of yours without realizing it.

Values are often abstract concepts such as “freedom”. What do you think of when you hear the word “freedom”? What does it mean to be to be free? Define “freedom” and keep in mind that it will be different from someone else’s definition.

What do values have to do with freedom?

There’s an online megastar who lives her life in the best way for her because she’s been able to define her values and build her career around them.

In 2010, twenty-one-year-old Lily Singh, now known asIISuperwomanIIin YouTube, records a video from her parents’ house in Ontario.

She had decided that she wouldn’t graduate from university, but would instead create comical short videos on the new platform.

She takes this risk after the global financial crisis, when young graduates are unable to find work and support themselves, and what would that mean for a person without a degree?

Of course, her parents are against it, but she insists. She follows her heart, sees how she can be compassionate and contribute to the well-being of other people, in other words, she begins a career aligned with her own values.

She wants to be a bubbly individual who is connected to others, who inspires and changes the world around and beyond her.

How IISuperwomanII embodies her values

In the beginning, Singh suffers from depression, and yet, driven by her feelings about what she is capable of and what she wants, she begins to build an empire.

Today, she enjoys over 14 million subscribers, has partnered with Bill Gates, The Rock Dwayne Johnson, Michelle Obama.

In 2015, she started a campaign against girl-on-girl hate and managed to support over a thousand girls in their struggle to receive education in Kenya and India.

In 2016, her first film was released, in 2017 and 2018 she worked together with UNICEF for children’s rights and safe education.

She published a book on personal development – a New York Times bestseller.

She has a TV talk show that Lily Singh hosts and executive produces.

Do personal values change?

Singh’s guiding values were not the same during this nine-year period. Of course, her strongest values have remained, but they have simply shifted in the order of her priorities.

In the beginning, individuality and self-care were leading, then gradually compassion and connectedness with others prevailed, and her career reflected this change.

In the past year, the original values have once again been at the top of her list of priorities.

As people change, so do our priorities.

It is important to align our core values with each other, even when it is difficult.