1. Find your identity: Like with defining success, only you can determine your identity. You must identify what defines you and what you want to be known for and build your brand around that. Be specific and clear and work toward that goal. In my case, I found my identity by chance and only began to develop it after I started my own company. Prior to that, I did not engage in creating nor cultivating my brand. However, when I did finally understand what I wanted to be known for, I aggressively began to cultivate it. I became known as an expert in hurricane mitigation of exterior building products.

2. Find your specialty: Once you have identified what you want to be known for, you must choose your area of specialty. The area of practice that you will be known for and develop expertise in. In my case, my specialty found me. I became involved in, and came to know of, my specialty by accident. This happened when I applied for a job as a clerk, while at the university, at a small specialty engineering firm. Little did I know that that one decision would lead to all this. I was open-minded to an opportunity that presented itself, and I took full advantage. My specialty came to be hazard mitigation of the building envelope.

3. Become an expert: After you have identified your area of specialty, you need to do whatever it takes to become an expert in the field. This can be done by following the steps to cultivate your brand listed next. In my case, I trained under an expert for over 13 years and learned all there was to know about the field. I even found ways to improve upon what I had learned. Once I started my own firm, I then started to develop my identity and cultivate my brand using all the strategies listed in the next section on how to cultivate your brand.

4. Create credentials: In the process of becoming an expert, you need to start earning credibility. This can be accomplished by sharing your knowledge with the community and your profession in a manner that creates a name for yourself and allows you to achieve recognition. Examples of credentials are leading a professional organization, writing a book or article in your profession, achieving certifications or additional areas of specialty. In my case, once again, I did not partake in creating credentials for myself until I started my own firm. However, when I finally realized that it would be beneficial to find ways to set myself apart from my competition, I began to find ways to increase my name recognition. I accomplished this by publishing magazine articles in my industry, heading a professional organization, writing a book, presenting papers at conferences, serving as an expert witness, being quoted in industry magazines regarding current events in my field, raising awareness of my profession by whatever means I found available.

5. Become a mentor: When you become a mentor, you achieve one of the highest levels of success. You get the opportunity to teach others and be able to mold and shape their careers. In my case, I have found this to be one of the most rewarding aspects of cultivating a brand for myself. Becoming known for someone who gives back and helps the profession by mentoring students or young professionals.

1. Build your identity: Once you have identified your identity, what you want to be known for, then you must build on that identity. Create a persona around your identity. This is done through self-promotion. Frame your image around what you want to be known for professionally. Get the word out on your website, magazines, social media, and professional networking sites about what you are working on and what you want to be known for. In my case, I have found it very helpful to post on professional networking sites such as LinkedIn and even Facebook about all my events, and I always make it a point to include keywords that let people know what I want to be known for. For me, I have broken it down to two key phrases, they are hurricane mitigation expert and author and entrepreneur. You would be surprised how much word gets out to individuals who do not participate, like, post, or rely on social media. I cannot tally how many people, that I do not even know, have come up to me at networking events or even social functions and mention or congratulate me on my accomplishments simply by me posting about it on social media.

2. Seek recognition: Become active in your professional organizations or associations. Most offer yearly awards and recognition. You need to seek out those opportunities, get the word out about what you are working on, and apply to be considered for the award or recognition. In my case, I was awarded as one of the top 100 minority-owned businesses in South simply by attending an event with my wife and applying for consideration. Had I not applied, I would not have been considered nor would I have received the recognition.

3. Share your work: Share you work with your community and profession. This is the best way to reach the maximum number of people. This can be done by:

(a) Writing an article: Reach out to magazine editors of your professional trade publications and submit a proposal for an article. In my case, I was approached, via LinkedIn, after posting about my endeavors to raise awareness of hurricane mitigation after a series of hurricanes threatened Florida. Once I wrote the first article, that same editor reached out to me numerous other times and recommended me to other editors for stories or contributions.

(b) Preparing a webinar: This is one way to put in effort once, on a presentation, in preparing the webinar, that can then be easily repeated often with little additional effort and garner much reward. In my case, I started presenting webinars when asked to do so as part of my membership in the Architectural Engineering Institute’s curtain wall committee. Once I prepared the first one, presenting them again became a simple task, and I was paid a royalty for each live presentation as well as for purchases of the taped versions.

(c) Presenting at a conference: This is the best way to reach out to and get feedback and learn from your peers. This will expose you to increased scrutiny of your work and provide credibility. In my case, I was asked, as part of my membership in a professional committee, to answer a call for papers to be presented at the next national conference. My abstract was approved, and I was able to present in front of my peers for the first time, increasing my brand awareness and name recognition.

(d) Taping a podcast: This is the best way to get word out quickly and share your expertise on current events happening that affect your profession. This can afford you the most exposure. In my case, once again, based on my postings on LinkedIn and Facebook, I was approached on two instances to tape a podcast to get my professional opinion after recent hurricanes had made landfall in the United States and the nearby island of Puerto Rico. One was a radio show podcast for Univision on the effects on the island of Puerto Rico, and the other, a more general member services podcast for an engineering career center on preparing for powerful storms. This provided me with increased exposure and credibility as an expert. I was also recently featured on a special report story on television for a Spanish language network, Telemundo, during their sweep’s week on the potential effects of a powerful storm hitting the area of North Florida, an area not known for its code enforcement. The story was well received and provided me with additional credibility. I have also taped several podcasts on entrepreneurship to develop my reputation in that area as a credible source.

(e) Presenting at a lunch and learn: This is the best way to reach out to potential clients, as they gather in numbers to focus on what you have to say. Provide valuable information, not too much, but just a taste; demonstrate your knowledge in the field; and use that as your selling point. In my case, while I was marketing my services to potential clients and building envelope product manufacturers, I had proposed to them that I present on a workshop at their offices to educate their customers and potential customers on the hazards and proper design to mitigate hurricane damage. One such client recommended I speak at a lunch and learn that one of his suppliers attends frequently, so I did. It was extraordinarily successful, and I came away with two repeat clients based on that presentation alone plus additional work from an existing client that I had invited to attend.

4. Write a book: If you are an expert in your field, there should be no shortage of topics that could benefit students or professionals striving and aspiring to succeed in your profession. In my case, I was inspired by members of a professional organization after I was asked to present to their local student chapter on how I transitioned from an engineer to an entrepreneur. The success of that presentation along with many more after that was the genesis for deciding to write my first book. The success of that book, and the satisfaction derived from that experience, was the motivation to write this one. A word of caution to aspiring authors on publishing options (other than self-publishing) based on my personal experiences of trying to get my books published:

(a) Vanity press: Called such because they prey on the author’s desire to see their work published. They will praise your book as excellent, but they will publish pretty much anything without even reading it and ask the author to pay for everything. They will not promote or market your book. They do not care about your online presence or marketing potential. They make their money off the authors fees, which are inflated fees charged to the authors to get their book published.

(b) Copublishing or hybrid or emerging authors: The author and publisher split the costs of publication. They may read your work and offer advice, but the author will be asked to pay a significant portion of the publishing costs. They will do as little marketing as possible. They require you to have a significant online presence and marketing potential. They make their money off the author’s fees and royalties on book sales.

(c) Subsidy: They will read and critique your work. They will publish only work they deem of quality. They will offer or require the author to pay for services to improve the quality and sales of your book. They require you to have a significant online presence and marketing potential. They make their money off the author’s fees to edit, market, and promote your book and on royalties on book sales.

(d) Traditional: They will thoroughly read, and peer review your manuscript. They will only publish quality work. The author pays nothing to get the book published. They will market and promote your book and help you increase your online presence and marketing potential. They make their money off royalties on book sales and licensing agreements. This is the publishing agreement and option that I have used to get both of my books published and is my recommended option for you. It requires patience and a well-written inquiry letter and book proposal.