On a blustery, gray day in February, sixty people learned how to color their personal brand.

As part of a capstone for the MS in Organization Development and Knowledge Management, my team and I led a full-day workshop to help participants discover how they see themselves and how the world mirrors them back.

So what is personal brand, exactly? The way we termed it, based on an amalgamation of research from authors like Dorie Clark and Hubert Rampersand, is this:

Personal branding is about taking the time to understand our internal and external influences and then living strategically and authentically so that the world sees you in your best light. It’s what other people say about you when you leave the room.

To satisfy some of the math-inclined folks, we created the following equation hone to it in:

Internal Exploration + External Feedback = Personal Brand

With each of our six team members dressed in each color of the rainbow, representing the six subsections of personal branding, this was truly a colorful journey. The first part of the day focused on exploring our internal influences, understanding our values learning how to show up authentically, and how to discover our purpose in life. This portion culminated in drawing individual and group vision boards (which research posits offer a 42% greater likelihood in completing goals), as well as crafting personal brand statements.

After a refreshing catered lunch, we invited participants to seek feedback from their crafted “feedback communities.” Clarifying how others see us helps to shape our personal brand so that we can portray a consistent and powerful image. We equipped them with tools of how to ask the appropriate questions in order to extract feedback, and how to navigate the information they would collect from their circle of confidants. Since feedback is difficult to ask for and even harder to internalize, we encouraged participants to make a commitment to themselves to step outside their comfort zones. After all, our primary goal was to host a space for learning, reflection, and ultimately action.

A beautiful and novel addition to our workshop was the immensely talented Lauren Green’s graphic facilitation. Throughout the course of the workshop, Lauren visually documented key points that culminated in a stunning spread.

By the end of the 8-hour workshop, participants came away with their completed workbook, action steps to further propagate their self-discovery, and an understanding of how to color their personal brand.

Seven months of diligent work of blood, sweat, and tears later (definitely the last two!), and my team felt immense pride as the final round of applause boomed in the presentation hall. It truly was job well done, and we were grateful for our participants’ feedback:

• “[This workshop helped me] become more aware and mindful of others and how I interact with people. Sometimes we do things without thinking, so getting feedback from others is helpful, as is being aware of how to get feedback from others.” – Participant
• “Healing for me was able to take place, and for that I am grateful.” – Participant
• “[This workshop] allowed us to dive deep into our being and share with other people. [The] activities showed many different elements, even contradicting qualities, that make up who I am.” – Program Professor and Participant