You’ve evolved. A few years ago, or just a few months ago, you were someone else. Your interests have changed. Your morals have shifted. Your industry may have changed.
However, a strange thing occurs when it is time to go online.
You fall back to your former self. The one that people still know. The one that your network, coworkers, and former clients anticipate seeing. The person who no longer accurately reflects you but feels comfortable. Welcome to what I refer to as The Past Life Syndrome which occurs when your personal brand is trapped in a version that no longer fits.
The Cost of Staying Small
It’s not only a branding problem. There is an energy leak. Your clarity is eroded each time you post anything that doesn’t represent who you are now. You begin to second-guess who you are speaking to, what you should say, and how to say it.
Before publishing, you pause. Your water down your message. Before clicking “publish,” you scan your audience list, wondering who would criticize you for pivoting. So, you take precautions. You play it safe. Or worse, you continue to be predictable. And the gap widens.
Between you and your voice, as well as between you and your audience.
Why it’s Hard to Let Go
Giving up a “past life” version of your brand is an emotional choice as much as a strategic one.
It’s possible that you’re clinging to the reputation you’ve worked so hard to establish, the recognition that previously made you feel noticed, or the silent worry that if you make a change now, it will be like beginning again. Additionally, there is pressure, whether explicit or implicit, to maintain consistency even when it no longer represents who you are.
The reality is that both individuals and brands can evolve. You can outgrow the person you were before. You may openly enable your brand to develop. You may also do it without being apologetic. Because being stagnant in private is the only thing more awkward than changing in public.
Your Identity isn’t a Niche
The idea that you must stick to one niche is one of the most common myths about personal branding. But people aren’t like that. You are not a product. You are a human being. Humans are also multifaceted.
Reflecting who you are now in a way that appeals to the people you wish to work with, assist, or connect with is the aim of a personal brand, not to box you in. Selecting one version of yourself and dismissing the others is not the path to clarity. It results from being the owner of the throughline.
Your values may be that throughline. Your method. Your idea. Your voice. You can change without losing trust once you’ve found it.
How to Start Reclaiming Your Voice
A complete rebranding is not required. You don’t have to erase your history. You don’t have to write a lengthy post to explain yourself.
All you have to do is start being the most honest version of yourself.
Here’s how:
- Start Small, but True
Writing a manifesto describing your transformation is not required. Start with just one post that captures your viewpoint right now. Say something sincere. Let things be different.
- Make Peace with the Pivot
Not everybody will understand. Some people will continue to associate you with your former self. That’s alright. It’s not necessary to bring everyone along with you. The correct audience will either show up or catch up.
- Make from the Present, not the Past
Ask yourself, “Is this what I actually think now, or am I just recycling what used to work?” before you write or say. Lead with what is alive for you today.
- Believe in the Slow Burn
Every aligned piece of content you publish turns into a new signal, but it takes time to rebuild your voice. A breadcrumb. A bridge. Give it time to compound.
Growth isn’t Inconsistency, it’s Evidence
Too many entrepreneurs believe that their audience has been betrayed by brand development. In actuality, however, the true disservice is remaining unchanged.
Playing a part that made sense three years ago is not why you are here. Now, you are here to produce something logical.
Allow your material to reflect your current self. Instead of focusing on your past performance, let your brand represent your current voice. Give the previous version some time to relax. You are free to continue evolving.
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