The personal brand trap: Why humans shouldn’t think of themselves as brands
When I was a wee little boy growing up, I wanted to be a fireman. It seemed considerably more achievable than becoming a Thunder Cat or Batman, which were my other career choices when I was 8 years old. At school I had absolutely no clue what I wanted to do as a career. Potentially something arty or sporty, but back in the ’90s I was told neither of those were moneymakers, so I had to think about getting a proper job. Today I would classify myself as a designer and educator helping the next generation of creatives build more opportunity for themselves. That feels very aligned with who I am now. But I’ve also been a barman, factory worker, waiter, tattoo apprentice, window cleaner, failed businessman, unemployable bum, and many other things on the journey to finding this particular version of me. {"blockType":"mv-promo-block","data":{"imageDesktopUrl":"https:\/\/images.fastcompany.com\/image\/upload\/f_webp,q_auto,c_fit\/wp-cms-2\/2026\/06\/JamesMartinPromoLogo_1280x720.png","imageMobileUrl":"https:\/\/images.fastcompany.com\/image\/upload\/f_webp,q_auto,c_fit\/wp-cms-2\/2026\/06\/JamesMartinPromoLogo.png","eyebrow":"","headline":"\u003Cem\u003EMade By James\u003C\/em\u003E","dek":"Want to build a recognizable reputation in your industry? Head to James Martin’s website, sign up for his newsletter, and stay informed about his upcoming events, workshops, and more. For information, go to themadebyjames.com.","subhed":"","description":"","ctaText":"Learn More","ctaUrl":"http:\/\/managermethod.com","theme":{"bg":"#000000","text":"#ffffff","eyebrow":"#9aa2aa","subhed":"#ffffff","buttonBg":"#3b3f46","buttonHoverBg":"#3b3f46","buttonText":"#ffffff"},"imageDesktopId":91563943,"imageMobileId":91563950,"shareable":false,"slug":"","wpCssClasses":""}} And that is one of the wonderful things about being a human: Nobody really freaking knows who they’re going to become. The person you are today is probably very different from the person you were five years ago, and if you’re doing t