If you’re a young landscape business owner or starting out in the industry by working for other organizations, your personal brand is the basis of your career.
“In today’s world, we buy from people we know and trust,” says Jacob Hong, senior vice president of Woodlawns Landscape Company, Inc., based in Mundelein, Illinois. “The fastest way to build a personal brand today is online. You can begin to build trust by showing up on a regular basis and sharing your story.”
Hong notes that people are buying from personal brands now, not company brands.
“Personal brands are significantly more powerful than company brands on social platforms,” Hong says. “People want to interact with other people, not companies. If a person were to post the same thing a company posted, the person’s page would receive more traffic than the company page. Building a personal brand will do more on social media than building a company page.”
What Is A Personal Brand?
Your personal brand should be your public identity, which shares your values, your skills and your experiences.
“Your personal brand is your story and you can share it your way,” says Brooke Garcia, senior manager of landscape for Walmart’s new Home Office campus. “When you’re connected to your story in an authentic way, your brand is personal and aligned to your purpose. My personal brand is rooted in creating and maintaining beautiful spaces outdoors, and my intention and attention to detail carries forward in everything that I do.”
Garcia has also worked for Southern Botanical, Kansas State University and Chip and Joanna Gaines’ brand, Magnolia, in Waco, Texas. She says she’s always been inspired by creating detailed landscape environments, and people can feel the intention behind the maintenance and design.
Jenny Girard, implementation specialist with The Integra Group, Inc., says she wants to make a difference for women in the industry so she has made that part of her personal brand. She is also passionate about mental health. Girard has worked for botanical gardens and R.M. Landscape before taking her current role on the software side of the industry.
Girard adds that your personal brand should reflect who you are and where you want to go.
“I’ve always lived by ‘present as the person you want to be, not the person you are now,’” Girard says. “That has been extremely beneficial for my professional and personal image. I might have been a field person in the dirt and grime, but if I got invited to a nice meeting, I sure as heck put on a nice outfit, and I put in the time and effort. I prepared for that meeting or maybe it was a dinner.”
Why Personal Branding Matters
Personal branding helps build your network and opens doors for you.
“People approach me for advice and that helps me grow, in turn I get to pick their brain as well,” Hong says. “I wish I would have built my personal brand sooner.”
Garcia says that a personal brand is really about understanding what aligns with your why.
“While navigating my career, I’ve found it essential to work for companies that share similar values and purpose,” Garcia says. “When you carry out your personal branding while working for a company, the story has to fit. Every company I’ve worked for, I have felt aligned with my mission to make the world more beautiful one plant at a time.”
Garcia adds that developing a personal brand is deeper than surface-level marketing.
“It is important to show people the passion for what you do,” Garcia says. “I believe authenticity comes through my personal branding because I really do love this industry. When I post, I am excited to showcase what is happening in my corner of the landscape world and why it matters.”
Hong argues that having a personal brand is going to be important for landscape professionals of all ages.
“My fear for many of my friends in the industry is that the ‘younger professionals,’ 20-30 years old, are going to build a personal brand and begin moving into roles that my friends my age would be getting but are missing out because they did not build their personal brand,” Hong says.
Advice for Others
Hong says you need to build a personal brand before you need it.
“If you are going on LinkedIn for the first time in 15 years to ask your network to help you find a job it might be too late,” Hong says. “Build a personal brand now.”
Girard adds you need to consider what you want your personal brand to achieve. Are you looking for a job, more clients or just to build your network?
Hong says you can start simple by engaging with one post, commenting on the posts of someone you know and start turning your thoughts and experiences into posts.
“I am always more than happy to help anyone that wants to get started in their journey of building a personal brand,” Hong says. “If anyone wants to connect with me and send me a message on LinkedIn I would be happy to help them in any way I can.”
Garcia says don’t be afraid to showcase who you are, what you’re proud of and what you’ve accomplished.
“I think it’s really important to help people understand your story,” Garcia says. “That’s one of the questions I ask candidates in an interview. What led you to apply for this role? That’s your time to tell your story and showcase how you make an impact in the industry.”
