Personal Branding: Why Perception Matters - With Chris Do | Ep 356

We want to hear from you. If you're open to a quick chat with our producer or any of the other options, it only takes a few seconds to sign up: https://forms.gle/Enzzpq5FCVQKbHV9A

In this episode, I dive into the concept of personal brand misalignment—when people perceive you differently than you see yourself. But what if that perception is actually working in your favor? I share how small, intentional changes in style and presentation can shape the way people see you, often before you even announce your next move.

From my own journey into fashion to a friend’s transformation with just a new shirt and pockets, we explore how signaling change can create opportunities. If you’re looking to refine your personal brand and be seen the way you want, this episode will show you how.

Timestamps:

(00:09) - Personal Branding and Style

(01:06) - Understanding Personal Branding

(02:02) - The Launch of a New Fashion Line

(03:04) - Embracing Change in Fashion

(03:40) - The Transformation of Style

(04:27) - Transformation and Perception

Check out The Futur:

Website: https://www.thefutur.com/

Courses: https://www.thefutur.com/shop

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-futur/

Podcasts: https://thefutur.com/podcast

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thefuturishere/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theFuturisHere/

Twitter: https://x.com/thefuturishere

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thefuturishere

Youtube:https://www.youtube.com/thefuturishere

Check out Chris Do:

Website: https://zaap.bio/thechrisdo

LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/thechrisdo/

Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/BizOfDesign

Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/thechrisdo/

Twitter:https://x.com/thechrisdo

TikTok:https://www.tiktok.com/@thechrisdo

Threads:https://www.threads.net/@thechrisdo

Zaap: https://zaap.bio/thechrisdo

Clubhouse:https://www.clubhouse.com/@thechrisdo

Behance: https://www.behance.net/chrisdo

Episode Transcript

(00:00):
In the previous episode, Italked about brand misalignment between
perception and reality.
What you're going to do, Imostly focus on negative perception
and what you can do to kind ofrectify that.
In this episode, because myboy Rich needs some help with styling,
I'm going to talk aboutpersonal branding as it relates to
style.
So let's say you're a graphicdesigner or you're a business consultant

(00:21):
or something like that, andthere's perceptions about you that
you might be like a fashiondesigner or something like that.
I'm talking about myself.
I guess that's what he's saying.
What happens if they give youpositive attributes of something
that you may or may not wantto be known for just yet?
I'm wondering why you evenasked this question, because I don't
find that to be a dilemma.
I.
I find it's kind ofinteresting that people are perceiving

(00:42):
things that I've yet toannounce, which is really cool.
So then you're sitting therethinking, I don't think Chris does
anything unintentionally.
So when he's making a move, weshould be paying attention.
Now, what I know about humannature is this.
No one, including me, likes a surprise.
Change is hard.
So what you do is you take abig change and you chop it down into
little chunks of change, andby the time you get to the final

(01:04):
change, everyone's on board.
So what you may or may notknow is how much I've been talking
about personal brand and howI'm showing up in the world.
So much so that people whodon't know me, who wind up having
a conversation with me, theyattribute something that's quite
interesting.
And so let me know what youthink about this.
Somebody has come up to me andsaid, chris, I noticed this big change
in you about two years ago.

(01:26):
And I'm noticing, like, you'respeaking differently.
You're talking about different things.
You're just a whole different person.
And I would ask them, when doyou recall that?
Before, After I got the LouisVuitton bag and the changes that
I've made in the eyewear andhow rocking different chains and
things like that, they'relike, oh.
And so here's what theirperception is.

(01:46):
I've changed because I'vesignaled to them I've changed outwardly.
And when they don't knowwhat's happening internally.
Right.
And I'm making moves todaythat won't bear fruit for years from
now because I know how peopleare resistant to change.
So at some point in the near future.
I don't know when to tell you,but I'll be launching my own fashion
line.

(02:07):
So would you trust me as aperson who's going to design clothes
that you may or may not wantto buy?
If I wound up looking like aslob, if I didn't know how to put
A and B together, if I didn't,how to mix colors and textures, and
you probably say, he was adesigner, I think he can do this.
But we'll wait and see.
Versus what's happening now,which is, Chris, when the merch drop,

(02:27):
we want to know.
Let me sign up for whatever itis you're about to do, because I
like where you're heading.
And what's really wild is themore wild I become, the more that
I embrace fashion as anextension of my worldview, my taste,
the more people seem to beexcited for me, which is pretty wild.
So I'll step on stage, dressup in my pants skirt with my knee

(02:48):
high socks and my weird shoeswhere you don't know where the soul
ends and began.
And people take notice right away.
They say, oh, he must be acreative person.
He must be pretty selfconfident and self aware for him
to be able to walk up on stage.
Now, this may or may not betrue internally, but this is what
I'm signaling outward.
So it's okay.
When people see you makingchanges, they start to attribute
things to you.

(03:09):
And in this context, we'retalking about positive things.
Embrace it, smile, accept itand move forward.
One of my buddies, his name isTrevor, and he's been saying, chris,
take me shopping with you.
I want to do this thing with you.
So he made some very smallchanges to his wardrobe.
He changed his shirt, he putsome graphics on it instead of a
blank T shirt.
And he added pockets.
What a revolution to hisathleisure pants.

(03:31):
And all of a sudden people arecoming up to him saying, hey, style
icon, what's up?
He literally just changed twopieces of clothing.
That's all he's got right now.
And so it's super exciting.
If you're listening to us andsaying, is it that easy, Chris?
It is that easy.
And the easiest thing that youdo might even cost you a whole lot
of money, which is to get a haircut.
You know, every time youchange hair, people like, who, who

(03:52):
is this?
Remember in junior high whenyou would come to school and maybe
your mom cut your hair likemine did, like, oh, who got in a
fight with a lawnmower?
Blah, you know?
And I remember verydistinctly, I went from nerd to,
like, kind of cool in one break.
So basically, right beforeChristmas break, for the holidays,
I went to the hair salon, the stylist.

(04:12):
I'm like, give me this andthat and do something here.
I put on some new clothes.
I walked into school like JohnTravolta, Saturday Night Live, like,
you know, whatever that walk is.
And he's owning it.
Not that I owned it.
I just walked in feeling superself conscious.
But people are like, whoa, areyou the same guy?
And just like that, in oneday, it changed.
Now, I strategically showed upone day before the long holiday to

(04:35):
kind of just drop the bomb andcome back in two weeks so that I
can put myself together.
But I noticed immediately thekind of impact that it can have on
your perception, and you canbe a brand new person.