In July I turned ‘dirty knee’, that’s the bingo call for 33. It means I left school just over half my lifetime ago, which I find completely bizarre. Safe to say technology has come a long way since, and thankfully my tastes and style have moved with the times too. As you can tell from this pic, I was definitely going through a phase…
Back when that rather embarrassing pic was taken at my School Prom, there were two social media platforms that really mattered to me, MSN Messenger and the big one for an eyeless-lad with a terrible taste in hairstyles, MySpace.
MySpace was the ultimate form of expression for a youngster, from discovering new bands directly through the platform, to showcasing my seminal movie taste, and even selecting which friends/ pages would make it to the highly coveted ‘Top 8’.
The basic templates weren’t enough for me, so I learnt how to use Photoshop and basic HTML to design my own profile, and even created ‘logos’ for my handle.
What I didn’t realise I was doing back then was building a ‘brand’, and whether you like it or not, everyone has at least one personal brand. I was positioning myself to appeal to and ultimately attract others to become my ‘friend’. As cringey as it sounds, it was cool to become ‘MySpace famous’, very much in the way it’s cool for kids to become YouTubers or TikTokers now. My dream however was to be in a band, using MySpace as a platform to find band members, build a following and eventually get gigs.
Speaking of music, MySpace gave birth to a new wave of artists and bands including Bring Me The Horizon and Enter Shikari, but it wasn’t just the Emo/ Scene bands breaking through, you can thank MySpace for Calvin Harris, Lily Allen, Arctic Monkeys, and even Adele too!
But don’t worry if you didn’t live through the MySpace era, like with most things these days, there’s a documentary on the way, and it includes an appearance from the big man himself - Tom.
So you’re probably thinking - ‘nice throwback, Dom but where does this story take us?’
Well, this is your answer:
Here are FOUR lessons about Personal Branding, I learnt from MySpace:
Be aware of what you share
If you don’t know how to do something, find out
Everything has to start somewhere
Don’t be afraid to be yourself
1) Be aware of what you share
It’s no secret that what you post online is likely to stick around forever, and in extreme cases, people have lost their jobs as a result of offensive posts. If your profiles are public, put yourself in the mind of the reader and think - would my friends find this acceptable? Would my family think this is appropriate? And how would my employer feel about this?
Remember that different social platforms have different audiences, but if they’re public that means anyone can find and view your content.
Ensure that what you share online represents the best version of you, and what you post is relevant to the channel. You most likely wouldn’t share a post on LinkedIn to discuss the latest episode of a reality show or rant about the result of a football match. And try not to be the person that turns to Twitter to complain and moan about the smallest things either.
2) If you don’t know how to do something, find out
As I mentioned earlier, I didn’t have any experience with Photoshop or HTML before deciding I wanted to design my own MySpace templates. I found resources online, reached out to friends on the platform to ask for tips, completed tutorials, and practised as much as I could in my free time (and I had loads of free time as a young 15 year old lad).
MySpace sparked my interest in design, but I continued developing my skills, choosing to study Graphic Design when I left school and went to college. I moved from templates, to designing posters for local businesses, and then logos and stationary for my Dad’s sports teams.
I’ve carried this DIY attitude with me over the years in everything I do. Instead of saying ‘I can’t do something’, I say ‘I don’t know how to do it yet but I’ll find out’. The resources are only getting better, and technology is even easier to reach. When I started learning Photoshop I’d scan through blogs and books, later it was 10 minute Youtube tutorials, and now you can watch a 30 second TikTok and get the information quicker than ever.
3) Everything has to start somewhere
Although she previously had a couple of low-key record deals, Lily Allen only made it to the big time when she uploaded her demos to MySpace. Things took off fast, and Lily soon built up tens of thousands of friends on the site. The demo tracks became album tracks, then eventually she was landing number ones, including her debut single ‘Smile’ in 2006. She went on to win 31 awards, and was nominated for 73 awards including the Mercury Prize.
The reality is, no one is an overnight success, it’s just that we don’t often see the beginning of the grind. Remember that hard work beats talent, if talent isn’t hard working.
Having a famous dad definitely gave Lily a head start and opened a few doors, but it’s her hard work that took her to the top.
Ask yourself, what WILL I become an expert in next? Then do everything in your power to make it happen.
4) Don’t be afraid to be yourself
Everyone is unique. We all have our own personalities, thoughts, ideas, and opinions. Now imagine a world where we didn’t share any of that. Yes you should filter what you share as I alluded to above, but you still need to be true to yourself.
As we grow older, our tastes develop as we experience new places, meet new people, and discover new things. So yes, I may be a little embarrassed to look back now at my terrible hairstyles and fashion sense over the years, but at the time that was me.
There’s nothing more authentic than being yourself, so don’t be afraid to use your voice, express your personality, share your views, say what’s on your mind, and inspire others along the way.
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