We all want to be recognized.

We want our audiences to say, “Hey, I know her!” when our tweets go out, when our Facebook status updates roll by, and when we launch a course.

So, how do you make that spark of recognition happen automatically?

Consistency is key!

Our brains like patterns. We recognize the things we see and hear repeatedly. Consistency isn’t boring to our brains.

We recognize brands because we’ve seen the same logo, slogan, colors, fonts, and brand visuals over, and over, and over again. We instantly identify Coke, McDonalds, and Apple with just the slightest glance.

One glance and we already know the back story of our relationship with the brand. We’ve zipped past the introductions and awkward talk about the weather and our kids, and headed right to the heart of the matter: what’s new … the search for our name on a can of Coke, the dates the McRib will be back, the plan to stand in line for a new iPhone.

Ready to start being more consistent with your branding so that these jolts of recognition happen more often?

Start by looking inside

What do you call yourself? Are you a coach, a designer, a consultant, a strategist, a writer, a guru, a poet, a singer, a _______. What describes you?

Say it out loud right now… “I’m a ______.”

Then practice: say it to yourself when you go to bed tonight and when you get up in the morning. Say it again tomorrow, and the next day, and the next, and the next until it starts to feel really solid, like a super strong concrete foundation. When this statement is solid in your mind, you can use it on your website, add it to your email signature, use it to introduce yourself.

Brand recognition starts with you. It’s an inside job (at first).

p.s. You’ll be tempted to add more to the “I’m a _______” statement, to qualify, to make it more, but resist this impulse at first. Give yourself time to build that solid foundation inside before you add on the rest.