Earlier this morning I listened to a podcast (here) from one of our clients, Rahul Gandhi at CMS, about the profile he is building as a trainee solicitor in the eSports arena. It struck me as interesting that someone starting out in their legal career has already spotted a match between something they enjoy and the law. Coincidentally, this week I was also pointed in the direction of Daniel Geey, Partner in the Sport Group at Sheridans, who has built an impressive legal practice through his interest in football. His personal brand is strong, and has recently resulted in a published book, and he is the ‘go-to’ in the world of football law.

The two examples above span the legal career ladder – and it’s clear that at both ends there is huge value for lawyers (and other experts) to be building personal brands online. This has become even more valuable in the digital age with the forces of information asymmetry, people trusting people over faceless brands and the mandatory ‘first stop’ at a search engine to research and validate current/ future suppliers. Add to a personal brand the true personal touch – a real passion for the topic- and it brings a sense of sincerity that it is hard to beat.

The video below is the talk Daniel gave at Google recently. Fast forwarding to minute 6 he explains why he improved his profile and then how. Here are a few tips if you are looking to replicate this:

• create your own freely accessible blog or content hub
• make your content digestible
• create content that demystifies the subject so it engages a broader audience (one consequence of this, Daniel explains in his talk, was being contacted by journalists to become a commentator – which amplified his brand further)
• use a variety of platforms/ distribution methods
• leverage tools like Google Analytics to analyse your most engaging content (27:45minutes)

At the end of Rahul’s podcast he makes the point that if are looking to build your brand then it is important to focus on one niche. The wider you go the more diluted your brand becomes.

From the perspective of building and maintaining a meaningful career, it strikes me that having purpose is vital. It’s inspirational to see Daniel’s legal practice reflect something it’s clear – from both this video and his new book - he has enjoyed throughout his life. It’s also a great reminder to maintain our own interests alongside work, and look out for opportunities to bring the two together to create a solid purpose and enhance both your working life and life itself. It is really good to see real examples of this through both Rahul and Daniel. I have no doubt they still have tough days at work, but suspect that the long term purpose and enjoyment increases their energy for every day at the office and inspires confidence in everyone that engages with them.