How my personal brand journey lead me to you…
Let me start off by extending a very warm welcome to Your Brand Mind. I am SO excited to have you here – truly!
And before I get to know you, I thought you’d want to learn more about me, where I came from and why I’m here. So, let’s dive right in and take a look at My Brand Mind…
A bit about who I am, today.
Hey there – my name is Dan Filar. I’m a lifetime Chicagoan, avid traveler and consider myself to be an all-around kind human.
I have spent the past 15 years working as a Marketing Communications professional and have helped Fortune 100 clients build and communicate their corporate brands and products to the world through Marketing campaigns and experiential meetings and events.
I graduated from Columbia College Chicago where I was taught to “Create Change” wherever I went – with whatever I did.
And so, here I am today… excited for the opportunity to take my years of experience and refocus my efforts to help you build and communicate your personal brand and empower you to start going after your life’s goals.
I can’t wait for you to get started on your own Personal Brand journey.
In the meantime, let me tell you a bit more about mine…
Like with any good story, it started somewhere. And, this was where this young professional’s story began …
As a kid, I was super creative and blessed with both athletic and musical talents. I was that “old-soul” type of kid (notice the suspenders and tie – so posh!). Growing up, I considered myself lucky – I knew what I liked and what I wanted and had a pretty solid idea of who I was as a person (as much as any kid could).
My creativity seemed to be well-balanced with my love for structure (yielding “manageable” OCD). I always felt I could dream big yet still stay grounded, which kept me open to opportunities big and small. I did not fear change – I sought it out.
Back then, I followed my passions and went after what I wanted. I had the privilege of having a supportive family who encouraged me to be myself and go after my dreams – something not everyone had – and for that I was grateful.
And then, there was that time I traveled the path most commonly traveled…
[I know, SO original]
When I thought about my future (as adult-me) “my path” looked like the one most of us tend to take: school > college > career > marriage > and so on… [I haven’t gotten past that part yet].
And without any real desire to deviate from the path my family had taken for generations, I continued to move my life forward. And boy was I glad I did – it lead me to my amazing hubby, pictured here. But that’s a story for another time… and to some pretty amazing places and experiences.
That’s where my brand grew and thrived.
College, for me, was really where I was able to unleash my creativity and thrive. I was always involved in clubs and sought out opportunities that involved an international perspective.
I (like kid-me) wasn’t afraid to follow my passions and go after my goals. And, luckily, that got me noticed. I was always sought out to be consulted on university projects or as an example of a “model student.” [Okay, no joke, this photo of me is from a community college photo shoot before I attended Columbia. My face ended up on a piece of promotional mail which my friends will never allow me to forget…]
BUT, the joke is actually on them, because these opportunities opened doors to several amazing internships and a particular work-study program where I got to live in Prague for several months and study Global Marketing while working at an advertising agency. And not only did I secure amazing internships, but I also got a “real job” related to my profession before my career even started – I’ll tell you about that later!
How knowing my Personal Brand helped me grow and achieve success…
During college, I unknowingly started leveraging certain aspects of my personal brand. I was super passionate and more than eager to help whoever asked. And, as I continued to grow and learn, I started to realize what having a personal brand meant and began to seek more opportunities to showcase who I was and what I stood for… and, as a result, I became a highly-desired hire. FUN FACT: I’ve actually never had an entry-level position (while in college or in my career) – I know, crazy, right?!
After college, I was ready to conquer the world! Taking a look at my options at the time, I entered corporate America – full of passion – ready to “create change” for whatever came next.
Knowing myself and what I wanted in life gave me the confidence to stand out.
I entered the workforce as a Senior Associate and was hired specifically for my experience in media and event management so I could lead the planning for my first “official” post-college employer’s participation in the annual Tournament of Roses® Parade (me on our parade float frame, pictured) Now, you may be thinking, but wait… how do you have experience and you just graduated? Great question!
Remember when I said I got a “real job” during college? Well, during my Freshman year, I started working for a city outside Chicago where I managed the logistics and promotion of several of their summer festivals (25,000-100,000 people). I learned a lot and wore so many hats. Most notably, this was where I “learned” to work 80-100 hours per week. So, by the time I graduated from Columbia, I had already been “working” for almost three years. This was THE opportunity that shaped my career and gave me an uncommon amount of experience for someone my age.
With that experience in hand, I continued to move my career forward, learn, grow and take opportunities as they came.
However, sometimes with great success also comes great challenges.
It wasn’t long into my career that I realized most “traditional” corporations only appreciated a certain level of passion from employees – definitely not the amount I was packing (tone it down, Dan!).
Coming to this realization was hard for me, and I wasn’t prepared for the effect it would have. I never thought my biggest challenge in my career would be finding a place where my Personal Brand truly “fit in.”
And, at that time, my response was to simply “go through the motions“ to avoid making waves: I fell in line with corporate policies, politics and everything in between. I woke up > drove to work > worked > drove home > ate > slept and repeated that cycle for quite some time.
My career then started to plateau and function on auto-pilot. Before I knew it, that creative little dude and eager learner was now part of “the grind.” I showed up, shelled out (albeit super quality work) and suddenly had no time for anything else.
It seemed my career had led me down the path to work-oholism (I think I just made that up). I found myself now chasing my growth and striving for wellness – work became my everything.
My career somehow hijacked my life and now my goals were no longer my own. The truth is, I didn’t really know who I was or what I wanted anymore – was I even on the right path???!! How could this have happened… umm, what?!
And that’s why it’s SO important to prioritize YOU and your goals at all times.
Well, friends, it was time – long overdue – for a reality-check.
I looked back at the past several years of my career and saw that I was continually getting sick from working too hard and not taking care of myself. I kept asking:
- How did this happen?
- What’s going on?
- What in the huh?
- Why can’t I stay well?
And just as fast as I could ask myself these questions, I answered them: this happened because I let it happen. I had forgotten who I was and what I wanted in life, and I allowed others to halt my growth and reshape my personal goals. I allowed my wellness to be snatched right out from underneath me.
Because I let it happen.
BUT DON’T WORRY – this isn’t a tragic-ending-type story. Hooray!
Once I realized what transpired, I could change it; and so, I decided to make a change – a BIG ONE. I wasn’t going to wait around to achieve the results I wanted – ones that truly fit my personal brand.
I set off on a path of self-discovery to re-evaluate who I was, what I wanted and, most importantly, how I was going to get it.
For me, I needed to learn how to achieve true balance and wellness in my life – wellness that fit my personal brand.
I needed to start living more intentionally and making decisions that aligned my brand to my future goals.
What happened when I started to live more intentionally was unbelievable!
All I knew is that I needed to get myself back on track, stop overthinking and just take action to start living well. So, I decided to create a framework that would help me refocus my personal brand and retake ownership of my personal goals.
Once I did, I saw immediate, positive changes at home, at work and everywhere else life took me.
My change was so profound that I couldn’t keep this creation to myself.
I knew so many others, like me, could benefit from this, so I created Your Brand Mind to show people how they too could use their personal brand to go after their own growth, success and wellness in life – and aren’t you glad I did?!
I found my purpose in one of the most challenging times.
My “wellness crisis” is what lead me here – to this website – to help others (like me) maximize their personal brands. When I started this new endeavor to create something I thought was a huge need, I didn’t really expect to find a great sense of purpose along with it. But, that’s exactly what happened when I started to define my ideal life and take action to go get it.
Now, full disclosure, I don’t have a magic wand to make your brand and wellness flourish overnight; but, what I do have is insight into how you too can take steps to achieve this for yourself!
Because, let’s face it, sometimes we just need a little help from someone who has been there.
So, what’s really in it for you and your Personal Brand?
Even though I’m just starting out on this new journey, my goal is to teach you how to leverage your Personal Brand to achieve your life’s goals and start living well.
My content draws inspiration from my own life experiences and walks you through the Brand-Mind philosophy. If you choose to follow my content and take my courses, you will be one step closer to building your personal brand and learning how to use it to achieve growth, success and wellness in your own life.
Let’s promise each other to stop chasing the concept of wellness and start making decisions that, instead, ignite our wellness and help us grow!
I look forward to interacting with you on my blog and social media and hearing about your personal brand journey.
Remember, your growth, success and wellness are achievable as long as you keep your brand in mind.
Wishing you all the best on your brand’s journey.
