How To Fake It Til You Make It
After building a Character Brand Profile, the challenge is to perform it with confidence, and that often starts with the concept of “Fake It Til You Make It."
It seems that it should be easy to perform a character based on your real-life personality, right? After all, it’s based on you. But some lack the confidence to demonstrate those character traits.
Fake It Til You Make It is an interim step that can bridge the gap until you are comfortable. Essentially, it means creating an alter-ego.
The Character Brand course explains how this helped Beyonce, but there's another great example from another celebrity, Stephen Colbert.
Stephen Colbert’s Character Brand Evolution
Starting as a contributor on The Daily Show, Steven Colbert played a satirical conservative pundit on The Colbert Report. In reality, Colbert has a more liberal point of view. Later, as the late-night host on CBS, his role changed. No longer playing a character, his success depended on connecting to the audience as the “real” Colbert.
Time magazine’s cover story on Colbert (Sept. 7-14, 2015) included insight into how Colbert built his on-camera personality:
There are several versions of any of us. Depending on who you ask, you’ll get a curated version of the Colbert that he chooses to put on the air. You’ll get an entertaining performance informed by an actual complicated person. But it is not that person exactly. And that’s not a lie. It’s show business.
- Time Magazine
Practical Tips
To apply the “Fake It Til You Make It” concept and create an impactful persona, follow these steps:
Develop or Update Your Character Profile: Craft a detailed character brand profile that captures the essence of your on-air persona.
Point Out Inconsistencies: Highlight times when you have an opinion that is out of character for you. Positioning what you are NOT is a good way to show who you ARE. For example, “You know how much I hate reality TV but I find myself strangely obsessed with The Bachelor this season because…”
Demonstrate Core Traits: Consistently integrate your character’s 3-5 core traits. This will ultimately lead to a more authentic and engaging on-air presence.
Seek Content That Highlights Your Brand: Choose topics that showcase your unique qualities. For example, if you are known for your love of fast food, discuss the latest burger releases or food trends.
Emphasize Contrast and Friction: Look for points of contrast among characters (spender vs. saver; fitness enthusiast vs. couch potato). This can create natural friction, which is an excellent way to highlight individual traits.
Learn from Other Successful Personalities: Draw inspiration from their tactics and techniques.
Conclusion
By embracing the concept of “Fake It Til You Make It”, you can overcome anxieties and insecurities to build your career around the most attractive traits in your character profile.
Be patient and persistent, as it may take time for your real personality to emerge, but it will ultimately lead to a more confident and authentic presence.
Find your inspiration, unleash your inner superstar, and transform your brand by embracing the power of character brand profiling and the “Fake It Til You Make It” philosophy.
Who do you want to be? Create it and act it out until you become it. Start by developing a character profile based on your real-life personality. I walk you through the entire process in my self-guided 5-Star Character Brand course.
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