Cheatsheet: Personal Identity and Personal Branding in the Age of AI
A lookup card for the whole course. Use it while building your portfolio, not as a replacement for the lessons.
Course Map
| Module | Focus | Core Output |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Identity Foundations | Values, strengths, lived experience | Values list + strengths map |
| 2. Positioning & Storytelling | Audience, niche, narrative | Positioning statement + story draft |
| 3. Capstone Portfolio | AI as critic, assembly, review | One-page brand portfolio |
1.1 Personal Brand vs Performative Self-Promotion
| Credible personal brand | Performative self-promotion |
|---|---|
| Built on evidence you can point to | Built on claims you cannot back up |
| Consistency between words and actions | Persona that shifts to please the room |
| Helps a specific audience | Broadcasts to everyone and no one |
| Shows process and learning | Shows only wins and polish |
| Invites questions | Avoids scrutiny |
Quick test: For any claim you make, ask "Can I show the receipt?" If no, cut it or soften it.
Note: A brand is a reputation you earn. Promotion is a message you send. The course builds the first.
Reflective journaling prompt: Write one sentence describing how a person who worked with you would describe you. Then compare it to your online profile.
1.2 Values Clarification: Naming Your Core Values
Method:
- Brainstorm 15-20 candidate values freely.
- Group near-duplicates.
- Narrow to 5 that feel non-negotiable.
- Rank to your top 3.
- For each top value, write one concrete moment you acted on it.
| Value | Proof moment (lived experience) |
|---|---|
| Example: Craft | Rewrote the onboarding doc three times until a new hire finished setup alone |
| Example: Fairness | Split credit publicly on a team project |
Decision rule: If you cannot recall a moment that proves a value, it is aspirational, not core. Keep it as a goal, not a claim.
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