Earlier this year I struggled with one question, What is my purpose? I know I'm not the only person in the world who has lost sleep over trying to answer this question. With the help of interests groups, I came across an invitation from Latinas in Tech. One of our members in our interest group shared an invitation to a workshop at the Dropbox Headquarters in San Francisco led by Shanee Ben Zur, Dropbox's charming and intelligent Marketing Director. This workshop was an opportunity for me to learn how to optimize social media to raise awareness on my personal brand. Little did I know, this workshop would also direct me towards my purpose.

Before we get started, I want to emphasize the value of having a great "first impression". How many times have you scoped out someone's Instagram and evaluated their profile to decide whether their page is worthy of you to follow? Our minds will choose to follow a community because their profiles provide inspiration in areas like photography, fitness, do it yourself crafts, cooking, cars, fashion, travel, etc. A second scenario is choosing to follow someone because you're inspired by their work or how the content they share makes you feel. A third scenario is googling someone's name and finding what's on the general world wide web! These three scenarios were built on first impressions. So why are first impressions important? Because we want to attract the right people to our community whether you're running a business, involved in an interest group, participating in online dating, or simply looking for a job.

First, we'll go over how to build your personal brand or mission statement, then we'll talk about brand execution. Take a moment and answer the following questions:

1. Professional focus: What are you an expert in?

I'm an expert in running a business, integrating and maximizing the use of technology, event coordinating, and bringing different teams or groups together.

2. Personality: What impressions do you want people to have of you?

I want people to say I am inspirational, charming, intelligent, creative, fun, sassy, and a good source of positive energy.

3. Values: What are your core principles?

My core principles are seek perfection of character, be faithful, endeavor, be present, and leave my print in this universe. Basically, I want to inspire and change the world.

4. Passions: What are you excited about (outside of work)?

I'm passionate about photography, writing, helping people in my community get connected to the resources they need, supporting and motivating others, and of course traveling!

5. Target Audience: Who do you want to know? To know you?

My target audience are community entrepreneurs, small business, artists, social activists, educators, and anyone who considers themselves a leader in our community.

Now bring your ideas together!

What is your headline, mission statement, or personal brand?

My headline is:

I'm Angie Shockness, San Francisco Native from The Mission District. I like to spend my time being creative through my photography and writing. I'm a proud Latina in Tech continuously seeking compassionate leaders in my community to collaborate with. I recently launched a networking called Somos Chingonas for my fellow community entrepreneurs to share their ideas and resources to collaborate on impactful community projects.

Now that you've gathered your ideas together, let's fine tune brand. Follow these steps:

1. Add your headline to your "About Me".

Whether it's a short format or the whole paragraph, and write in first person.

2. Follow and tag.

Follow and tag the communities or people you're trying to attract.

3. When posting things online share inspiring or educational content.

Ask relevant questions of your audience, mix professional and personal moments, and play with timing!

4. PARTICIPATE!

If you want to get noticed in your community, it's important to participate and get involved. Attend events, comment on posts, or simply tag people.

Believe it or not, but these five questions really helped me organize my ideas and unfold my purpose in life. I'm constantly revisiting these questions when I get distracted or lose focus on projects. Because these questions allowed me to uncover my direction and brought happiness because I felt complete with a purpose, it was important for me to write this article and share this with my readers. I know this mini formula will help you gather your thoughts on your personal brand or mission statement. In the end this exercise will be rewarding and, for once in your life, you just might feel like you have also found your purpose.