I'm a lot of things: writer and editor, friend and daughter, fiancé and partner, aunt, sister, mummy to a doggie. I am a Brooklynite and a former Buffalonian (and even a Bucknellian, by virtue of where I studied). I am a chef, runner, yogi, reader and lover of cookbooks and travel guides. I am a city person with a deep appreciation for the country. I am an Aquarius. I could go on, but I think you get the idea. One thing I'm not? A brand. Unlike Apple or Jeep or Lagunitas, I am not a product hoping to get bought. Shocking, but I'm not for sale!

You probably know how handy a personal website can be, but it's even more important if you're the kind of person who likes to keep your social media private. By carefully crafting your public persona, you can control people's first impressions (and keep the rest more private).

Shyness might be a habit you can get over, and you need to do that to build your personal brand. But first you need to understand what you are shy about and then stick to areas of comfort.

There's a reason "shameless" and "self-promotion" tend to go together: Few people enjoy promoting themselves or their work. It feels gross and shameful
. Self-promotion gives me the heebie-jeebies too, but I've been learning to handle it better.