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“Creating Successful Leaders”

Category Archives: Personal Branding

April 3, 2024 How to Spring Clean Your Personal Brand

With spring in the air, the time is right for a little refresh. For many people, that means deep cleaning your house, getting rid of rarely used items, or reorganizing the cupboards…but what about spring cleaning your personal brand?

A personal brand is a reflection of who you are professionally, how you present yourself online and offline, and how you are perceived by others. It’s about ensuring your values, skills, and personality shine through consistently in all your interactions.

However, a personal brand can go stale. You might change your goals, perspectives, or outlooks, which necessitates a change in personal brand. But it may be a challenge to get people to stop seeing the old you and start seeing the present version of yourself. How do you overhaul your personal brand and start putting forward the new you?

Here are 6 suggestions for spring cleaning your personal brand:

Clarify Your Goals

To begin reworking your personal brand, it is essential to have a good understanding of your goals and aspirations. Where do you want to go? What do you want to achieve? A personal brand can help get you there by aligning your values, skills, and personality with your objectives. By clarifying your goals, you can tailor your personal brand to reflect who you are now and where you want to be in the future, ensuring consistency and authenticity across all interactions.

Be Your Best Authentic Self

Revamping your personal brand does not mean you’re inauthentic or flighty. Rather, it is simply a way to step into a different version of yourself—a version that reflects your growth, goals, and values at this moment. Embrace your authenticity and let it shine through in your personal brand.

Update Your Profiles

Ensuring that your online presence aligns with your current personal brand is crucial. Make sure to update your profiles (LinkedIn and other professional networking platforms) and website with fresh content, new achievements, and any changes to reflect your updated goals and values. This will help reinforce your professional image and showcase the most current version of yourself. Regularly reviewing and revising your online presence is a key step in maintaining a relevant and consistent personal brand.

Update Your Responsibilities

If certain aspects of your work match your goals better than others, it’s prudent to ask for responsibilities or projects that align more closely with your objectives. By taking on new tasks that better reflect your current goals and values, you can strengthen your personal brand and demonstrate your commitment to growth and development.

Communicate

You do not have to undergo your brand revamp in secret. In fact, it’s a good idea to talk with your boss, mentor/sponsor, or even your co-workers (if appropriate) about the changes you’d like to make to support and reinforce the vision for your new personal brand. Remember to be tactful when asking for new responsibilities or aligning your roles to better match your evolving personal brand. By communicating openly with your colleagues and superiors about your goals and desired changes, you can foster understanding and support for your professional growth.

Own It

Although it may not come naturally at first, it is crucial that you “own” your new personal brand and be confident in its representation. Stand tall in your values, skills, and personality, and let them shine through in your day-to-day interactions. Consistency and authenticity in your personal brand will help others see and recognize the new you. Embrace the growth, the change, and the evolution that come with refreshing your personal brand.

Remember, your personal brand is a powerful tool that showcases your unique strengths and qualities. It’s about being true to yourself while also adapting and evolving as needed. Allow your personal brand to be a dynamic representation of who you are today, constantly aligning with your current aspirations and values.

MARGARET SMITH IS A CAREER COACH, AUTHOR, INSIGHTS® DISCOVERY (AND DEEPER DISCOVERY) LICENSED PRACTITIONER, AND FOUNDER OF UXL. SHE HOSTS WORKSHOPS FOR PEOPLE WHO NEED CAREER OR PERSONAL GUIDANCE. 
CHECK OUT MARGARET’S ONLINE LEADERSHIP COURSE. 

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November 15, 2023 Fall Networking Events: How to Stand Out

Soon, the holidays will hit and things will likely get hectic. Before that happens, you may want to squeeze in a networking event or two. Whether you’re looking to shift career paths next year, gain a few more connections, or share your skillset, it could pay to intentionally network with others. But how can you stand out? And how can you establish meaningful connections that will actually lead to something?

This fall, try following these 4 networking tips:

Focus on the “Give”

The holidays should be a time of giving back, and networking events are no different. If you’re only thinking about yourself and what you can gain, that will likely come across in your interactions. Instead, think about your skills, talents, and what you can give to others. When you focus on the “give” instead of the “get,” you build trust and demonstrate that you care about others and their needs/predicaments. Additionally, you establish that you could be a valuable partner to help in certain areas (which could lead to landing additional projects or even finding a new job).

Prep Your Intro

It’s a good idea to prepare an introductory message for when you meet new people AND practice this intro until it comes naturally. Rather than writing a “pitch,” come up with a few lines about yourself and your skills/talents. Try to make your intro stand out in some way (for instance, say, “Hi, I’m Kim. I write headlines that grab attention and drive engagement,” rather than, “Hi, I’m Kim. I work in marketing.”). Be genuine and authentic in your intro, and make sure it aligns with your personal brand and the impression you want to leave on others.

Be Present and Engaged

When attending networking events, it’s important to be fully present and engaged in the conversations you have. Put away your phone and avoid distractions, so that you can give your full attention to the person you’re talking to. Ask open-ended questions to encourage meaningful conversations and actively listen to what the other person is saying. Show genuine interest in their background, experiences, and challenges.

Connect and Follow Up

After the event (or during, if appropriate), make sure to connect with the people you met on LinkedIn or other professional networking platforms. Personalize your connection requests and remind them of your conversation at the event. This will help solidify the connection and make it easier to follow up later.

In addition to connecting online, don’t forget to follow up with the individuals you met. Send a brief email or message within a week or two, expressing your gratitude for their time and reiterating something you discussed. This shows that you value the connection and are interested in maintaining it.

Remember, networking is not just about collecting business cards or making superficial connections. It’s about building relationships and adding value to others. By taking the time to prepare and going in with an open mind, you can make the most of your time and effort when attending these events.

MARGARET SMITH IS A CAREER COACH, AUTHOR, INSIGHTS® DISCOVERY (AND DEEPER DISCOVERY) LICENSED PRACTITIONER, AND FOUNDER OF UXL. SHE HOSTS WORKSHOPS FOR PEOPLE WHO NEED CAREER OR PERSONAL GUIDANCE. 
CHECK OUT MARGARET’S ONLINE LEADERSHIP COURSE. 

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July 5, 2023 5 Ways to Manage Negativity and Build a Positive Outlook

Image by Anastasia Borisova from Pixabay

It is well-known in psychology that people tend to remember and cling to negative experiences more intensely than positive ones. That tendency is called negativity bias, and it can color the way we see the world. Instead of paying attention to the half-dozen positive comments after a presentation, we’re more likely to dwell on the one person who said they didn’t resonate with the material. Instead of recalling past experiences of success, we focus on the failures. To make matters worse, we are often inundated with bad news from the news, social media, and other sources.

Strategies for Overcoming Negativity

How can we overcome all this negativity in our lives? Try any or all of the following five practices:

Practice Gratitude

Believe it or not, gratitude is a state of mind you can practice and adapt with a little time and effort (it is not necessarily innate or intuitive!). Every day, write down three things for which you are grateful. These don’t have to be big things; they could be as simple as enjoying a cup of coffee or having a supportive friend. Focusing on what is going well in your life can help shift your thoughts away from negativity.

Embrace Failure

Failure is a natural part of life. Things are not going to go perfectly at all times (wouldn’t life be boring if they did?), so it’s better to face failures head on and strategize how to overcome them, rather than letting them completely derail you. Instead of dwelling on mistakes or perceived failures, use them as opportunities for growth and learning. Reflect on what went wrong and how you can improve in the future. Remember, the most innovative companies, such as Google and Apple, are not afraid of making mistakes and missteps on their journey to produce something cutting edge and new.

Surround Yourself with Positivity

The people you surround yourself with and the media you consume can have a big impact on your mindset. Seek friends and colleagues who have a positive outlook, are supportive, don’t say nasty things about others, and who encourage you in your endeavors. In terms of media, it’s a good idea to limit your social media and news time, AND edit who/what shows up on your news feed. This doesn’t mean you’re tuning out the world; you’re simply limiting your exposure to media that can often feel “doom and gloom.”

Talk Back to Your Gremlins

Does it sometimes feel like you have a gremlin that invades your thoughts and tells you things like: “you can’t,” “you’re not good enough,” “no one will listen to your thoughts,” or “you shouldn’t even be in this meeting.” I call this “gremlin” your saboteur—the negative soundtrack that runs through your mind and belittles your abilities. It’s time to start talking back! Pay attention to your negative thoughts, acknowledge them, and work on reframing them into more positive, constructive thoughts.

Practice Self-Care

Taking care of yourself physically, emotionally, and mentally is essential for building a positive mindset. Make time for activities that you enjoy, get adequate sleep, eat well, and prioritize your mental health. It’s much easier to maintain a positive mindset when you’re feeling refreshed, healthy, and energized (see my post on 5-minute self-care ideas).

Building a positive mindset is a powerful tool for overcoming negativity and improving your quality of life. The five strategies outlined above can help you shift your thought patterns and approach life with a more optimistic outlook. It may take time and effort, but the benefits are worth it. Don’t let negativity bias control your life—take charge of your thoughts and embrace the positive.

MARGARET SMITH IS A CAREER COACH, AUTHOR, INSIGHTS® DISCOVERY (AND DEEPER DISCOVERY) LICENSED PRACTITIONER, AND FOUNDER OF UXL. SHE HOSTS WORKSHOPS FOR PEOPLE WHO NEED CAREER OR PERSONAL GUIDANCE. 
CHECK OUT MARGARET’S ONLINE LEADERSHIP COURSE. 

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