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Building Your Personal Brand

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Today I had the pleasure of speaking on personal brand at the Grand Rapids Young Professional’s Personal Growth Series. The topic – “Building Your Personal Brand.”

Few people realize that you are your brand and your actions, appearance, and conversations shape and define that brand. I cannot stress enough how important it is for you (your brand) to be transparent, visible and authentic.

There are some companies who do this well, the example I used today was Domino’s and their brutally honest commercial they just released. Two other great examples – Zappos.com and Southwest Airlines. Learn from these companies and use it to shape your personal brand.

Why is it important for you to have a brand? Well, essentially you don’t have a choice, by choosing to be visible in the community you have a brand and that brand is you. A great source for greater exploration on this topic: https://www.personalbrandingbook.com

Another note – in the age of social media, your brand is even more visible and there are benefits, however remember that everything  you do personal and professional impacts that brand. Am I repeating myself? Yes, because this is one point you can’t afford to miss.
The benefit? Keeps you honest.

Great books to read on this topic:
Me 2.0, Dan Schawbel
The Brand Called You, Peter Montoya & Tim Vandehey

Thoroughly enjoyed my talk today(www.gryp.org). Thanks again to the group for inviting me, I am impressed with the leadership and the tools they are providing to young professionals in the community.

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If you ever need proof that personal brand matters...Kim got to see the @nasaartemis II launch in person as a direct result of her Big Deal Energyâ„¢. You need to work hard, show up authentically, and provide value. That was her message to a room full of students and young professionals at @western_michigan_pmi's theProject Collegiate Competition. The Big Deal Energyâ„¢ Workshop is on June 23. Register at the link in bio.
Employers think Gen Z is lazy, entitled, and will quit the second things get hard. That perception is keeping you out of the room before you ever get a chance to prove otherwise.The good news is, you can flip the script, but it will take some serious work and a personal brand, or as Kim Bode refers to it: Big Deal Energyâ„¢.Kim is speaking at theProjectâ„¢ Collegiate Event, hosted by the Project Management Institute Western Michigan Chapter on April 14. She'll cover how to build a personal brand that actually sounds like you (not ChatGPT) and how you can show your value through social, content and networking. Link in bio to learn more.
No one talks about how lonely it is to own a business. The tough decisions land on you, the business doesn't pause when you need a break, and nobody - not your employees or your spouse - really gets it. If you know a business owner, tell them they're doing a good job. It matters more than you know.
The growth stage is the hardest part of building a business. Kim was recently quoted in @corpmagazine on what she sees running the Women's Entrepreneurial Fellowship: women who have built something, survived the hardest part, and are still doing everything themselves. The natural tendency to be humble and attached to their work creates unique business challenges for women; they put up walls because they can't be vulnerable. Meanwhile, when a woman CEO needs growth capital, she compiles three years of tax returns before a bank will schedule a meeting, while her male competitor closes the same deal over drinks.When women have access to the right resources, they grow and invest back. Full article at the link in bio.
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