— Abigail Fabian, Strategic Lead for Technology Teaming and Transitions, Raytheon
It’s a Big Deal Energy™ Kind of Day (Workshop at a Glance)
Big Deal Energy™(n.): The confidence of knowing exactly who you are, owning your QUIRKS™, and communicating your authentic self unapologetically.
Big Deal Energy™ is named for Leslie Knope, who has no idea she’s supposed to be timid or reserved, knows exactly what she brings to the table, and has never apologized for her ambition. That is the energy the Big Deal Energy™ personal branding workshop cultivates — the confidence that comes from knowing who you are, owning your quirks, and communicating your authentic self unapologetically.
— Leslie Knope
Over 2.5, very entertaining hours, you’ll work through the QUIRKS™ framework to develop your personal brand and become the unforgettable force you were born to be. It starts with questioning the “norms” or rules meant to keep you small, uncovering your Big Hairy Audacious Goal, identifying what makes you weird and remarkable, reframing your story to be unforgettable, knowing your value, and showing up as yourself consistently and authentically.
You’ll walk away with a plan, confidence and group of people cheering you on.
Who Should Come
— Gail Miller, Executive Leader, Former DHS SES
Professionals and leaders who want to stand out but don’t know how to articulate what makes them different; founders and executives who are the face of their company but have never formalized their personal brand; leaders who want their team to represent the company with confidence and consistency; and anyone who has been told they need a “personal brand” and has no idea where to start.
Attend on your own, or bring a group.
The Energetic Format
The Big Deal Energy™ Workshop uses the QUIRKS™ methodology, which Kim built to replace the outdated four-stage personal branding model (discover, create, communicate, maintain) with something that accounts for the real psychological and emotional work required to own your authentic self (and unwind all that trauma).
Duration: 2.5 hours | Format: Interactive, in-person | This is not a lecture. This is doing.
— Fiona McPherson Grant, Principal Owner, FMG Data Works, LLC
Q — Question
Question the rules made to keep you small. Question the norms, the status quo, and how you’ve been told to show up. Most of the rules you’ve been following were designed to keep you small. We’re gonna challenge that.
U — Uncover
Uncover your Big Hairy Audacious Goal (BHAG). You have to know what your personal brand is working towards or how you want your big deal energy to show up in 10 years, five years or next week.
I — Identify
Identify your weird and remarkable. Get real about who you are. Your quirks, your weirdness, your skills, your passions. The things you’ve been told to hide? Those are the parts that make you memorable.
R — Reframe
Reframe your narrative. Highlight your quirks, life experience, skills, passions, achievements, and your BHAG. This is who you are, it’s your weird, uniques, and what makes you unforgettable.
K — Know
Know your story. Be unapologetically you. Your story matters, and when you fully own it, you will show and grow into your BHAG.
S — Show
Show up as yourself, consistently and authentically. Once you know who you are and what you stand for, you have to show it. You have to be visible. If you won’t do it for you, do it for the young woman who needs to see somebody in a career she aspires to.
What You Get
- Your ten-year BHAG. This is the goal everything else serves. Every visibility decision, every opportunity you say yes or no to, every room you choose to be in—it all has to move you toward this.
- QUIRKS Inventory. This is the full inventory of what makes you you—your passions, skills, quirks, experiences, and the stuff you’ve been hiding. The raw material of your Big Deal Energy.
- The 3×3. You’ll understand how others see you, from your mom to the dude you see at the coffee shop every morning when you’re picking up your 5-shot shaken Espresso.
- Your Big Deal Energy™ Story. This is your story—not the AI version, the quirky one; it’s the experiences that shaped you, your values, and why you are so damn awesome.
- The Big Deal Energy™ Guide. Every activity is mapped to your BHAG. If it doesn’t serve the goal, it doesn’t make the plan. This isn’t about being everywhere. It’s about being in the right places, consistently, as yourself. This is your roadmap – specific, time-bound, mapped out.
About the Facilitator
Kim Bode is the founder and CEO of 8THIRTYFOUR, a communications and learning company, and the creator of Big Deal Energy™ and the QUIRKS™ personal branding framework. She has spent more than two decades working in communications, storytelling, and leadership development.
She created QUIRKS™ because the four-stage personal branding model doesn’t go deep enough, and she created Big Deal Energy™ because the world needs people to stop apologizing for their ambition, goals, and tenacity.
She founded 8THIRTYFOUR 19 years ago, survived an embezzlement that nearly destroyed her, and rebuilt something bigger. When she speaks, facilitates, or delivers a keynote, it comes from the spectacular failures and lessons she’s collected, the trauma she’s survived, the stories she’s lived, and the absolute belief that your story matters.
FAQs
What is personal branding?
Personal branding is the reputation, recognition, and recall you build as an individual — the consistent way people understand who you are, what you do, and what you stand for, whether or not you’re in the room.
Where did Big Deal Energy™ come from?
Big Deal Energy™ is a proprietary personal branding methodology created by Kim Bode, founder of 8THIRTYFOUR. It was developed out of nearly 20 years of agency experience building brands for companies and coaching the humans behind them.
What is QUIRKS™?
QUIRKS™ is the six-step framework that powers Big Deal Energy™: Question the norms, Uncover your quirks, Identify your BHAG, Reframe your narrative, Know yourself, Show up consistently.
What is a BHAG?
BHAG stands for Big Hairy Audacious Goal — a term coined by Jim Collins and Jerry Porras in Built to Last. In Big Deal Energy™, your BHAG is a specific, detailed, ten-year vision that your personal brand is built to move you toward.
Why is QUIRKS™ different from traditional personal branding?
Traditional personal branding models (discover, create, communicate, maintain) focus on positioning and presentation. QUIRKS™ starts with internal work — questioning norms, identifying what makes you distinct, and defining a long-term goal — before moving to how you communicate externally.
What makes this workshop different from other personal branding workshops?
This workshop is built around the QUIRKS™ framework and produces specific deliverables: a ten-year BHAG, a Quirks Inventory, a completed 3×3, a reframed brand statement, and a 30-day action plan. Did we mention it’s fun?
Who is this workshop for?
Entrepreneurs, business owners, executives, emerging leaders, and professionals in career transition who want to define and own their personal brand.
Who else will be in the room?
Attendance is capped to keep the group small and interactive. Past rooms have included entrepreneurs, executives, nonprofit leaders, consultants, and young professionals.
Who is Kim Bode?
“Kim Bode is a force to ALL — she is Big Deal Energy. She speaks her truth and then reminds others that their work not only matters but is necessary for a world that is kind and committed to the values we hold dear.”
— Michelle Letcher, Brigadier General (Retired)
How long is the workshop, and what do I need to bring?
The workshop is 2.5 hours in person. All materials are provided.
Is this available for teams?
Yes. Big Deal Energy™ can be delivered as a private workshop for organizations, leadership teams, and sales teams. Contact 8THIRTYFOUR for details.
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