I recently attended a “personal branding” networking event hosted by Tricia Brunton of Xcel, Inc and found a packed house. It was great to see so many people at different levels in their careers having a great discussion on the importance of personal branding. Though our blogging is national and many times international in scope, don’t forget to attend local networking events. They help you stay in tune with what your local market is focused on and are a great way to market yourself.
Leading the discussion, was “America’s Marketing Motivator”, Kathy McAfee and Image Consultant, Mallory Mason. They led a well-rounded discussion on the importance of managing your brand from the inside and out. It was a lively and intimate experience on how we create, sustain, and market our personal brands. Including the biggest lesson of all — if you don’t manage your personal brand, others will do it for you by running with their first impressions and judgments.
Additionally, it is extremely important to be consistent with your brand instead of being scattered. Many people go to conferences and have multiple business cards for each of their businesses and interests. What this does is confuse people and dilutes your brand. Instead you must find a common thread and define your brand handle. In 2 or 3 words, sum up your brand. For Kathy McAfee, it’s “America’s Marketing Motivator”, for a participant who was an executive assistant it was “The Go To Person.” For me, it is “Coach’m Up Boni” because I empower others to rise up from their current situations to reach higher levels of success. What is your brand handle?
Finally what I took away from this wonderful event, in addition to the great women I networked with, was the importance to be authentic. Don’t compromise your values for others because when you are authentic, you build trust in your personal brand. I am excited to be a panelist at Xcel, Inc’s next networking event in August on the topic of “Owning your Career.” You can bet that I will have my brand handle ready and my personal brand in my soul.