When I started this blog (I know only one entry so far), I committed to myself, that I would write about things that I am passionate about, and hopefully in that process inspire and share things that can help others learn something from someone who has learned from other inspirational leaders. I’m passionate about social media and branding.
I have to admit, I’m a social media addict. Because I’m so connected most of the time, it’s fair to say that I get about 90% of my information on what’s happening in the world from sources and people that I trust. Really that breaks down to BRANDS that I trust. I’m very selective with who I follow and personally I haven’t been focusing on number of follows I have, as all my tweets are also connected to my LinkedIn account. I’ve spent much time building upon my network, and this is my major influencer channel that I can reach. Linking your Twitter to your LinkedIn account is a super fast easy way to “chat” with your audience. I LOVE social media. I love what it’s done for me, personally, and professionally. I also love staying connected and feeling like I am with the pulse of relative, important information real-time. I feel that those that I follow are personal brands that I trust. And because I trust their personal brand, I trust the information they share to also share with my network.
My Personal Branding Story
It’s the new year and that usually means there’s a lot of buzz going about branding. This year in particular I’ve been seeing a lot of discussion on personal branding. I thought I would share my story, maybe it will inspire you, to understand and see the value of building a personal brand. As a marketeer, I knew many things about how to market other people’s products, but I didn’t know how to market or develop my own product- ME.
I worked for Intel for 6.5 years. With Intel, I had a major brand in my corner. And you better believe I used that brand, supported by the pride I have in that brand, for both my personal and professional connections in life. When I would say, “I work/worked at Intel”, it meant something to everyone. Sometimes good, sometimes not so good. Working for a major brand has it’s pluses and minuses. Some would say that the big brand folks are difficult to work with, or do they do any work at all? And others would say, wow the strategic school of Intel means that you know how to get things done. Regardless of opinion, Intel was my BRAND. I was Intel and Intel was me. Or so I thought…
Until I was laid off during big layoffs in ’06. When I lost my job I lost my identity and sense of who I was. I didn’t know how to describe who I was outside of working for Intel or what I did there. I was pretty lost and scared. How did I lose my sense of my own identity? How would I find it, what was it, or did I ever even have one at all? In my time of searching, quite near after I was laid off, I came across Tom Peters and his personal branding steps. I still have the brandyou- Tom Peters pdf I downloaded from the screen capture of how to build your personal brand. I share this with friends and professionals I consult with. I use it as a formula to help others build out their brands.
Your Brand Communicates Value
When I lost my job the first time (now I’ve been laid off 2 times since), I didn’t understand or have an easy time clearly and consistently communicating my value to an organization. Once I took the time and went through the personal branding exercise, it became very clear to me what I do and what I bring to the table that is unique. Standing the test of time, Rejuvenate Marketing is my “consultancy” arm of Jennifer Cook, but it is in fact, Jennifer Cook, from everything including the colors I chose, the theme of rejuvenate and what that word means to me.
I have a portfolio presentation full of “stories” that represent my brand and I can map them to my brand- Rejuvenate Marketing. I can also tie everything back to my “tagline” or “bumper sticker” as Tom Peters would reference it -”rethink, refresh, renew”.
With or Without a Job, Your Brand is Important to Understand
The best thing you can do for yourself throughout your career, whether you are on a job search or not, is understand your value. And I think that the best way for you to understand your value is to build out a personal brand. So that not only you can visualize it, but others can too. Being laid off 3 times in 5 years, I would also add, that you should never not be on a job search, or at least stay connected with your networks and continue to build your own personal empire. 100% of my new job opportunities have only come from networking this time around. Networking works. Period.
A personal brand is your personal empire. It is YOU, who you are, what your represent, what you care about. And you must LOVE it for it to stand the test of time. It’s 2012 and in 2006 I built out my personal brand. It was an exercise that took no more than a few hours for me to do. Once I had my brand figured out, I put together supporting materials. Now that it’s six years later, I have complete stories of where I’ve gone and what I’ve done and how I’ve contributed to the bottom line, that all relate to my brand. My personal brand is me and I’m glad I took the time to listen to develop one.
I’d love to hear more of your thoughts on this topic. And kudos to Tom Peters, who is my personal branding guru that I have learned a lot from, and have never really ever even met the guy. He is a great one to follow! @TomPeters
