Its Never Too Late For Personal Branding

let me start

with the pause in the next five

seconds close your eyes

and think about what is the one word or

a sentence

that comes to your mind about what

others

think about you

now you may be wondering why i asked you

to do that

you see personal branding is the story

people tell about you

when you are not in the room

personal brand is the intersection of

your authentic self

and people’s perception you’re the heart

of personal brand led by how you show up

in person

online your voice your tone

your passion your interest it’s

mainly the representation of best of you

your flaws as well your trends your

challenges

but your successes as well you know as

dolly parton says find out

who you are and do it on purpose

let me take you back when i was

little i hid under the skin

of my own color loaded with

layers of makeup i hid

under my long braids i hid

under the weight i talked do not get

noticed

for the first 25 or so years in my life

i was trying to be let’s just say it

chameleon of all sorts

i was all over the place i let

life take its course with no

direction of what i really wanted to be

you know as a first gen computer

professional

i got rejected from multiple colleges

from multiple interviews but guess what

i was just one in a million who was

trying to fit in

i was either just same or too different

i was not known i was lost in the

thousands of other hybrid cars in the

world

you know yes it’s a very very common and

unisex name

i could have asked for a unique name for

my from my parents

but that’s another story for another

thing

it was a bit of everything it wasn’t

until i found myself in the last 10

years or so

of what my own personal brand is

and that’s when my personal and

professional trajectory

took off you know today

i proudly and openly say i’m a mom of

two

i’m a wife i’m a first generation woman

of color and tech

with a beautiful crown leadership and a

career coach and a speaker

and oh an abstract artist as well

that’s my multi-dimensional life

i don’t try to box myself i stand out

my brand is why blend in when you’re

born to stand out you know i connect

deeply with where i work microsoft’s

vision

to empower each and every person on this

planet to achieve more

and what i do i want i

try to make sure i’m bringing the best

out of

each and every person you know what i’m

trying to say to you all is

that you don’t have to wait 25

or 30 years for that

in today’s digital world you don’t have

to wait

till you get your first job to tell this

world

who you really are you see when you go

to the stores

for shopping there are multiple brands

but you gently pull the one which is the

most

popular right or what stands out

it’s the perception of the brand which

lets you seek them out

now covet 19 it has created an

unprecedented humanitarian challenge i

understand that

but covet is also the biggest

global digital disruptor in the recent

history as a result of this pandemic

there is a massive jump in internet

usage

42 of the people globally

declare increasing this time which

they’re spending online

above anything the pandemic has

showcased

the power of social media it’s

connecting people

when most of the other forms of the

communication have been taken away

now what does that mean for personal

branding for you

all you know in this context

personal branding is much more critical

than

ever yes it plays a key role in building

that brand

elevating that social reputation of what

you bring to the table

you know when you’re looking for a job

when you get in the market

87 of the recruiters and hiring manager

they’re checking your online presence

according to one of the hr statistics

report

now when i am talking about your

personal branding

i’m referring to establishing

and promoting what you stand for in your

life

and oh well i mean digital life when i

search for your name

what do i get about you i want each and

every one of you

to have a brand being able to find you

online

on what you are known for

try to find me try to search for hydrate

car

microsoft why blend in

you know a personal brand it will help

you

stand out it makes you unique and

relevant

it helps you to send that clear message

of

what you are what you offer

it will help you for opportunities and

achievements ahead

it will let you manage your reputation

yourself

and articulate your value and with that

you can lead more you can win more you

can

earn more remember you know there are

many lisas there are many michelles

there are many heartbeats

this hard wreath is brilliant

but being brilliant but anonymous

it’s no good being the best kept secret

in the world

it’s about what you know but also who

you know

as well you want to cut the noise

and stand out so now

let me tell you how you’re gonna do that

here are the four

blocks for creating your own personal

name dot inc the first

your assets what are your unique

skills what are your unique abilities

your experiences what are your usps

your unique selling points the second

thing

your impact your traits what are those

what are some of the words that come to

your mind what people

think about you this third thing

your values what are the things which

matters to you the most

and the last but not the least your

passions

what excites you out of work

out of home what is that which

brings the best out of you now that we

have

talked about the four building blocks

let me give you five steps

which i want each one of you to take

action on to start building that

personal

brand the first and the foremost

permission to be yourself remember

you’re one of a kind everyone is taken

be genuine you don’t need to act or

pretend

it may not even last you know do the

necessary adjustments in characters

or attitude the second thing

build credibility it’s your ethics

how reliable you are how trustworthy you

are how punctual you are

how respectful you are and then you know

deliver that

what you want to be known for the third

showcase your speciality what is that

x factor in you you know make sure

you’re writing it up in your resume

online on linkedin or wherever you’re

you’re

building that brand speaking

up on what you can contribute to in a

team or what you’re good at

it’s not being proud frankly it’s being

showing that you are a great team member

or

an individual no one will know if you

don’t say it

the fourth thing leaving your mark

attitude to work single-handedly or in a

team

you know that interview where you were

rejected from

that’s another story rejection is

another redirection

every no is gonna take you to a better

yes

but that interview which you didn’t get

you still want to leave a mark

of your brand you still want them to

remember about you

and the last thing connect

with people yes it’s a small world

i will tell you being in the industry

for 20 years

i will tell you it is a really small

world

build those relationships interactions

engage with other members network with

others

with the balance remember

to be the best brand you need to feel

good about your

outer self and your inner self

you know when both of these work

together

i will tell you you project an aura

that attracts people to you that aura

of authentic usefulness

relevant actionable helps you to stand

out

let me close by saying this in less than

20 words or so

now you keeping those four building

blocks

and the five steps write a value led an

action driver impactful personal brand

statement

it can start with i help i spark

i empower i design i

organize i will take on this world

whatever that is why blend in

when you want to stand out don’t lose on

an

interview or any life decision over

something which

you can control which is your personal

brand remember it’s never too late

or never too early to start building

your brand

and once you have it i can’t wait to

connect with you all

thank you