Kendal's Podcast

Ep. 3 – The Power of A Personal Brand

(00:37):

Hello tansi, this is Kendal, Netmaker. I hope you’re doing great today. Today I wanted to come online and to share with you some tips, some strategies on how to develop a winning personal brand that gets you more opportunities. There’s a good chance that in your, your life, your path, your career and so on, that maybe you’ve noticed that there’s some people out there that tend to get more opportunities than other people. And you wonder, you know, some of these, maybe you’re smarter than these people. Maybe you have more potential in these people, but for some reason they are the ones getting opportunities. They’re the ones who are finding ways to maybe climb the corporate ladder or, or get the job that you wish you, that you wanted and so on. And so today I wanted to share with you some, some tools and some strategies to develop a winning personal brand.

(01:31):

So, first and foremost, you have to see yourself as a brand. Every person is a brand. A brand is something that could be of value to organization, to a business as a product, as a service, and so on. And when you see yourself as a brand, you also have to, to, to, to be aware that you have the potential to give value, to give service to the world in a positive way. And so what that means is that you have potential, you have something within yourself. You have gifts, you have talents. And when you use that in a chosen field of work, of business, of service, you can do a lot of good in the world through, through, through your workplace, through, through working for someone else and so on. So, I wanted, I wanna share with you some tools tha can help align you to where it is that you, wherever it is that you’re trying to go in your life, your career.

(02:30):

Now, before we get into this, one of the, the most challenging things people go through is lack of feeling worthy of something, lack of feeling worthy that they should even brand themselves in the first place. When you look at, when you put yourself in a position of someone who has an opportunity and they’re trying to find people to, to fill a role, to, to bring into the workplace, they see resumes in front of them, they have a job posting and they have these applications coming through, you have to put yourself in that person’s position. That person who’s deciding who’s gonna come and work for them, who they’re gonna give an opportunity for, they are coming from the mindset of, is this person gonna help my customers? Is this person gonna come and help improve the workplace that I’m trying to look to hire to improve upon?

(03:19):

Is this person gonna come and treat the employees that I serve, the, the my customers that I, that, that we serve as well, that are gonna come back and, and develop something positive for the future? But is that person gonna help grow that or are they gonna limit that? And that’s where you come in. Maybe you’ve applied for something, a job, a, a career, and you’re wondering why you’re not getting more yeses in your life. You have to look at your brand. Because from an employer’s perspective, from a someone who’s giving an opportunity’s perspective, you have to flip that table around and be in their shoes for a well. And a lot of people don’t do that. They wonder why things don’t work out for them. And they, and they, they, they’re going through the steps, the motions, and they wonder why they can’t get a yes.

(04:05):

You have to look at how am I branding myself? How you brand yourself is important in this digital world that we’re living in right now. It’s important because there are tools now for employers to go and all they gotta do is search your name and their software is being created where they can literally go and, and scrounge all of your social footprint. So everything you put online on your Facebook, your Instagram, your, your TikTok and all that stuff, and they can compile a data report on, on people now. And this is the fu this is the future. This is where things are headed. So you have to ask yourself, is what I’m putting online is what I’m putting online right now helping my personal brand? Or is it taken away from the opportunities that I’m trying to get? Sometimes we see people online that are, you know, they, it can be very negative.

(05:03):

They can be very unsupportive of trying to move forward in a positive way. And when we see that, we often can tie that to them not getting the opportunities oftentimes that they should be because maybe they’re putting stuff online or they put stuff online on the past that that is very harmful. And all it takes is an employer, someone with an opportunity to go and, and look at that and to say yes or no. Do I want to give this person a chance to come in to work with us, to, to, to come in and, and, and to help our, our company, help our organization and so on? This is the future that we’re living in, unfortunately, is that we’re, we’re living in a very judgemental society where individuals who who are looking to fill roles, sometimes they’ll say, well, here’s the data.

(05:56):

Here’s what we, or is it a yes or no? And they have no choice but to make a judgment based on off of that. So this is where it’s important to, when, when we’re putting it back into our field, we have to watch what we post. We have to watch how we conduct ourselves online because that social footprint, it lasts forever. And so how you talk online, how, what stuff you share online, it, it’s all part of your social footprint. And so we have to see ourselves as a brand and as a brand. I’m here to tell you that you’re worthy of where it is that you’re trying to get to. You have to give yourself permission to go and apply for things to go and put yourself out there sometimes. And it can be uncomfortable, it can be very uncomfortable. But I’m here to share with you that I’ve worked with a lot of people who were very timid, very shy, and have come out of their shells and have done things and, and they’re starting to get those opportunities now.

(06:55):

So as we become more aware of the social footprint that is out there, you give yourself permission to go after these opportunities. Sometimes the most detrimental things to people’s successes, they’re around people who don’t wish the best for them. These people, sometimes all it takes is a thought towards a person. All it takes is a gossip behind the scenes towards a person. And sometimes that can derail their success. Sometimes it can derail where they’re trying to go to. So sometimes it’s not even wise to tell certain people around you what it is that you’re trying to do. The things that you are applying for, the things that you’re striving for. Sometimes it’s best to keep that to yourself if you don’t have a positive circle of influence to share those, those good messages that you’re trying to get towards. Develop that circle of influence as time goes on.

(07:47):

But sometimes you will know when you, when you start getting opportunities, when you start getting a, a accomplishments under your, under your belt, you will notice that when you share them with certain people, they will either be happy for you or they, you’ll notice the other side of happiness. You’ll see it right when you tell them. You could feel that. And so watch who you share good news with, watch who you share your dreams with because that could uplift you. But oftentimes, unfortunately, it may derail you. It may st slow you down. It may put a pause on your dream, a pause on your goal, and so on. So I encourage you, whoever’s watching this right now, wherever you’re trying to go. And so start thinking of yourself as a brand. Because the future of work, the future of our society is very much going to be, we’re gonna have these digital footprints everywhere and people are going to make assumptions based on those digital footprints.

(08:52):

And then the second part of that is we now meet in person, whether it’s a job interview a zoom process or teams process, and we’re meeting face-to-face. And that second part of, of interviews or applications is that second step of meeting each other. And then when you pass that, then they make their final judgment. But the first step to getting into that door is you have, you have to watch how you brand yourself, what you put online. You have to watch the photos that you’re putting online, the videos that you’re putting online. Now, when you get to that second part of the process, when you’re sitting in, in a, a job interview or you’re, you’re applying for what could be a competition, whatever it might be, I always tell people this is for, for anyone who’s trying to, who get employment to get business opportunities athletes go through the solid time.

(09:40):

I always tell people always, always, always show up early. Try to be the last one to leave a room, show up early. Try to be the one one of the last ones to, to leave a room. You will not believe how many times as an employer, as someone who’s given out opportunities to people where I’ve noticed so much potential in a room, but people lacking the simple drive to show up on time. I always, always, always stress the importance of showing up early. Try to condition yourself to show up early to things you will not believe how much it will reduce the, the stress of of showing up, you know, to something on time. But showing up early will give you time to to, to relax, to embrace the moment and so on. And if you can try to be the last one to leave that room. Here’s another thing I want to share with you. Leaders always recognize the potential of other leaders that are coming up in rising the ranks and so on. They always can see people who have potential. And if you’re doing those simple things of showing up early, being the last one to leave a room, they’re watching that, they’re watching people like that, what their habits are. Because if they do that there, they’re probably doing that at home.

(10:59):

So that also is more likely to translate. If they hire you, if they work with you, they’re more likely to see that in their workplace and they’re gonna pick people like that, people with that potential. And I hope that’s you. I hope that you’re able to, to take these home and to, to apply them to your life. Another thing that, that a lot of people have a hard time with is, you know, we’re living in such a fast paced world everyone has a phone, everyone has a smartphone, iPhone, android, whatever that might be, tablets. And a lot of times we’re putting our attention onto that tablet for hours and hours every single day. And one of the most challenging things that I notice right now is a lot of people, they want attention for everything that they do, attention for every win that they get every every that they’re working towards.

(11:54):

They have to monitor every track of that progress. Now this is just my opinion. That doesn’t mean, it applies to everyone. But I have a hard time tracking every little thing just to show the world of what I’m doing to please them and take my attention away from what I’m doing in that moment just to get a following. Like, to me that that seems a little counterproductive. I don’t, I I don’t post as often as I should because I’m working on things. I’m working on things and I don’t have time to take my attention from that and let the world know what I’m trying to do. To me, that’s counterproductive. You almost need to hire someone as, as a social media live person with you to, to do your whole, you know, behind the scenes stuff. And for some of you, I hope you do get there if, if that’s meant for you. So sometimes the work behind the scenes won’t get noticed by a lot of people. When you’re training for something, when you’re working, when you’re studying, when you’re practicing, no one’s gonna see that work.

(12:58):

But they will see the outcomes of what that work will do. When you have those opportunity to align yourself with whatever opportunity comes down your path, you’ll be the one that’s ready. Because you’ve practiced, because you worked at it. Many entrepreneurs know this. People don’t watch the work behind the scenes. They only see the outcomes of what they see online. They don’t see all the times that people said no to you. They don’t see the times of things that failed behind the scenes. They don’t see the, the struggles behind the scenes, but they see the wins. And that’s the society we’re living in right now. People just want to see the wins. They don’t want to see the struggle. And sometimes when you’re struggling behind the scenes, it’s tough for you to even wanna post anything online to to, to put yourself out there and so on.

(13:46):

It’s struggling, you know, it’s, it’s, it’s very, it’s tough to put yourself in that position and want to show up in, in your, your best self. Everyone has their days, their ups and downs. Everyone goes through their struggles. It’s how you manage yourself during that time. It’s how you work on yourself nonstop. That’ll set you up for those opportunities that will come in the future. So we’re preparing for that. All of us here, you’re developing your brand. You have to see your first name and last name as a brand or whatever name you’ve been given. That’s who you are. And you’re developing yourself, nurturing your gifts, working on yourself into preparing for the opportunities that will come into your life and those opportunities that will come into your life as you’re working on your gift, as you’re working on your talents. When you meet that opportunity, you will be the one that stands up because you develop your yourself, you develop your gift, you develop your brand, you’ve matched with an opportunity and off you go.

(14:50):

Last tip I wanna share with you today. Last couple tips I’ll give to you. Sometimes there there are certain opportunities where you may have to address a certain way. You may have to be in a networking situation. Those, those could be the most challenging times of a person’s life where they have to put themselves outside their comfort zone. Maybe they have to wear a suit or a dress or they have to go and talk to people at a networking situation. Maybe they’re not used to that. And those are, those are challenging times because that’s the place where you also have to, you know, as they say, you know, mingle with people and you have to talk and so on. And you have to make yourself noticed. You have to, sometimes you have business cards, all that type of stuff. So here’s my suggestion to everyone who’s, who’s gonna go through that in, in some form.

(15:50):

Do the best you can to dress for the part that you’re comfortable with. At the same time, when it comes to, to talking to people, when it comes to networking, I was never been a good networker. But when those opportunities come, when I have to be in that situation, I do the best I can to, to be that person that is, is approachable, that is willing to talk to others, that is willing to go and, and, and talk with people who are positive and optimistic. And also to, in these scenarios, oftentimes what I’ve noticed is that it’s more challenging for indigenous people. It’s more challenging for minorities to be in those situations because oftentimes they’re, they’re usually one of the only few in the, in the room that’s visible. And so that can be become very challenging for them to come out of their shell to become their true self, to talk like how they want to talk.

(16:51):

So it’s challenging. There’s a lot of, there’s a lot of things that, that people are unaware of that indigenous and minorities have to go through just to fit into a crowd. It’s challenging. And so when you brand yourself, when you’re working on yourself, when you’re preparing for that role that you’re, you’re hoping for in the future, there could be a lot of cool things that can come into your path. And when they do come into your path, hopefully you’ll be ready for that, that moment. And if you’re not sure about where it is that you’re trying to get to, my advice to, to everyone who’s gonna watch or listen to this is act as if you’re that person already. What would that person be like in the future? How would they need to dress? How would they need to, to, to network? How would they need to conduct themselves and work towards becoming that person?

(17:51):

Act as if you’re, you are that person already. There’s a quote that I’ve heard many, many times throughout my journey. Act as if you’re the person and you’re more likely to become that person in the future. So that could be in, in, you know, if you want to be a great marketer, a great salesperson, a great entrepreneur, a business person, a great leader, act as if you’re that person. What does that person do? How do they dress, how do they conduct themselves? Do they have to network? Do they have to go out and do stuff online? Where are they online? Are they on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, LinkedIn, and so on. For the entrepreneurs who are watching or listening to this, this is also very important for you to understand who your market is. Where is your, where does your market, where are they focused online right now?

(18:39):

So for me, I put my focus onto a lot of LinkedIn, Instagram, and Facebook. That’s where my market is because I understand where they come from, I understand where they network and that’s where I put my attention. For those entrepreneurs and business owners who are watching this, you have to be very aware of where your market is. Because if you spread yourself everywhere and you’re trying to be everywhere to every, everything you are gonna lose, focus on who really needs to hear your messages, who needs to see what it is that you have to offer. And for those who are, who are looking for opportunities in your career and or your business, make yourself more available on LinkedIn and start branding yourself accordingly. Get a nice photo done. Go on to Canva. Get a background created for your social media pages that you have.

(19:31):

Get someone who’s a friend to do a photo shoot for you. Put your photo of your yourself smiling online. All the stuff that you do. Get someone to help you to create a simple bio, what it is that you’re, that you’re looking to accomplish, that you’re trying to attract opportunities and so on. Start networking with people online, creating connections and so on. So many people that I’ve worked with that I do engagements for that I do consulting for workshops and so on. Many of them are on LinkedIn. So I put my attention there. And for those of you who are looking to get opportunities, whether it be employment, business opportunities, I highly suggest you make time to go on LinkedIn and start developing your brand under, because there’s a lot of people on there who are looking for people like you to fill certain roles.

(20:33):

And if you brand yourself accordingly, you show up to work early, you stay late, you’re developing yourself behind the scenes, you’re working on yourself, you’re practicing on whatever role that you’re doing behind the scenes, you’re making a part of your life. When that time comes, you’re gonna be the right person, you’re gonna be the right fit. So ladies and gentlemen, I wanted to, to focus today on everyone’s a brand. Everyone has an opportunity to take themselves from where they are right now to the next step. And sometimes people, they fail to look at their own brand. What, what, what are people perceiving me as online in the marketplace? How can I improve upon that? So these are things that you have to ask yourself. And for those of you who want to take it to the next step, I have a few tools for you.

(21:27):

How many of you actually have your own website? Your first name, last name.com. If if you don’t, I encourage you to have a website, put it on your business card, put it on your, your bios and so on for people to go to. This is your, your online business card. This is where people are gonna learn about you. Next step, well, have you told your story online what people need to know about you online, your journey, the things you overcame, what, what it is, where it is that you’re trying to go to in your next step of your career. Put it online, put it on your website. So now you have your bio, your story, you have your photos, you have your website. Next step, well maybe you wanna make a video of them, of you being on camera like this and talking to your video.

(22:14):

You record it, you put it on your website, and the next time you give your business card or you have your application to whatever you’re applying for, you have your website on there. And they’re gonna go through that and they’re gonna say, Hmm, this is the only person that has a website. These other applicants don’t have nothing. And you know what they’re gonna think from an employer’s perspective. This person must take themselves seriously. This person probably is a hard worker. This person is going above and beyond what everyone else is doing. So they’re gonna take a look at you just on that one simple idea alone, hard worker going above and beyond these simple tools, my friends will allow you to do a lot of good things in your life to attract the opportunities that you deserve. But do not forget to do the work behind the scenes. Oftentimes, it’s gonna be when no one’s watching, when no one’s there sitting with you, watching your progress and so on. This is going to be you. And then when those times are happening, you’re pr tell yourself, I’m preparing for the next step. I’m preparing for the next step. And keep working, keep at it. Ladies and gentlemen, I hope this, this episode has been helpful and I look forward to seeing you on the next episode.

(23:35):

If you found this episode helpful, please like, share, and subscribe to book Kendal to speak at a future event, please go to kendalNetmaker.com Consider sharing the Kendal Netmaker show with someone you feel needs to hear this message.

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