Tag Archives: job promotion

Should I Create My Own Brand or Become the Company’s Brand?

During a personal branding workshop for a group of polished, ambitious, and smart new hires at a national corporation, I asked the question: Who are you? No one moved. Their firm grasp on investment portfolios, command of Wall Street lingo, and expertise in accounting principles didn’t help them with this basic question. They looked amazed, caught off guard, like I had just announced a pop quiz that they hadn’t studied for. Unable or perhaps too stunned to answer the first question, I continued, “Why are you here?” The tension eased and hands began to pop up.

Not knowing whose hand raised first, I randomly called on one of the blue-coat-white-shirt-fancy-ties to my left. Sounding like a well-rehearsed 30-second elevator speech, he pronounced, “I’m here to represent the (industry) in integrity while helping my clients build the wealth that they desire and come to expect from a (name of the company) employee.”

I wanted to applaud him for his performance. He had learned the bank’s language. He definitely had their image. Unfortunately, he was a long way from home. His response didn’t represent his brand. It was the company’s brand. He did what most people do when they get hired—find a way to fit in. Falling into the image trap of believing that if I show up the way the company executives want me to, I’ll be rewarded. In order to successfully navigate across the new normal of workplace dynamics, you have to BYOB: Bring Your Own Brand, which means, you have to bring the real you, not just the image you think the company expects of you.

I’ve worked with new hires and seasoned employees at state and government agencies, colleges and universities, corporate and not-for-profit organizations, and I have found this: Many people don’t bring their brand to the company. They accept the values, culture, image and brand of the company—even when they don’t believe in them.

How many times have you heard your co-workers complain about the unfair practices of the company? They label the culture as cutthroat, negative, or unfair yet they quietly yearn to become more entrenched in the organization. They are willing to abandon more of themselves for the schemes that they despise.

In return for handing their life over to the employer, a complete and sometimes unfair assessment by the employer establishes the brand of the employee—how talented the person is, how those talents will be used, who they will be exposed to within the organization, and which growth and advancement opportunities the employee will be considered for. Often marginalized because an employer only has a limited perspective of the employee’s abilities, the employee feels trapped by the system’s skewed perception.

But the employee is unaware that the company’s perception stems from them. The real culprit is the employee’s failure to create and manage their own brand.

For most, I think it’s an unconscious decision. With the day-to-day financial challenges and pressures to get ahead, many people haven’t taken the time to find their inner peace by answering the question: Who am I?

I believe that the best thing about today’s challenges is that it’s bringing us full circle—back to our true selves. Loss, devastation, and excessive stress is prompting us to ask the right questions for the right reasons:

1.  What brought us to this space?

2. Why are we here?

3. What are we to learn?

 4. Where is truth?

5. What is the truth?

6. How can we live it together, even if our truths are different?

This is an excerpt from The Bridge to Your Brand Likability, Marketability and Credibility.

Copyright 2018 S. Renee Smith. All rights reserved.

What Should I Do When I Don’t Know What to Do?

We all have moments when we don’t know what our next step should be.  It can be an overwhelming and daunting task to figure out what path to take. There are times when you don’t know what to do because you’re not sure what you want and then there are times when you know exactly what you want, but don’t know where or how to get started.

My clients come to be because they are stuck. Either they want to identify their internal barriers to success, figure out their life purpose, land a coveted promotion or after investing thousands of dollars in their business, they still don’t know how to package, pitch and promote themselves and what they do to create buzz and generate interest in them.

Here are my quick-fix suggestions:

1.  Ask for assistance. God has given you an internal guidance system. The only reason you don’t know what to do next is because you’re in a whirlwind of energy that is not your own. Sit with yourself and ask:

  1. What will serve my highest good and that of others?
  2. Who can help me get there?

You’ll be amazed how you are led to what you need when you need it by simply asking.

2. Act on your promptings even if they frighten you. You’ll have a feeling of what you should do. You may think about a person with whom you haven’t spoken to in years, reach out to them. If they don’t have the answer or don’t respond, don’t give up you’ll find the right door if you keep knocking.

3. Invest in yourself. You have to believe in yourself enough to get the information you need to advance your life and career. Be diligent in your pursuit of your passion and happiness. Invest in yourself by hiring a coach that can help with the following or any other needs:

  1.  assess what you have and how you can package, position and promote it
  2. identify your blind spots so that you can see what other people see that may be hindering you from getting what you want
  3. help you sharpen your tools for success

Are you stuck? Do you want to build a speaking business or some other enterprise? Is authoring a book on your list? Do you have your eyes on a new promotion opportunity? Is becoming a better communicator or public speaker on your mind? I’d love to help.  Visit srenee.com for more information and to book your consult.

Copyrights 2018 All rights reserved. S. Renee Smith.