Transcript
Question:
SEE RELATED:
—— 1) Jay, can you tell me a little preview of what you and Karen Saverino will be talking about here tomorrow at 11 a.m.?
by deldridge
Answer:
1) This will be a discussion with a nationally known branding expert, Karen Saverino, from The Metropolitan Group, which is a strategic planning and marketing firm located in DC and with other offices around the country. Personal Branding is a persona or presence that you want to project that embodies your values and beliefs. It is self-packaging for your career, dating, etc. For example, when you think of Oprah or Bill Gates certain things about them readily come to mind. Bill ‘s dress is understated and Oprah is elegant and stylish. Both give their money freely and are caring compassionate people. These are the statements they project. Take Tim Russert, his personal brand was a tough, fair, balanced get at the truth journalist. Donald Trump has one of the strongest personal brands. So this chat will focus on how to develop or enhance your personal brand. by Jay_Speights
Question:
—— 2) What is a good way to see the brand that you are currently putting out?
by mstainer
Answer:
2) Start by asking people who know you well about your personal brand. What values do thy think your embody? Then look at yourself and consider whether those values that people see are the same ones you think you are living. How well are you carrying out those brand values? What can you do better? What’s missing from your brand that you’d like to add?
by K_Saverino
Question:
—— 3) Hi, Jay and Karen. How does a person assess his or her current personal brand? Can you suggest a checklist or series of questions one should ask himself or herself, please?
by jlea
Answer: 3) Ask yourself: What is your mission? What do you value? What is your personality? What do you want others to think of you? That you are fun and energetic? Smart and consistent? Or all of the above? Then how can you be more congruent in your brand to carry that out.
by Karen S
Question:
—— 4) Karen, congruence is a key element in personal branding because it means that your brand is authentic. You can’t be one thing internally and project a different presence or something else externally … that’s phony and in my opinion will not serve you well long-term. What are your thoughts?
by Jay_Speights
Answer:
4) I agree that a brand has to be authentic, or congruent as you describe it. It is almost worst to have defined a brand and then not carry it out authentically than to not have a brand at all. Once you have determined your brand—just like a business detremines its brand—you have to stick with it. A brand is a promise you make about what you will deliver, and when you fail to deliver consistently, you disappoint others, and yourself. by Karen S
Question:
—— 5) David voice is so important for reporters and bloggers. Do you see the personal branding process as important for them to develop a voice?
by Jay_Speights
Answer:
5) Jay, voice is what makes online writing unique. It’s the value we have to offer our readers, it’s the key to our success. by deldridge
Answer:
5) Jay: I’d like to take a stab at your question to Dave about the voice of reporters and bloggers. Voice has always been critical in the media. Who do you know at various newspapers across town? Beat reporters or columnists? Columnists! It’s because you see their picture, hear their opinions and their voice comes through. Voice is a consistent part of the brand. If you’re outspoken, opinionated and bold, you do not want to write a column that is soft and meek..Otherwise people (including you) get confused about who you are. It would be great fun to take TWT reporters through an exploration of their brands. What intrigues me is how all of the personal values of your reporters and writers and bloggers add up to one big collective voice.
by K_Saverino
Question:
—— 6) What is the number one branding tip that you have to offer?
by marketman
Answer: 6) Hi marketman. Congruence in my opinion is the number 1 tip. Congruence is authenticity. You can’t be one thing internally and another externally. So make sure that your values and beliefs are present in your brand.
by Jay_Speights
Question:
—— 7) Hi Jay and Karen — so “branding” is really just an extension of personality and character, right? What others see in us, whether or not we like it. — Martha by Martha_M_Boltz
Answer:
7) Hi Martha For me, personal branding is a personal statement of excellence, congruence and the higher beliefs and values that you apply in everything that you do. It is an outward projection of your inner state.
by Jay_Speights
Question:
—— 8) Jay: You have worked a lot on your brand, especially your decision to go from high-powered lobbyist to spiritual guide, author, teacher. What thoughts did you put into your brand? How do you check your brand against your actions. So in other words, how do you assure you are congruent?
by K_Saverino
Answer:
8) Karen … good question. There were times when I was a lobbyist and I should really say public affairs consultant, that I did not recognize the persona that I was projecting. My core values were for the most part not reflecting in my interactions. I was and I hate to use this word “somewhat cliche” a typical public affairs guy. One day I went into a deep introspective state and did not like what I saw so I changed. And I made sure what was inside was being projected outside.
by Jay_Speights
Question:
—— 9) Dave: You have just launched this great online community. Congratulations. What qualities or values do your readers share? In essence, does this community have a “personal” brand shaping up?
by K_Saverino
Answer:
9) Karen, our readers, especially in this section of the Web site, will run the gamut, from single moms, to military veterans, to comic book fans (shout out to Szadkowski there). by deldridge
Question:
—— 10) Karen how do you factor in personal growth in your brand?
by Jay_Speights
Answer:
10) Hi Jay: Personal growth is an important consideration for your brand. Often people undertake the branding process because they want to grow. To live a fuller life? To find love? To change careers? So when you look at your brand, think about your “aspirational” brand. What is the brand you aspire to carry out. You also want to be sure that when you start the branding process, you look at your core values. Then if you stay true to those core values when you grow, you will have congruent brand, even as you evolve as a person.
by K_Saverino
Question:
—— 11) Thanks for doing this chat! How did you learn about this subject?
by marketman
Answer:
11) Hi marketman. You welcome. I am a Peak Performance Consultant and Spiritual Coach. Personal branding and congruence are a big part of that.. The concept of “Personal Branding” came from Karen. This is part of the services she offers to clients. by K_Saverino
Question:
—— 12) What are some of the biggest mistakes people make when attempting to brand themselves?
by cftoto
Answer:
12) Hi cftoto In my opinion it’s not factoring in authenticity. Branding can be too much about packaging for appeal and acceptance. Make sure you are real. by Jay_Speights
Question:
—— 13) Hi, Interesting chat. Thanks. I’m still not clear about why you would want to define your brand—does it put you in a position to go to the next level? And how is this different that trying to maintain your personal integrity and authenticity?
by neighborgrrl
Answer:
13) Hi Neighborgrrl: You would want to define your brand for a variety of reasons. It can help you advance if that is your goal. However, it can also allow you to draw back in to examine your life to decide that you want things to be simple. If your brand is spiritual, reflective space and time for family, then maybe a big promotion is not what will make you happy. The core purpose of branding is to define who you are, what you believe in so that you can carry it out in a consistent way that allows you to feel fulfilled and to spend your life being authentic and true to yourself. by K_Saverino
Question:
—— 14) Hi Jay and Karen — so “branding”, for all practical purposes, is merely an extension of personality and personal character — what you try to convey and what others see in you. — Martha
by Martha_M_Boltz
Answer:
14) Hi Martha — For me, personal branding is a personal statement of excellence, congruence and the higher beliefs and values that you apply in everything that you do. It is an outward projetcion of your inner state. by Jay_Speights
Question:
—— 15) One way to think about your brand is to think about the brands of others. Here’s a general question for all to think about. Who is a famous living person you like? Describe their brand.
by K_Saverino
Answer:
15) Karen for me it’s Deepak Chopra. He can be summed up in one word. His brand is “Spiritual.” He is the epitome of congruence. His writings, diet, and business ventures involve spirituality in some way. He’s caring, compassionate, successful. There is a direct correlation between his beliefs and work. That’s a good place to be. I seldom achieved that as a lobbyist. Many times there was a struggle between my work and my core beliefs. You know the people that we call by one name have the strongest brands and are most defined. Deeepak is one, Trump, Oprah, Madonna,Clinton is called “Bill.” We should look at what these people do and the consistency of the persona they project (whether good or bad), and draw some examples from them.
by Jay_Speights
Answer:
In closing, I’d like to offer a few steps to develop your personal brand. One: Draft your personal mission statement. Two: Identify your 5-7 core values. Three: Identify any values that you may need to add in order to carry out your mission statement. Four: Based on what you have discovered, draft your personal brand statement. Describe yourself as if you were a business. What can people expect from you on an ongoing basis? Five: Consider three to five ways you can best carry out your brand. Journal about your interactions for a week to see if you are projecting your brand. Thanks for inviting me to join this chat today. To learn more about branding, click here (my company site) and here, my favorite online branding resource. by K_Saverino
Question:
16) I would like to thank all of you for your participation today. Karen it was a real pleasure. We had some technical challenges, but we made it through. If any of you want more advice on branding feel free to contact me on jaysbspeights2@gmail.com. Also, below are links to my book and personal blog. You can learn more about me here. And be sure to buy my new book, “Harmonious Day.” It is about my branding experience. Karen thanks so much again and to my fellow mayors and David Eldridge as well.
by Jay_Speights
