"Reeeed Robin...Yum"

Approximately twenty years ago, I was sitting in my dad’s car as we ran errand after errand on a busy weekday morning.  We went to the bank, then the DMV, followed by a client’s house, and his office.  While sitting in the car, we would sing extremely loud to the radio with the windows down going through the city.  At one point during our adventurous morning, he turned the radio down to make a phone call and when he hung up, unsure of what got a hold of me, I sang “800-588-2300 Eeemmmpppiirrreee”.  He jammed brakes, pulled to the side of the road while in the same motion pulling out a pen and paper; then goes “Jas, sing that again!”  I, almost in sheer panic this time instead of joyful  randomness said “800-588-2300 Eeemmmpppiirrreee”? He dramatically wrote the number down, smiled and goes “Thanks Jas, man I was waiting on the commercial to come back on so I could call them.  I needed the phone number”. Empire Carpet was fairly popular in Long Beach, CA at this time.  They had Television and radio commercials, adds in the newspapers and religiously played their company jingle. This company to this day has the same jingle and although though this story happened almost twenty years ago, I still randomly while in my house or driving down the highway have “800-588-2300 Eeemmmpppiirrreee” come to mind.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uwJQQux0TF0

“Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there” …Did you sing the jingle in your head? Oh, here’s another one. “Ba du dun du dun, I’m lovin it”. Anyone want fries?  Major companies and corporations spend millions of dollars each year to build their brand.  In 2014 Natalie Zmuda, in her article on Coca Cola stated “Earlier this year, Coca-Cola CEO Muhtar Kent pledged to increase media spending and brand-building initiatives by up to $1 billion by 2016”. She also stated “Coca-Cola spends $565 million on advertising in the U.S., according to Ad Age Datacenter. The company reported spending $3.3 billion on advertising globally in 2013”.  With this being said, understandably Coca Cola is focusing on marketing, but marketing what?  Not just the product; the brand. http://adage.com/article/cmo-strategy/coca-cola-maintains-marketing-spend-amid-sluggish-demand/294251/

I’d like to introduce the concept of Personal Branding. From my perspective, Personal Branding runs parallel to a major corporation having a jingle. It happens prior to the jingle with a little more focus on the intent of the person creating the company FOR the jingle.  As a young entrepreneur and master networker, I find it is EXTREMELY important for me to have a personal brand in my industry. Without a personal brand I would have absolutely no clue where to start or how to incorporate my values and beliefs into my company.  I Think of it as a way of placing myself out there for the world to see, well thought out, completely open, yet under a microscope. What do people say when I leave the room? In my industry of networking and business consulting this question constantly resonates in my head. How am I affecting those around me? Am I leaving an imprint? Is the imprint good? Do people, from meeting and interacting with me, understand my values, and core beliefs?

“Live like no one else, so that you can live like no one else” is Dave Ramsey’s, Author of Financial Peace University, slogan.  When thinking of Dave Ramsey, I understand that he is expressing his belief system of saving money, and living a debt free life so that at some point in their future, they may live a life of freedom and success. He has spent years building his personal brand in the Financial Advising industry through public speaking, writing books with his theories and advice, teaching classes and hosting a radio show to further educate others on best practices for spending and financial planning.  Dave Ramsey did not get to where he is today overnight; he very carefully focused his efforts on looking at his Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats commonly known as the SWOT analysis. https://www.daveramsey.com/

In using the SWOT analysis to create your personal brands you must ask yourself several questions that may deem uncomfortable to answer.  No one likes being told they have a weakness or that a specific area needs improvement.  Yet, knowing these areas that cause you trouble will help you focus better and improve your business daily.  https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newTMC_05_1.htm One individual who actively SWOT’s on multiple levels with clients everyday is Marcus Lemonis.  I binge watch “The Profit” over and over again to gather knowledge on business from him as often as my time allots.  Marcus Lemonis is a businessman and investor who assists struggling businesses get back on their feet.  His “slogan” is “Know your numbers, Trust the process, and I’m 100% in charge”. You may also hear him say “People. Process. Profit”.  He coins these terms in an effort to help others understand that success can be simple.  He simplifies complicated theories and revitalizes many businesses by breaking down the SWOT analysis with his clientele. https://www.marcuslemonis.com/pages/about-us

In conclusion, Personal Branding is strategic and necessary.  My personal brand statement is “I’m a Jack of all trades, and a master of excellence”. I hope people see my heart when interacting with me for any reason.  I choose to uplift and encourage others around me and to leave a place better than I find it.  I want to elevate the consciousness in the room when I enter, wherever I go.  Ask yourself, what do people say about you once you leave the room?  Everyone has a personal brand even if they don’t realize they do.  How do you plan to positively incorporate yours?