Stand out: Developing an authentic personal brand and sharing it online

Stand Out: Developing an Authentic Personal Brand and

Sharing It Online

Rose Tantraphol Founder and Principal, Moonsail North

Alternate titles for this presentation:

Branding Yourself

Rebranding Yourself

What I am assuming about you:

• You are passionate – not about everything, but a lot of things.

• You have several areas of expertise.

• You have several areas you would like to learn more about.

• Meeting the right people invigorates you.

Elevator Pitch

• Grab a pen and paper or

open up a Word or text doc.

• 120 seconds: What is your personal

elevator pitch?

Why do we care?

• Less work! • Strategic • Job/Career Change • Clients/Prospects • Community

Elements of an Elevator Pitch

• Short • Clear • Compelling

Richard Branson

Your Equation

Start with constructing yours or deconstructing your own – or someone else’s! (The following has been culled from my own experiences helping others with their job searches and networking, along with tips from Idealist Careers and Forbes columnists.)

Construct: Skills + Confidence + Goal + Motivation

Skills + Confidence

What do you do well?

Where do you rock it out? What are your greatest strengths beyond your common thread of skills?

Constructing v. DeconstructingWays of constructing: • Common thread of skills • How you get through challenging projects• What you enjoy the most • Fill in the blank for this statement: “The opportunity to do ____

is what truly drew me to my current role.”

Ways of deconstructing: • Cull through past evaluations, including LinkedIn

recommendations• Ask those who have recommended you in the past • Look at past accomplishments/awards/certifications • Think about compliments you tend to repeatedly receive about

your work• Looks at job descriptions that really excite you and ask

yourself why • “Catch yourself” during the work day – when are you smiling,

or feeling energized about something? (Quitting time doesn’t count for this one!)

Goals What would you like to do?  Ways of constructing include framing aspirations like this:• Gain exposure or credibility in the industry…• Hoping to find a role in…• Suggestions as to how I can…• Opportunities for me to develop…• Looking to work for…• Insight on how I can apply… Way of deconstructing include:• Reflect on accomplishments that have most moved your career

forward.• Reflect on developments that have connected you to the people

or opportunities that made the most difference for you.

MotivationWays of constructing your “why”: • Because…• On behalf of…• I owe it to…• I’m inspired by…• I want to inspire..• I believe… Way of deconstructing include:• Reflecting on the most inspiring moments of your career or your

life and determining what was so fulfilling about those moments.• Reflecting on the people or projects that most benefitted from

your work.

MotivationOther ways to find your motivation include asking yourself these four questions:

• What makes you come alive?• What are your innate strengths?• Where do you add greatest value?• How will you measure your life?

Motivation How I found answers to some of these…

One tool to try

5slides.com

5slides.com

Elevator PitchLet’s take another look at your elevator pitch. Does it address each of these axes?

Skills + Confidence + Goal + Motivation

8-Word Mission Statement Here's another option. Have you considered

your 8-word mission statement?

• How long is your personal mission statement?

• We're challenging you to express your mission in eight words or less!

• The formula: verb + target + outcome in eight words or less

HBR article: https://hbr.org/2010/10/the-eight-word-mission-stateme

Check your: Skills + Confidence + Goal + Motivation

…against your LinkedIn profile

LinkedIn

Anatomy of a LinkedIn Profile

1. Photo

2. Headline

3. Summary

What do these elements say about you?

2

3

1

LinkedIn More tips: • Check your profile on a browser and on mobile • Assume no one reads every word of your LinkedIn profile

DIY: • Look at your LinkedIn profile with fresh eyes

It takes a village: • Ask friends, colleagues and mentors to look at your

LinkedIn profile and ask them to tell you what the profile says to them. Then work backwards to fill in gap and highlight key points.

Facebook This is optional – but potentially very powerful.

Being real and authentic is key. Facebook can help you more fully express your passions and goals.

Your Equation: Look again at your:

Skills + Confidence + Goal + Motivation

Now, scroll down your Facebook timeline. What stories do you see?

Is there a healthy mix of your personal life + what motivates you?

Udon

Madcap Coffee Co.

Chai

Social Media Remember this is optional.

But if you are serious about fully using social media to help you connect with a community, then follow the same process for any social media platforms you are on.

• Look at your Skills + Confidence + Goal + Motivation

• Check those against your content • Check your descriptions

• Do your Facebook “About” sections have current information?

• Do you have a Twitter bio with a current website? • What about Instagram? Vine? Pinterest?

Additional Social Platforms

So you already do all of this? Great! What’s next?

What about: • LinkedIn groups • LinkedIn blog posts • Quora • Reddit

Quora

Quora

Quora

One message, so many angles

Different ways to talk about chai:

Facebook/Instagram/Twitter: The client work I am doing over my cup of steaming chai.Pinterest: The best chai recipe to amp up on caffeine (useful!).Instagram/Vine/Periscope: Giving a shout-out to my favorite coffee shop where I do my client work. LinkedIn blog post: Things I learned about productivity and open work spaces from doing client work in coffee shops while drinking chai. Quora: Are there optimal caffeine levels for productivity?

A checklist, of sorts:• What’s your pitch? Is it authentic?

• Do you have a digital home base? • Compelling LinkedIn profile • Personal website • Company bio or company website

• Are all your social media accounts updated?

• Do you update everything as needed?

Rose Tantraphol

:: Communications Consultant:: Founder of Moonsail North:: Storytelling + Strategy

:: Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism alum:: Ashtanga yoga! Meditation! Chai!:: Psst: I hope to become a smashing salsa dancer one day!

Connect LinkedIn: Rose Tantraphol

Twitter: @thecuriousrose

Email: rose@moonsailnorth.com

Website: moonsailnorth.com

Mobile: 517.775.2152