Personal Branding

212NYC's board member and programming chair Monique Brahams-Evans hosted a Personal Branding Workshop with Nick F Nelson, CEO and Founder of the Brandprenuer Agency which helps remarkable People, Products and Organizations of Color package themselves to sell. While the workshop's key takeaways can be implemented in all aspects of life - the conversation is specifically focused about how to show up ONLINE!

 

One key parameter Nick starts with is that everyone is selling - either a product, a service, yourself or a combination of all three so it becomes very important to create a consistent package/ branding that helps you get noticed and elevate your professional career. In a world where "Reviews" of you are just a click away, Nick brings to light the importance of how you show up online otherwise you could miss out on both opportunities and influence. According to Nick - the definition of Brand is simply two things: what you want to be known for and how you make people feel.

 

Nick used to time to walk through the 7 Key Questions you must ask yourself in order to be a Brand.

 

WHO ARE YOU?

This question helps to identify your purpose/ vision/ mission or more broadly your "WHY".  Sub questions which help to define include:

  • Why am I here?

  • What is my north star?

 

WHAT DO YOU DO?

And how does what you do flow into your WHY that you just established.

Sometimes identifying what you do is easier explained by also outlining what you DON'T do. Establishing boundaries and scope of what you do is important so you can clearly explain to others. Nick emphasized the need to be clear, simple, and specific when articulating what you do - try not to use superfluous language that people won't understand and make sure your articulation is easily translatable and consistent across different spaces and places (from a 30 second intro on a zoom call to your headline on LinkedIn to your keywords that pop in your Google search)

 

WHO DO YOU DO IT FOR?

In the corporate world - you are either selling yourself internally for additional opportunities etc. or selling your organization externally to be a good corporate steward/ influencer and because it offers you opportunities outside your current organization if their reputation is strong.

 

WHAT DOES THAT TARGET AUDIENCE WANT/NEED?

In the word of sales - Nick quotes "there are riches in niches". Too often we are too broad and try to sell too many things. Make sure your main offer is clear because you can only be known for one thing. The Niche also applies to who you are talking to. You will find more success and better returns if you are talking to specific groups of people vs. everyone so you can understand their wants/ needs and better come up with bespoke solutions for them.

 

WHAT PROBLEMS DO THEY HAVE THAT YOU CAN SOLVE FOR?

If you are able to solve a problem the ideal is that you have the potential to be First Option (target audience knows to come to you FIRST) for that person which helps drive long term success.

 

WHY ME?

Sub-questions which help you define include

  • What makes me so special?

  • What is my unique selling proposition?

  • What is my Story?

  • What are your skillsets that set me apart?

You should be able to succinctly tell your story that has been distilled down to only your highlights and if possible - find your mantra/tagline.

 

WHAT DO PEOPLE GET AS A RESULT?

When people invest money, PTO, benefits etc. in your career - what is their return on investment?

  

Nick ended the workshop with a QA and answered some key question on How You Can Set Your Brand up for Success

  • Take professional photos - while it's an investment it delivers strong dividends

  • Become an INtrepreneur- need to take an offensive attack and go after things yourself because no one else in going to check on you

  • Go Public on Social because people what to see how you show up in different spaces (People like to do business with people they Know Like and Trust). While LinkedIn can help establish that you "know them" through connections etc. finding out if you like them or not is much easier on IG or Facebook.

  • In order to make sure you stand out - you have to SAY SOMETHING! If you know something - share it whether on Zoom or Social platforms.

  • It's important to cater your brand storytelling to your audience

  • Your personality is what makes your memorable - so make sure you are showing up in a real/ authentic way but also make it unique!. Look at people in your space and find if they are all going right - GO LEFT!

  • Protect your brand and be cognizant of your digital "footprint" and be intentional with what you are liking, what you are commenting on etc.

The better we are at articulating our brand story online, the better our networks/ circles of influence will be which is a key tenant of getting promoted/ growing your career in the corporate world.

 

To hear more from Nick - connect with him on LinkedIn @nickfnelson or on IG @brandprenuer!

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