Recently, Forbes published an article discussing why personal branding is vital to leadership development. The article contradicted the idea or stereotype that those who focus substantial time building their own reputations are really just self-absorbed brownnosers. Although this may be the case for some individuals, in general, nothing could be further from the truth. The truth is that understanding who you are and how to communicate that ‘brand’…
Hacking Your Way To Becoming An Authority In Your Niche
by / ⠀Entrepreneurship• Personal Branding / April 3, 2014So, you want to become an authority… Selling becomes far simpler when everyone in your niche views you as an authority. Think about it… What do people do in the face of authority? They listen and absorb information (assuming they are smart). They listen to every word the authority says. Almost instantly, their own beliefs on the talking point are affected by what they hear. They trust the…
6 Tips for Communicating Your Company’s Community Service Online
by / ⠀Entrepreneurship• Personal Branding• Startup Advice / March 6, 2014When it comes to community service, many companies are reluctant to share their good deeds with the public for fear they will be viewed as disingenuous or self-righteous. In reality, when businesses proactively inform the public of their outreach efforts, it can help those companies establish a positive presence in the community, boost employee morale, and even increase sales. Luckily, in today’s increasingly digital world, it’s easier than…
How To Monitor Your Online Business Reputation
by / ⠀Entrepreneurship• Personal Branding / February 25, 2014Monitoring your online reputation is vital for your business success. Not giving proper attention to this, can cost you traffic and eventually, sales. In today’s world, anyone can write a review, good or bad, on social media, websites or forums. When this happens, you should be the first one to know about this. In this article, I will share some tips and tools that will help you keep…
7 Deadly Social Media Sins That Will Kill Your Personal Brand
by / ⠀Entrepreneurship• Personal Branding / February 25, 2014Until Facebook and its ilk came along and spoiled things, I had personal branding all figured out. I could easily make any CEO, celebrity or celebrated author look and sound brilliant in traditional media. As long as clients didn’t do anything horrifically embarrassing between board meetings, movie premieres and book releases, I made certain their reputations — and monetary worth — held up. Social media turned personal branding…
6 Necessary Steps for Hiring a PR Firm
by / ⠀Entrepreneurship• Personal Branding• Startup Advice / February 24, 2014It’s no secret that PR has left entrepreneurs and brands wanting more in terms of execution and results over the years. However, whether you’re a budding young entrepreneur or the CEO of a Fortune 500 company, the idea of nabbing press coverage, online visibility, and a platform of influence is not only appealing but necessary for developing trust, credibility, and authority with potential clients. To boost your chances…
A Document and 5 Questions That Will Transform How You Grow Your Company
by / ⠀Entrepreneurship• Finding Customers• Personal Branding• Startup Advice / January 9, 2014Hiring new people can be a daunting process for small companies. Just one new hire can affect a startup’s culture and success, yet many don’t realize this process should begin long before you even post a job opening. I’ve spent a long time developing the best way to identify whether a candidate is a good fit for our company and ultimately realized one thing: To identify the right…
Don’t Want to be a Digital Nomad? There Are Other Kinds of Lifestyle Entrepreneur
by / ⠀Entrepreneurship• Personal Branding / November 27, 2013The term ‘lifestyle entrepreneur’ is one that you hear bandied around a lot in the current digital age and it’s probably one that you will have encountered on your travels around the web. Generally it tends to conjure images of sitting on a beach somewhere sunny while sipping cocktails and tapping away on a computer. These are the sun-worshipping, digital nomads that we’re all secretly envious of, but…
Response: 8 Ways to Be Remarkable
by / ⠀Career Advice• Entrepreneurship• Personal Branding / November 15, 2013Being Great, Being Unforgettable, What is it really all about? A couple of weeks ago, I wrote about 10 Simple Ways to be Unremarkable: But then, who really wants to be unremarkable? It got me really excited about how to be remarkable! I am a firm believer that we should all be willing to make mistakes, maybe even get a little comfortable… To be willing to be…
How to Be an Approachable Genius
by / ⠀Career Advice• Personal Branding• Startup Advice / November 1, 2013Once, as a twentysomething, newly minted U.S. Marine Corps officer, I was asked by my commanding officer to fill in at a big staff meeting. I was eager to impress this room full of experienced, confident warriors. After all, this would be their first impression of me. I had to make it good. I was pretty proud of myself for working the word “tangential” into my presentation —…