You know what hit home for me at that PSA Thames Valley panel?
The idea of branding from your true, authentic self - not some polished, surface-level place.
I talked about Appreciative Inquiry, which is all about digging into the peak moments and strengths that an organisation is built on.
Instead of forcing some external brand identity, it lets the real brand essence bubble up organically from people's actual experiences and stories.
Got me thinking - why don't we take that same approach for our own personal brands as individuals and speakers?
Rather than twisting ourselves into some preconceived mould of who we should be, we can tap into the stories and truths that genuinely run through us.
Like Charlie Whyman said (in her classic straight-shooting way), "Don't be afraid to stand out and fly your own weird flag."
Yep, the most magnetic personal brands let our quirks and raw humanness shine through.
Rachael Edmondson-Clarke reflected on her days at Mars, where smart marketing meshed with people's authentic passion and spirit.
Instead of the usual fluff about polishing some superficial personal brand, we reframed it as a gutsy excavation of our core human stories and truths.
As Simon Hazeldine 📈 put it, "Don't try to sell products to your customers, create products for your customers" while bringing your unique flavour.
We discussed the pros and cons of having multiple brands and agreed that focus is vital for solopreneurs with limited resources. "If you want more dollars in your bank account, you need fewer commas in your resume," Simon quoted.
So, solopreneurs and speakers - get real and dig into the raw stories that shaped you.
That's how to shape a personal brand that truly resonates.
Big shoutout to John Hayns and the Professional Speaking Association Thames Valley, for inviting the PSA East Midlands down for an insightful debate!
Let's keep branding from our real, true selves.
#BeingReal #AuthenticBranding #PSAThamesValley #appreciativeinquiry #thehumanbusiness
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