VALERIA INC.’s Post

When viewing a new LinkedIn profile, what immediately captures attention isn't the person's educational background or work experience, but rather their headshot—the image introducing them to the platform. This is crucial real estate on the profile, demanding a strong initial impression. Your headshot plays a significant role in your personal brand and should align with the established image you've cultivated. Industry norms also influence the style of headshot; traditional fields like law demand a formal, professional appearance, while industries like public relations allow for more diversity in portrayal based on individual roles within the field. Most importantly, "be honest with your headshot. Be authentic to the outside world. And please, stay up to date," stated Nancy Marshall in the Forbes article titled 'Why You And Your Company Need Updated Headshots?' Visit the full article below. https://lnkd.in/gDKq33qd

Don’t spend your time focusing on being a “Personal Brand.” Brands are for stuff - Not people. What??? You don’t hear that very much on LinkedIn. ⬇️ Do you want Leads from LinkedIn? Do You want Customers from LinkedIn? Do You want Relationships that can last your entire career? 💡Try being a shining light illuminating the way for your buyers to get what THEY want.  And what THEY need. ✅ Educate. ✅ Be helpful. ✅ Be useful. ✅ Give first. If you do, then you won’t need to be a “Personal Brand.” But, you’ll probably need to hire a “Personal Assistant.” 🎆 What do you think❓

In case you missed it, we introduced you to our lovely sales and marketing team at the end of January. Here are some more insights from Fern O'Shea, our Business Development Executive: 𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵'𝘴 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘧𝘢𝘷𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘵 𝘛𝘞𝘖? In the companies I've worked before, it's sometimes been difficult to get input from the leadership team. That's definitely not the case here at TWO. If we have a question or a problem, we can always go straight to Barry or Jon - we don't need to go through multiple people to get hold of them. It makes you feel heard, and it makes it so much easier for us to do our jobs! 𝘞𝘩𝘺 𝘥𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬 𝘛𝘞𝘖 𝘳𝘦𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘴 𝘴𝘰 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨-𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘮 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘧𝘧? Everyone knows each other, and you do genuinely feel like part of a family. I've seen fast staff turnovers in my previous sales roles but this doesn't usually happen at TWO because our employees genuinely love working here. 𝘛𝘦𝘭𝘭 𝘶𝘴 𝘢 𝘣𝘪𝘵 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘧𝘢𝘷𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘦 𝘩𝘰𝘣𝘣𝘺. I mentioned in the article that I love creative face painting and special effects makeup. I used to do Halloween makeup for friends, family, and some clients, but I realised eventually that I prefer experimenting on my own, as a hobby. I do have a TikTok account though, where I share tips and tricks and some examples of my projects. #twoservices #staffprofile https://lnkd.in/eYkBCw6B

Meet Sarah, the online shoe retailer Sarah owns a small online retail store that sells handmade toddler shoes. She spends a lot of time managing her email, updating her website, handling customer inquiries etc She also needs to create social media content and manage her social media accounts. Sarah decides to hire a virtual assistant to help with these tasks. She hires a virtual assistant who specializes in social media management and content creation. The virtual assistant handles Sarah's social media accounts, creates social media content, and responds to customer inquiries on social media. Sarah also assigns her virtual assistant to manage her email, update her website, and handle customer inquiries. By hiring a virtual assistant, Sarah is able to focus on creating new products, expanding her business, and managing her finances. She no longer spends hours each day on administrative tasks, and her stress levels have decreased significantly. In summary, a virtual assistant can be an excellent resource for businesses of all sizes.....

The best piece of employer brand advice you’ll hear today… People don’t apply for a job at your company when they understand you. They apply for a job when they feel that you understand them. 🤯 If you’re focused on ‘what do we need to say’ instead of ‘what do our target audience need to hear’ - you’ve failed at the first hurdle. #EmployerBrand #TalentAttraction

I am a lot of things... Reflecting on my professional journey, I have been fortunate to take on different and fulfilling roles, all driven by a passion to make a positive impact. 📈 A Digital Marketer: When I resumed my corporate job three months ago, I really aimed to make a meaningful impact, solve the existing digital problems, produce relatable sales focused content. I can confidently say that my efforts have been improving the company’s revenue as well as digital presence. There's a distinct thrill in seeing the satisfied smile on my boss’s face whenever I execute a task excellently, like when I created prelaunch materials designed to attract and inform customers about a new product. It came out so well beyond my boss’s anticipation that he came into my office to commend me with a beaming smile. 🌟 A Branding Strategist: Once, a client told me I had produced her referral card even better than she envisioned it. It was a deeply fulfilling moment for me. I had exceeded her expectation at the first opportunity I got. I had achieved my aim, which wasn’t primarily to earn but to create a long lasting impression of my service. 💄 A Makeup Artist: I’ll always cherish a client’s praise that my makeup was the best she had experienced since her relocation to the UK. She said she hadn’t looked that good in a long time, her smile suddenly became wider and brighter. Her words reminded me that my skill carries so much potential to positively impact moods and boost confidence. She would never forget that makeup session, I’m certain. In all these roles, the common thread is my unwavering dedication to exceeding expectations and leaving my mark in people’s minds. It is truly fulfilling! I’d love to know: What drives your passion in the various roles that have shaped your professional journey? #EmotionalJourney #Branding #MakeupArtistry #DigitalMarketing #Transformation #Empowerment #PassionAndPurpose

Packaging is Lying in Disguise In a recent conversation with my dear friend, Olaposi Ogunsola, about navigating the intricacies of being a LinkedIn user, the topic of personal branding emerged as a crucial aspect. To my surprise, she voiced her concern, asserting that many individuals on the platform engage in what she referred to as 'packaging,' a term synonymous to lying. I smiled at her skepticism, and then, I took a moment to reflect, and now, I'm here to respond. "Dear friend, remember the day you went for that job interview. Dressed in a chic black and white ensemble, radiating professionalism, with a hint of 'Marykay' chocolate powder accentuating your features – a portrayal of your delicate and intelligent self. Your laptop bag meticulously arranged, as if you had already clinched the job, heading to the office for a multi-million-dollar presentation. And let's not forget, you didn't opt for a cab or public transportation; you arrived in style, seated confidently in the back seat of a private car (Uber, to be precise), exuding assurance and rehearsing your speech with eloquence and intelligence. Nobody could have guessed that you shared a room apartment with a friend, and the outfit was neatly ironed the night before, masking the faint scent of 'okirika' (only Nigerians can relate). You looked impeccable, and indeed, you got the job! In essence, dear friend, you weren't dishonest; you simply added a touch of flair to your existing attributes—your #expertise, intelligence, beauty, and smartness. You aimed to represent yourself admirably by introducing some enhancements (packaging yourself for the job). Now, picture this: What if you had shown up to that interview in a pair of jeans, a crumpled shirt, a school bag, looking disheveled with a pungent armpit? It would have undoubtedly been a catastrophe." Dear LinkedIn User, you are not lying by #packaging yourself here; rather, you are presenting your authentic self in an enhanced light, strategically positioning yourself for opportunities that align with your expertise. Remarkable opportunities, including those with esteemed companies and fellowships, await. Remember, package yourself well, but always stay true to who you are! 😉 #personalbranding #personaldevelopment

Attention is the first step to everything: → Advertising and marketing. → Personal Branding. → Applying for a job. → To climb your career ladder. → Leading and influencing people. → Selling your expertise, services or products. Here's why it's important: → It's not about ego. → It's not about feeling good. Without attention, I can't go to the next step of getting people interested in what I can offer in my business or career. I can be the best in what I do but nothing happens if no one knows or sees it. Another way to describe attention is signalling. What am I signalling to the world? Signalling is a form of message I am giving out. Getting attention is not straightforward. One of my biggest challenges over the years is I felt conflicted when it comes to attention: → I liked attention but I didn't like attention. → I wanted positive attention but when it was given to me, I was not comfortable. → I avoided negative attention as I didn't like being criticised. Here's the problem: → I can't have the cake and eat it too. → To have attention, I need to embrace both positive and negative attention. → If I reject any, I will be trapped. → It will stop me from doing what's necessary to achieve the outcome I want. Here's what I learned and did to overcome my conflict: → Get clear my end outcome. → Take the risks and say what I want to say. → If I get negative attention, use that as a guide to either improve how I do it or resolved my sensitivity to being criticised. → Be clear what kind of attention I want. → I can't stop how people perceive me, but I can curate how I present myself that is align with my message. → For eg. if I want to minimize attract sexual attention, don't put out the signal through dressing in a way that will exaggerate that. → Know that it does not matter what I do, some people will like me and some won't. → Stop catering to how I think other people see me. → No one give a hoot about how I feel about me other than me. → I might as well give my all and attract the people who resonate with me. According to PT Barnum, The Greatest Showman: → There's no such thing as bad publicity. → There’s only one thing in the world worse than being talked about, and that is not being talked about. Is it time to take some risks on yourself to get some attention needed for you to level up your game and fast track your goal? ------------------- Thanks for reading! 📌 I am Victoria, and I'm CEO of the Goldzone Group. I help leaders with missing knowledge, tools, and solutions to have a quantum leap in their results while having a better quality of life. Connect with me if you want non-cookie cutter leadership tips and advice that produce real results. DM me or type “Goldzone” in the comments if you want to get started to fast track your goal easier than you imagine.🍀 #goldzone #goldzoneleaders #attention

Community #advocacy is key to any successful PR plan for community-based organizations. It’s important not to just rely on blind support or ROI statistics. Stay vigilant and proactive!

🚨Should We Tell the Truth? I truly hope to have your help on this question, but to build your confidence, let me first share my thoughts on the matter. I've always loved the film "Scandal," directed by a Black woman and delving into themes of inclusion, politics, and career—a perfect find for a passionate series enthusiast like myself. What fascinated me most about the film was how the characters and protagonists fought to maintain an impeccable reputation while often sidestepping doing things the right way. I observe that many brands worldwide spend millions to uphold a positive image during product launches, when faced with declining sales, or amid increasingly fierce competition. For me, a company's branding begins with accepting some hard truths. After all, isn't it said that effectively resolving a problem starts with clearly identifying it? Dear brands, hiring a communications agency or branding specialist won't help if you're not willing to confront certain realities. Perhaps your packaging is subpar, your colors don't resonate, or maybe you've prioritized glamour over substance. The issue lies in how most communication agencies, fearful of losing a client, hesitate or even avoid addressing a brand's image problems—essential elements for diagnosing and remedying issues. In my view, I advocate for a different approach: Listen👂🏿: Sometimes, even scrutinize the tiniest details and smallest issues surrounding the brand or company image. Test👌: Personally experience the product, understand its storage conditions through to delivery. Communicate😬:Share your observations and recommend your solutions or strategies. Well that was my humble opinion, as a campaign author and conscientious consumer, eager to hear yours. After all, two heads are better than one.🌝🌝🌝