Three simple strategies to mobilize your unique value promise

"I feel like I'm always running on defense" + "Over it!"

I’m hearing these two common phrases (and a collective sigh) from working moms at the start of 2022. With daycares closing from the Omnicron surge, working parents of young children are at their breaking point, coinciding with December 2021 data from McKinsey & Company.

Parents are quitting their jobs at a faster rate than non-parents with 45% of them turning to entrepreneurship for work.

And 70% of female workers? Yep, you guessed it: They’re looking for new jobs (with 37% of women secretly keeping their eyes open to new opportunities) per Workable's 2021 Worker Survey.

Since the COVID-19 outbreak, women are taking the pressure off and leaning into their values, priorities and needs within work more than ever before. Whether you are leveraging your skills for an employer, as a freelancer, or looking to launch a business, there is one constant you need to cultivate no matter the zig and zag of your career - Your personal brand.

PERSONAL BRANDING 101

In the Archives

The average American job tenure is four years per the U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics’ 2020  Employee Tenure Summary with the average worker holding 12 jobs throughout his/her lifetime. This is a far cry from generations before us who parked their loyalty at one company for forty plus years until retirement.

And that’s why in 1997 Tom Peters flipped the script on branding, from a corporate strategy to an individual career-building blueprint, coining the term personal branding to the new phenomenon, “Brand YOU.”

While personal branding may seem like the newest buzzword, it was made in the ‘90s, and it’s EVERYTHING as you market yourself in your career no matter your current work assignment (or career pause).

In the Now

The fluidity of work is the new normal. It’s no longer relevant to be defined by (or assume the brand attributes of) your employer. The connective tissue of your career story is YOU, not your company.

It’s time to view yourself the way you are wired - with a unique blend of attributes and characteristics - and share it with the world. You are the unique promise of value in the marketplace. 

Whether you are at home raising kids, a professional in the workplace or an aspiring entrepreneur, it’s time to envision yourself as a solution-focused business – A BRAND - with specific qualities and a distinct guarantee of value. 

Personal Branding Defined

So what exactly is personal branding? Personal branding is essentially the core of who you are as a promise in the marketplace. 

The great thing about your personal brand is that you don’t invent it, you uncover it. A personal brand is your unique traits, strengths, skills, passions and values. It’s:

• What sets you apart from the pack. 

• The benefits you bring to the table that no one else does and

• How you can uniquely solve a company’s (or client’s) needs or problems. 

The key ingredient is simple. Your brand is authentic to you. No one else has your special sauce. So consider what makes you different (or quirky) and own it. Instead of diminishing your difference and blending in, use what makes you distinct to fuel your impact.

BRAND STORY TIME

This was the case for one of my clients, I’ll call Cara. She struggled for years with her difference – being an introvert in sales. She thought (and acted) differently than her peers but yet was very successful.

When she came to me for job search and resume help, she took the boxing gloves to herself, beating herself down over the years to defeat. But something happened when we turned this sensitive topic on its head.

Her introversion wasn’t her downfall but her differentiator. In a world of sales extroverts, Cara brought design thinking, thoughtful questioning and practical solutions. Her difference was her competitive edge. And once she saw it as her advantage – It changed everything about her confidence…and her career.

AN INSIDE (AND OUTSIDE) JOB

Personal branding is about who you are on the inside but also the value you bring to others. Depending on your career goals, “others” could mean potential clients as a business owner or freelancer or prospective companies as a job seeker. 

But here is the ticket: Most people don’t see themselves accurately (women especially - Gulp!). That is why personal branding is so dang difficult.

You have a front-row seat to the internal view of yourself:

• Vision / Purpose

• Goals

• Values

• Passions

• Strengths

But what about the external?

• Strengths (Reminder: sometimes we don't see our natural gifts rightly)

• Perception (Others' POV of you)

• That 'special something' you bring to the table

Personal branding requires you to take apart the pieces of you and put them back together in a way that positions you toward your goals. It's your differentiation plus relevance.

Think of the brands you love: Those jeans, your phone. You love them because the brand stands for something (innovation, sustainable fashion, etc.) but also because it solves a problem.

The secret to letting your brand work for you throughout your career is leveraging your secret sauce (and value) to align with the pain points of your target audience (ahem…companies or clients). Yes, your brand will evolve over time as you (and your goals) do. But hear this: You are the mainstay of your career story.

YOUR BRAND UNCOVERED

So, you are bought into the power of your personal brand? Sweet! Here are three simple strategies to pin down your brand promise to reach your career goals (without overwhelming your to-do list).

SWOT Analysis

Remember the diamond marketing slogan, Frost Yourself, from the classic romcom, "How To Lose A Guy in 10 Days?" Instead: SWOT yourself. I know. It isn’t as sexy, but it works in helping you nail down internal and external opportunities, strengths, weaknesses and threats. We are accustomed to doing this exercise for our department or company. Now try the magic on yourself.

Mini-360 Review

Take a brief survey to a variety of trusted people in your spheres of influence (personal, volunteer, work, etc.) to get at how they naturally see your best traits, strengths and the problems you solve. (Google) survey, call or email your people. Collect their responses and notice the themes and commonalities that hint at your unique brand. Some questions to include in your Mini-360 could be:

• Name five adjectives that describe me.

• What are my top three strengths?

• What problems do people ask me to solve?

• Where do I get greater returns than the average person?

Informational Interviews

Ask successful people who are doing the work now that you want to do. Be a student in these conversations to learn the skills that are needed in the role, company and industry. 

The benefit of asking for a conversation (albeit scary at first) is that you’ll learn more about the challenges and successes in the space as well as what is required for the work. You’ll also have a chance to talk about yourself, working out (and building) your brand through dialogue. I’m looking at you, my verbal processors!

Remember to always go into these conversations well-informed of their company and work. LinkedIn is a great research tool here. Sleuth commonalities beforehand to make the conversation easy-breezy.  Here are some go-to conversation starters to get you started:

• How did your career path take you to where you are today?

• What are the biggest challenges/rewards of your work?

• What’s changing in the industry?

FEMALE LEADERSHIP TRAITS

Femininity has its perks. As women, we may not see our natural giftings clearly but research shows female managers generally show greater empathy and emotional support while elevating career development and inclusivity compared to male counterparts. These innate leadership skills are a brand boost in today’s evolving marketplace. Don’t forget it.

Working mothers, in particular, bring a unique (and much needed) combination of skills to the workplace per Bright Horizons’ recent Modern Family Index.

Compared to working fathers and employees without kids, Moms excel in areas like listening, diplomacy, team orientation and keeping calm in a crisis. 89% of the participants in Kelton Research’s study maintain that working moms bring out the best in their employees (Mic drop).

While talking about your gifts, talents and accomplishments may make you squirm, the truth is you have a unique blend of experiences, skills, and personality that the world needs. Your personal brand isn’t a brag, it’s a promise. Remember you are your career constant in the ever-changing workplace. Polish up your brand guarantee to leverage opportunities from the office to entrepreneurship (and everything in between). It’s the promise of you.

Need a brand buddy to recover your competitive edge? I’ve got you. Refine what you uniquely bring to the marketplace through personal brand coaching - It’s me and you for four individual sessions. Or download my award-winning Resume Branding Workbook to do on your own time. Let’s do this!