In this internship you’d be able to have some hands-on experience on how to deal with an online community of 20,000+ people, and [...]]]> Personal Branding London Meetup is offering an exciting opportunity for someone who has a passion for social media and would like to know more about how to generate engagement and drive conversion.

In this internship you’d be able to have some hands-on experience on how to deal with an online community of 20,000+ people, and you’ll meet some interesting people at our monthly events.

More information:

This is a volunteer role and not paid. But this is a perfect fit for anyone studying, since you can work from home and you can make your own schedule. And we’re sure this is going to look great at your CV.

Contact:
If you’re interested, please send us your CV to  info@personalbrandinguk.com and we will schedule some time to talk

Ever since I was a wee lad clothes have been an integral part of my life. When I was about five years old my parents bought me an exquisite military-style camel-hair overcoat. They made sure that it was matched perfectly with an over-sized Tam O’ Shanter-styled cap. In addition, my [...]]]>

Ever since I was a wee lad clothes have been an integral part of my life. When I was about five years old my parents bought me an exquisite military-style camel-hair overcoat. They made sure that it was matched perfectly with an over-sized Tam O’ Shanter-styled cap. In addition, my shoes, haircut, scarf and socks were all carefully thought out for me. We lived in the heart of London’s East End, so the locals, who were more used to admiring the attire of the Pearly Kings and Queens, must have thought me a sight for sore eyes as I promenaded like a very young Beau Brummell.

Those early days were to inform my life-long relationship with clothes, style, and image. I wasn’t old enough to understand how all these seemingly small details, from socks to haircut, choice of fabrics, to the hue of a color, had been embedded within my subconscious. So choosing clothes for my wife, a client, or me became as much a science as it did an art. In my vast retail experience, I found that many businessmen would shy away from spending quality time on their appearance, specifically, their clothes. That kind of chap was my favorite type of customer. I knew how he felt. For a lot of men and women, their less-than-happy relationship with their appearance is often a symptom of conditioning, poor self-image or thinking they just don’t have any taste.

We all have taste; it’s an innate part of who we are. Often, it only emerges when we’re helping somebody else choose a clothing item, or when we’re selecting a decorative piece for our home. It’s as if our “Style Gene” only kicks in when it’s not about us personally. To develop taste and a “good eye” for what suits you, begin by focusing on the details. Start with the three F’s as your guide: Feel. Fit. Flatter. You will be clearer about what to select and what to reject when it comes to choosing any form of apparel. Be super aware of purchasing clothing items that focus solely on fashion. “Fashion fades, only style remains the same” – Coco Chanel

By discovering your Personal Style, who you are on the inside will begin to reveal itself on the outside. There’s a kind of completeness we experience when we feel good about the way we look. It’s a great self esteem booster and a way of signaling to others that we have a healthy self-confidence and like who we are. Your Personal Style is a visual representation of your Inner and Outer Brands. It’s something that will remain with you for a very long time. I think this quote says it all, “Style, neurologically, is the deepest part of one’s being, and may be preserved almost to the last, even in dementia.” – Oliver Saks

Here are a few pointers on how to develop your Personal Style:

- You’re Unique — don’t try to be a copy of someone else

- Trust your instincts when it comes to making choices about where/how to shop, but do some research in advance

- Spend quality time developing your Personal Style — this is mission You. So ensure you have the time and mental space to shop properly

- You have 10-seconds to make a positive impression — make sure you look the part

- Choose colors that complement your personality, hair color, skin tone and existing wardrobe. A good way to do that is to have a wardrobe clear out, so you can see what you actually do wear, not what you have

- Someone who’s able to convey great Personal Style does so with subtlety and grace

- Ensure all the details of how you attire yourself are in line with the three F’s: Feel. Fit. Flatter

- Give your Personal Style the kind of attention you would give to someone you love and is asking for your help

Please share your thoughts on the subject in the comments section below!

When we truly empathise with someone, they feel and experience it in a very positive way. Empathy is an extremely powerful tool to use in order to connect with someone. When a person feels that we are genuinely empathising with them, they respond with more openness. They become [...]]]>

When we truly empathise with someone, they feel and experience it in a very positive way. Empathy is an extremely powerful tool to use in order to connect with someone. When a person feels that we are genuinely empathising with them, they respond with more openness. They become more amenable. Furthermore, they begin to trust us. As you know, you can’t buy trust… however, with empathy you can enable it to emerge.

So, how does one do empathy? To start with, you make a conscious decision that you want to empathise. You might say, why would I want to do that? Well, maybe there’s someone in your life that’s aloof, or cold-acting. And for business reasons you believe having a better relationship with them is likely to be helpful to you. Empathy helps us to engage and build rapport with anyone. Maybe there’s someone you know who’s having a tough time at home. Taking the time to ask them how they are doing in a caring, genuinely interested way, will enable them to feel better. Empathy creates a win-win. We feel better about ourselves when we empathise, as does the person with whom we empathise.

Rather than set out the ‘steps to empathy’, I thought I’d talk about how it feels to be on the receiving end of empathy. For the most part it feels considerate, kind, thoughtful and generous. It’s as if the empathiser is thinking about us more than themselves. In addition, it feels as though they genuinely care about our well-being. Okay, you might say, I can’t do that with everyone. No, of course you can’t. What you can do is to start by choosing someone whom you feel might benefit from a dose of empathy. Perhaps somebody you know who’s received some bad news and is feeling low and/or dejected.

The first thing to do is consider how you might feel if you were in their position.
Say for instance, someone you know has been told the job they were hankering after has been given to somebody else. And the reason they didn’t get the job was because they failed the final interview. And the reason they failed was because just before the interview, they received some very bad news about a close family member. This news, ‘threw’ them, therefore, they were not able to give their best shot at this crucial time. Now, put yourself in their place. What might you want to experience in terms of empathy from someone who knew the full story? Consider what you would like to hear them say, what you’d like to feel if you were in a position such as the interviewee mentioned. Write those words down, also, write down the feelings you’d like to accompany the words. Then, the next time somebody you think is worthy of empathy comes your way, remember those words and feelings and pass them on to that person.

 
Hope you enjoyed, please feel free to share your thoughts!

Related: JCI London Chamber of Commerce Personal Branding Taster [Slides].

We recently gave a taster Personal Branding from the Inside Out seminar for JCI London, at the London Chamber of Commerce. As our workshops are normally full-day and in this instance we only had 90 minutes, we had to focus in on a few bits of content relevant to the audience [...]]]>

We recently gave a taster Personal Branding from the Inside Out seminar for JCI London, at the London Chamber of Commerce. As our workshops are normally full-day and in this instance we only had 90 minutes, we had to focus in on a few bits of content relevant to the audience at JCI.

If you haven’t heard of JCI, it’s is a volunteer network for people in their 20s and 30s. Run by its own members, it is nearly 100 years old and exists in more than 100 countries. Many of those who have ‘graduated’ from JCI have become great leaders, famous alumni are Bill Clinton, John F Kennedy, Kofi Annan and half of the Japanese parliament (Big in Japan in other words).

Both Malcolm and me had a great time and hope to see plenty of JCIers at our Personal Branding workshops in future. Here is a summary of the slides we used for the presentation:

Would love to get your feedback, don’t be shy now!

Related: The ABC’s of Personal Branding.

In order to have a Personal Brand that’s both meaningful and strong, like a building, you need sturdy foundations. Think of it as a support structure, something you can rely upon come what may. The ABCs of Personal branding will provide you with the underpinnings you need for your Brand.

In order to have a Personal Brand that’s both meaningful and strong, like a building, you need sturdy foundations. Think of it as a support structure, something you can rely upon come what may. The ABCs of Personal branding will provide you with the underpinnings you need for your Brand.

“A” is for authenticity, a quality that will stand the test of time and provide you with robust feelings of self belief and a healthy self confidence. Authenticity is a key element for anyone who wishes to experience the significant benefits that come with discovering their Personal Brand. Learning to be authentic is a journey. Most of us, over a period of time, begin to wear a mask which is a symptom of conditioning, fear, lack of self trust and perhaps self-consciousness. For some, it represents a form of protection, for others a way of melding in, or perhaps more importantly, not standing out. By beginning to peel away the mask, our journey to authenticity begins.

Being authentic enables you to be the real you, the person you’ve kept under wraps; perhaps for fear of not being approved by others. Or, maybe you’ve not been willing to take the risk to show up and be the truest version of you. In part, showing up is about having the courage to take the risk and be the person who lives inside you and expressing it on the outside. If you think about the people who strike you as being authentic, they almost always show up. They’ll have qualities, characteristics and perceived values you share, admire, or to which you aspire. If you write down the qualities of these individuals, you will gain a clearer idea about your own authentic brand. Then, pluck out the words that mean the most to you and create a Personal Brand statement for yourself. A client recently did this; here’s her statement: “I convey energy, sophistication and charisma.” Even when you are confronted with one of life’s many challenges, if you call upon your Personal Brand statement to guide you, it will help you to stay on track.

“B” is for believable, which is an outcome of becoming authentic. If you would like your reputation to precede you, then being believable is vital to your Personal Brand. It’s a quality you earn. Being trusted by others is a symptom of trusting yourself – and self trust is an outcome of knowing yourself. As Aristotle said, “Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom.” Those who we consider to be believable are reliable in word and deed. They also look and act a certain way. It’s as if you always feel safe in their company, because you know you can depend on them. People who we think are grounded in the present, are always more believable.

“C” is for congruency. One of the words the dictionary uses to define congruency is ‘harmony’, which is a good place to start. Because there is so much turmoil in the world, harmony as it relates to the big picture might seem a bit of a stretch. However, if we reduce the picture down to something more manageable like our inner harmony, there’s a chance we can bring it to bear. Inner harmony is directly related to being congruent. When we speak, act and behave in ways that are congruent, inner turmoil dissipates, self-doubt dwindles and certainty, clarity and purpose emerge.

When we feel even the smallest stirrings of inner harmony, we become motivated and inspired to want to feel more. Congruency denotes the style of your Personal Brand. The tone, attitude and content of your emails, phone calls and voice mail message must be congruent. Once you’ve created your own unique style of communication, it becomes embedded within you. You begin to enjoy the way others respond to you; people may even mirror your particular communication style. That’s when the style of your Personal Brand becomes something to which others aspire. I think this quote says it all:

“Style, neurologically, is the deepest part of one’s being, and may be preserved almost to the end, even in dementia” – Oliver Sacks.

9 Tips on the ABC’s of Personal Branding:

Authenticity:

1. Begin peeling away the mask. And remember, vulnerability is an integral part of self discovery. It’s about letting go.
2. Know that any form of discovery, be that about you or something else, takes patience, discipline and determination.
3. When you are aware of times you are not being authentic, you are on the way to becoming more authentic.

Believability:

1. Self belief is at the core of being believable. The more you believe in you, the more believable you will be.
2. Learn as much as you can about yourself. The better you know who you are, the better you can be who you are.
3. By learning to trust yourself, as if by osmosis, you will gain the trust of others.

Congruency:

1. By communicating in your own unique voice, one that conveys clarity, fluency and thoughtfulness, your Personal Brand will move up several notches.
2. Make the effort to ensure you gain a reputation for saying what you mean and meaning what you say.
3. Irrespective of the mode of communication that’s at your disposal, use your Personal Brand statement as your style guide.

I look forward to reading your comments below!

Image Credits

Related: The Value of Being Humanistic in Business.

This blog was inspired by a group of individuals I recently met who run an arm of a large multinational corporate entity. I met this group at an off-site team build I was asked to facilitate. The 14 men and women hailed from various countries, each with varying personalities, and [...]]]>

This blog was inspired by a group of individuals I recently met who run an arm of a large multinational corporate entity. I met this group at an off-site team build I was asked to facilitate. The 14 men and women hailed from various countries, each with varying personalities, and I suspect different agendas. I spent the first half of this four day event trying to understand each delegate’s personality, their preferred learning style and their level of receptiveness as it relates to my approach to team building.

By the end of the fourth day, it became clear to me that the team and I had connected, some more than others, but overall I felt that everyone had made some form of connection with me. In addition, from where I was sitting, the team seemed to have become closer, and as one delegate said, the “atmosphere softened.” And although this was not something I was formally requested to bring about, nor was it any part of my remit, everyone seemed comfortable with this outcome, including the team leader.

I was both inspired and moved by the way many of the team reacted to what some have described as my alternative approach to team building. Which reminds me, a while ago, a board director of a large insurance company told me that he described me to his team as being “a bit alternative.” I suggested that I was “an” alternative, to which he smiled and nodded approvingly. Funny, how adding just one small word can significantly change how someone is perceived.

As I write this blog, I’m trying to find a universal message that I’d like to think will resonate with a large group of individuals, not just businesspeople. One thing that comes to mind is that toward the end of the off-site event, there was more than a hint of the feeling that we are all in this together, that warmed my heart in unexpected ways. When we give ourselves permission to shed the ‘corporate cloak,’ the false-self, and share something personal about ourselves, we are seen for the person we truly are. This creates a shift within us, and as if by osmosis, within others. It’s as if we have unburdened ourselves of an invisible weight. A weight we were not aware of as such, because we’ve become so used to carrying it.

By becoming more real, we lift the mask and as one client said to me, during another workshop I was running, “You’re talking about being more humanistic, Malcolm.” In essence, being humanistic is a worthy endeavour and one to which I subscribe fully. The following quote by Abraham Maslow, one of the great humanists of the 20th century seems prescient, “The fact is that people are good, give people affection and security, and they will give affection and be secure in their feelings and their behaviour.” As far as my recent off-site experience is concerned, it has further endorsed my belief that we are all in this together. And here’s how each of us can encourage more of that feeling in our businesses and in our lives:

• Use empathy as a way to engage and build rapport
• Communicate from your heart, as well as your head
• Trust your intuition it often knows more than you think
• Learn how to ‘let go’
• Speak when you feel moved, and remain silent when you feel moved
• Learning to say “No” enables our “Yes” to have more impact
• Giving unconditionally is a gift to the giver
• Spend time every day reflecting

Please do share your thoughts on the subject in the comment section !

Related: The ABC’s of Personal Branding.