I didn’t even know about a personal brand when I was starting my career.
I didn’t even know what I wanted to do, much less how I wanted to be seen.
I was just trying to survive. And begin something. Something that was hopefully enjoyable and meaningful to me.
It was the early 90’s and jobs were not plentiful. (Sound familiar?) I took a job at a company that was not my dream job. And it wasn’t in an industry I wanted to pursue a career in. But it was a job and I was grateful for it.
I dove in and learned as much as I could. And a year later, I moved on to a marketing position within a larger company.
I was starting to build my personal brand, I just didn’t know it.
The components of a personal brand involve your expertise, story, values, personality, and presence. It’s the perception others have of you. It includes your reputation, skills and how you communicate your value.
What is your personal brand? It’s important to understand. Because this is how you are perceived. And when life throws a curve ball, like a layoff, we need to understand it so we can easily pivot.
For me, I’ve had an incredible journey. But all journeys have an end. And sometimes the timing of that end is not our decision. That was the case for me.
Layoffs are now the norm. If you haven’t gone through one, you most likely will at some point in your career.
Mine came when AT&T bought Time Warner. I had been expecting it. But when it actually arrived, I was shocked at how it made me feel.
I came to realize that I had wrapped my entire identity in my job. I was living my life behind the Warner Bros shield. It defined me.
So when it was stripped away, I was forced to find out who I was without it. And with just a few years before I hit the dreaded ‘50’, I was not certain how to move forward.
Can you relate?
How many of you feel stuck, overlooked or unsure of how to pivot? If you are a woman in midlife, know you are not alone.
It’s time to consider reinventing your personal brand.
Whether you are unemployed, becoming an empty nester, gone through a divorce, are burnout, are dealing with health challenges, or just want to make a career change, you hold the power to recreate yourself.
And no matter what your age, you can choose to do it now.
So how do we do that?
First, we must ask ourselves: What do I want?
Seemingly an easy question….but it’s not always an easy answer. Spend some time with this. Understanding your heart’s desire is important. If you have the next 10-15 years to put your energy and focus on, shouldn’t it be doing something that you love? Something that makes your heart sing?
Many of us work at a job that’s energy-sucking. You come home every night exhausted and dread the next morning.
It’s time for better. YOU deserve better.
If you’ve read any of my work, you know that I believe that we are creating our lives. Your beliefs drive your thoughts. And your thoughts create your words and your choices.
And your choices are creating your life.
So ask yourself:
- What do I want?
- What skills, strengths, and expertise do I have that align with that?
- What are my passions?
- What are my lessons learned and my values?
- What do I want to be known for?
- How do I want to spend my days?
- Who do I want to work with? (Direct to consumer or BtoB)
- What environment do I want to work in? (Remote, hybrid, in-office)
- Am I a better independent worker? Or on a team?
- Do I want to own my own business or work for someone else?
- What do I want to do that will get me excited about getting out of bed each day?
This is going to take a little time to figure out. So don’t make this a 10 minute exercise. Give it some thought. After all, you are creating your future life pivot and brand.
Once you have settled in on your plan, consider the following to get your brand out there for others to see.
- Update your LinkedIN profile headline, bio, resume or website to reflect your new vision.
- Remove outdated language, titles or narratives that no longer serve.
- Start sharing your personal insights, lessons and stories on social media. Introduce yourself!
- And of course, you must BE your brand in how you show up, the words you speak, the quality of your work, and how you treat others.
However, it’s about this time in the process where doubt starts to creep in. We start thinking we aren’t good enough. Or who would hire me? Or I’m too old to start over.
Stop it right now. There is no such thing as not good enough or too old. It is all in your mindset.
Here are a few affirmations that can be of help: Repeat them daily — as often as needed.
- I love and approve of myself.
- Everything happens with perfect timing.
- I already have everything I need to create a life I love.
- I am open and willing to receive all of the abundance waiting for me.
It is time to get excited about You! Yes change can be daunting….and that is true at any age. But remember, change means we are headed in a direction that we haven’t been before. It’s unknown. That’s it. So don’t let fear get in the way.
As Louise Hay famously stated, “Fear is just a thought and a thought can be changed.”
Are you in the middle of reinventing yourself or your brand? What’s one belief you’re letting go of and one thought you’re stepping into? Let me know in the comments.
You can Emerge Positive!
Positively,
deanne
