Package Your Genius Personal Branding Podcast

Making yourself visible means nothing if you're not willing to close the deal. And yet, I see so often high achievers who are willing to teach others what they know, but unwilling to let people know how to take the next step and pay them. But if you want to grow your brand, increase your salary and add commas to your business revenue, you have to sell yourself. You have to sell yourself in meetings and mid-year reviews. You have to sell yourself to your network and potential customers. You have to sell yourself to the viewing audience of the tv segment you're on. You have to sell yourself from the stage. Here are 6 things to keep in mind as you set out to sell yourself: Decide on what you want, quantify it, write it down. I've said before, there's power in writing your goals down. I don't know what the science is, but I can tell you that it works. Go after what you want. If you want 4 new clients, make a list of 10 people who may be interested in what you're doing and call them up. Speak up and let

Visibility is important, but I don't believe in visibility for visibility's sake.  Media interviews, speaking engagements and social media content have been my method of creating inbound opportunities - opportunities that come to me.  In the last few months, visibility has yielded the following: a bulk book order from a Fortune 100 company's subsidiary a semi-conductor company invited me to develop a personal branding talk, and ordered a bulk order of the book a devoted listener of the PYG podcast referred her mentor who joined the PYG Academy countless coaching clients have said "I saw you in Forbes..." or "I heard you on Sirius XM...." A client who saw me speak at a conference in 2015 has been a client everyday since It's worth it. Visibility helps you avoid feast or famine so your client pipeline never dries up. To get started with your visibility efforts, follow these three steps: Think about the audience that buys what you're selling. What do they watch? What do they read? What events do they

We all know we should say something to be seen and heard, but...what? How to find your thought leadership ideas is a topic I'm extremely passionate about, as most people are so close to their brilliance that it's hard for them to see how they can package it for other people. Here are a few ways to know what you have to say if you're "too close" to your genius" AGGRAVATION. Look at what irritates you or aggravates you - this could be the basis for a powerful Op ed. SOLUTIONS. Look at the problems you solve. How can you create tactical content to help others? CONTENT. Look at your existing content: if you speak, can you turn your deck into the basis for a book? If you write articles, can you turn them into a talk? YOUR INSPIRATION. Look at when you first started doing what you do - what inspired you? What stories do you remember from that time? YOUR AUDIENCE. What audience do you serve? Who was the first person representative of that audience that you remember helping? When you're clear on a starting po

I've said it before - and I stand by the statement. You have to make the case for what you've done in order to get what you want now.   Simply having the epiphany that you want to use your skills differently is not enough - you need receipts to back up your claims if you want people to pay you.   But where I see most people getting stuck is they fail to look at the evidence and results they're closest to.   The unpaid work, the help you lended a friend, that time you totally helped a family member regroup, save money, or plan the vacation of a lifetime.   Most people think that if their results aren't tied to paid work, they don't count.Or if they're not tied to formal training, they don't count.   But all you need to have evidence that you can do what you're telling people you can do is a repeated pattern of success.   Whether you trained for it or came by it naturally, if people keep showing up to get a solution from you and you keep delivering, this is work you're capable of being compensated for.   When y

In my book Package Your Genius, I break a successful personal branding process down into 5 steps - get clear on your genius, make the case for what you bring to the table, define your big ideas, make yourself visible, and last sell yourself.   Today I want to dive a little more into that first step - getting clear.   In terms of getting clear on your genius, I've talked a lot about following your energy and assessing what information your energy is giving you. Typically, the work we find energizing is linked to our most purposeful work - this is the internal way we can assess which path to take. The other way is looking at external factors, or what the world is mirroring back to you in the questions you hear most often or the requests for help you regularly receive.   But lately I've been thinking about two other questions you can use to zero in on what you're meant to do, or at least what you can package and make money from right now.   The first thing is to think about what you've been able to successfully

Yesterday I talked about the power of speaking your dreams into existence, and how IF you've verbalized your desires, your mind subconsciously sets you on a path to achieve the things you want to do, even if you've lost your nerve or don't feel confident.   Well looking over my written goals for 2019 has given me a window into how powerful writing your goals down can be even if you don't set out with an intentional plan.   I didn't realize it before reviewing the goals, but I'm on track to reach them.   I won't go through them all, but a few of the goals I wrote down at the beginning of the year were 1. To double my revenue 2. Take 4 vacations - 2 domestic, 2 international 3. Double my podcast downloads from last year 4. Quadruple my book sales from last year   At the halfway mark, I just happened to look at my full list of annual goals and realized that I've already accomplished a few of them in some way. The most interesting thing though was that I didn't reach the goals in the way I'd originally planned to

If you've been listening to the podcast, you know I've been in Italy for the past week or so, and it's been an amazing trip, I've had a great time. But I was reflecting on the fact that I almost didn't come. About six weeks ago,a friend asked me to join her in Italy since she'd be traveling here for a conference. I did something I normally don't do - I didn't hesitate. I said yes.   I've been thinking about ways to get more adventure into my routine, because I've been head down grinding on behalf of my family, and my academy programs for the past two years.   Taking a vacation or traveling anywhere internationally used to be on my mind all the time, but in this new season, it has been completely off the radar for me. And funny enough, I've written the words adventure and travel in my journal and on my vision board, but haven't made the time to create any intentional plans.   So when my friend asked me if I'd like to meet her in Italy I just said yes. I had to make sure my husband would be in town to cover the

On episode 100, I briefly shared the concept of being an activator or a maintainer.   Understanding whether you’re an activator or maintainer can help you figure out the best way you’re called to serve others if you’ve decided to package your genius by working with people.   Do you know which one you are?   As a start, activators tend to feel very energized up front; they’re excited and often have the ability to transfer their energy to others. Activators get people unstuck and projects off the ground.   Activators can focus intensely for a pre-determined set of time, from an hour to three months to a year - as long as there's an end in sight. They appreciate knowing the starting point and ending point up front. Some are commitment-phobic.   Activators like brainstorming, getting projects off the ground, being a part of the creation process, and tend to lose patience if projects or problems linger without ever reaching a sense of completion or resolution.   Maintainers, on the other hand, don’t find the day t

Drumroll please... I've just reached a major milestone. I've recorded my 100th podcast! I'm so excited! This podcast has evolved over the 2.5 years I've been doing it, and there have been some bumps and bruises along the way. But for the most part, I'm very happy with the journey and where I am now as a podcaster. Thank you for being here! On this special episode, I come to you live from the streets (literally) of Rome, Italy. I set up a podcast studio on the sidewalk, ordered cappuccinos and hit record. I was joined by my frequent collaborator Dr. Reisha Moxley, who you may know from earlier episodes (in the 30s) when we recorded a few conversations on high achievement and psychology. Reisha joined me again today for this retrospective - we discussed the past, present and future of my podcasting journey. She played Oprah and interviewed me about the experience of podcasting to this point. We discussed why you should create a podcast or write a book if people keep asking you the same questions, or you

Muscle memory is defined as "the ability to reproduce a particular movement without conscious thought, acquired as a result of frequent repetition of that movement." From Wikipedia: "When a movement is repeated over time, a long-term muscle memory is created for that task, eventually allowing it to be performed without conscious effort. This process decreases the need for attention and creates maximum efficiency within the motor and memory systems. Examples of muscle memory are found in many everyday activities that become automatic and improve with practice, such as riding a bicycle, typing on a keyboard, entering a PIN, playing a musical instrument,[1] poker,[2] martial arts or even dancing." But beyond riding a bicycle (you never forget, right) or playing a musical instrument, there is a degree of muscle memory involved in doing the activities required to build your personal brand in a public way. I was reminded of a time I spoke on a stage during a period of intense personal grief, in the wake of my fa

An old story - everybody has one. Typically old stories are framed by absolutes - "I never..." or "I always..." or "I'm not someone who..." But we have the power to change our actions, and in doing so change our stories. I want to change the story about myself that I'm not adventurous; I don't travel. I'm broadcasting this episode from Italy where I am in the midst of an adventure - an impromptu trip sparked by a friend who was traveling here for a conference. By booking the flight (and showing up for it) I changed my mind about myself. I am a woman who travels and has adventures - I'm not just work, work, work. But you can change any behavior, and the associated identity that goes with it. So what do you want to change? Pick one negative thing you say about yourself - i.e. "I'm not a person who works out..." and then book something - a training session or pilates class - that refutes that idea. )I've found that if I spend money, I'm less likely to flake out). I'm going to spend some time on this trip

If you're a high achiever who's anything like the people I work with most often, you're always thinking about the next step, and pondering how you'll get to your next level. You may be making gains in your career, or putting in the work to build your credibility and your personal brand in the process. But what happens when all your hard work takes you exactly where you wanted it to, but you don't feel quite ready yet on the new level you've rightly earned? Do you shrink or decide you can't cut it here? Or do you challenge yourself, stretch your legs out, and set out to get more comfortable? If you've recently found yourself with a new level of client, speaking on a bigger stage, or recently promoted, things may not immediately click at first.  But give yourself some time, give yourself grace. You're only on this new level because of all the work you put in before.  Lean on the steps you took to get to this point, and be confident in my personal mantra that "You've already done the work..."   *** If

It's not always easy to hear other people's opinions about how you can improve - let's face it, we all have egos.  But in my journey, rarely has my next level of success been on the other side of praise and flowery feedback. It typically only surfaces after I've heard something that I didn't want to hear.  Ouch. I talk to professionals of all stripes who find themselves in one of two positions: on the one hand they may be the recipients of feedback that doesn't feel good. The delivery may have been rough. They get defensive or feel hurt. Or on the other hand they're getting zero feedback - but clearly need it, because their career is at a standstill. Who would you rather be? While it's not always great to hear the ways we can improve, if we have people in our lives who are willing to level with us, that's a true gift.  It's not always easy to welcome it with open arms, but if it can help you fill in your gaps and level up, consider feedback a gift.   *** If you're looking for more media exposure for

Work hard, play hard.  Nice mantra, but I rarely live it. In fact, I find it hard to to play hard - but working hard comes easy.  Maybe you can relate? As a high achiever especially, you may be able to get into your work groove easily, but relaxing your self to play? Not always so easy. I'm working on being more intentional when it comes to playing hard. What's all the work for after all if I'm not able to enjoy the fruits of my labor?   ***   If you're looking for more media exposure for your personal brand, check out Maximum Exposure my PR mastermind for established personal brands, and apply to join us.

So much work we do goes unnoticed and uncelebrated. It's easy to keep our heads down doing what needs to be done. Sometimes it can feel demoralizing when others don't seem to take notice of all you do at work or at home. I recently realized how much of my hard work is getting noticed - even when I don't feel think it is. It made me think of how much of what we do is likely more noticed than we realize... *** If you're looking for more media exposure for your personal brand, check out Maximum Exposure my PR mastermind for established personal brands, and apply to join us in July.

While it's nice to think it's never too late to follow your dream, in reality, some dreams have a shelf life.  Whether they depend on you being youthful, a relevant technology, or your own level of personal freedom, there are periods in all of our lives when it's easier to do certain things than others.  That's why you should strike while the iron is hot. Don't wait to feel ready, don't wait to leap; if you wait too long, you may miss your moment. As a good friend and PR expert shared with me when discussing one of my brand ideas, "the window for this opportunity will close soon...so if you want to make a mark on this issue, do it soon..." I share the same idea with you. None of us are getting any younger. Technology changes at rapid speed. The pace of business is dizzying. If you have an idea that is marketable now, launch it. If you have always dreamed of living abroad and a job opportunity opens up overseas, take it. If you have a book idea and the topic is hot right now, write it. Strike while the

I'm a collector - and have always been. You could call me a digital packrat, and I couldn't argue with you. By that I mean, I don't let content go to waste - as much as possible, I create shareable nuggets from whatever I have to say. No one does this better than Gary V - his entire life is content, and he approaches it as such.  But for you or me, how can we start building a brand library, and how can it help us? For me, making sure to create content that creates a hyperlink has been key to growing my searchability over the years. If you google my name, there's a lot to find, and that's by design. I may not have one million followers, but I have million dollar SEO.  Being searchable online helps clients find me, and has helped corporations begin the process to bring me into speak. But it's because I don't "throw away" my best ideas on Instagram stories or Snapchat. I create a record and a library by putting them here, on the podcast or on the blog. Whenever I can, I'm looking for ways to create a hype

While attending a women's leadership conference in California, I heard one of the presenters drop a nugget that I don't think I'll soon forget. When addressing a room full of junior leaders, many of whom were concerned about "work-life balance" (or more fashionably, "work-life integration") she mentioned that she didn't think she or any of her fellow panelists believed they 'had it all'. "I don't think any of us up here believes that we have it all," she said before pausing. "But then again, maybe we do..." Have you ever considered that you already 'have it all' in this very moment - or at least all that you dreamed of one year ago, or ten years ago? Are you present to the absolute miracles that are unfolding in your personal life, at work, in your business, in your relationships? We tend to tune out the everyday evolutions, the incremental signs of growth -while making sure not to miss that important email, or phone call or text. And in doing so, we're blind to the many miracles we're ironically setting

Your brand needs a process - that is if you want to monetize.  But are you aware of what your process is? Most people aren't aware of it, but we typically have a way we go about getting results for others.  If you can outline step-by-step how you make the magic so to speak, your genius will be much easier to communicate and to sell.

If you're planning to monetize your personal brand - and by that I mean, you're ready to cash in on the expertise you've been unwittingly accumulating over the years, one of the very first things you'll need is a process. And by that I don't just mean a process to sign people up for your service, or a process to accept payments while those are also important processes to have.  What I mean by a process is the actual process you take yourself through whenever you're doing what you do best. It's easy to not even notice your personal process for results when you work within a larger organization - you may confuse your personal process with the organization's process, and the two may be very similar. But more often than not, you bring a degree of personalization and specialization to everything you tackle, due to the fact that you are you. Some of the benefits of having a process for your genius? 1. Your current and future clients will know what to expect 2. Having a process makes you feel more confident i