This past week I had the great fortune to be interviewed by the
co-hosts of KSRO’s Ask the Expert: Career Conversations talk show here in Santa
Rosa, CA. For those of you who don’t know, Sarah Scudder, Chief Growth Officer
at The Sourcing Group, and Nicole Smartt, Co-Owner of Star Staffing and
Bestselling author, co-host a weekly talk show where they addresses topics such
as taking your career in a new direction, turning a passion or hobby into a
business, starting out in the workforce, and becoming more engaged in your
current job.
When they sent me the list of questions for the show, I could
feel a fire burning inside of me—no not that kind of burning, ha ha! But I got
very excited because the questions got me thinking a lot about the past few
years, and how much I’ve progressed in achieving some really significant goals.
One of the items on their list we didn’t get to touch on while recording, but
that I’m incredibly passionate about, is building your personal brand. Some
people wonder why in the world you would spend time building a personal brand
when you work for a company, so I thought I’d take this opportunity to give you
my pitch.
Now, before I go down this rabbit hole, I must put in a brief disclaimer that if you are looking to build your brand while working at a company, take a moment to examine your professional reputation in your current role and organization. If you aren't pulling your weight, or getting your job done, and view personal branding as a way to potentially attract new employers, then I would recommend evaluating your current situation before pursuing external endeavors. However, if you are crushing it at work every day and would like to find ways to share the good word, then please continue on.
Back to the pitch. So, I could probably come up with a list of 30 reasons why you should have a personal brand, but I'll spare you the extras, cut to the chase, and offer my top 3 reasons why rock stars need a personal brand.
Reason #1: Fun
You can draw nerd glasses on me for this one, but the first
thing you will find about building a personal brand is that you get to learn a
lot about yourself, what you’re good at, and you get to share that knowledge
with other people. Let’s say you’ve been in your career even 5 years—you have
tons more knowledge than anyone else entering the profession for the first
time. Don’t you think someone straight out of college would love to know what
they could do to be successful in the first 5 years of their new job? I would! If you've been in your career even longer, then you will not only have lots of great advice for getting started, but richer wisdom on handling tricky situations you've faced throughout your career.
Reason #2: Opportunity
By building my brand, I’ve created a lot of great content (my
blog, my book, LinkedIn posts like the one you’re reading now) that has led to
opening doors for other cool, fun things. This past quarter, I taught a class
on Training and Performance at Sonoma State University, which is something that
would have not come my way if I hadn’t established myself as someone who wants
more than a day-job out of life.
Writing and publishing my book has connected me to
professionals, students, and even old friends who have reached out to reconnect
or even ask for advice.
And of course, I know this is the one you have been waiting for... yes, my personal brand has helped me make more money,
Reason #3: You Never
Know…
In 2007 I was working in the mortgage industry: one day I
had a job, and the next day I had nothing. At the time I was working and going
to school and had been putting some money aside for savings, but had not yet accumulated
the recommended 6 months rainy day fund that so many financial experts
recommend. I had to move to a cheaper apartment, take jobs catering, and hustle
my can off while time seemingly stood still. Like the rest of Americans who
lost their jobs in the Great Recession, I then understood what it meant to
struggle, and it was my first real lesson on why it’s always good to have
something to fall back on.
While my first book has not made me a millionaire, yet, it
has taught me to think like an entrepreneur, and the revenue I’ve generated
from it could certainly fund promo ads on Facebook that would bring in some
additional cash. Additionally, my blog, High Gear Career, easily contains
enough content I could convert into podcast topics to promote my book. Also,
since writing my book, I know exactly how to go through the publishing process,
and could easily repeat it again for a sequel.
So, if you’re sitting at your desk and wondering how to
kindle your own fire and passion for your work, start building your own brand.
Starting small is totally fine. If you have a gmail account, you can easily
pop-up a blog on blogger in minutes, which is how I got started. You don’t have
to spend money to get started- you just have to get going and start building content
around the topic that gets you going.
If you have any additional questions about how to get
started on your own brand-building journey please email me at wendy.burbridge@gmail.com and check out my appearance on Ask The Experts, which goes live Friday, November 4th.
