So What?

Your personal brand is how you package yourself for the marketplace and, in turn, how others perceive you. You want to elicit positive emotions in the market so that when people think of you they do so positively. Branding includes how you describe yourself, how others see you, what need you fill in the marketplace, and what makes you stand out.

There are three steps in the personal brand development process:

• Features: Who are you?
• Benefits: What makes you different?
• Value: What do you contribute?


From now on, you are the product and your job is to sell yourself. In order to do that effectively, you need to know who you are and know your features. ”Features” might include your experience, talents, education, goals, ethics, and accomplishments. “Benefits” are what you bring to the market because of your features (i.e., because of your experience in a particular discipline, you won’t need to be trained and will save the company money and time). Your accomplishments prove that you produce results and you can deliver consistently. Because you set goals, you are disciplined and a self-starter, which saves a company time and money.

What you contribute is the value proposition that you bring to the table. What do you possess that sets you apart? A good way to answer this question is to list your top 10 accomplishments throughout your career and then ask yourself, “So what?” after each accomplishment.

Accomplishment:
Led team of six engineers in a major software conversion project. The project affected 250 clients and was projected to take three months to complete. We finished the project two months earlier than scheduled.
So What?
The “So What?” is that you saved money because the project was finished earlier than scheduled. Providing an exact dollar amount or percentage saved is even more powerful.

List Your Top 10 Accomplishments

Ask "So What?" after each accomplishment

Being Grateful

I read a book several years ago about gratefulness and how it helps you through really touch times in your life. Being grateful keeps you grounded. It speaks to your spirit.

Try making a list of everything you have to be grateful for: your spouse or significant other, family, colleagues, dog, cat, job, talents, accomplishments......As you write this list notice what makes you grateful for the entry. This exercise is particularly effective when you're in a bad mood. Making the list shifts your energy and mood. I keep a list to review when I feel myself wanting to visit "pity city". I remember that my husband is my best friend and cheers me on. I remember that I have a wonderful family and great friends. I remember that my dog loves me unconditionally.

Try to be grateful for the little things you may not always notice: flowers, silence laughter, good coffee, warm socks, HDTV, anything well written, soft sweaters, hot chocolate, sunsets, full moons, fresh strawberries, butter, sidewalk art, stars, wild birds, oak trees, alone time, together time, date night, diversity, options, adventures, bubbles, bling hockey, hugs, ocean breezes, anything purple, naps!!!!