As the year is drawing to an end, I want to share some essential information for reflection, which will shape the way you carry yourself into the coming year and help you succeed. My first question is, “What is it that you are struggling with right now?” Whatever your answers may be, I know it will always have something to do with focus. So throughout the Christmas holidays, I want you to put the spotlight on your life by learning how to make it your project and succeed in 2022. You need to understand first of all that personal branding is not something you just arrive at. It is a journey that you must embark on, where you ask tough and relevant questions like the one above, and commit to learning the answers.
There are the four things you need to put your mind to when it comes to focus:
- Mindset – Many people have limiting mindsets that has prevented them from attaining heights. They are often fixated on what other people think of them, causing them to be afraid and lack confidence. This is the truth: All the perceptions you think people have about you does not exist. 90% of them is in your mind; Most of the time, 90% of what people do to you is not a reflection of you but rather, a reflection of them; it is not a function of you but of them; and when you hear negative things about you, you may think the person is attacking your image but most of the time, people are just upset with situations in their own lives and because they cannot fix it, they project it on you. If want to move forward and have a strong personal brand, you need a focused mindset that will throw out negative things you hear or people say about you as soon as they happen.
- Message – Once you attain the right mindset, you will begin to have clarity that will lead you to know exactly what you want to communicate. And this becomes your message that you craft.
- Mission – Your message is that which your mission becomes.
- Money – Once you are clear on your mindset, message, and mission, you will be able to earn money.
A notable mistake that causes a lot of unnecessary challenges is changing the right order and beginning with money without having the right mindset, a clear message and an identifiable mission.
“What is your life?” This is another tough and relevant question that I want you to reflect on. The answer I will give you is that, you must see your life as your personal project. You cannot operate without making your life your project. Anybody who is doing a project works on every part of the project. In the same way, making your life your project will help you to always work on yourself.
Just as there are different stages in projects, the question is, “What stage are you in?” The stages are;
- Project Reveal: this is the stage where you are yet to start anything – you do not have a job, and do not own a business. You are thinking and planning but yet to take a step.
- Project Renovate: In this stage you started and have built. However, you need repairs and adjustments in certain areas.
- Project Rebuild: At this stage, you want to break down the whole building and build from scratch a new one. You have been doing something in a particular way and now want to start all over again in a different direction.
“Which category do you find yourself?” Once you have identified where you are and now know what it means, you can now start working on yourself by building the right relationships that will help you succeed. Until you work on you, you cannot work on business. My first writings, the stories I told on Facebook about my own childhood that people jumped at it, everything that I shared, I wrote them when I was depressed, going through miscarriages (7 to be exact), and my business had completely failed. That is where I started my personal branding. I had failed in several business. The one that was revealed and worked on was Allure before transitioning into my current Coaching career.
With what I have been through, I know for sure that everyone who is willing to try, can build their personal brand to their heart’s desire in 2022. It is not problems, depression or the fact that you are stuck, had bad relationships, or abuse that is going to stop you from making money. It is only you that can stop yourself.
If you are going to build a personal brand, it is not just about going out there and starting, it is about what you do behind the scenes. You have to be authentic, that real person. To develop yourself as a project is a lot of work, yet worth it. The principle is called Relationship; Opportunity; Offering (ROO) and these are the steps to take:
- Start the night before – Start whatever you want to do the next day, the night before. There are three things I do within each week and that is my ROO. I had already targeted in the year that I started building my personal brand that, I was going to build four relationships – one for every quarter. I sat down to write names of twenty people of which I narrowed down to the four people whom I needed to know me, not just me knowing them. Each night, I choose one of the ROO to do the next day.
- Relationship – If I want to do the relationship part the next day, I will use one of the four pre-written text messages which I had taken time to craft the night before. I do not write a text on the day I want to send the message at that time. I write the text the night before because it gives me time to think about exactly what I want to tell them. If you want to build a relationship, you have to write a thoughtful message. It should be a pre-thought message. That is why some people send messages and get responses and others send but do not get responses. So pre-prepare your messages before you send it to the people you want to start building relationship with in 2022, this December.
- Opportunity – Never start your message with “I need your help”; instead, after your salutation, start with, “How can I help you?” before you put the context in because, you first want to engage the person before the person engages you. In relationship building, you who want to build the relationship put in 75% while the other does 25% until the relationship is established. Then you can start chatting. Just as relationship is a message, opportunity is also a message. Opportunity is what you will say and since you never know who you are going to meet on your way to work, or who will call you on a three way conference call for an opportunity door to open for you, always prepare a message that will meet that opportunity, and a message that will fight rejection. I always prepare for the next day how I am going to handle rejection. I always write two messages – one for the opportunity and one for the rejection. Your opportunity is your personal bio that you can readily say when you are asked what you do.
- Offering – Your offering just like the first two is also a message. You need your thoughts in a clear place where you will prepare. Your offer is your message you put out there when you meet someone and they ask you “What do you do?”, or, “How can I help you?” You are your project so write these messages ahead of time. Write your rejection messages, what you will say to overcome, and practice how you will say it. Write your rejection messages and say it right after the person rejects you. For instance, if they say, “I can’t help you right now,” you can say, “Thank you very much for the time that you have given me. I’m sure that if it’s okay with you I can follow up with an email to give you another idea of your discussion.” Your rejection response must mostly show appreciation.
Here are 4 Doer personalities to help you know where you fall in developing yourself as your project and building your personal brand.
- THE DEVELOPER
This person is mostly a storyteller. This is the person who is able to develop or create their own personal stories in any language of choice and share these stories, e.g. a Content Developer.
- THE ORGANIZER
This is the kind of person that takes other people’s stories and ideas that they can relate to, and organize them well to share with others, giving credit to the story owners.
- THE EXPERT
This person has specialized in their respective field.
- THE ROLE MODEL
This is the type of person that has been able to build their brands in such a way that people willingly want to follow them for what they do and want to be like them.
Your difference is in your ROO. Before something becomes a message, it needs focus, so never forget your 4Ms, the stage you find yourself in your personal project and the doer personality you belong to. Taking heed to and working on them will give you the desired results. Have a Merry Christmas and let’s meet in 2022, all geared up for the journey ahead.
Are ready to stand out and lead your Image?
Read my book: “The Essentials of Image Leadership”.
Designed with practical exercises for home or office,
This book gives you all the essential tips and
Tools needed to sail with success in your image.
It also touches on dining etiquette,
Ensuring that in every space you find yourself,
You make a personal impact and achieve influence.
