Hey everyone, welcome back to Top Five brought to you by DefineTalent a DefinedLogic service. We are a results driven service working with clients to connect them with quality talent, as well as working to make an impact within the recruiting industry. We talk straight about today's professional world with real world professionals, experts in recruitment, job seekers and business owners alike. Have a question for us send it in and you might spur our next
conversation. I'm Tara Thurber, Director of Talent Innovation. And joining me today to discuss her top five tips for successful personal brand is Jennifer Barker digital strategist was 17 years agency experience and an independent business consultant. Hey, Jennifer, how are you today?
I'm good. How are you?
Good. Thank you. I'm so excited that you can join us!. So with the variety of social media outlets available, how do you know which is the best platform to establish your personal brand?
That's a great question. And it's super important. Just because there's so many outlets out there right now and so many different ways to reach people. And I think a lot of people feel that they need to be on every social media channel.
Right!
And that's not the case.
Right.
You know, something's it. Think about your audience. Think about who you're trying to reach. You know, I highly doubt any professional is trying to reach anyone on Tik Tok.
Right!
I mean, maybe, I mean, maybe you want to show her dancing skills?
Right! Right.
I don't think it's really you know, the place to be. So it's important to kind of, you know, know, your brand's knew your voice and kind of adapt that to the channel and the audience. Obviously, the number one for professionals is LinkedIn.
Right.
Um, you know, there's so many different ways you could utilize it. It's growing your network, it's sharing your thoughts, sharing other industry topics, you know, showing your thought leadership. And just ways to kind of whether you're a job seeker, an independent business owner, or working for a company, it's a great resource. Facebook, used to be so cool. And now like, we're like old people, when did that happen. But the good thing about that is, there's your audience again.
Right.
There's a lot of, you know, the demographic is skewing older. So it's a lot of professionals on there, as well, as you know, moms, it's the audience is very broad.
Right.
So it's just a matter of being careful about how you utilize Facebook, I'm a big recommendation I make is separate yourself from your personal life, and your professional life. And that means kind of whether it be having a separate personal account on Facebook, and then having a professional maybe business account on Facebook.
Which I see that makes sense too, because, you know, even in the recruiting industry, we're looking at people's social network. So whatever you're putting out there, you're putting out there for people to look at. And if you don't want that to be a part of who you are, on a professional level, separating that is super important.
Exactly.You know, professional, people don't want to hear about the drama going on your family.
Yeah.
They don't want to hear you know, how you went out and had a great night with your friends. That's something you can share with your personal network professionally, you know, it's, again, a way to kind of show your strengths, the value you bring to people,
Yeah.
Its a way to educate others. And again, you know, it's that kind of touchy subjects you want to avoid of opinions that might not be popular with their audience. So it's really important to kind of not include those on your professional page, you never know who's looking at that and who you're going to offend. So that's something to kind of steer away from.
Let me ask you to I know, like when Facebook started getting really big, it was more of a social network, right. And LinkedIn, that's where people went for their businesses. And Facebook is where they went for their personal selves and their social networks. But now that Facebook has gotten so much more bigger, where businesses can actually target audiences through it, um, is there something like do people have to start all over?
Or is it just going back and massaging their profile a little bit to keep it more a even keel of personal versus professional?
Definitely, I think, you know, if you go back and kind of clean it up a bit.
Yeah.
I know, you know, your Facebook profile might have been set up in 2010 and there could be stuff on there from who knows.
Yeah.
So it's just a matter of how far back and how time consuming it may be to go in and clean that up.
Right.
The thing isn't over as the internet, nothing could ever fully be scrubbed.
Right.
So it's just a matter of, you know, do you want to kind of put in that time to do that where things still might show up? You might miss something? Or do you want to start a separate international business or brands page? Okay. It's really a preference. But I kind of recommends having to separate. But also, it's important to remember when you do have your brand's page to also bring in your
personality.That's not saying it has to be cut and dry and very kind of professional because I think it's really important to show who you are.
Yeah.
I want to get into that in a little bit.
Okay. All right. Well, what other networks? I mean, there's so many different networks out there. What are your thoughts on Instagram?
I think Instagram is a great platform. It's personally my favorite.
Yeah.
I think unfortunately, you know, we're go go go. And we've turned into a society that doesn't like to read.
Right.
We like to look at things and kind of scroll through. So I think depending on what you do, it's a great outlet. I think now with reels being incorporated and stories, it's a great platform to reach people and kind of show them who you are. Especially if you know, you're in the kind of visual threat.
Imagery. Right?
Right. So now you're saying now you're a small business owner that might be making jewelry, or you know, might be making clothing. It's a great outlet to kind of showcase your work. Yeah. And show your personality as well.
Love it.
Um, another one, I mean, that people don't really think about is Pinterest.
Yeah. Tell me about talk to me about Pinterest. I have never, I've gone on and created a couple boards for myself. But how are businesses using Pinterest nowadays?
Pinterest is awesome. Again, another visual platform, but there's so many different ways to utilize it. You know, I worked with a landscaping company once and for them is gold. You know, they're showcasing these beautiful homes, you know, the work they've done. And then besides their work, they're creating boards, and it's boards where they're at and choosing inspiration. So you're seeing, it might not be their work, but they're showing what inspires them.
That's awesome. That's actually a really awesome way to I mean, even designers or, you know, interior designers, or just the creative mindset, but to be able to show that your creative process, and how that relates to yourself branding and what you create. To show others, I think that's awesome. I never thought about using Pinterest that way.
I think a lot of people kind of think it's like, oh, that's where I get my recipes.
Right.
I kind of you know, follow hobbies and things like that. But it's really turned into a platform that is underutilized. And I think there's a lot of room for people to kind of move into it.
Yeah. And no Tik Tok.
I mean, hey, I'm not saying you can't Tik Tok your talk away. Your dances, do your little do your thing. But I mean, it's, I don't think you're gonna find your audience there. It's fun.
I think it adds some humor and can you can, if you do it in small clips, you know, it could add some humor to bringing your own personality through if you do it smart, and not in a way where, you know, you're going to kind of turn people away from you. But if you do it in a more fun and creative way that can help to bring a personality of a business or a personality of an individual out just a little bit. I wouldn't say utilizing that platform as a key go to platform.
Right.
But to kind of filter in a little bit of that.
Yeah, I mean, it's definitely you know, since it's so limited on time, Tik Tok.
Yeah.
It'd be cool to kind of, you know, use it to show a process.
Right.
Very quick, you know, you know, we have a friend that's a florist so it can be putting together a quick bouquet.
Yeah.
And showing it that way.
Yeah.
So there's definitely ways to use it. As opposed to you know, the way 17 year old kids are and I mean, I wish I was that cool but I am not.
Right, right. Um, so let's kind of circle back into LinkedIn and some self branding there. Can you give us some best practice suggestions for creating a LinkedIn profile that can not only attract maybe hiring managers, but can attract new clients or new potential buyers so to speak?
Yeah, definitely. Um, LinkedIn is great for that. I always kind of make the metaphor that LinkedIn is like dating.
Right.
It's kind of your, your place to make your first impression. Um, and a lot of people, are still finding it hard to navigate LinkedIn.
Yeah.
Because they don't quite know how to present themselves or what to post what not to post and I think as it becomes more popular and as you said, recruiters are Looking at LinkedIn profiles and your social media accounts, it's important to kind of stand out from a crowd, especially nowadays. And I think there's a big element of, you know, we've been in lockdown for over a year now.
Right.
No one's been in contact with each other. So there's a craving for human connection.
Yep. Yeah.
And I think it's important to kind of show that, yes, you're a professional, but you're also a human. Right. And, to connect with others. Um, so I mean, Top Things are basically, you know, your profile picture, that's your people again, visual, your first impression? Yeah, um, you know,
Yeah, you don't want that picture of you out at the bar. Right? Doing in shots or something.
Nobody wants to see that everybody's gonna look at that, like, hey, I want to hire that are very low.
Right.
It's more of kind of, you know, make it a headshot. It doesn't have to be a stuffy headshot, you can show your personality, you know, coming from the agency world. And creative worlds. It's always kind of, you know, we normally do a professional and then we kind of have a funny one where it morphs together. So it's okay to show, you know, the fun side of yourself.
Yeah.
But make sure it's kind of, you know, plain backgrounds. Clear or not, I'm out of focus, Right shows you you're not trying to crop other people out of the picture.
Yeah, yeah.
And then your headline is super important. Um, a lot of people think that it's just their job title, or more, they're working right now. But that's prime real estate to kind of show who you are.
Yeah.
So not only can you say, Hey, you know, this is my job title. But let people know how you help.
Right.
You know, for my personal my LinkedIn, it's basically it says, you know, digital strategist, consultant. And then I say, you know, helping companies increase their ROI, their branding, Its like a tagline for..
Who you are, and what you do.
It is definitely, I also kind of tie into there that I'm an educator as well. So it's kind of it's showing the breadth of your experience and not just pigeonhole you into, hey, I'm a digital strategist.
Right.
It's all I do, right?
Which I think is important too. Again, for recruiters or businesses looking for specific people, too, you don't want to have everything and the kitchen sink in your profile you want to have, what it is you come to the table with, whether it's your job, title, your interests, your hobbies, really what makes you whole as an individual, to be somebody that a company would want to take on or be a part of, so to speak.
Exactly. I mean, if you think about it, how many people are, quote unquote, digital strategists.
Right.
If you just put down as your title, you're just what? How are you going to stand out?
We're in the sea of it all.
Exactly. Um, another great way to show your personality is in your summary or your bio. Yes! Umm, you know, I think, gone are the days of kind of those stuffy cover letters that are in very, you know, professional, you know, this is what I do. This is what I have been doing. This is what I want to do.
Yeah.
It's more of tell your story.
Right.
Weave in personal experiences that have made you who you are today.
Yeah.
You know, in my case, I keep it very light and airy. I say, you know, these are the clients I've worked with. These are my skills, but then I also tie in you know, I'm from North Jersey.
Yeah.
And, I am living in Monmouth County. You know, there's a great way of telling them I am a pork roll, and my profile it literally says born and raised in North Jersey, now living below the you know, the Great Divide.
Yep.
Hashtag Taylor Ham. It is Taylor ham it will never be pork roll. Just relax guys.
And I that's that's something that I do love to because it adds in a little bit of your personality to it. It's it's something that separates you now are people going to be searching like using Boolean searches putting in Taylor ham, no, not for a digital strategist. But it again, it shed some light on who you are as an individual and it you know, it's not going, it's walking that fine line, you don't want to be too personal.
And then you don't want to be too professional because you want to you want to marry the two to be able to shine that light on everything that you can come to the table with.
Exactly. It's you know, it's highlight your skills, highlight, you know, how you got to where you are,
Yeah.
And also highlight things outside of your professional life that have made you who you are, you know, in my case, I do a lot of mentoring. I sit on some boards. You know, I do speaking engagements at colleges and tech panels and that's all relevant to my experience.
Right.
And it is kind of shows that without saying it, it says, you know, I'm confident in what I do, because I'm speaking to people. I'm kind of an extrovert.
Yeah.
If you haven't noticed. And so there's little clues as to who I am, but not in an in your face like, hey, like this is I like I love to do this. I love to do that. It's it's, it's be humble, but also humble brag about yourself.
Yep. I like that. And I've been working with some some high school students and some college students on their LinkedIn profile. And it's also people have a tough time writing about themselves. And as we've been building out these summaries, I mean, even a senior in high school, she didn't even have a summary. And so what we did was, she put in a little bit
of the personal side of her. And then I said mentioned the clubs, that you're a part of mentoring, the programs and internships, even the university you just got accepted to and are going to, because she may not have the work experience, you know, in quotes there. But she at least has this drive and this motivation, all supporting her, her path that lies ahead of her for her professional journey.
Definitely. It also shows I mean, it's funny you say that because I help high school kids with their LinkedIn profiles as well. And what they don't realize is the clubs that they're in, and the sports that they play.
It all matters.
It's it's skills they've learned.
Yeah.
They won't realize you know, it kind of working with a team.
Yeah.
Different personalities learning to compromise. So all those things feed into saying it without saying.
Yup.
And I think a lot of them too. When I say okay, you know, what are some what some quote unquote, work experience you have? You know, it's tough to be 15, 16, 17 and not having a ton of work expe
Yeah.
And they send me the resumes and it just says babysitter.
Yeah.
And I say, Okay, let's think about what you did, though. Right. You know and it's kind of wordsmithing it where you're a caretaker, you know, it's time management.
Yeah.
It's, you know, it's feeding taking care of people.
Yeah.
So it's just the way you present it and kind of help them think that through and write it out so that when they look at it, all of a sudden, they're like, wow!
I did all that, haha!
That sounds so professional! Yeah. Like, Oh, my gosh.
Yeah.
And it's true. I mean, it's just and and that's the same goes for, you know, older, younger people as well. It's just the way you kind of present things. And I'm not saying you know, why about what you do, but there's a way to make it sounds more professional.
Yeah. And I again, I think a lot of people have a tough time talking or writing about themselves or talking about themselves. And you know, LinkedIn profiles, that's the time for you to beef it up, put all of your achievements, your awards, your the club's you're attached to all of that, because again, that's really opening the doors for people to see into who you are as a person, a fully rounded person.
Definitely, definitely! And I think that's where people get a little scared. And they think they they kind of freeze up and they just bullet point out things they do.
Yeah.
And I think I'm starting to see more and more things get woven in that show personality, but I think there's still kind of that fear of, well, I don't want to say too much. Because what if they don't like me?
Right.
And you know what, at the end of the day, if someone read your profile, and they don't like you, then it wasn't a right fit.
Yeah. Yeah. Well, I think on on the business side, too, it's important to shine the light of your, your company's brand, through LinkedIn, you know, share the about dude, like beef up , the about beef up, you know, share the culture into the internal culture, the benefits that are offered, on top of making sure to just share little instances or little. I don't know the word I'm looking for, but highlight employees, that way, you're showing the reality
of the company itself. And it's not just a page where, you know, you got to work here. It's amazing. Okay, that's great. But well, why is it amazing? You know, what kind of people are you trying to bring to your company? What kind of clients are you trying to bring into your company? And it's, it's almost like an open portfolio for some companies.
Exactly. And I think, you know, there's those buzzwords that companies love to throw around the, you know, like fast paced flex schedule.
Yeah.
And there's so broad.
Yeah.
And it's almost like fast paced environment has gotten, you know, turned into a bad thing.
Which it's funny you say that I was just having a conversation with somebody the other day, that said that a lot of younger people that are looking for work right now, if a company puts fast paced on their profile, they actually steer away from companies that are saying that.
Yeah, I think I think there's kind of almost a stigma that comes along with it now that fast paced means there's no quality of life.
Right? That makes sense.
That you know, it's work, work, work, you know, you're gonna get stressed out, you're gonna...
The hustle, the hustle, the hustle!
Exactly.
Whereas in hindsight, it should just, it should show the quality of life that you provide as a business to your employees. And through the business that should be shining through instead of the fast paced environment. I mean, everybody's fast paced at this point, you know, everybody's hustling everybody is moving 50 miles an hour, you don't need to throw that on to a profile to brand a business or yourself. But more what is the meaning for
individuals out there? You know, what, what will highlight and and intrigue individuals to be more interested in Connect? It's all about finding that connection to visually through a brand page or a social media page?
For sure. And I think something that I've noticed a lot more lately, and it's something I love is on company pages, specifically when they're hiring. There's a statement on there that says, even if you don't fit all of these skills mentioned, yes, still apply.
Yeah.
And I think that's so important, because so many people look at job postings on LinkedIn. You will say, Oh, I have a couple of those skills.
Yeah.
But, not all of them. Yeah. And it doesn't matter anymore.
Yeah.
Excuse me, because it's more of who you are, and what you can learn. Because if you're that type of person, and you can be taught or neat, you're willing to learn it.
Yeah.
That's more valuable than someone that has all the skills, but not the personality and doesn't fit in with the culture.
Yep, that's completely understandable.
This is something I love that companies are doing that now. And I think, you know, that's a big thing for women, especially women in tech, do, we face kind of that hurdle of being in a man's world, it's skewing now a little more evenly, but it's still kind of thought of as you know, men in tech.
Yeah.
So I think for a lot of women, it kind of gives them the confidence to apply for those jobs.
Yeah, I like that. I like that a lot. And I know, we've had many conversations about this in the past. But it allows women more of like that, that push, like, I may not have all of these, but I've got a couple of them. And I've got the passion and the drive behind it. And that's what that can be their selling point too.
Exactly, exactly. I mean, I think, if you passion is number one, I mean, you could always tell when you talk to someone about their job.
Yeah.
If they're if they like it or not, yeah, if it excites them. And I think that's just, it's written on their face, you know, you hear in their voice, and they kind of, you know, are excited about it. And I think it's important, because, I mean, unfortunately, we spend most of our lives in an office now remote.
Yeah.
But working!
Working!
It's important to kind of love what you do. And also, like, who you work with.
Yeah.
And have a supportive team that understands has empathy. And it's not just work, work, work, profit, profit, profit.
Yeah.
Its now, hey, we care about people. And I think it's important to show even if you're an independent business owner, if you're a small business, if you're, you know, huge corporation, it's important to show that.
Yeah.
On your page, and kind of, again, it's all about you give out what you want to get back.
Yeah.
And if you want great employees, you need to show them you're a great team to work with.
Yep. I love that. I love that. So let me ask you this, too, with unemployment rate . With at an all time high right now, in the US, how important is it for you to stand out from a crowd of applicants? And how do you do it?
It's so important, so important, and it goes back to what I said earlier about having that like, stuffy old school cover letter.
Yeah.
Um, you know, employers or companies get so many of those. And it's, it'll it reads like a boilerplate.
Yeah.
And what you know, when you get just a flood of those, it's kind of like, where's the originality? Who are these people? Yeah. Like they have the skills, but I know nothing about them. Yeah. And again, you're using that real estate to show who you are. And I think it's a great you know, humanize yourself personalize the cover letter.
Yeah.
When you reach out, I think a lot of people just kind of send out the same information. as important, you know, to kind of personalize that more if you're applying for remote Jobs, and you live on the east coast and the jobs on the west coast, you know, somehow tie that in?
Yep.
That, you know, that's important to show that you actually read the job description.
Yeah.
You research the company. And to kind of stand out to them be I always, you know, I start my outreach, as you know, just short phrases, where it says, you know, I'm a digital leader, I'm an educator, I'm a mentor, I'm not perfect.
Yeah.
I'm humble, you know, and then I tie it in with, I'm Jennifer Barker. Yeah. And then I kind of go into my experience, because I think that's that first paragraph that grabs our attention.
And it shows your authenticity as a human and, and your truth, like you're you. And I think a lot of times people will put on this facade. And it's like, you know, the first time you meet somebody, personality wise, you're more than likely totally different than after you meet, you get to know somebody. And by marrying those two personalities together and being able to show up authentic and real and true, that breaks barriers right out
of the gate. And that puts you ahead of a lot of these boiler plate cover letters that come through, or, you know, emails that come through where that are very, very, like fill in the blank.
Yeah.
Types, and it feels inauthentic to hiring managers, and to recruiters, like, this person didn't even read a job description. And, you know, they were just like, here's my resume, I'm interested in this job. Okay, well, I'd rather you tell me a little bit more about yourself, and why exactly before I even attempt to reach out to you, I'm not going to waste my time. And if you're as, as the employee looking for a job, you know, put some effort
into it. Because it's about the effort, the passion, the motivation that you put into it. And then you surround yourself with as a personal brand, that's going to really trigger a hiring manager to be like, Oh, I'd like to interview this person. Or even I've gotten emails where I have no idea who this person is. But they wrote a really awesome email that made me laugh. And I was like, I need to just talk to this person. I don't have any roles open, but I have to talk
to this person. And I think that that's really again, showing up authentic and being your personal brand, not just a facade, and then hiding behind that.
Right. You're more than just your job title.
Yeah.
There's so much more than that. And I think, if anything good has come come out of the pandemic.
Yeah.
It's been, I think people have come to realize that we're all human.
Yeah.
We're all people. And we're less afraid to speak to people now.
Yeah.
And I think part of that is because we all went through this together.
Yeah.
This shared experience. And during this time, we've realized, you know, we've we've gotten into each other's home, through video chats, you've seen the environments they're in, you know, we've seen that when all of a sudden your microphones on and you didn't know you did. You said something?
Yeah.
You know, there was moments where it's, you know, imperfections, but their imperfections that make you who you are.
And it's everybody's reality. I mean, I feel like I've gotten to meet so many people's families and children.
Yes.
That just after having a one off conversation with them, but again, that shares that sheds the light on who these people are who we all are, and we're all in the same reality. There's no feeling like apologetic if your kids screaming in the background, because it is what it is, mute yourself, take care of what you got to take care of, and then come back to the conversation. But that's happening all over
the place now. And it's, you know, back in the day, I feel like it was unacceptable, and you know, people would become so embarrassed. And now, I feel like if it's not happening, I'm like, something's wrong.
Yeah. It's true. And I think it's also kind of broken down barriers of levels of experience.
Yeah.
I feel like you know, when people are applying for jobs now, they're much more comfortable speaking to CEOs.
Yeah.
C suite and director level people, because it's almost created more of a laid back environment. It's still professional. Yeah. But people have kind of taken a step back and realized I don't need to accomplish everything in a day.
Yeah.
It's okay. If you know, I need to take a break, or if I need to throw in a little laundry while I'm working.
Yep.
Um, again, it goes back to the you know, we're not just our jobs. Yeah. We're people, we have problems. We have great times. You know, there's so many shared experiences, there's individual experiences, and I think it's actually given some people more confidence to go out and maybe seek another job.
Yeah.
And speak differently about themselves. And havoc? I mean, if anything, like I said, we've gone through this together. So right off the bat, there's a shared connection.
Yeah. Which is a big change. It's a big shift in the workforce.
Definitely. I think it's kind of made everyone realize, you know, there's always going to be hierarchy.
Awesome. Um, for individuals in a position? it? Is it important to maintain a brand voice separate from their company and employer? And if so, what are some ways to maintain boundaries?
Yes, super important.
Yeah.
Yes, you worked for a company? Yes, I work for an agency right now. Is that who I am? That's Yes. But not all who I am.
Yeah.
You know, you can do numerous things. When speaking about your personal brands, um, one being you can create your company. A lot of it goes to I know a lot of that I work with numerous clients across the board and different industries. And whenever I take on a new client, I know because I do it. Yeah. I google them, or I look for them on LinkedIn. Yeah. And I look at their experience, I look
at what they share. So even if you're working for a company, that client is still gonna look at the team they're working with.
Right.
So it's important to show not only what you do in that, for that company, but what you do outside of that, and your past experiences. Yeah. Because it shows, okay, this person knows what they're doing.
Right.
They have a lot they have experience, you know, they're sharing this amazing, amazing content.
Yeah.
It makes me confident that I'm working with a good team.
Yeah. And I think to sharing business stuff, but also sharing other interests, allows you to still keep those boundaries.
Yes.
But kind of marry them together in a way that you still should have your personal brand, your your you, but be able it being a part of a team and a company. And you know, whether it's small, or even consulting, you want to share maybe some of your clients work, or, you know, internally sharing other things that have to do with your company. But then other things that interest you.
And really bringing, again, the sense of personality, into your personal brand and profile, but separating yourself to keep that even keel of who you are, and where you work and what you do.
Yes, definitely. And especially, you know, like I said, I'm in an agency, but I also do consulting.
Right.
Well.
Right.
So I want to show, yeah, this is what I do day to day, but I'm also offering these services. So it's almost kind of like I'm thinking double personality, where I have, you know, my company that I worked for, and then I have my independent work that I do you think it's important to, like you said, show people that you're more than just your job title.
Yeah.
And who you work for, you're also a person that does professional things outside of that company. You know, for me, I like to you know, I share company posts, but I also write original content that shows you know, my thoughts, my opinions on things that are happening in the tech industry. I also promote, I do a lot of like I said, outside speaking engagements, I promote that. And that's not part of my company that's independent to me.
Right.
I think a lot of people don't like to talk like he said, Don't wait, just talk about themselves.
Yeah.
And this is actually the time to be your own cheerleader.
Highlight yourself, highlight your wins, highlight your failures, because if you're not failing, you're not learning.
Exactly.
And, you know, you may have a failure that somebody else will be able to learn from two
Totally. And I think, you know, it's it's an open collaboration environment where you know, there's been times where I couldn't figure something out or you've just been working on something for so long, you needed a fresh set of eyes.
Yeah.
And you put that out on LinkedIn. And all of a sudden, your network is reaching out to you being like, Hey, I experienced this, or Hey, I tried it this way. And not only are you kind of finding a solution, but you're opening the doors to bigger conversations.
Yeah.
And you never know, that bigger conversation can lead to a new job opportunity down the line.
Right.
So all these little things are saying, Oh, well, I don't want to share too much. I don't want to you know, network too much. It's not a matter of oversharing. And talking to people, it's more of the short term. It's the long term.
Yeah.
It's what doors cannot open. And, you know, as a consultant, what companies will kind of reach out to me based on our, you know, we had a really great conversation with john.
Yeah.
So it's basically it's always it's getting into the back of their minds and kind of staying there.
Yeah.
And then continually just checking in checking in every once in a while.
Yeah. I like that a lot. And I think, you know, overall, social media and, and personal branding, company branding, there's so many different facets now to that tying it all together, I feel is important, because it really kind of gives you that umbrella to showcase who you are, where you are, and maybe even where
you want to be. I mean, I've seen people post things about dreams or or you know, bucket list stuff that they're trying to get to, and maybe that might hit somebody or somebody is going to help you get there and bring you a step further. All because you've created this, this brand of who you are and what your dreams are and what you're made of.
Yeah, I love that. Because that also ties back into the human aspect.
Yeah.
You know, it doesn't have to be all just industry news, industry news, industry news. It's like you said early, you know, show that you're you might have failed at something. Yeah. Or you need help with something. Yeah, it's okay to do that.
Yeah. I love this. Jen, Jen. So after all this conversation, give us your top five tips for a successful brand.
All right, I say number one is be authentic, be yourself. People see through it. If you know, if you're putting on a front.
I love it. Love that. So important.
Show your personality. Show that you're like I said, I keep saying it. But it's important. You're not just your job title, you're not just your company, you are a person who has you know, successes, failures, good days, bad days, show that. Be confident, you know, there's days where we don't feel confident, there's days where it seems like everything's going wrong.
Yeah.
And it's okay to have those days. But remember, you know, the next day is going to be better. or the next day might be a little better. But, it's important to be confident throughout it all, know that that struggle is just for that moment.
Like that, and being confident to just put yourself out there and know that not everybody has all good days. But confidence in who you are. Gives you a little bit more of a backbone too.
Definitely.
Awesome.
Show your passion and the value that you can bring. Like I said earlier, you know, you can tell when someone loves what they do.
Yeah.
It's you know, it's undeniable, show that passion and that could if even if it's through writing, you know, there's a way to express that. And then finally, even if you feel like you're not qualified for a job, put yourself out there. Love it. Because you know, like I said, it's a lot of time it's personality, and if the culture is the right fit, you know, if you if you're good at what you do, you're willing to learn. You can be you can learn even more, and you can be taught by other
people. And I think that's the most important thing. You'll never feel like you're not good enough. Because no one has their right to tell you you're not.
I love that. Jen, thank you so very much for joining us today sharing your tips giving us kind of the lay of the land of social media and personal branding.
Awesome. I love this. It was great.
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