Dare to Be Inspired & Get Support to Follow Through!
Since I launched this blog last January, perhaps the question I’ve gotten more than any other is about how women who are juggling so many different priorities can tackle something NEW (a business, a creative project, a new role in the office) OR amp up the work they’re already doing so it reaches a bigger market. One of the most effective ways to do this is by going through the strategic work of branding, which is really a formulaic way of uncovering your very best assets and how to bring them out more clearly to your audience. I recently had the chance to dig into this subject with the founders of She Reaches, Tiffany Walker and Becca Marco, whom I met at Alt Design Conference in Salt Lake City/2016. Turns out we lived right near each other in Washington DC and struck up one of those really great professional/personal connections that has had us both rooting for each other as our businesses have evolved over the past 18 months.
Tiffany (left) & Becca (right)
She Reaches has grown into a go-to resource for more & more women like me who want thoughts and practical suggestions on HOW to get out of your own way so you can achieve what you want (personally or professionally). I was honored to be their guest on podcast Episode #71 sharing my perspective & tips on how to think about personal branding, ways to maximize your social media inc. your LinkedIn profile without going crazy (after all, you’re trying to have a LIFE!) & how to make room for your passion projects.
Listen to my episode on the podcast down below!
Of course, before I could wax eloquent (or try!) in their interview, I had to take care of some domestic matters. Because Becca & Tiffany work full-time during the week (Becca as a media exec; Tiffany as a consultant and at-home mom), they do their podcast interviews on Saturday mornings. Which sounded GREAT until the moment came & both my teenage daughters had friends over….the dogs were full of energy despite a walk:(…and my husband was not golfing that weekend morning. Hence, a blockade needed to be constructed (see below) to allow for some level of quiet background noise:
Signs outside my bedroom, with me locked in interior bathroom beyond that. No recording studio at home? No problem!
Although my blog is more focused on design and creative pursuits, both Elegant Mayhem and She Reaches explore how to help women bring their most meaningful, beautiful vision for their life into reality. In the episode I was on, we tease out a lot of the questions about branding and how to find what you stand for, eliminating noise and getting clear on your most authentic positioning. But in other episodes, She Reaches looks at variety of other ways we can bring more ease and meaning into our work. Here are a couple of my recent favorite episodes:
Episode 68: Why Your Inner Critic Is a Big Jerk, with Danielle Krysa — http://shereaches.com/ep-068-why-your-inner-critic-is-a-big-jerk-with-danielle-krysa/
Episode #57: How to Organize Your Home with Joni & Kitt — http://shereaches.com/ep-057-how-to-organize-your-home/
They also recently launched She Reaches Her Goals: Intentional Goal Setting Guide to provide more structure and something tangible for tackling personal/professional wish list of projects.
Another resource: I shared with you all a few weeks ago about Fiona Humberstone & her interesting new book, Brand Brilliance, on how to brand your business, whatever it is (as small as a school auction or as big as a national consumer lifestyle brand!). I’ve now thoroughly read & bookmarked this book, which is loaded with specifics and visuals and real-world examples to keep you inspired. Highly recommend!
If you still have Qs, you might want to read my past post on How To Launch Your Own Brand ://elegantmayhem.com/2017/03/16/how-to-launch-your-own-brand/ )