August 14, 2024 • 30 mins
What if you could transform your career by simply understanding your unique value and marketing it effectively? Join us for an insightful conversation with Rita, a seasoned expert in personal branding, executive coaching, and leadership training, as she shares her wisdom accumulated over two decades. Her book, "Personal Branding and Marketing Yourself," offers a practical framework that could be the key to unlocking your professional potential. Rita recounts an inspiring story of a female CEO breaking through a male-dominated industry by confidently defining and promoting her unique brand.
Explore the concept of personal branding beyond the realm of top executives and high achievers. Discover why it's crucial for everyone to have a thoughtful and deliberate plan that aligns with personal values and the company's mission. Through relatable anecdotes and expert advice, Rita emphasizes the importance of the three Ps—preparation, packaging, and presentation. Learn how these elements can lead to professional success and help you navigate career transitions, all while maintaining authenticity and credibility, especially in challenging situations.
Empower your career development by taking proactive steps to build a remarkable personal brand. From keeping your resume current to engaging in continuous learning and networking, Rita provides actionable tips to stay ahead in today's competitive world. She highlights the power of storytelling in presenting your accomplishments authentically and stresses the value of servant leadership in making a lasting impact. Tune in for an encouraging discussion on how to elevate your professional life and stand out with a strong personal brand.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Eric Eden (00:00):
Welcome to today's episode.
Today, we are talking about onemore than 20 years with
personal branding, executivecoaching, management and
(00:31):
leadership training, and she isgoing to share some of her great
insights and what she's learnedin doing this for the past
couple of decades and helpingexecutives and companies succeed
.
Rita, welcome to the show.
Rita B. Allen (00:43):
Thank you so much , Eric.
It's a pleasure to be here.
Eric Eden (00:46):
We appreciate you making the time to talk about
this topic that we frequentlytalk about on our show.
I recently went on Amazon andgot your book Personal Branding
Marketing Yourself.
I read it, I loved it, andthat's why I reached out to have
you on the show.
I think this is a topic that,interestingly, everybody tells
(01:06):
me that they're interested indoing it, but very few people
actually take action or know howto dig in and do it.
So I'd love to hear a littlebit about the genesis for the
book and how you've helpedpeople do this over the years.
Rita B. Allen (01:22):
Yeah, exactly, that is exactly why I felt the
need to write the book, becausemy career has spanned in the
world of human resources formany years and I started as a
corporate HR person, then I wasin executive search and then, as
you said, I started my firmthat's focused on coaching,
executive coaching, careercoaching, as well as leadership
(01:44):
development, and what I haveseen throughout all of these
experiences is that people dostruggle when it comes to really
knowing themselves.
And one of the things I talkabout in the book is that
there's three commonalities ofsuccessful professionals, and
they are number one, they knowwhat they have to offer.
(02:07):
They know the value, theirworth, what value they bring.
Number two, they know what theywant, they're goal-oriented and
they have a vision forthemselves and their careers.
And number three, they know howto ask for it.
And, as you said, peoplestruggle with how do we do this,
and it does not have to bedifficult.
(02:27):
However, it does take a lot ofwork, and you got to make
yourself a priority and put inthe time and the effort to do
this hard work of stepping back,doing some self-exploration,
and it's something we docontinuously.
So what I try to offer in mybook is a framework to help
people do it, so that it takesaway that mystery or that
(02:50):
overwhelming feeling that comesover us.
And trust me, I do this for aliving.
I help others, but it's alsosomething that I have to really
be disciplined about, andsometimes I reach out to others
for help when it comes to myself.
It really is about firstacknowledging that this is an
important part of managing ourcareers.
I like to say it's aboutempowering ourselves to take
(03:12):
charge of our careers and reallyfinding what we do best.
Finding that, what is thatmagic formula for each of us
that makes us our best,authentic self?
Eric Eden (03:24):
So maybe we can start off by you sharing an
example or two of how you helpedsome of your clients achieve
success by marketing themselvesthrough personal branding,
because I think the firstimportant question is what does
success look like?
Rita B. Allen (03:40):
Yeah, exactly, and that is so different for
every one of us.
Right, there is no one sizefits all of what success is, and
it's really important.
I like to say that it startswith that personal due diligence
that we have to do, because wedo have to define what is
success for ourselves, and notwhat others expect of us or what
(04:01):
we think we're supposed to do,but truly what is leveraging,
what you do best and what you'repassionate about and what you'd
like to achieve.
For example, I had one clientwho is actually a CEO of an
organization and she had a verysuccessful career, yet she
really had not fine-tuned whatis my differentiator, what is my
(04:24):
brand?
And, after going through thisprocess of doing her personal
due diligence, as you know, inmy book I talk about the three
Ps of marketing the marketingtechnique, and it's about
preparation, packaging andpresentation.
And that first P, thepreparation, really is about
defining and identifying ourbrand, and that's what I helped
(04:46):
this client do.
She really took the time tostep back and identify what is
her brand, what really has beenthat anchor for her throughout
her career that has allowed herto be successful and be her best
authentic self and success,meaning that she was really
tapping into her talents andbeing fulfilled and achieving
(05:08):
what goals that she had set forherself.
And when we're able to do that,then it's about packaging
ourselves.
And so she defined what herbrand was and then she really
started to put herself out there, to build her brand, to reach
out and also make the ass inways that would allow her to
shine, in ways that would allowher to share her thought
(05:31):
leadership, to share her subjectmatter expertise, and she is in
a field you don't see manyfemale CEOs and one thing that
she really wanted to do more ofwhich she had done through her
career is be that mentor, bethat inspiration for other women
in the field, because it was avery male dominated field.
(05:52):
And that's what she did.
And not only did she do somewriting and blogging, but she
did a lot more speaking andpresenting.
She's now sitting on boards,she's received some awards, she
really has taken and elevatedher career to that next level,
which was what she really wanted, and her brand is very strong.
(06:14):
Not only did she define it, butshe really has built it and
she's enhanced it and put it outthere in a way that has been so
meaningful, not just forherself, but for others that she
works with throughout herindustry.
Eric Eden (06:27):
That's great, and it seems like personal branding
can be different for a lot ofpeople and there's a lot of
aspects that go into personalbranding but a lot of executives
who want to take their careerto the next level.
What I've noticed is they wantto do things like they want to
be a keynote speaker at events,they want to be on boards of
directors, they want to be anadvisor to other companies, they
(06:51):
want to give back in those sortof ways.
It's less about just like theywant to get to 30,000 followers
on LinkedIn, but a lot of peopledo want to have credibility
things like writing a book orwinning an award or getting
certifications.
Credibility things like writinga book or winning an award or
getting certifications andpackaging and highlighting those
things in the right way isreally what, in a lot of cases,
helps executives get the nextbest job in their career.
(07:16):
And unfortunately, the righttime to do that is probably not
when you're in between jobs, butto prepare for it when you're
in a really good job and to takethat to the next level Right.
Rita B. Allen (07:28):
Absolutely, and that's the one thing, too, that
I find is challenging for a lotof people.
That is that the best time todo all this is all the time, so
it's not just at one point ofyour career, whether you're in
transition or you're decidingthat, oh, it's time that I
really do build a network.
(07:49):
It's something you want to dothroughout your career and it
really doesn't have to beoverwhelming, though I like to
say it's similar to you want tothink of it as planting a garden
.
When we think about marketingourselves, think of it first of
all as putting yourself outthere, being of service to
(08:09):
others.
I think sometimes people havethe opposite impression of what
this is all about.
It really is about how do youimpact, how do you make a
difference, how do peoplereceive you, how are you of
service to others?
So, if you can think of it asbuilding your thought,
leadership and your subjectmatter expertise, being of
service to others servantleadership, I think, is very
(08:31):
relevant in this conversation.
So it really is about how can Ibe helpful, how can I make a
difference, how can I provide aresource to you.
So that's really how we buildour brands and that's how we can
market ourselves, and thenthat's how people will start to
seek us out to be a keynotespeaker or to be on a panel or
(08:54):
to be on a committee.
And then you do all this likeplanting seeds.
When you plant a garden, youcan't expect immediate
gratification.
You plant seeds, you have tohope the sun comes out, you have
to give it a lot of TLC, youhave to weed the plants, you
have to give it water and food,you nurture the garden and then
eventually you see beautifulflowers or real vegetables, boom
(09:17):
, and that's.
We have to see it that way too,and not expect immediate
gratification and not expectthat you do something and
automatically you get somethingin return.
No, you have to see it as along-term approach and you have
to see it as giving, giving andthen eventually you do get back.
But it's also about beingstrategic around.
(09:38):
What are the best situations tobe in?
Putting yourself in a positionto meet people of influence,
identifying strategic allianceswhich include mentors and
advisors and champions andtrusted advisors and sponsors
and advocates, and bringing thatto other people.
(09:59):
So it really is about having aplan and then executing on it on
a continuous, regular, ongoingbasis, and if you do expect
something in return.
I remember once someone sayingto me I don't have time to do
that.
And what should I belong to?
How should I be involved?
(10:34):
How should I engage?
Who are some people and whatare some environments that I
need to have as a part of mynetwork and as a part of the
organizations I belong to?
It takes a lot of thoughtfuland deliberate planning and
strategy, yet you always do itin a way that's very authentic
and be yourself.
(10:55):
You've got to be yourselfbecause if you're not relatable
and you won't be credible.
As you said, it's aboutbuilding that credibility.
Eric Eden (11:03):
So there's forward investment right.
People have to forward investin this.
And a lot of people would saymy company might not like it if
I'm building my personal brandand marketing myself instead of
just marketing my company.
But the reality is, if you takea servant leadership approach
and here's who I serve andhere's who I'm helping, and
(11:23):
you're doing thought leadership,that's actually to the benefit
of your company, that you're outthere doing that.
So I don't think that those twothings are in conflict, right.
Rita B. Allen (11:34):
Exactly no.
If anything, it's.
You are marketing a company aswell, because you're talking
about the impact that you'rehaving, which is also benefiting
the organization that you'rewith, and so it's a win for all.
I'm glad you brought that up.
Chances are, if you are workingfor a company, your values are
(11:54):
aligned with their values andyou really believe in the
product or service that thecompany is marketing, and so you
know what the company brand isand you are an ambassador for
that company brand.
And we also want to know thedifferentiator, though.
What distinguishes our ownpersonal brand as well, and
(12:14):
because there's that overlap,but then there's definitely
distinguishing factors that areour own brand.
And just a very quick story toillustrate that when I was with
a search firm before I startedmy coaching and training firm
and I was with the firm for along time was a very strong
ambassador of the firm, reallyaligned with the values and
(12:37):
helped the owner, the firm.
I helped it grow because I wasthere for so long, and so I had
a little bit of a panic momentwhen I was leaving because I
thought, wow, if my name is nolonger followed by that firm
name, are people going to returnmy calls, my emails, but what I
learned really quickly was thatmy personal brand was just as
(12:57):
strong as that company brand,and that was really what helped
me to launch my business.
My own practice was that strongpersonal brand that I had as
well.
But that's some of that duediligence.
We want to get to know, yes,the company brand which you will
be marketing just as much asyour own brand when you do this,
but make sure you know thedistinguishing differences
(13:18):
between both as well.
Eric Eden (13:20):
That makes a lot of sense and I think that having a
great personal brand allows youto be a great representative and
spokesperson for your company,to represent their values, like
you were saying.
But let me ask you this Ispersonal branding for everybody,
or is it just for topperformers or certain types of
(13:42):
executives?
Rita B. Allen (13:44):
Absolutely not.
It is for everybody.
We all have a brand.
We all have a brand.
It's allowing yourself to getintimate enough with yourself to
define what it is, because itreally is what is unique about
each one of us.
It's what makes you and here'sthe thing it's not only for
(14:04):
other people.
You want to identify your brand.
It's really about being yourbest, authentic self.
It's that anchor that willalways allow you to stay true to
who you are.
So sometimes, when we're inthose situations where there's
conflict or we're in a difficultscenario, there's a lot of
noise or there's pressures thatare pulling us in different
(14:27):
directions and we can get caughtup in that noise or the drama.
And if, in those moments, wecan say, all right, I need to
stay grounded in thatdifferentiator of what really
allows me to be my bestauthentic self, that helps us to
get right back on track andstay true to who we are, be our
(14:50):
best self and also, along withthat, what's the goal at hand,
so that you can forget all thatnoise and really stay focused on
what do I do best and what am Itrying to achieve here, and
then you will really be able toglide through that scenario,
being your best, authentic self.
So this is for everybody.
(15:10):
Everyone has critical sets.
Everyone has something uniquethat they bring.
Sometimes it's, I think, whatpeople get hung up on too at
least I find with a lot of myclients.
They think it has to besomething so extraordinary that
it's like a real sophisticatedstatement that when nobody
possesses these skills not atall, a lot of times we have
(15:33):
similar skills to our peers.
We may have somedifferentiating experiences,
however, sometimes our skillsets are very similar, but there
is always something that's veryunique to me, very unique to
you.
It might be a quality, a trait,a characteristic, something
about our style or our approach,but that's what we want to
(15:56):
uncover.
But everybody has a brand.
Eric Eden (16:00):
What I've noticed is that everybody has the
potential to do it.
They have that light inside ofthem that if they did the three
Ps the preparation, packagingand presentation that they could
really shine.
But what I've noticed is it'sreally the most ambitious people
(16:21):
, professionally ambitiouspeople who spend the time and
effort because it does take timeand effort, as you said.
They're the ones that spend thetime and effort because they
aspire to be remarkable.
And just when I look at LinkedIn, for example, I noticed that
something like 80, 90% of peopleit's like they're not even
(16:42):
trying.
They don't have a good profilefor a lot of reasons.
They don't have a photo, theydon't have a good about section,
they don't have a headline Verybasic things.
You can almost tell theyhaven't done any preparation or
packaging to get a greatpresentation.
So that's what I've noticed isthat anybody can do it, but it's
usually the top 10% of peoplewho aspire to be remarkable and
(17:05):
unfortunately, a lot of peopleaspire to be just mediocre or
just do the minimum they need toskate by.
But my assumption is thatpeople who want to take their
career to the next level thatyou've worked with are probably
in that top 10% or so.
Rita B. Allen (17:23):
Right, here's the thing I think often, when
especially leaders that I'mcoaching, when especially
leaders that I'm coaching, oneof the things that they find is
an area that is maybe anobstacle for them to elevate is
they put their heads down andthey do their work, which is
(17:46):
great.
We've got to get the work done.
Yet we also have to have ourheads up too, and what I mean by
that is we have to be good atbuilding relationships, we have
to be good at connecting withpeople, and so it's not that
it's just the top 10% orwhatever, whatever percent you
want to put on it of people whoare saying I need to do this as
(18:10):
a way to elevate myself and mycareer, but they find that is an
obstacle, that they don't havethese relationships, or people
don't know what they're doing,or people aren't aware of their
capabilities and what they learnthrough the work that they do
with me is two things Number one, that we have to be our own
(18:32):
advocates.
We have to be the ones to saythis is what I bring, this is
what I want, and being able toask for it, and also having
strong relationships andconnecting with people, because
once again, I'm going to go backto what I said originally all
of this marketing and branding.
It's about being of service toothers.
(18:52):
How do we help, how do weengage?
How do people receive us?
You want people to have yourback when you're not in the room
.
You want people, when theythink of your field, to think of
you.
So, yeah, sometimes there arepeople on social media that are
really great about shootingtheir own horn but at some point
, probably you and I and otherskind of gloss over their posts
(19:17):
because it's okay, I know you'regreat, I've heard a lot of that
but when you can touch peopleby saying, oh, she's offering
some interesting resource that Ican incorporate into my career
or there's something that you'regaining from reading that post,
versus.
So this isn't just abouttooting our own horn, it's about
(19:39):
giving back, it's aboutproviding resources and
information, thought, leadership, subject matter, expertise, and
I think that's the difference.
So, if you think about it, itdoesn't have to take long at all
, and this is something I helppeople do in terms of not just
helping build up their profiles,but also you can have a routine
(20:02):
of 10 minutes every morning,five minutes every morning,
maybe 15 minutes once a week ofputting yourself out there
virtually, but that's just onepiece.
That is not the end all of howwe market ourselves.
It's more about how you show up.
How do you connect with peoplein your organization?
Do you belong to professionalassociations?
(20:23):
Do you write articles?
I could tell you endlessstories of when I started
writing how that would createbusiness for me.
People would read an articleI've written and then reach out
to me and say, oh, I liked yourarticle about leadership or this
or that, whatever I've written,and then reach out to me and
say, oh, I liked your articleabout leadership or this or that
.
Whatever I've written about,can you come in and do this for
my organization?
(20:43):
And that's a great way tomarket yourself.
When I wrote my book, that wasmy main purpose is as a
marketing tool, so that I couldput something out there that
hopefully is valuable to peopleas they manage their careers and
also helps to build my brand assomeone who does what I do for
(21:03):
a living.
So I think it's shifting ourmindset and embracing this as a
real, important key part ofmanaging our careers.
Whoever you are, whatever yourdiscipline is, whatever level of
your career, I work with verysenior level executives that
didn't know what their brand wasand have really worked on
(21:24):
defining it and building thoserelationships and really having
a strategy and being verydeliberate about how they do it,
as well as new college grads,mid-level every phase of your
career.
This is such a critical part ofmanaging it.
Eric Eden (21:40):
A journey of a thousand miles starts with the
first step.
It's something people should doongoing, but the most important
thing you said is get started.
Set aside at least some time toinvest in a regular basis.
I think that's great advice andI think the beauty of your book
and I again say people shouldgo out and get it on Amazon,
(22:01):
because it is really a completeplaybook in the steps of how to
do preparation, packaging andpresentation to get people
(22:22):
excited about it.
What are the things you wouldsay that your book conveys on
how to do it?
That are the most important.
Rita B. Allen (22:31):
And, first of all , thank you so much for saying
that.
It really just tickles my heartwhen I hear anyone say that
they have really found value inthe book.
So thank you and yes, so what Itry to do is provide this
framework, that you take it stepby step and if you start with
that first step of preparationand it is cumulative when we
(22:52):
think about the prep, that isabout doing that personal due
diligence that I talked about.
So it's everything from reallygetting intimate with what are
my values, what are my strengths, what do I like, what do I not
like, what am I good at, what amI not good at, what are my
goals, short term, long term,that vision that I have and also
getting feedback from others.
Yes, we know ourselves well.
(23:13):
However, sometimes we can beour toughest critics, sometimes
we can have blind spots.
So it's really about asking forfeedback from other people as
well, so that when we do allthis personal due diligence, as
I said, that helps us to thenreally see what are our
differentiators, and I providesome tools in the book to help
do that.
(23:33):
Some activities.
However, I'm so excited to saythat this has been in the works
and I'm getting to the lastphase of finalizing my companion
workbook that I hope to havepublished either the end of this
year or the beginning of nextyear, which will be a 2.0.
It'll be a companion workbookthat will give even more
exercises and worksheets andactivities that will help with
(23:56):
each of these three Ps.
So stay tuned for more to comeon that.
However, that is the first P,and if you cut corners and don't
do the hard work, then youreally won't be that prepared to
move on to the packaging, whichis then about creating and
building your branch, and thisis everything from keeping a
current resume at all times.
(24:17):
Don't wait till you need aresume to write a resume.
That's the worst time to writeone.
You want to have a running listof all your accomplishments.
Keep your resume updated, havea bio, keep your portfolio, your
track record, have a scrapbookof all and get your performance
reviews, any testimonials,quotes you get from people.
In addition to that, it'sstaying well-read in your field,
(24:40):
continuing your education andyour training, your credentials,
making sure that you belong toprofessional associations.
If you have an opportunity towrite or blog or sit on panels,
present, speak.
All of that is really critical,that virtual presence I talked
about, and building it up at thevery least on linkedin.
(25:01):
That's another key part of ourpackaging.
It's about really building thatthought leadership.
I talked about that subjectmatter expertise, so people
think of you when they think ofyour field, as well as those
strategic alliances and buildingyour network is part of all the
three p.
Every step of the way, you wantto think about your network and
nurturing relationship andbeing a mentor.
(25:23):
And then, lastly, when you workon your prep and your packaging,
then you're ready to move on topresentation, which is about
enhancing your brand, and thisis about being a good
storyteller.
So all those accomplishments,you want to turn them into
stories and people are much morecomfortable telling a story
about an accomplishment versustalking about themselves.
Right, and usually our storiesinclude other people and your
(25:45):
organization as well.
But we also have to practice.
Practice.
You have to get comfortablesharing your stories, get
comfortable putting yourself ina position to seize
opportunities to tell thosestories and to advocate for
yourselves.
And when you do the prep andyour packaging, what happens is
it all comes together with thepresentation so that it is
(26:05):
authentic and genuine, andyou've got the confidence and
the ease to really advocate foryourself and sprinkle those
stories when the opportunitypresents itself.
Eric Eden (26:16):
I think that makes a lot of sense.
Sprinkle those stories when theopportunity presents itself.
I think that makes a lot ofsense.
The thing that I really likeabout it is people get excited
about the presentationdestination because you want to
be out there and telling thosestories.
But you have to do the work inthe preparation and the
packaging, such as doing theself-assessment and knowing what
(26:36):
you stand for and who you serveand being thoughtful about all
those things so that you canhave the best presentations, and
I think your book does a greatjob of walking people through
how to do that work.
And, like you said, you can'tskip those steps.
So I'm gonna link to the book inthe show notes so everyone can
check it out.
I loved it.
And looking forward to the bookin the show notes so everyone
(26:57):
can check it out.
I loved it.
And looking forward to thecompanion workbook later this
year, early next year.
Is there anything that you'dlike to share advice for
professionals who want to go onthis journey of marketing
themselves and doing personalbranding that you'd like to
share?
Rita B. Allen (27:16):
I guess the last thing I would just say is just
be and stay true to yourself.
Don't be afraid to go on thisjourney because, yes, it is hard
work, yet you feel so empowered.
I get so passionate talkingabout it because it makes such a
difference.
It is, yes, it's a hard journey, yet it's so exhilarating and
(27:37):
rewarding and it puts you in thedriver's seat.
And when it comes to yourcareer, you want to be in the
driver's seat.
You don't want to be in theback going along for the ride
and I find so many people dothat through their careers and
you want to be empowered to takecharge.
So make yourself a priority,don't be afraid of it, Embrace
(28:01):
it, engage in it and reallyenjoy the journey, because it is
a journey and you keep going.
There's no beginning and end.
It's an ongoing process andmake yourself a priority and
stay true to yourself.
Eric Eden (28:12):
I love it.
I encourage people to go on thejourney.
I encourage people to aspire tobe remarkable, to stand out.
It's a competitive world outthere and I think building a
great personal brand andmarketing yourself in a way that
you're helping other peoplewith serving leadership is a
great way to take your career tothe next level.
(28:33):
So thank you very much forbeing with us today, Rita, and
sharing these insights and yourstories.
We really appreciate it.
Rita B. Allen (28:41):
Thank you so much for having me, Eric.
I love talking about this topicand appreciate the opportunity.
Thank you.
Welcome to today's episode.
Today, we are talking about onemore than 20 years with
personal branding, executivecoaching, management and
(00:31):
leadership training, and she isgoing to share some of her great
insights and what she's learnedin doing this for the past
couple of decades and helpingexecutives and companies succeed
.
Rita, welcome to the show.
Rita B. Allen (00:43):
Thank you so much , Eric.
It's a pleasure to be here.
Eric Eden (00:46):
We appreciate you making the time to talk about
this topic that we frequentlytalk about on our show.
I recently went on Amazon andgot your book Personal Branding
Marketing Yourself.
I read it, I loved it, andthat's why I reached out to have
you on the show.
I think this is a topic that,interestingly, everybody tells
(01:06):
me that they're interested indoing it, but very few people
actually take action or know howto dig in and do it.
So I'd love to hear a littlebit about the genesis for the
book and how you've helpedpeople do this over the years.
Rita B. Allen (01:22):
Yeah, exactly, that is exactly why I felt the
need to write the book, becausemy career has spanned in the
world of human resources formany years and I started as a
corporate HR person, then I wasin executive search and then, as
you said, I started my firmthat's focused on coaching,
executive coaching, careercoaching, as well as leadership
(01:44):
development, and what I haveseen throughout all of these
experiences is that people dostruggle when it comes to really
knowing themselves.
And one of the things I talkabout in the book is that
there's three commonalities ofsuccessful professionals, and
they are number one, they knowwhat they have to offer.
(02:07):
They know the value, theirworth, what value they bring.
Number two, they know what theywant, they're goal-oriented and
they have a vision forthemselves and their careers.
And number three, they know howto ask for it.
And, as you said, peoplestruggle with how do we do this,
and it does not have to bedifficult.
(02:27):
However, it does take a lot ofwork, and you got to make
yourself a priority and put inthe time and the effort to do
this hard work of stepping back,doing some self-exploration,
and it's something we docontinuously.
So what I try to offer in mybook is a framework to help
people do it, so that it takesaway that mystery or that
(02:50):
overwhelming feeling that comesover us.
And trust me, I do this for aliving.
I help others, but it's alsosomething that I have to really
be disciplined about, andsometimes I reach out to others
for help when it comes to myself.
It really is about firstacknowledging that this is an
important part of managing ourcareers.
I like to say it's aboutempowering ourselves to take
(03:12):
charge of our careers and reallyfinding what we do best.
Finding that, what is thatmagic formula for each of us
that makes us our best,authentic self?
Eric Eden (03:24):
So maybe we can start off by you sharing an
example or two of how you helpedsome of your clients achieve
success by marketing themselvesthrough personal branding,
because I think the firstimportant question is what does
success look like?
Rita B. Allen (03:40):
Yeah, exactly, and that is so different for
every one of us.
Right, there is no one sizefits all of what success is, and
it's really important.
I like to say that it startswith that personal due diligence
that we have to do, because wedo have to define what is
success for ourselves, and notwhat others expect of us or what
(04:01):
we think we're supposed to do,but truly what is leveraging,
what you do best and what you'repassionate about and what you'd
like to achieve.
For example, I had one clientwho is actually a CEO of an
organization and she had a verysuccessful career, yet she
really had not fine-tuned whatis my differentiator, what is my
(04:24):
brand?
And, after going through thisprocess of doing her personal
due diligence, as you know, inmy book I talk about the three
Ps of marketing the marketingtechnique, and it's about
preparation, packaging andpresentation.
And that first P, thepreparation, really is about
defining and identifying ourbrand, and that's what I helped
(04:46):
this client do.
She really took the time tostep back and identify what is
her brand, what really has beenthat anchor for her throughout
her career that has allowed herto be successful and be her best
authentic self and success,meaning that she was really
tapping into her talents andbeing fulfilled and achieving
(05:08):
what goals that she had set forherself.
And when we're able to do that,then it's about packaging
ourselves.
And so she defined what herbrand was and then she really
started to put herself out there, to build her brand, to reach
out and also make the ass inways that would allow her to
shine, in ways that would allowher to share her thought
(05:31):
leadership, to share her subjectmatter expertise, and she is in
a field you don't see manyfemale CEOs and one thing that
she really wanted to do more ofwhich she had done through her
career is be that mentor, bethat inspiration for other women
in the field, because it was avery male dominated field.
(05:52):
And that's what she did.
And not only did she do somewriting and blogging, but she
did a lot more speaking andpresenting.
She's now sitting on boards,she's received some awards, she
really has taken and elevatedher career to that next level,
which was what she really wanted, and her brand is very strong.
(06:14):
Not only did she define it, butshe really has built it and
she's enhanced it and put it outthere in a way that has been so
meaningful, not just forherself, but for others that she
works with throughout herindustry.
Eric Eden (06:27):
That's great, and it seems like personal branding
can be different for a lot ofpeople and there's a lot of
aspects that go into personalbranding but a lot of executives
who want to take their careerto the next level.
What I've noticed is they wantto do things like they want to
be a keynote speaker at events,they want to be on boards of
directors, they want to be anadvisor to other companies, they
(06:51):
want to give back in those sortof ways.
It's less about just like theywant to get to 30,000 followers
on LinkedIn, but a lot of peopledo want to have credibility
things like writing a book orwinning an award or getting
certifications.
Credibility things like writinga book or winning an award or
getting certifications andpackaging and highlighting those
things in the right way isreally what, in a lot of cases,
helps executives get the nextbest job in their career.
(07:16):
And unfortunately, the righttime to do that is probably not
when you're in between jobs, butto prepare for it when you're
in a really good job and to takethat to the next level Right.
Rita B. Allen (07:28):
Absolutely, and that's the one thing, too, that
I find is challenging for a lotof people.
That is that the best time todo all this is all the time, so
it's not just at one point ofyour career, whether you're in
transition or you're decidingthat, oh, it's time that I
really do build a network.
(07:49):
It's something you want to dothroughout your career and it
really doesn't have to beoverwhelming, though I like to
say it's similar to you want tothink of it as planting a garden
.
When we think about marketingourselves, think of it first of
all as putting yourself outthere, being of service to
(08:09):
others.
I think sometimes people havethe opposite impression of what
this is all about.
It really is about how do youimpact, how do you make a
difference, how do peoplereceive you, how are you of
service to others?
So, if you can think of it asbuilding your thought,
leadership and your subjectmatter expertise, being of
service to others servantleadership, I think, is very
(08:31):
relevant in this conversation.
So it really is about how can Ibe helpful, how can I make a
difference, how can I provide aresource to you.
So that's really how we buildour brands and that's how we can
market ourselves, and thenthat's how people will start to
seek us out to be a keynotespeaker or to be on a panel or
(08:54):
to be on a committee.
And then you do all this likeplanting seeds.
When you plant a garden, youcan't expect immediate
gratification.
You plant seeds, you have tohope the sun comes out, you have
to give it a lot of TLC, youhave to weed the plants, you
have to give it water and food,you nurture the garden and then
eventually you see beautifulflowers or real vegetables, boom
(09:17):
, and that's.
We have to see it that way too,and not expect immediate
gratification and not expectthat you do something and
automatically you get somethingin return.
No, you have to see it as along-term approach and you have
to see it as giving, giving andthen eventually you do get back.
But it's also about beingstrategic around.
(09:38):
What are the best situations tobe in?
Putting yourself in a positionto meet people of influence,
identifying strategic allianceswhich include mentors and
advisors and champions andtrusted advisors and sponsors
and advocates, and bringing thatto other people.
(09:59):
So it really is about having aplan and then executing on it on
a continuous, regular, ongoingbasis, and if you do expect
something in return.
I remember once someone sayingto me I don't have time to do
that.
And what should I belong to?
How should I be involved?
(10:34):
How should I engage?
Who are some people and whatare some environments that I
need to have as a part of mynetwork and as a part of the
organizations I belong to?
It takes a lot of thoughtfuland deliberate planning and
strategy, yet you always do itin a way that's very authentic
and be yourself.
(10:55):
You've got to be yourselfbecause if you're not relatable
and you won't be credible.
As you said, it's aboutbuilding that credibility.
Eric Eden (11:03):
So there's forward investment right.
People have to forward investin this.
And a lot of people would saymy company might not like it if
I'm building my personal brandand marketing myself instead of
just marketing my company.
But the reality is, if you takea servant leadership approach
and here's who I serve andhere's who I'm helping, and
(11:23):
you're doing thought leadership,that's actually to the benefit
of your company, that you're outthere doing that.
So I don't think that those twothings are in conflict, right.
Rita B. Allen (11:34):
Exactly no.
If anything, it's.
You are marketing a company aswell, because you're talking
about the impact that you'rehaving, which is also benefiting
the organization that you'rewith, and so it's a win for all.
I'm glad you brought that up.
Chances are, if you are workingfor a company, your values are
(11:54):
aligned with their values andyou really believe in the
product or service that thecompany is marketing, and so you
know what the company brand isand you are an ambassador for
that company brand.
And we also want to know thedifferentiator, though.
What distinguishes our ownpersonal brand as well, and
(12:14):
because there's that overlap,but then there's definitely
distinguishing factors that areour own brand.
And just a very quick story toillustrate that when I was with
a search firm before I startedmy coaching and training firm
and I was with the firm for along time was a very strong
ambassador of the firm, reallyaligned with the values and
(12:37):
helped the owner, the firm.
I helped it grow because I wasthere for so long, and so I had
a little bit of a panic momentwhen I was leaving because I
thought, wow, if my name is nolonger followed by that firm
name, are people going to returnmy calls, my emails, but what I
learned really quickly was thatmy personal brand was just as
(12:57):
strong as that company brand,and that was really what helped
me to launch my business.
My own practice was that strongpersonal brand that I had as
well.
But that's some of that duediligence.
We want to get to know, yes,the company brand which you will
be marketing just as much asyour own brand when you do this,
but make sure you know thedistinguishing differences
(13:18):
between both as well.
Eric Eden (13:20):
That makes a lot of sense and I think that having a
great personal brand allows youto be a great representative and
spokesperson for your company,to represent their values, like
you were saying.
But let me ask you this Ispersonal branding for everybody,
or is it just for topperformers or certain types of
(13:42):
executives?
Rita B. Allen (13:44):
Absolutely not.
It is for everybody.
We all have a brand.
We all have a brand.
It's allowing yourself to getintimate enough with yourself to
define what it is, because itreally is what is unique about
each one of us.
It's what makes you and here'sthe thing it's not only for
(14:04):
other people.
You want to identify your brand.
It's really about being yourbest, authentic self.
It's that anchor that willalways allow you to stay true to
who you are.
So sometimes, when we're inthose situations where there's
conflict or we're in a difficultscenario, there's a lot of
noise or there's pressures thatare pulling us in different
(14:27):
directions and we can get caughtup in that noise or the drama.
And if, in those moments, wecan say, all right, I need to
stay grounded in thatdifferentiator of what really
allows me to be my bestauthentic self, that helps us to
get right back on track andstay true to who we are, be our
(14:50):
best self and also, along withthat, what's the goal at hand,
so that you can forget all thatnoise and really stay focused on
what do I do best and what am Itrying to achieve here, and
then you will really be able toglide through that scenario,
being your best, authentic self.
So this is for everybody.
(15:10):
Everyone has critical sets.
Everyone has something uniquethat they bring.
Sometimes it's, I think, whatpeople get hung up on too at
least I find with a lot of myclients.
They think it has to besomething so extraordinary that
it's like a real sophisticatedstatement that when nobody
possesses these skills not atall, a lot of times we have
(15:33):
similar skills to our peers.
We may have somedifferentiating experiences,
however, sometimes our skillsets are very similar, but there
is always something that's veryunique to me, very unique to
you.
It might be a quality, a trait,a characteristic, something
about our style or our approach,but that's what we want to
(15:56):
uncover.
But everybody has a brand.
Eric Eden (16:00):
What I've noticed is that everybody has the
potential to do it.
They have that light inside ofthem that if they did the three
Ps the preparation, packagingand presentation that they could
really shine.
But what I've noticed is it'sreally the most ambitious people
(16:21):
, professionally ambitiouspeople who spend the time and
effort because it does take timeand effort, as you said.
They're the ones that spend thetime and effort because they
aspire to be remarkable.
And just when I look at LinkedIn, for example, I noticed that
something like 80, 90% of peopleit's like they're not even
(16:42):
trying.
They don't have a good profilefor a lot of reasons.
They don't have a photo, theydon't have a good about section,
they don't have a headline Verybasic things.
You can almost tell theyhaven't done any preparation or
packaging to get a greatpresentation.
So that's what I've noticed isthat anybody can do it, but it's
usually the top 10% of peoplewho aspire to be remarkable and
(17:05):
unfortunately, a lot of peopleaspire to be just mediocre or
just do the minimum they need toskate by.
But my assumption is thatpeople who want to take their
career to the next level thatyou've worked with are probably
in that top 10% or so.
Rita B. Allen (17:23):
Right, here's the thing I think often, when
especially leaders that I'mcoaching, when especially
leaders that I'm coaching, oneof the things that they find is
an area that is maybe anobstacle for them to elevate is
they put their heads down andthey do their work, which is
(17:46):
great.
We've got to get the work done.
Yet we also have to have ourheads up too, and what I mean by
that is we have to be good atbuilding relationships, we have
to be good at connecting withpeople, and so it's not that
it's just the top 10% orwhatever, whatever percent you
want to put on it of people whoare saying I need to do this as
(18:10):
a way to elevate myself and mycareer, but they find that is an
obstacle, that they don't havethese relationships, or people
don't know what they're doing,or people aren't aware of their
capabilities and what they learnthrough the work that they do
with me is two things Number one, that we have to be our own
(18:32):
advocates.
We have to be the ones to saythis is what I bring, this is
what I want, and being able toask for it, and also having
strong relationships andconnecting with people, because
once again, I'm going to go backto what I said originally all
of this marketing and branding.
It's about being of service toothers.
(18:52):
How do we help, how do weengage?
How do people receive us?
You want people to have yourback when you're not in the room
.
You want people, when theythink of your field, to think of
you.
So, yeah, sometimes there arepeople on social media that are
really great about shootingtheir own horn but at some point
, probably you and I and otherskind of gloss over their posts
(19:17):
because it's okay, I know you'regreat, I've heard a lot of that
but when you can touch peopleby saying, oh, she's offering
some interesting resource that Ican incorporate into my career
or there's something that you'regaining from reading that post,
versus.
So this isn't just abouttooting our own horn, it's about
(19:39):
giving back, it's aboutproviding resources and
information, thought, leadership, subject matter, expertise, and
I think that's the difference.
So, if you think about it, itdoesn't have to take long at all
, and this is something I helppeople do in terms of not just
helping build up their profiles,but also you can have a routine
(20:02):
of 10 minutes every morning,five minutes every morning,
maybe 15 minutes once a week ofputting yourself out there
virtually, but that's just onepiece.
That is not the end all of howwe market ourselves.
It's more about how you show up.
How do you connect with peoplein your organization?
Do you belong to professionalassociations?
(20:23):
Do you write articles?
I could tell you endlessstories of when I started
writing how that would createbusiness for me.
People would read an articleI've written and then reach out
to me and say, oh, I liked yourarticle about leadership or this
or that, whatever I've written,and then reach out to me and
say, oh, I liked your articleabout leadership or this or that
.
Whatever I've written about,can you come in and do this for
my organization?
(20:43):
And that's a great way tomarket yourself.
When I wrote my book, that wasmy main purpose is as a
marketing tool, so that I couldput something out there that
hopefully is valuable to peopleas they manage their careers and
also helps to build my brand assomeone who does what I do for
(21:03):
a living.
So I think it's shifting ourmindset and embracing this as a
real, important key part ofmanaging our careers.
Whoever you are, whatever yourdiscipline is, whatever level of
your career, I work with verysenior level executives that
didn't know what their brand wasand have really worked on
(21:24):
defining it and building thoserelationships and really having
a strategy and being verydeliberate about how they do it,
as well as new college grads,mid-level every phase of your
career.
This is such a critical part ofmanaging it.
Eric Eden (21:40):
A journey of a thousand miles starts with the
first step.
It's something people should doongoing, but the most important
thing you said is get started.
Set aside at least some time toinvest in a regular basis.
I think that's great advice andI think the beauty of your book
and I again say people shouldgo out and get it on Amazon,
(22:01):
because it is really a completeplaybook in the steps of how to
do preparation, packaging andpresentation to get people
(22:22):
excited about it.
What are the things you wouldsay that your book conveys on
how to do it?
That are the most important.
Rita B. Allen (22:31):
And, first of all , thank you so much for saying
that.
It really just tickles my heartwhen I hear anyone say that
they have really found value inthe book.
So thank you and yes, so what Itry to do is provide this
framework, that you take it stepby step and if you start with
that first step of preparationand it is cumulative when we
(22:52):
think about the prep, that isabout doing that personal due
diligence that I talked about.
So it's everything from reallygetting intimate with what are
my values, what are my strengths, what do I like, what do I not
like, what am I good at, what amI not good at, what are my
goals, short term, long term,that vision that I have and also
getting feedback from others.
Yes, we know ourselves well.
(23:13):
However, sometimes we can beour toughest critics, sometimes
we can have blind spots.
So it's really about asking forfeedback from other people as
well, so that when we do allthis personal due diligence, as
I said, that helps us to thenreally see what are our
differentiators, and I providesome tools in the book to help
do that.
(23:33):
Some activities.
However, I'm so excited to saythat this has been in the works
and I'm getting to the lastphase of finalizing my companion
workbook that I hope to havepublished either the end of this
year or the beginning of nextyear, which will be a 2.0.
It'll be a companion workbookthat will give even more
exercises and worksheets andactivities that will help with
(23:56):
each of these three Ps.
So stay tuned for more to comeon that.
However, that is the first P,and if you cut corners and don't
do the hard work, then youreally won't be that prepared to
move on to the packaging, whichis then about creating and
building your branch, and thisis everything from keeping a
current resume at all times.
(24:17):
Don't wait till you need aresume to write a resume.
That's the worst time to writeone.
You want to have a running listof all your accomplishments.
Keep your resume updated, havea bio, keep your portfolio, your
track record, have a scrapbookof all and get your performance
reviews, any testimonials,quotes you get from people.
In addition to that, it'sstaying well-read in your field,
(24:40):
continuing your education andyour training, your credentials,
making sure that you belong toprofessional associations.
If you have an opportunity towrite or blog or sit on panels,
present, speak.
All of that is really critical,that virtual presence I talked
about, and building it up at thevery least on linkedin.
(25:01):
That's another key part of ourpackaging.
It's about really building thatthought leadership.
I talked about that subjectmatter expertise, so people
think of you when they think ofyour field, as well as those
strategic alliances and buildingyour network is part of all the
three p.
Every step of the way, you wantto think about your network and
nurturing relationship andbeing a mentor.
(25:23):
And then, lastly, when you workon your prep and your packaging,
then you're ready to move on topresentation, which is about
enhancing your brand, and thisis about being a good
storyteller.
So all those accomplishments,you want to turn them into
stories and people are much morecomfortable telling a story
about an accomplishment versustalking about themselves.
Right, and usually our storiesinclude other people and your
(25:45):
organization as well.
But we also have to practice.
Practice.
You have to get comfortablesharing your stories, get
comfortable putting yourself ina position to seize
opportunities to tell thosestories and to advocate for
yourselves.
And when you do the prep andyour packaging, what happens is
it all comes together with thepresentation so that it is
(26:05):
authentic and genuine, andyou've got the confidence and
the ease to really advocate foryourself and sprinkle those
stories when the opportunitypresents itself.
Eric Eden (26:16):
I think that makes a lot of sense.
Sprinkle those stories when theopportunity presents itself.
I think that makes a lot ofsense.
The thing that I really likeabout it is people get excited
about the presentationdestination because you want to
be out there and telling thosestories.
But you have to do the work inthe preparation and the
packaging, such as doing theself-assessment and knowing what
(26:36):
you stand for and who you serveand being thoughtful about all
those things so that you canhave the best presentations, and
I think your book does a greatjob of walking people through
how to do that work.
And, like you said, you can'tskip those steps.
So I'm gonna link to the book inthe show notes so everyone can
check it out.
I loved it.
And looking forward to the bookin the show notes so everyone
(26:57):
can check it out.
I loved it.
And looking forward to thecompanion workbook later this
year, early next year.
Is there anything that you'dlike to share advice for
professionals who want to go onthis journey of marketing
themselves and doing personalbranding that you'd like to
share?
Rita B. Allen (27:16):
I guess the last thing I would just say is just
be and stay true to yourself.
Don't be afraid to go on thisjourney because, yes, it is hard
work, yet you feel so empowered.
I get so passionate talkingabout it because it makes such a
difference.
It is, yes, it's a hard journey, yet it's so exhilarating and
(27:37):
rewarding and it puts you in thedriver's seat.
And when it comes to yourcareer, you want to be in the
driver's seat.
You don't want to be in theback going along for the ride
and I find so many people dothat through their careers and
you want to be empowered to takecharge.
So make yourself a priority,don't be afraid of it, Embrace
(28:01):
it, engage in it and reallyenjoy the journey, because it is
a journey and you keep going.
There's no beginning and end.
It's an ongoing process andmake yourself a priority and
stay true to yourself.
Eric Eden (28:12):
I love it.
I encourage people to go on thejourney.
I encourage people to aspire tobe remarkable, to stand out.
It's a competitive world outthere and I think building a
great personal brand andmarketing yourself in a way that
you're helping other peoplewith serving leadership is a
great way to take your career tothe next level.
(28:33):
So thank you very much forbeing with us today, Rita, and
sharing these insights and yourstories.
We really appreciate it.
Rita B. Allen (28:41):
Thank you so much for having me, Eric.
I love talking about this topicand appreciate the opportunity.
Thank you.
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