Building a Personal Brand That Gets You Noticed (and Paid)

Ever wondered how some individuals effortlessly magnetize opportunities while others remain unseen? 

Unlock the secrets of personal branding and discover how it can revolutionize your professional journey. 

Tune in as Claudia shares insights that promise to elevate your presence in the business world. 

Drawing from captivating stories like Jeff Bezos's Amazon empire and the redemption paths of public figures such as Lance Armstrong and Mel Robbins, you'll learn how to craft a personal brand that sets you apart and fuels your success. 

Whether you're entering a room or showcasing your expertise on platforms like LinkedIn, gain practical strategies to become the go-to expert in your field.

Our discussion doesn't stop at theories; it’s enriched with real-world examples and client success stories, including the inspiring journey of becoming the first Black president of the Montreal Chamber of Commerce. 

Personal branding isn't about airing all aspects of your life; it’s about curating the narrative you want the world to remember. 

Explore the art of strategic image management and selective storytelling to shape public perception positively. 

This episode is your guide to harnessing personal branding as a tool to navigate today's competitive global market, opening doors to opportunities and collaborations that await you.

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www.alchemimedia.com

Continue the conversation on discord in our online community of entrepreneurs : https://discord.gg/v8M5b9tw

Transcript

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Unlocking Business Potential Through Personal Branding

Claudia Comtois 0:04

Welcome to Business Energetics , where we mix business strategy with the power of energy to unlock our full potential . I'm your host , claudia , founder of Alchemy Media . Join us each week for insightful interviews , thought-provoking discussions and practical tips to alchemize success from within . Don't forget to leave us a positive review and to subscribe Without further ado . Get ready to amplify your business potential and ignite your inner fire . Welcome to Business Energetics . Welcome back to the Business Energetics Podcast . You guys , I'm so excited to have you checking in week after week from all over the world truly humbling . So thank you so much for allowing this to keep living and to give us the opportunity to keep showing up for you .

Claudia Comtois 1:01

So today's episode imagine walking in a room where you have to network in and you don't know anyone . You have to go in there . You're feeling sweaty palms , you're feeling a little bit self-conscious , a little bit like who am I going to talk to ? What am I going to say ? Whose business card am I going to walk away with ? And it's , quite frankly , overwhelming . You get in there , you don't know anyone , everybody looks like they're in tight circles and they're closed off , and so there's no , really there's not a clear way for you to make your way in and start a conversation with someone because you don't know anyone

Your Personal Brand Opens Doors

Claudia Comtois 1:48

with someone , because you don't know anyone . That feeling right there , if we add a specific component that is called personal branding , can go away in a very , very short matter . Now imagine the same scenario where you walk in that exact same room , exact same state of mind , but as you walk in , people recognize you . They say , oh my god , that's the lady that , or that's the man that , or that's the ceo of , or that's the person that did . And then they just look at you in awe and you're actually invited into circles . You're invited to go and speak to these people and they're excited to learn more about your journey and the project that you just realized and the things that you think about at night . And they're just . They want to pick your brain and they want to be part of your circle , or they want to offer opportunities to collaborate , or they want to order from your company because they get why your product is so exciting and revolutionary .

Claudia Comtois 2:44

That , my friends , is the power of personal branding . Now , think of it that way . We all know the company Google , but do you actually know the names of the founders ? I personally don't . That's something I would have to Google . But what about Amazon ? I think we've all heard the name of the founder a time or two Jeff Bezos , right ? So two very , very successful companies , yet one of them we can clearly easily tell who the owner is and the CEO is , and the other one we kind of have to search for it . That's the power of personal brand . A lot of founders they want to hide behind the camera . They don't really want to get known . They prefer their brands getting known .

Claudia Comtois 3:34

But today's episode is about creating a personal brand that's actually going to serve you and , yes , it's going to require you stepping out of your comfort zone . It's going to require you doing things that you're not used to . That feels uncomfortable , but in the end , these things will help you to build a . Doing things that you're not used to , that feels uncomfortable , but in the end , these things will help you to build a personal brand that will make you recognizable . That will also help your brand get more deals because of it . So stay tuned if you're excited for this and let's get going .

Claudia Comtois 4:08

So let's jump into the topic . Why does it matter to have a personal brand today ? It matters because there is so much competition today on the market for a great paying career . This is if you're a high professional listening to this , and then I'll jump into the founder slash , business owner side . As a high level professional , you're no longer competing with people in your city . With the arrival of work from home , people from all cities across your country can now apply for your job if it's available for work from home . And not only that , but some companies even invite people worldwide to apply . So when we say the career market has become more competitive , it's not because people are more qualified locally and maybe they are . It's not because people are more qualified locally and maybe they are , maybe they have more diplomas , but it's actually because the reach for candidates has expanded , and we all know that some countries have unfair access to market , so they are overqualified , but their countries don't offer the same level of opportunities , and so when they see jobs very interesting I'll take for example the Western world , because we know it's actually happening these companies that are hiring these talents , they understand that they can pay these people less and they have sometimes even higher level of diplomas .

Claudia Comtois 5:50

Now , there's little caveats to this , okay , but bear with me . So , with that in mind , you have to find a way to distinguish yourself , and personal branding is the best way to do so . So when you learn to personal brand , you will be offered under the market or pocket listings for jobs . People will approach you with jobs that are not yet available to the public , but they have scattered the world of LinkedIn or the world of Facebook or any other social media , and they have found that you stand out in your field because you actually show leadership by showing up in a public way . So this is why it's mandatory today .

Claudia Comtois 6:39

Now , the first platform that I will really really emphasize on for career is LinkedIn , of course . So LinkedIn has now come out with something new called collaborative articles . So the more you post on your personal profile about certain topics , certain hashtags , certain fields of expertise , you will start getting invited to collaborate on these specific articles . This is the first way for you to understand that you are now perceived on that platform as an expert in your field . Not everybody gets invited to collaborate , but the more you share and the more growth your LinkedIn has and the more you will be invited to share your thoughts . Now that can get you discovered by other peers , or it can get you discovered by other CEOs , founders and company owners that read these articles , because they will see your comment , they will see your name and they'll be able to find your profile . So you want to jump on that , especially if you're job seeking .

Claudia Comtois 7:47

The other thing you don't want to do on LinkedIn is putting that little banner looking for a job . Now that , in the perception of mine , screams desperate , and I know LinkedIn pushes it and it feels like it's the right thing to do . But you're going to have to be very discerning on what it says about you online . So what it says is I can't find a job on my own . I'm desperate and I'm putting a banner on my head , literally on my picture , saying help . You don't want that , especially if you're looking for a high level expertise . Now it's time to leverage your network . Now it's time to start building very solid relationships , and personal branding will help . There are aspects of personal branding that can help , both in business if you're a business owner or in career development , and that is showcasing leadership by helping other people on their LinkedIn profiles or on their Facebook profiles .

Claudia Comtois 8:55

There's a lot of groups you can join now in LinkedIn . You can join groups in Facebook about your domain of expertise and by you answering questions of other peers . It automatically elevates you as somebody who's knowledgeable . The other thing you can do is put yourself on the front stage . The front stage is start booking public speaking gigs paid , unpaid , or even when you have to pay yourself . Get on that stage . Anybody that is elevated on the stage is automatically seen as a leader . So get on stage . If you don't have any expertise in public speaking , you can get some courses . You can join toastmasters and groups like that representations that actually help people gain those skills .

Claudia Comtois 9:46

The first thing that I would suggest is to start filming yourself at home . This is actually how I personally got started . I , to this day , have over 1000 videos on Facebook . I have this podcast you're watching . We're launching a YouTube channel and , um , I have so many videos that I've done myself . Now we make videos with our team , but starting by filming yourself in just a tripod and your cell phone and just practicing to make your thoughts very , very concise , funnel them into a goal or funnel them into an argument you want to share with people and things like that . It's going to be very , very helpful and that's a skill that is developed by beating on your craft over and over and over again . So it just takes a little bit of self-motivation to get started , but once you have your first 10 , 20 , 30 videos under your belt which you don't even have to post if you don't want to , you're going to start getting more and more comfortable with the idea of it all and , yeah , that's going to help .

Claudia Comtois 10:57

So the next thing you want to do is you can put yourself on a digital stage . One of the best ways that I encourage people to do is to apply to be a guest on a podcast . Now we actually at Business Energetics , we have a application process for guests for the next upcoming year , and so if you guys want to be a guest , definitely send us a message through the platform that you're listening this on , or just email us . You will find all of the information . If it's on youtube in the description box , or if it's on our podcast platform , you will find all the information to reach us at alchemy mediacom . So this is just fun ways that you can elevate your presence , elevate your expertise by being on stage . Online , you can also create your own Facebook group . So by being a owner or a founder of a Facebook group and inviting people to be part of the group , you are in charge in control of the narrative , of the conversations , of the topics and of the stream of thoughts that automatically puts you on the scene . You can go live every single week . You can host webinars . You can host online events . That also puts you on the stage .

Claudia Comtois 12:18

Another way you can put yourself on the stage is through personal events . So this summer , I've come across a lot of invitations on events hosted in a branch way , hosted on a boat . I'm going to an event soon that is in a spa . So by inviting people into a specific space where you host the event , you are automatically posting yourself as a leader . So we've established that your personal brand is your greatest asset and at Alchemy Media , we're here to help you make it unforgettable . From logo design to photography , websites , podcasts and all your marketing materials , we'll craft a brand that opens doors and sets you apart . Are you ready to leave your mark ? Contact us today and let's build your personal brand together .

Claudia Comtois 13:15

Okay , back to the show . All right , we're going to talk about two different personal brand stories . One of them led to a major fail and the other one led to major success . So let's start with the bad news . We all remember having that yellow wristband in the beginning of the 2000s . It was called Live Strong and that little wristband was the one that made me so happy , was a representation of perseverance and grit and overcoming obstacles .

A Personal Brand That Flopped - Lance Armstrong

Claudia Comtois 13:51

And you've guessed it , I'm talking about Lance Armstrong . He won seven Tour de France and , if you guys don't know , that's the cycling competition , olympic level , cycling competition in France for men . He won seven times while being a cancer survivor , and he started his own foundation called Live Strong , and this man was the representation of perseverance , grit and incredible power . That was his personal brand , which extended to his companies and to his overall image . Now there was a major scandal after he retired . After doing some research , it was found out that he was actually doping and that's illegal in the Olympics . So he admitted to it and he was stripped of his titles .

Claudia Comtois 14:53

Now he could have turned this into a major comeback if he would have shown redemption . You know , we've all seen those YouTubers make public apologies . These celebrities make public statements and kind of flip the narrative around . The Kardashians are actually great at doing that . But unfortunately he didn't . He vanished and we almost never heard of him at that level ever again . Now this can happen when you build your personal brand to a certain level . They say that it's hardest to maintain the crown than to get up to it . You have to be media trained , you have to be understanding of public perception , but that's when you get to having millions and millions of people following you and following your every move and analyzing everything that you do . So we're not gonna get there yet , but we may get to that . So it's just to keep in mind to make sure that you continue continue portraying the same level of branding style across the entire field of your different brands , or extension of your personal brand .

A personal Brand That Thrived - Mel Robbins

Claudia Comtois 16:17

The next brand we're going to talk about is a woman called Mel Robbins . Now I came across Mel Robbins from one of her successful TED Talks . She was on the big stage and she made a whole conversation . I can't even remember what she was talking about , but it was super interesting . And she used the last five minutes of that talk to talk about one tip that she gave herself , which is the five second rule . So I'm not going to go into depths about it , but I highly encourage looking at her ted talk because from that ted talk she talks about this one tip she's using .

Claudia Comtois 17:01

She talks about the power of the brain and analyzing the brain and everything and how we are motivated to do the things that we do , and she said that she realized by counting backwards five , four , three , two , one and then doing the thing that she's about to be doing like jumping out of bed in the morning , or it could be writing a specific blog article or filling out a form , or just like sending an email . By counting backwards like this and taking action right away after the last second , it was proven that she could go ahead and do whatever she was about to do without any resistance from the brain , and that specific five minutes of that TED talk went viral . People loved it to a point where they became obsessed with it . I mean , people were talking about , they were , they were resharing her videos and things like that . And she jumped on that wave and she wrote a book called the five second rule , which is just that little part of it . Um , she was booked on all these podcasts , on the all these shows on TV and online , and she became one of the best paid public speakers in the world from that five minutes of a TED Talk . So that's the power of personal branding when you capitalize on it , you double down on it . She didn't write a book on the philosophy of nature and the growth of trees . She wrote a book on the exact topic she went viral for , in the exact same words that she used for her talk and the TED talk . If you look at it the last time I checked , it's not even called the five second rule , so you're not going to find it under that , but you're going to find it under another topic , and that part right here is

Clients Success Stories

Claudia Comtois 18:56

called personal branding . When you capitalize on that , it can get you to places you've never , ever , ever imagined .

Claudia Comtois 19:04

We have a few clients . We've done that for . One of them is an amazing woman which is now the first black president of the Chamber of Commerce of Montreal . She's doing a tremendous job . She's the first one in 400 years of existence and we worked a lot on personal branding . We did a lot of her videos . She had a photograph photograph . We manage her social medias and the perception of the public . We even ran some campaigns for some of her brands that that are linked to her personal brand . So it was just really a beautiful exercise to see how somebody who's already mastering something behind the scenes , when you just put a certain twist in their image and you showcase the elements of their personality or elements of who they are that really really encapsulates all the magnitude of the talent that they have , and you just put a spotlight on these specific points , you can impact public perception in a way that that's all they're going to see and it creates kind of a cognitive bias where , if they have other parts of themselves that are less good , you won't see them because you're going to be kind of outshined by the points that we've highlighted consciously .

Claudia Comtois 20:36

So the power of personal branding is also about not giving everything away about yourself , but it's also about just focusing on the parts of yourself that you want people to remember , because a thing that I see online right now is that people want to trauma dump online and they say , ok , now I have to talk about all my traumas . I have to share my most deep , dark secrets , my family secrets . I have to share everything so that people can connect with me , and I'm here to say that is what I said . Like trauma dumping , it's not actually personal branding . You don't have to air your dirty laundry and share all of your skeletons in your closets . Secrets exist for a reason . Okay , let's bring that back a little bit . Let's bring back secrets , because the things that I've come across online are just insane . So when you have that in mind , start talking about the things you want people to remember about you .

Claudia Comtois 21:39

Start using the power of storytelling to really showcase aspects of yourself through the stories that you tell . So if you want to showcase that you're somebody generous , you're not going to talk about how you're amazing and generous . That's just self-suiting . That's going to come across the wrong way . What you want to do is tell a story where either yourself were part of a specific foundation and not even the amount that you gave but how it was amazing to see the impact that this foundation had and how it was just life-changing for the people . They're gonna relate the story you talk about to you being at that foundation , therefore being a donor or a donator . I'm French , my brain is not right now , but they're going to associate the qualities of the people you talk about in your stories to your qualities . That's actually another cognitive bias from human beings actually another cognitive bias from human beings . So , even if you talk about someone else in a positive way , they will start to put the aspects of the main character on you because you tell that story . It's really a weird thing that happens , and I'm sure there's like a million stories or research around that that's already been made that I'm just kind of putting together for you guys today . So start using the power of the imagination , start putting yourself on the main stage , start getting more seen , getting more heard , getting more felt , and start giving yourself permission to shine .

Claudia Comtois 23:35

Okay , step out of your shell . If you're always at home , go to networking events , get to know people , get to care about people , because when we care about others , they start caring about us . That's something that we unconsciously do . When we do something for someone else , we start liking them more , and so if you can involve people into your world and you can give them opportunities to meet others and give them opportunities to connect and give them opportunities to meet others and give them opportunities to connect and give them opportunities to be seen and heard , they will , in return , see , hear you and and connect with you in a more profound and amazing way , because it's just a law of reciprocity . They're gonna want to give back to you in some kind of way . So this is how you can start to build your personal brand .

Claudia Comtois 24:30

Please let me know in the comments how you like this episode , which of the tips you're going to implement . If you have questions , if you need help with your personal brands , alchemy Media is here for you to support you . You know I got to shamelessly plug and , yeah , I'm going to wish you an amazing day . Thank you for listening to Business Energetics . I hope you enjoyed . Make sure to leave us a review and I'll see you in the next episode .