The BBB’s Women in Business Networking Koffee Talk speakers have a range of styles and topics. Recently, Kathy Foland from Thrivent Financial challenged participants in the North Dayton group:
“What do you think it takes to build your personal brand?”
As we went around the circle, rattling off our organization’s missions and what our roles entailed, Foland pushed us to dig deeper:
“Why do you do what you do?”
Her coaching took me from “I manage marketing and communications for a nonprofit” to “Social justice and poverty issues motivate me to write for nonprofits.”
Closer.
This statement highlights my strengths, focuses on my passion and has a chance of resonating beyond the rehearsed elevator speech many professionals use to network.
Practice is not a bad thing, however!
It’s uncomfortable for me to share something that feels private with unfamiliar people, but those personal details gives me personality a foundation for my brand outside of my organization.
Let me know if you have any favorite personal branding tips.
