TomesiaIngram

As an entrepreneur, it can be easy to look at “personal branding” as a luxury and put it off until you have “extra” money. I have come to realize that not only is it a necessary but it’s also a “must have” investment.

As the CEO, you are the lead spokesperson for your company. Your employees, customers, suppliers, and other stakeholders all look to you to personify your brand. Everywhere you go and everything you do says something about your company and its brand.

It’s not a question of whether or not you will be a brand, branding is your life and you are a brand. The question is will be a brand by design, or by default. Your personal brand is actually built from the inside out. It is the essence of who you are. It is your personal values and belief system and how you express them to others.

To make sure the essence of your brand is being communicated at all levels, ask others close to you to describe you with one word. Look for consistencies. This is what defines your personal brand and how others perceive you. Is it a reputation that would make someone feel inspired to work with you?

As women entrepreneurs today, one of our most important assignments is to learn to be comfortable in becoming the lead marketer of the brand called “YOU”. Your personal brand is all about combining your unique gifts, skill sets, strengths and personality traits and packaging them into a solid brand.

You are unique and there isn’t any other person in business, be they in the same market you are in or a different market, that is exactly like you.

We are living in a new age of “Celebrity” marketing where individualism is being celebrated putting us in position to be our own news reporter. In 2006 TIME magazine named “You” as the person of the year and printed 6,965,000 copies of their magazine with a reflective mirror on the cover. Their idea was that when the reader picked up the magazine and looked at the cover they would see a reflection of themselves.

It only makes sense to have a brand built around “YOU”. After all, who else can market you better than you?

It’s easy for all of us to become stuck in a rut from time to time. One advantage you have, especially now, is the ability to change your situations. You can give yourself a lifestyle makeover and change the way things are going in your life. In just a few easy steps you can simplify your life and get back to living your life on your terms.

What are the major signs that you need a lifestyle makeover? Stress, anxiety, and being overwhelmed usually top most people’s list for signs that things aren’t quite working out the way that they want. If you’re frustrated and feeling like your life is going nowhere, you are in need of a lifestyle makeover. Regardless of what your goals are, making your life simpler can be a great way to start fresh. Here are five easy and simple ways to makeover your life.

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Make the decision today to surround yourself with people who challenge you to bring out your best stuff. If you are not actively increasing your network of supportive people, you are not serious about increasing your Net Worth! GET SERIOUS…who will you add to your network of quality people this week that can help you take your life and income to the next level?

Being an entrepreneur can be an amazing adventure; similar to a roller coaster ride. You’ll have days where nothing seems to go your way and other days where everything from your client relationships to your bank account and your family relationships goes exceptionally well. I’m sure you can relate. It’s easy to stay motivated and on track when all things are in alignment and you feel a sense of fulfillment. But what about those days when you find it hard to be productive, creative and motivated to continue moving forward.

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Far too often our health is taken for granted. When we were our teens and twenties, it was common for us to not even think about health issues or to neglect proper nutrition, exercise and sleep. As we get older, this neglect usually catches up to us, resulting in declining health.

Unfortunately by the time your health declines, it’s often too late to recover. Poor health will rob you of energy, quality of life, and eventually your business. As entrepreneurs, we can’t afford to neglect our health.

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Photo Credit: Denise A. Wells | www.flickr.com/photos/denise-ann-wells

As an entrepreneur what you believe plays a major role in how you show up, serve, and prosper.

Your beliefs,  and opinions give shape to the success of your business, bringing forth the large amounts of information and overwhelming amount of stimulation you receive every moment. As many of the modern day self-mastery gurus have advised us over the last few years, negative or limiting beliefs tend to close down possibilities, narrow our vision of the future, and put a lid on progress. There has been much written (and many fortunes built) on learning how to identify and eliminate limiting beliefs.

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We always hear the word “Expert” which gets thrown around in conversations, presentations and branding seminars. It’s hard to understand what that word Expert means to you and even more complicated on the word “Position”. Let’s take a closer look at the definitions. According to Webster’s dictionary, the word Expert means: having, involving, or displaying special skill or knowledge derived from training or experience. The word Position means: relative place, situation, or standing <is now in a position to make decisions on his own> b: social or official rank or status.

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As entrepreneurs in the creative flow, we often forget about taking care of our bodies, because our minds are exploding with color, sounds, words and images. But, if you allow unhealthy habits to rob your body of its strength and vitality, your creativity and productivity will be stolen as well.

What is more frustrating than having your creative flow interrupted by an annoying headache, back spasm or brain freeze (loss of creativity)?

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A well blended personal brand is like a personality in that they both contain
a unique blend of interesting yet beautiful components. All parts working together
bring harmony to the life of a personal brand. ~ Tomesia Ingram

Regardless of what blog or social media profile sites you visit in the area of marketing and business, personal branding is going to show up! That means it must be pretty important then right? Well, it is. Don’t get tired, sick or bored with seeing or hearing about it because it will absolutely make the difference in your success, both personal and business.

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