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?

First impressions are critical to success, and your body language counts for a huge percentage of that first impression. In fact, first impressions are typically made within the first seven seconds of interacting with someone, and of that, body language counts for roughly 50%. Since we are hardwired as a survival mechanism, it’s not possible for you to stop people from instantly judging you. But, you should work towards understanding how the decisions others make of you can be used to work on your behalf. Obviously, this is important in the business community and when networking with new people!

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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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It’s a well known fact that the five people you spend the most time with will directly influence your life, from your happiness level, to your health and weight, to your actual income level? Studies have shown that your circle of influence has a penetrating effect on your success. With this in mind, it is critically important that you be mindful of who you allow to be around you on a daily basis. Who is in your circle of influence? The people you choose to be around just might make a huge difference in your ability to reach your goals.

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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?

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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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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In the history of entrepreneurship there has never been a time where “individualism” has been more celebrated. More and more companies are reaching out to individuals like never before in terms of surveying and assessing their relevance and the success of their corporate brands. The personal tastes of individual consumers has garnered so much attention that in 2006 TIME magazine printed 6,965,000 copies of their magazine with a reflective Mylar cover naming “YOU” as the person of the year for 2006. This signified that when a person looked at the cover to see who the “person of the year” was, they saw themselves. With the current market shift of placing attention on the “individual”, it only makes sense that you have a personal brand that will help you to stand out. You are unique! There is not another person exactly like you on the planet.

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As an entrepreneur it is essential that you have a strong belief system in order to successfully show up, serve and prosper. The reference point by which you judge things is the heart of your decision making process. Your own personal experiences have the most impact on your belief system. We tend to automatically block out things that are in contradiction to what we believe. Many successful gurus have reminded us over the years that having negative or limiting beliefs will close down possibilities and even put a lid on your progress.

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