Why you need a Brand?
Guest Post by Laura Garnett
I love talking about “brand;” it’s my passion and it's fun for me because it’s a meaty and complex subject.
However, why specifically would any jewelry designers benefit from branding themselves?
I would ask you, are any of the following statements true of you?
• I want clarity on my approach to jewelry design and how this is different from everyone one else
• I want to grow my business and need a filter for how I access future opportunities.
• I am mission driven but not sure how it ties into my growth plans
• I want to be clear with people I meet about what it is I do and have the right language to express it
• I want people to understand and connect with my mission and work.
If any of the above statements apply to you, then focusing on developing your “personal brand” is a no brainer. At its core, this is an identity, and understanding of who you are. It’s having the language and the clarity to express what your essence is and how that relates to the work you do. It also can help you determine how to expand your revenue streams or projects, as they all need to be aligned with your brand. This clarity can only supercharge your ability to connect people with what you are doing and attract the type of clients or resources that you need in order to achieve what your after.
If you still are not sold let me share some examples of personal branding that I think are brilliant. A recent edition of Fast Company featured the 100 most creative people in business.
A perfect example of personal branding came from Shaquille O’Neal…
He is someone who has retired from sports but has invested in companies ranging from a small mobile video company, to the Five Guys burger chain, to Vitamin Water beverages and a range of other, disparate businesses. In response to the question, “How do you protect your personal brand as you align with others?” He said, “We always tell the owners of the companies I invest in that we are going to get the awareness out, we are going to help this company grow. Then we control our own marketing. Every commercial you’ve seen me in for the past 20 years has been written by me, except the ones on TNT. The way I write them is, I either want you to be informed or I want to make you laugh.”
This is a brilliant example of personal branding. He knows his essence is informing others or making them laugh. That is his brand. He can invest in any company that he wants as long as the way he markets them is in line with that brand.
Similar is Martha Stewart. Her brand is about detail, obsession with perfection and the homegrown.
That means she can sell anything with that approach. It’s her approach that is her and ultimately her brand.
Same with Shaq: he informs and entertains. That is where most of us get hung up in defining our personal brand, identifying what it is about how we operate and how we engage with the world that sets us apart. For example, there are millions of personal trainers but each one has their own way of training people — the trick is in clarifying what that “way” is. This is something that’s extremely difficult to identify in ourselves, because we can’t watch ourselves, we can’t experience ourselves. Shaq knows he is educating and entertaining others, which is brilliant but he most certainly does not do that for himself, he can’t.
Think about it. Once you have a clear vision of your personal brand and the values you bring that set you apart, you can then assess projects, work, or revenue streams on their “fit” with your brand and have the language to explain it to others. This is half the battle to building a better customer base, a better business, a better career and ultimately a more fulfilling professional life.
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Branding for #jewelrydesigners w lessons from @Shaq via @garnettl via @Flourish_Thrive https://bit.ly/OXhy8E
I am a Business Matchmaker. My essence is being able to see in people what their Zone of Genius is and how this applies to their business. I then connect them to their brand, creative marketing ideas and clients that will help them achieve their business goals. My mission is to help others see the power of uncovering ones Zone of Genius and using that as a driving force for their business growth. When you have clarity, focus and passion, anything is possible. Knowing what you do that is better than anyone else is the starting point for creating the business of your dreams.
Twitter: https://twitter.com/garnettl
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LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauragarnett
Website: https://www.lauragarnett.com/
