The+Brand+You

Personal Branding for EducatorsPresented by:

W. H. Deyamport, III, MSEd.

Think about your practice. On the paper provided, write your bumper sticker message describing your practice. What

would it say? What is your message? For example, mine would say:

Be you: Do you!

At the end of this presentation, the participant willbe able to:

Define branding. Explain the process of creating a brand. Identify the steps in developing a brand. Package their brand identity.

Branding is the packaging of who you are, what you are, and what you have to offer.

It is taking charge of other’s perceptions of you.

It is discovering your BIG IDEA.

It is putting your talents, your strengths, as well as your passions to work for you.

Your brand represents your word, your message, your reasonfor being. (Roffer, 2000; Graham, 2001)

You work for yourself as opposed to working for your boss.

You have a marketing plan as opposed to relying on a resume’.

You see your big idea in terms of markets as opposed to clients.

You believe in networking as opposed to remaining in the background.

You have a ten, fifteen, twenty year plan as opposed to working only to benefit your boss.

(Kaputa, 2005)

To begin the process of creating a compelling brand, you needto draw on several key factors, including the following: yourvalues, your mission, your vision, and the cornerstone of yourbrand: your “Big Idea.”

Your values are a set of beliefs and principles which guide your actions and activities.

Your mission is your purpose. It establishes what you are and what you do.

Your vision reveals where you want to go and paints a broad picture of what you want to become.

(Roffer, 2000; Friedman & Yorio, 2003)

In uncovering or discovering your big idea, take notice of thefollowing:

Your big idea is your selling point, what you have to offer.

It encompasses your values and your passions.

It is based upon your strengths – what you uniquely and natural do and have success at doing.

You cannot be all things to all people.

(Barkley & Sandburg, 1995; Buckingham & Clifton, 2001)

For now I want you to think of your brand as your winning recipe. What would be the ingredients that best describe

whoyou are, what you are, and what you do. For example, mine

are:

5 cups of assisting others in discovering the best within themselves4 cups of imagination3 1/2 cups of gumption and foresight2 1/2 cups of synthesizing information6 tablespoons of whimsy1 smidgen of stubbornness

Your brand’s visual presentation sells who you are, what you are,and how good you are. Your clothes do talk. In fact, they sometimes do more talking than your resume. The followingis a set of guidelines for packaging your brand.

Quality and fit can never be substituted.

Keep your tailor on speed dial.

Your shoes were made for talking, and that’s just what they’ll do.

Find a signature style or wear a signature piece.

(Kaputa, 2005; Friedman & Yorio, 2003; Roffer, 2000)

The packaging of your brand extends to your marketing tools,more specifically, your media kit. And your media kit consistsof a business card, flier or brochure, newsletter, press release,letterhead as well as a letter of intent or cover letter.

(Petruolo, 2001; Michaels, 2005)

Developing a compelling brand is as simple as following these

simple steps. Be authentic – Be you; Do you

Build around your strengths ; build around your values.

Package your visual identity.

Barkley, N. & Sandburg, E.(1995). Taking charge of your career. New York: Workman Publishing

Buckingham, M. & Clifton, D. O. (2001). Now, discover your strengths. New York: The Free Press.

Friedman, C. & Yorio, K. (2003). The girl’s guide to starting your own business: New York: Harper Collins.

Graham, S. (2001). Build your own life brand. New York: The Free Press.

Michaels, N. (2005). Perfecting your pitch: 10 proven strategies for winning the clients everyone wants. Franklin Lakes, NJ: Career Press.

Petruolo, L. B. (2001). How to be a successful family life educator: Marketing yourself and your programs.

Petruolo, L.B. (2001). The successful family life educator’s marketing workbook.

Roffer, R. F. (2000). Make a name for yourself. New York: Broadway Books.