Brand Compass: Personal Branding for Consultants & Experts

I revisit a topic I first wrote about in a blog post, back in 2012.

The crux of it was that I was pitting the value of knowledge against imagination and, at the time, I had decided that I thought that imagination was more important than knowledge.

Now, more than a decade later, and after working much more with professional humans on telling their stories - my view has shifted.

Today, I’d say that they are equally important and much more POTENT when they are used together.

Just think: what if you could find a way to imaginatively convince anyone that you are smart and that they should pay attention you?

Well, come jump into this conversation and I’ll chat to you about the opportunity of using the power twins of knowledge and imagination when marketing or communicating yourself, with the outside world.

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𝗦𝗛𝗘𝗟𝗟𝗘𝗬 𝗥𝗢̈𝗦𝗧𝗟𝗨𝗡𝗗 𝗕𝗜𝗢:

Shelley is a systems-led brand strategist working with knowledge experts…those who teach, educate, consult, advise or mentor others. Her specialism is in helping you uncover your genius gifts which the world needs from you and translate that into something that can be marketed and communicated in a way that’s comfortable for you.

South African born and British-grown, Shelley has worked with 150+ brands across 30+ industries through her consultancy and agency work. She runs her specialist marketing agency Harbour 32, with her magically gifted friends, where they focus on personal brand strategy and podcast show positioning.

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All episodes are video recorded and can be watched in the website show notes at shelleyrostlund.com/podcast, or on YouTube. (Click here for the full audio transcribed version).

Does your heart stop and your brain fizz to a grinding holt when you are asked:

“What’s your purpose?”

(tumbleweed)

Yeah, I thought so. For some people the answer to this question is easy and rolls off the tongue fast. For others…it’s harder. Much harder. Especially if they haven’t taken the time to really work it all out.

Never fear. Today will be different for you, my friend. My guest on this episode is going to talk about this topic of purpose like you haven’t heard it before. 

For me, when I get asked this question: I get anxious…I worry I won’t get it “right” when I say it, on one hand, and then on the other hand, I get this weird sense of …who am I to have a purpose?

Feel similar? Come and listen to this conversation I have with Finola Howard, author of the book: “What if…joy was how you measured success and the money proved you right?”

She talks about this in a way that may just tip you over to really (finally) HEAR, why this is such important work to get right.

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𝗚𝗨𝗘𝗦𝗧 𝗕𝗜𝗢:

Finola Howard is a Business Growth Strategist with a joyful heart, as well as a speaker, best selling author and top ranked podcaster.

She cut her teeth in brand building, market positioning, business strategy, digital strategy and as a thinking partner to businesses who want to scale in Ireland, UK, USA, Canada, Australia and even further afield.

She takes a uniquely blended approach that combines the grounded commercial acumen of three decades of marketing experience with empathy, intuition, NLP and other personal development tools. 

𝗦𝗛𝗘𝗟𝗟𝗘𝗬 𝗥𝗢̈𝗦𝗧𝗟𝗨𝗡𝗗 𝗕𝗜𝗢:

Shelley is a systems-led brand strategist working with knowledge experts…those who teach, educate, consult, advise or mentor others. Her specialism is in helping you uncover your genius gifts which the world needs from you and translate that into something that can be marketed and communicated in a way that’s comfortable for you.

South African born and British-grown, Shelley has worked with 150+ brands across 30+ industries through her consultancy and agency work. She runs her specialist marketing agency Harbour 32, with her magically gifted friends, where they focus on personal brand strategy and podcast show positioning.

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All episodes are video recorded and can be watched in the website show notes at shelleyrostlund.com/podcast, or on YouTube. (Click here for the full audio transcribed version).

The conversation path I take you down in this episode is all around how you can utilise your personal brand work out in the real world.

I bring together two things to walk you through this:

(a) the personal brand strategy piece (give highlights of what that is in reality), and (b) reminding you of Mai-Kee Tsang’s concept of Sustainability Visibility®️ (creating a buffet of things that give you energy to do to market and communicate yourself to the outside world).

This is a practical episode because I give you a list of areas that you can go away and check to see if you are using your personal brand strategy.

HINT: Some of the things I list will be as natural as breathing, and you will already be on top of, but there are others you might need to think more about and work harder to implement.

Previous episodes that sit nicely with this one are:

EP27 - The Power of Sustainability Visibility®️

EP34 - Personal Brand - Being comfortable to be more you, more of the time

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𝗦𝗛𝗘𝗟𝗟𝗘𝗬 𝗥𝗢̈𝗦𝗧𝗟𝗨𝗡𝗗 𝗕𝗜𝗢:

Shelley is a systems-led brand strategist working with knowledge experts…those who teach, educate, consult, advise or mentor others. Her specialism is in helping you uncover your genius gifts which the world needs from you and translate that into something that can be marketed and communicated in a way that’s comfortable for you.

South African born and British-grown, Shelley has worked with 150+ brands across 30+ industries through her consultancy and agency work. She runs her specialist marketing agency Harbour 32, with her magically gifted friends, where they focus on personal brand strategy and podcast show positioning.

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All episodes are video recorded and can be watched in the website show notes at shelleyrostlund.com/podcast, or on YouTube. (Click here for the full audio transcribed version).

This is the last of a bit of a mini-series we have done focussed on podcasting and specifically with a lens for subject matter experts (in either being a host or going on to a show as a guest).

Be sure to listen to previous episodes:

49 (what makes a good podcast host),

50 (the four ‘purpose types’ for podcast shows), and

51 (what makes a good podcast guest).

In this episode Imogen and I share our 6 lessons we have learnt while running this Brand Compass Show, as well as in launching and producing shows for our podcast host clients, inside our agency – Harbour 32.

Come listen as we share why these lessons are important (and the impact they have when they go wrong).

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𝗚𝗨𝗘𝗦𝗧 𝗕𝗜𝗢:

Imogen Jones is a personal brand strategist who helps clients to gain clarity on the deep motivational needs of their ideal clients, and craft offers that REALLY solve their unbearable aches.

With 20 years-experience working in marketing and customer-focussed roles inside marketing research and healthcare businesses, today runs her own freelance consulting business.

As a strategic marketeer, Imogen is creative and intuitively empathetic to understanding the position of the customer. She is the ultimate people person.

Imogen also works on personal brand strategy and podcast management at specialist marketing agency, Harbour 32, with Shelley Rostlund.

𝗦𝗛𝗘𝗟𝗟𝗘𝗬 𝗥𝗢̈𝗦𝗧𝗟𝗨𝗡𝗗 𝗕𝗜𝗢:

Shelley is a systems-led brand strategist working with knowledge experts…those who teach, educate, consult, advise or mentor others. Her specialism is in helping you uncover your genius gifts which the world needs from you and translate that into something that can be marketed and communicated in a way that’s comfortable for you.

South African born and British-grown, Shelley has worked with 150+ brands across 30+ industries through her consultancy and agency work. She runs her specialist marketing agency Harbour 32, with her magically gifted friends, where they focus on personal brand strategy and podcast show positioning.

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All episodes are video recorded and can be watched in the website show notes at shelleyrostlund.com/podcast, or on YouTube. (Click here for the full audio transcribed version).

Have you been thinking about trying to get onto a podcast show as guest? Or – are you a podcast host and are head deep in trying to seek out and pick the right people to come on to your show? This episode is for you.

This is important for you as a subject matter expert or service provider who wants to be a bit more visible or be noticed more. Guesting on podcast shows is a great opportunity for you to express yourself and your personal brand, and of course, demonstrate that genius that’s living inside that gorgeous brain of yours.

I bring on one of my personal brand strategist colleagues, Imogen Jones, from our agency business, Harbour 32, to chat through some of what we talk about when we are looking for the right guests for this show, and also how we (as listeners) look for in a GOOD guest on shows we listen to.

Again, this is a relaxed conversation and we share what we like (and dislike) about guests on shows, and talk a bit about some of the practical things that you could do to make yourself more appealing to be asked to be a guest on a show.

Let us know what you think makes a good guest on a show? Or if you have questions about how you can be more attractive to be asked to be on a show – just give me a shout.

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𝗚𝗨𝗘𝗦𝗧 𝗕𝗜𝗢:

Imogen Jones is a personal brand strategist who helps clients to gain clarity on the deep motivational needs of their ideal clients, and craft offers that REALLY solve their unbearable aches.

With 20 years-experience working in marketing and customer-focussed roles inside marketing research and healthcare businesses, today runs her own freelance consulting business.

As a strategic marketeer, Imogen is creative and intuitively empathetic to understanding the position of the customer. She is the ultimate people person.

Imogen also works on personal brand strategy and podcast management at specialist marketing agency, Harbour 32, with Shelley Rostlund.

𝗦𝗛𝗘𝗟𝗟𝗘𝗬 𝗥𝗢̈𝗦𝗧𝗟𝗨𝗡𝗗 𝗕𝗜𝗢:

Shelley is a systems-led brand strategist working with knowledge experts…those who teach, educate, consult, advise or mentor others. Her specialism is in helping you uncover your genius gifts which the world needs from you and translate that into something that can be marketed and communicated in a way that’s comfortable for you.

South African born and British-grown, Shelley has worked with 150+ brands across 30+ industries through her consultancy and agency work. She runs her specialist marketing agency Harbour 32, with her magically gifted friends, where they focus on personal brand strategy and podcast show positioning.

==================

All episodes are video recorded and can be watched in the website show notes at shelleyrostlund.com/podcast, or on YouTube. (Click here for the full audio transcribed version).

I share what I think are the higher over-arching purpose angles to podcast shows.

Why are these important? Well – it may explain why you like or don’t like certain podcast shows, or it may well help galvanise you into thinking about which purpose types might actually be possible for you, if you want to start a podcast show.

These purpose angles can stretch over any genre – so shows that relate to business, wellness, true crime, mental health, etc. We are looking here at the bigger intention of the show – regardless of topic or audience.

Come listen as I walk you through:

The Megaphone

The Spotlight

The Magnet

The Torchbearer

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𝗦𝗛𝗘𝗟𝗟𝗘𝗬 𝗥𝗢̈𝗦𝗧𝗟𝗨𝗡𝗗 𝗕𝗜𝗢:

Shelley is a systems-led brand strategist working with knowledge experts…those who teach, educate, consult, advise or mentor others. Her specialism is in helping you uncover your genius gifts which the world needs from you and translate that into something that can be marketed and communicated in a way that’s comfortable for you.

South African born and British-grown, Shelley has worked with 150+ brands across 30+ industries through her consultancy and agency work. She runs her specialist marketing agency Harbour 32, with her magically gifted friends, where they focus on personal brand strategy and podcast show positioning.

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All episodes are video recorded and can be watched in the website show notes at shelleyrostlund.com/podcast, or on YouTube. (Click here for the full audio transcribed version).

If you have been thinking about starting a podcast show, or have started a show and are working hard to make your show great for your listeners – I hope you will enjoy this episode.

I bring on one of my personal brand strategist colleagues, Mark Franklin, from our agency business, Harbour 32, on to chat through some of the nuances that we feel are so intrinsic to really embodying your personal brand as a podcast show host and what that looks like.

It’s a relaxed conversation and we share how we each feel about what a GOOD or BRILLIANT host looks and sounds like, and even recommend some shows we listen to.

Let me know if you like this one! I have more like these planned.

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𝗚𝗨𝗘𝗦𝗧 𝗕𝗜𝗢:

Mark Franklin is a mindset expert and business strategist who helps business owners and leaders flow from inertia to victory by embracing their fears.

He hails from 20+ years in leading the social selling division of an award-winning children’s publishers in the UK and Europe.

After years of working with thousands of independent solo-preneurs, he is uniquely talented in supporting people to distil their ‘WHY’, articulate their ideal future and help them tell more meaningful stories.

Today he runs his own coaching, training and consultancy business, and works with Shelley on personal brand strategy and podcast show positioning, in their agency business Harbour 32.

𝗦𝗛𝗘𝗟𝗟𝗘𝗬 𝗥𝗢̈𝗦𝗧𝗟𝗨𝗡𝗗 𝗕𝗜𝗢:

Shelley is a systems-led brand strategist working with knowledge experts…those who teach, educate, consult, advise or mentor others. Her specialism is in helping you uncover your genius gifts which the world needs from you and translate that into something that can be marketed and communicated in a way that’s comfortable for you.

South African born and British-grown, Shelley has worked with 150+ brands across 30+ industries through her consultancy and agency work. She runs her specialist marketing agency Harbour 32, with her magically gifted friends, where they focus on personal brand strategy and podcast show positioning.

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All episodes are video recorded and can be watched in the website show notes at shelleyrostlund.com/podcast, or on YouTube. (Click here for the full audio transcribed version).

I share my reflections on how it went, running a 21-day personal story challenge with my friends and connections.

I honestly share my reflections on what I noticed about myself when taking part in the challenger myself, and what I learnt from the interaction with my content. I move on to sharing what I noticed (in a helicopter view) about what my friends were sharing in the challenge.

Then lastly, I have two participants who also share what they got from doing the challenge for them and you’ll hear direct from them.

What will you learn from listening to this episode? Well – you’ll hear whether or not I pay any attention to analytics and algorithms, and where I think you should be focussing when working out the purpose to your content.

What we share and how we share it…needs to be an extension of our personal brand. Is yours? Or are you more sporadic, or work-focussed, and don’t really think about it?

I hope that this episode helps you to see that there is a world of connection possibility in sharing more of yourself with your audiences, whether that’s online or in-person.

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𝗦𝗛𝗘𝗟𝗟𝗘𝗬 𝗥𝗢̈𝗦𝗧𝗟𝗨𝗡𝗗 𝗕𝗜𝗢:

Shelley is a systems-led brand strategist working with knowledge experts…those who teach, educate, consult, advise or mentor others. Her specialism is in helping you uncover your genius gifts which the world needs from you and translate that into something that can be marketed and communicated in a way that’s comfortable for you.

South African born and British-grown, Shelley has worked with 150+ brands across 30+ industries through her consultancy and agency work. She runs her specialist marketing agency Harbour 32, with her magically gifted friends, where they focus on personal brand strategy and podcast show positioning.

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All episodes are video recorded and can be watched in the website show notes at shelleyrostlund.com/podcast, or on YouTube. (Click here for the full audio transcribed version).

I bring back Alison O’Leary, a Career and Life coach, who comes to help us understand the importance of uncovering our Adventures in Happiness.

This bleeds nicely into my mantra of getting you to be more YOU, more of the time and have more fun in your everyday.

Back in episode 16, Ali and I talked about how designing your ideal working lifestyle was also key to defining the way YOU want to work. And we shared how work looks very different today, to say… our parent’s generation.

The world has changed, so I guess the question is: have you really realised that? Or are you operating on autopilot of what work HAS to look like because of a set of beliefs you are following based on the past?

In this episode, we ask you to open your mind - because we are going to dig into what you can do to enjoy your work more and specifically how you can build adventures of happiness into your day, week, month and year.

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𝗚𝗨𝗘𝗦𝗧 𝗕𝗜𝗢:

Alison is a highly experienced, certified life and career coach and is an active ideal life advocate, helping people to discover their adventures in happiness.

She’s the founder and designer of the Work Wonderland™ process, her proprietary model that helps people make career and life choices that truly align with their values, strengths, passions, skills and life goals. She hosts her own podcast show called Dream Chasers.

Alison hails from a high-paced, London-based corporate background, working for more than 20 years in the field of PR and Communications, until she made her own radical transition to her ideal life, living and working from a remote mountainside in Wales.

Today she focusses her life coaching on supporting professionally successful people in making career changes that facilitate transformational life change.

𝗦𝗛𝗘𝗟𝗟𝗘𝗬 𝗥𝗢̈𝗦𝗧𝗟𝗨𝗡𝗗 𝗕𝗜𝗢:

Shelley is a systems-led brand strategist working with knowledge experts…those who teach, educate, consult, advise or mentor others. Her specialism is in helping you uncover your genius gifts which the world needs from you and translate that into something that can be marketed and communicated in a way that’s comfortable for you.

South African born and British-grown, Shelley has worked with 150+ brands across 30+ industries through her consultancy and agency work. She runs her specialist marketing agency Harbour 32, with her magically gifted friends, where they focus on personal brand strategy and podcast show positioning.

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All episodes are video recorded and can be watched in the website show notes at shelleyrostlund.com/podcast, or on YouTube. (Click here for the full audio transcribed version).

I start the conversation with you about how you physically speak or communicate with your clients, or with an audience when you are recording a video, delivering a webinar, doing the work you do, or even being on podcast show.

I introduce you to Vocal Archetypes, and particularly how Vinh Giang describes these in his communication skills training, which I have done myself.

Honestly, Vinh is an absolute model of excellence if you are looking for someone to listen to, or even emulate when it comes to flexing your communication muscles.

In this episode I am going to walk you through some of what I’ve directly learnt from Vinh about the core foundations to communicating effectively, and will also share the four main vocal archetypes that Vinh teaches in his communication training. These four are the main ones that are easy enough for you to learn about and absorb immediately. AND you will want to.

Why is this important? Because you have to speak and use your voice A LOT, in your work - in consulting, advising and or teaching your clients. (Not to mention if you have a speaking gig opportunity!)

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𝗦𝗛𝗘𝗟𝗟𝗘𝗬 𝗥𝗢̈𝗦𝗧𝗟𝗨𝗡𝗗 𝗕𝗜𝗢:

Shelley is a systems-led brand strategist working with knowledge experts…those who teach, educate, consult, advise or mentor others. Her specialism is in value propositions, the product eco-system sitting inside brand strategies.

South African born and British-grown, Shelley has worked with 150+ brands across 30+ industries through her consultancy and agency work, and spends the majority of her time teaching subject matter experts running micro businesses how to transform their expertise into a momentum-building brand machine.

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All episodes are video recorded and can be watched in the website show notes at shelleyrostlund.com/podcast, or on YouTube. (Click here for the full audio transcribed version).