Personal brand vs business brand!

It's a question I get a lot and a conundrum many business owners find themselves in. Including me! As I've now made the decision to stop working under a business name and move to a personal brand ( yes! You heard it here first, watch this space) I had to speak to someone who has done this very thing!

When I connected with Katrina McCarter for our last podcast (episode 32) she told me that this was something she was working towards. Now her Personal Brand is out in the world and the clarity she is experiencing after this process is refreshing.

In this episode we discuss:

- Why personal brand/ working as your own name over business brand name

- What instigates the rebrand

- How do you shift from one to other

- How do you feel when working as YOU

I love how honest and open Katrina is and how many valuable insights she shares from her many years in business and multiple brands. It's been a joy to see this unfold and to hear the story behind it - enjoy!

Are you truly showing up as you?

Unapologetically?

Confidently?

Authentically?

I'll be honest, last year I realised I wasn't! YEP! Me, the personal branding specialist. Why, because I was still suppressing parts of me.

In this episode we get into some real talk and I share about how this came out for me, how I'm working through it and how you can too.

I want to help you show up and shine, and I will always share my experience and journey honestly with you too.

It's a juice one - enjoy!

Meet Shannah Kennedy and Colleen Callander the co-founders of Human Elevation.

Shannah Kennedy, a high performance coach and her client - former CEO of Sportsgirl joined forces to bring the best skills in the business of life and leadership together under the pillars of life leadership and longevity for high performance living without the burnout.

Their mission is to empower individuals to live their greatest lives and achieve their ultimate best without succumbing to burnout. This movement is aptly named Human Elevation.

In this episode, we delve into their collaboration and discuss the importance of high-performance living, finding balance, and avoiding burnout. The wisdom and insights shared by Shannah and Colleen during our conversation felt like a coaching session in itself, and I'm confident that you'll also get so much value from their words.

Do you ask for testimonials?

When did you last get one?

It's one of the key things I find lacking with my clients - they are not asking people for words about them!

It is so important and often it's left til last. But your clients and customers words can help you get clearer on your message. We get so stuck in our head and stuck in our ways about how we speak about ourselves. But your customer/ clients experience is different and it's important.

Testimonials are also a huge confidence booster! Your audience have lovely things to say about you - but you have to ask!

And then ... use them!

All this and more in this slightly ranty episode on a topic I am VERY passionate about.

Entrepreneur. Whole person and Mum of 2. Consultant. Side-gigger.

Love the way Laura Campbell described herself for this episode. She's this an a whole lot more! I had the pleasure of meeting Laura through Mums and Co., and I have been truly inspired by her remarkable journey.

Based on the Gold Coast with her family, Laura has designed a groundbreaking baby carrier called the HipSurfer Hip Seat. This innovative product, the first of its kind in Australia, is aimed at alleviating the challenges of parenthood. Inspired by her own experiences managing symptoms of arthritis and carpal tunnel while raising her children in the Australian climate, Laura embarked on a journey to create a solution. After eight prototypes, she successfully launched this amazing product just a few months ago. I personally own one, and let me tell you, it's a GAME CHANGER!

The HipSurfer Hip Seat has garnered recognition from various media outlets, including Nine News, Seven News, ABC Radio, Kidspot, and Honey. As a passionate advocate for women and mothers in business, Laura is also a business growth consultant and mentor. Her dedication to championing the success of fellow women entrepreneurs is truly commendable, and I feel honoured to be part of her journey.

In this episode, we dive into what it's like to invent a product and navigate the challenges of being a mother, an entrepreneur, and a woman. Join us as Laura shares her insights, experiences, and the valuable lessons she has learned along the way. So, sit back, relax, and let's dive into this inspiring conversation.

How do you start building your personal brand?

Well you gotta know where you are to know where you're going!

A brand audit is ALWAYS my first step on the branding journey.

What does that even mean?

It means doing a deep dive into how you're currently showing up and looking at you the way the world sees you.

Have you googled yourself?

When did you last look at your website?

Does your email signature have the correct details?

How often are you posting on linkedin?

What events have you attended this year?

All of these things add up to create an impression and a view of you. You have to know what is out there so you can decide what you want to be telling your audience.

In this episode I take you through step by step to understand your brand as it is and take the next steps to building it in the way you want!

In this podcast episode, we are joined by the amazing Irina Castellano, an authorised foster carer and dedicated parent who has created an incredible coaching business.

I originally mentored Irina in the "How to Live and Love Your Brand" course. Irina's story of fostering and adopting children is truly inspiring, especially now that there are hundreds of vulnerable children without safe homes and some even being kept in motel rooms while they wait to be placed.

Irina's work has been featured in numerous media outlets and she runs nationally accredited foster care programs and adoption seminars. With her 20 years of experience, Irina provides professional support, training, and guidance to potential foster carers and hopeful adoptive parents.

Listeners will be inspired by Irina's generosity, care, passion, and hope that she gives to children in need. This heartwarming conversation is a must-listen for anyone considering fostering or adopting a child.

“I don’t need to market myself, I get business through word of mouth and referrals.”

Wrong!

If you’re not telling people WHO you are, WHAT you offer & HOW they can work with you, then you’re going to struggle to have a sustainable business.

I used to say this and many more things, for 10 long years of my business. I was my only business card - and although I’m very good at talking about who I am and what I’m up to (attending events, networking, conferences etc.) I wasn’t very good at sharing HOW people could work with me or what I was working on.

Why? Because I didn’t think people wanted to hear it. Or because I had too much work and I didn’t need anymore (until the next month when it all dried up!) and I played this feast or famine game, relying on referrals and recommendations and (very good) word of mouth … for 10 years!!

Thankfully my decade anniversary knocked some sense into me and now I use my story to help others to confidently and clearly promote themselves.

But honestly, if you’re not telling people about you, then who will?

Are you proactively sharing with your audience who you are and how they can work with you?

Who struggles with pricing?

Cashflow?

Budgeting?

Yep, it's pretty common in small business and there's a lot of secret shame and guilt about not knowing your money stuff.

Justine McLean is all about doing business better. From the moment I met her, she was sharing her kind wisdom and I could feel her 30 years of experience in business instantly. She's practical and proactive, and she has the years of business experience to back it up.

In this episode we talk about how Justine got to be where she is today, why your money stuff could be holding you back, and how you can get better foundations for a business that leads to success for you.

Justine understands the business numbers and empowers female entrepreneurs and business owners to take the actions necessary to create profitable and sustainable businesses that fit into their unique definition of success! I love that.

I'm also a proud affiliate for Justine's course which has its doors open now! The Business Money Formula - see the show notes or send me a message for the link!

Why India for my next retreat?

You don’t see India. You don’t smell it, taste it, touch it or hear it. You feel it. India gets under your skin and enlivens the senses like no place I’ve ever known. India is hands down my favourite country in the world. Some of the most transformative experiences of my life have happened in India. It is part of me - and I can’t wait to share it with you.

This land has given me opportunities I could only ever have dreamed of!

And I want to share it with you!!

Join us for 5 inspiring nights in Incredible India for the first ever International Rest & Receive Retreat - Kerala, November 2023. Disconnect your senses and immerse in this exotic culture while reconnecting with yourself. Share this luxurious experience with 12 amazing women, you'll form connections and memories to last a lifetime.

I want to welcome you to this India that I know and love. To learn about her complexities, her strengths, her challenges and her uniqueness.

I’ve never felt more myself and more truly disconnected from everything I’ve ever known in India, and it’s been the best experience I could ask for. We must disconnect from the world we know in order to reconnect to who we truly are and to truly know ourselves. If you’re going to do that anywhere in the world, this is the place to do it.

Hear all about it in this episode!