Brand and branding often are thought of as confusing and frustrating or to go the opposite direction - oversimplified as being only the logo, color, and tagline of a business. Making these five mindset shifts will lead to branding success.

I'd like to say these five mindsets were of my own creative writing and intellect - but that would not be giving credit where credit is due. I found these from a post by dailycreative.io. When I saw their post, I was struck by the truth behind these five mindsets. 

In this episode, I provide context to each of these mindsets. 

After being asked many times, I'm sharing how I come up with content ideas. When I bumped up my LinkedIn activity from occasional to daily, I needed more ideas than ever before. And before this, I agonized over writing a post to the point it may never be posted.

So how do I find all these ideas? Well, that is a work in progress. 

Imagine living a life of possibilities. Viewing each instance, each encounter, each challenge with the mindset of there is always a possibility. Some may say this sounds fluffy. Others may turn their nose up at it. But this attitude, mindset, or, as my guest on this week's podcast calls it - purpose - is vital to her very existence.

Meet Melissa Ciciola 

Melissa spent her time during the pandemic doing what many of us have done - reflecting on our lives, searching for answers, reflecting on where she had been and how she got there. But I bet her results are very different than most. She put words to her purpose and is now living her best life as a result.

For more background and resources, check out the show notes. 

Over the last 60 days, I've posted daily on LinkedIn. 

Back in August, I made the decision to up my game on LinkedIn. The platform has the potential to be a benefit for business development for my business - especially with the pandemic turning traditional networking into a bigger challenge than it was before. 

So later that month, I found a LinkedIn strategy course that fit my needs and objectives. I started an accelerated version of the course a couple of weeks later. One of the assignments was to post daily for 30 days... well that turned into 60 consecutive days. 

This episode is about what I've learned from the experience. 

Financial anxiety. At some point in our lives, we've all faced it. And with the uncertainty of the pandemic happening around the world, many of us are probably living with it currently.

This is where someone like Lindsay Bryan-Podvin can be helpful. Lindsay is a financial therapist.

As we discussed the role of purpose in our money relationship, Lindsay points out that in order to achieve our purpose we need to have money - and that money is necessary for most things in our lives. Money belongs in a neutral space.

Your brand is what is said about you when you are not in the room.

A brand strategy will help you make sure what is said is what you WANT to be said. And to get there, a strategist will help guide the way.

As I’ve talked about before, the brand is a clear understanding of the who, what, where, and when of your business. It is what drives your business. It brings the purpose of the business to life. It is the personality in terms of how you speak and how you make those you serve feel. It is a deep understanding of the problem you solve for those you serve.

Brand strategy is the plan that brings the brand to life. The key role of the brand strategy is to bring the ideal target audience and the business together. And that strategy touches every interaction you have with your audience.

October's favorites are more about looking forward to November than reflecting on the learnings of October. It is about recognizing and honoring those with lung cancer and becoming more aware of how we speak to those with cancer. And it is how we can teach our future leaders to reframe traditional roles - in business and in life.

November is Lung Cancer Awareness Month. Given my family history of lung cancer, it is important for me to do what I can to raise awareness. This also includes being more aware of how we talk about a person's cancer - by following their lead. 

In closing, I reflect on Brene Brown's conversation with Abby Wambach and the role-reframing she presents in the book Wolfpack. 

Asking for help is not a weakness - it is a sign of strength. 

In this week's episode, I talk about different ways our subconscious tricks us into believing going alone is our best option. Additionally, I share a few suggestions to consider when it comes to getting support or help with our work. 

The Jeopardy song. James Earl Jones' voice. The Netflix sound. Did you hear each of these in your head when you read the words? These sounds represent specific brands. Sounds - whether it is a song, a voice, or a recognized tone - immediately bring something to mind.

Jodi Krangle, my guest on this episode of The Pursuit of Purpose, is a voice artist who helps bring brands to life with her voice. Our discussion focuses on what she wants to know about brands to help her bring her best voice to the brands that hire her. 

Check out the show notes for more information. 

Content planning is not easy. As I've been working on increasing my presence on LinkedIn and producing the podcast each week, I've found keeping up with content has been challenging. This week has shown me I need a plan.

In this episode, I'm sharing nine tips I'm working to incorporate into my planning to stay ahead and not stress over finding ideas to share.