Hosted by: Maria Jara Baca, Christine MacNaul, Mikaela Bowler

Monday March 4, 2019

“Your brand is what people say about you when you're not in the room” according to Jeff Bezos. Your personal brand is the reputation that precedes you and speaks for you in your absence. It’s important because it can do so much for us, like establish how others view us, help us stand out, make us memorable & recognizable, make networking easier, and attract recruiters. And with social media, it’s all so easy!

Here’s an example: If I ask you who goes by the title Queen, is loyal but fiercely independent, and believes that girls run the world, who would you guess I’m talking about? Beyoncé, of course! Her brand is so strong that she’s identifiable by only three traits!

So how do you build your own brand?

For starters, think about this: If a class were going to do a study and give a report on you, what would they say? You need to try to find the intersection between how you want to be known and your abilities & strengths. Then manifest it! Dress for the job you want, not the job you have, and work to make your social media appearance consistent as well. Put the message of who you are everywhere! Make it authentic to you and make it something that people remember.

Let’s end with one more example! Allen & Gerritsen’s ampersand campaign is all about the personal brand. They are a marketing agency based in Boston, who cares about making their employees stand out. Everyone who works there has three “&” statements which they share every time they list off their job title. Some samples include “& Positivity Promoter,” “& Foodie,” “& Master of Organized Chaos,” “& Movie Quoter,” or “& It’s All About the Dogs.” So think about this: what would your three “&”s be?

Thank you to everyone who came Monday!