Who on your team is the person you can turn to for “the truth?” No sugar-coating or “yes men and women.” Just people bold, brave and loving enough to “tell you the truth?”  These are things to consider when you “build your tribe.”

They say the quickest way to elevate your visibility, is through public speaking. For some reason, when you are on a stage, people are able to connect on a deeper level and develop the “know, like a trust factor must quicker.” In fact, often within moments, audience members can assess whether you are somebody they would like to get to know better. 

I can’t tell you how many times, a client has told me that they didn’t want to elevate too much because they didn’t want the headache and responsibility. They didn’t want to deal with bad personalities, crazy situations and all of the other things that are associated with the next level. They didn’t want to Boss Up.

We’ve all heard the old adage, dress for the part you want, not the one you have. But, I’d like to take it a little deeper. You must embody your end destination. 

Let me ask you. What game plan do you have in place to continuously elevate your skills and talents? I guarantee if you start giving it thought and develop and stick to a plan of implementation, you will be blown away by what you are able to do. I know I was. 

Have you ever heard the term intrapreneur? According to the dictionary it is: a manager within a company who promotes innovative product development and marketing.

What I learned more than anything is that we must be crystal clear in how we want to be positioned or thought of in the marketplace, or else others will fill on the blanks for us. Don’t leave it to chance. People look at you from the outside and automatically begin to make their own interpretation of who you are and what you do. They can’t help it; it’s human nature.

There are certain Universal Laws that always ring true. But, we continue to fight and deny them. One is “you reap what you sow.” If your personal brand (reputation) is steeped in generosity, giving and empowering, that is what will come back your way.

There’s nothing more fierce than a woman who understands her self-worth—and accepts nothing less than what she feels she deserves in her personal and professional life. A woman who is willing to walk, if you don’t agree with her.

About 20 years ago after undergrad, I enrolled as a wide-eyed and eager student at one of the nation’s premiere advertising schools called The Portfolio Center (in Atlanta). Students came from around the world to learn how to develop portfolio’s (for copywriting, photography, graphic design and art direction) that would land them jobs in the nation’s leading advertising and design firms.

After 10 years of running a full-service Personal Branding + Elevation Agency, one thing has become abundantly clear. If your mindset doesn’t match your vision, you will never attract the level of success you desire to.

I want you to consider what would happen if I put a recorder in your mind and listened to what you said to yourself day in and day out. What would I hear? Do you have a lot of negative self-talk, disempowering language? Low-vibrational chit-chat?

One day you will absolutely get sick and tired of playing small. Watching others scale up the ladder, take credit for your ideas and pursue their deepest desires without an ounce of fear about what anyone thinks. That’s when your unapologetic ambition needs to kick in.

Make that day, today.

If someone can land in the White House simply because he was savvy understanding about how to effectively brand himself and control the narrative, imagine what that skill-set can do for your career?

There is nothing worse than knowing that you have screwed up—big time. That a major mistake happened on your watch and no matter how much you want to be able to “pass the blame,” you can’t.

It’s. Your. Fault.

It is our job to groom the next generation of Undeniably Fierce women whether through a formal program like an internship or an informal situation, like your daughter. If we don’t do it, who will?

How will the beautiful, strong, starry-eyed, ever learn how to be fearless and unapologetic if she is modeling her behavior after a mom who doesn’t embody those characteristics?

The first concept we teach our clients is learning to become the CMO (Chief Marketing Officer) of the Brand Called You. We show them why it is important to hop into the driver’s seat and take control of your personal brand.