Not a Marketer? Like it or Not, You're Still a Brand.

Amy
Feb 17, 2016
3 min read

We're all on this journey called life.

It's a long road with many steps, turns, paths and choices to make. Every step YOU take along YOUR path says something to the people you come across in your travels. Take a look back at some of the statuses, tweets and pins you've posted. What do they say? More importantly, think about some of the choices you've made, how you've handled them and any impressions you left behind. All of these things matter, and help to shape your path. I've made some missteps in my life, like we all have, but when I ponder the steps on my own journey, this favourite quote of mine always comes to mind.

That quote has never been more true for me than it is right now.

Why?

I gave my old "student" blog a complete makeover this week to better showcase my personal brand and the new adventure I'm embarking on. I made some amazing connections in the last year after graduation, from my internship with my friends at Uptown Saint John, to my work with Keith Brideau at Historica Developments to a coveted position with the talented folks at Revolution Strategy . During all of my adventures, I could feel the passion that exists in this city. I was introduced to more and more people excited about making Saint John a better place for all of us. Pretty inspiring.

Every decision I made in the last year played a part in putting me where I am right now: sitting at my kitchen table, working on my computer and (most importantly) waiting to greet my girls as they arrive off the school bus.

I moved around a little bit trying to find my place after graduation, as many of us do. But make no mistake, I was aware of the impact of each decision I made along the way, and strived to make the most of every opportunity I was given. I know how lucky I was to have them - and I won't forget that.

Relationships are what matters in life.

All of the professional relationships I made in the last year remain in tact and nurtured, yet there was one relationship I felt was lacking my attention (especially after dedicating two years of evenings and weekends to homework!) - family. I was open, honest and genuine about this when I made a move that I now know I had been wanting to make all along: to work from home.

I'm mom as much as I am marketer, and both roles need and deserve my focus.

So, here I am. Ready for the next step: entrepreuneurship (Say what?!). Although to some they may look like bumps in the road of my career, or even indecisiveness - I'm at peace with the decisions I made so far. Why is that? Because I've been building my own personal brand my whole life, and I think it's time I let it stand on it's own two feet. I'm putting it to the test by working to support our local businesses with marketing and administrative services, as an independent contractor operating under my own name. My personal brand - is now my business too.

What about you?

Your personal brand is important too, whether you start a business with it or not. Be mindful of your decisions, your relationships and - PLEASE - your online presence. You could be making an impression about your personal brand to someone without even realizing it through your online interactions.

Ready to give your personal brand some attention?

This presentation I was lucky enough to attend, put on by Enterprise Saint John, will help. James Mullinger has made an impression in our fair city with his own personal brand, and he captures the importance of this topic (with all the charm and laughter he brings to his comedy shows!) in this video. Check it out, you'll be glad you did!