I recently launched a free 7-Day Brand Story Challenge to celebrate National Storytelling Week. I’m loving the emails that people have been sending me with their answers to my questions. It’s not compulsory but I encourage participants to send me their ‘homework’ to help them stay on track and complete the challenge. Their content has inspired me to write up my own story.
My why
I help independent consultants build a powerful brand story so they can stand out from the crowd and attract their ideal clients. Why? Because I passionately believe in our uniqueness as human beings. Each of us has gifts and skills that we can use to have a big impact on others. But we often lack the confidence and clarity to articulate our offer to those who need it most. I want to help as many people as possible to have a business and a life they love – based on their personality, passion and purpose.
My ideal clients
My clients are typically mid-career professionals who have lived someone else’s brand for five, 10, or 20 years. They’re multi-talented and there are so many different ways they can use their expertise to help others. They’re passionate about what they do and about making a difference. They love life and want to make the most of it in every way.
They want to stand out in their industry and not be seen as ‘just another…’ It’s often when they sit down to write their website or have to give their first networking intro that they realise they need some help to develop their brand story.
My back story
I love what I do but it hasn’t always been this way. It’s taken me 20 years to get to this level of confidence and clarity. At school my thing was languages – I guess I’m a natural communicator. I wanted to read the news on TV. Then during my sixth form and uni years, I worked part-time at UK retailer M&S. This was my first experience of the commercial world and I was hooked!
After a business degree, I spent some time in banking. I quickly realised this wasn’t for me but it gave me great insight into running a business. I applied for an internal role in marketing and communications and that became my ‘profession.’ I qualified with the Chartered Institute of Marketing and then I took an accidental step into the evolving word of internal communications.
Working with the CEOs and leaders of some of the UK’s biggest companies, I learned how to consistently devise and implement communications strategies that people wanted to engage with and that got results.
Then came the growing desire to do more and be more. Commuting to one office to work for one company no longer fulfilled me. I wanted to be able to have more variety, more control over what I did and to share my experience with more people.
So in 2010, I set up as an independent consultant and I’ve never looked back. Today I continue to consult in internal communications – helping leaders communicate with their teams around the world. But my growing passion is to help other independents succeed with their business.
My personality
I wish I’d had more insight into my personality when I was making my early career choices. It might have helped me to follow my gut. To seek things that I enjoyed rather than what I thought I ‘should’ do. Now I know more, it all makes sense.
In Myers Briggs I’m an ENFP – a free spirit. I’m all about social and emotional connection. I read between the lines. I get my ideas and my energy from being around people. I thrive on variety. Admin and spreadsheets make me cry!
My Wealth Dynamics profile is ‘star.’ I’m happy being in the limelight (handy for running my own business) but I’m in my element when I’m helping others to shine.
These insights have made me aware of my strengths and weaknesses – how to use them to help my clients and grow my business. And how to compensate for them by hiring others to help me.
They give you an idea what I’m like to work with. I’m optimistic and a strategic, big picture thinker. I like to see my clients succeed. When you work with me, I will believe in you and will be your biggest cheerleader.
I describe my approach as passionate, savvy, collaborative, inspiring, friendly and fun. Yes, business can and should be fun!
My clients’ stories
My clients are often struggling to structure the services they offer in a logical way and put them into words. One client once described it as like having ‘spaghetti in her head’. We worked together over a number of weeks to gradually unravel that spaghetti until she had the structure she needed to move forward.
With my guidance, my client built a coherent story that she can use, every time she speaks and writes about her business. How she works with people is neatly set out in four logical service areas that make sense to her potential clients. And she has a brand new website structure and content.
What’s your story?
Sharing your brand story helps people get to know, like and trust you before they work with you. It helps you attract the people you love working with, and with whom you do your best work.
If you’d like some help to get started, why not join my 7 Day Brand Story Challenge. It’s free, all done by email and each action will take you just 5 to 10 minutes a day. Sign up to join here.