May 02, 2011
Alexia Isaak
I recently had the great fortune to attend the Texas Chapter Network of Executive Women (NEW) luncheon featuring the phenomenal corporate coach, Donna Drury. On this exquisite Dallas day, a room
of around 300 gathered to listen to Donna present on building your personal brand. Her talk is called, "BRAND U!: A Recipe For Your Success Professionally & Personally." This is an amazing lesson in career guidance to take you to the next level.
Over the course of Donna's talk she helped us explore who we are today, how we want to be perceived, and how we project our brand to others.
Two key take-aways for me were to:
- Ask for what you want. This is a lesson in boldness to be sure to communicate your desires so others don't assume them for you. For example, if you are going through a challenging time with a sick relative or a new baby, be sure to let others know if you desire new projects. If you don't people may assume you don't want any more on your plate because of what's going on in your life. You may not desire more work, and if you don't want additional work during a busy or stressful time in your life, it's important to communicate that as well.
- Everyone has strengths to offer. You do and so do I. We need to understand our strengths and explore growing them. If you are lucky, hopefully you work with a team that values you and plays to your strengths as well. As you build on your strengths, you likely have a richer, more nourishing environment to address your weaknesses in a way that your weaknesses aren't the center of attention.
Beyond my two main take-aways for career advice, I encourage you attend one of Donna's talks or to reach out to Donna for coaching and insights, because she's got an incredible story we can all learn from. While you're at it try one of her amazing cookies.
I encourage your to embrace your brand and invest in it to grow yourself. You Can!