Highlight your achievements to position your personal brand
Yesterday I climbed Toolbrunup Peak in the Stirling Ranges, located in the Great Southern region of Western Australia. Not being much of an outdoorsy person, spending Saturday night camping at a basic (but beautiful) campsite in the mountains, followed by a half-day hike on a vertical slope, was not something I had been planning at all, but my husband had organised this surprise mini-break so I went along, with some trepidation.
Since yesterday I have learned that this climb is actually considered one of the toughest in the area. It was made up of slippery, moss-covered boulders that were wet from the mist, large expanses of loose rocks and muddy, narrow tracks lining a steep drop. But it was also impossibly beautiful, and the view from the top made it well worth the effort.
My mind keeps going back to that peak, and even now I’m shaking my head in disbelief that I actually made it up there. It’s a great reminder that we are capable of more than we imagine!
If you look back on your life I think there are many moments like this, when you can’t believe you actually achieved what you did. In our daily busyness it’s easy to forget these milestones and adventures, that really do serve who you are now. What’s more, they can serve the people you work with – your clients, customers or team.
Read on for how this plays out with my clients
Over the last few weeks I’ve been working with a client to help reposition his personal brand in order to attract new consulting opportunities. He has achieved a lot in his past and current roles, but now wants to step it up in a role where he can really be utilized for the specific areas of expertise he has developed. We spent a lot of time talking about these areas – why he is passionate about them and what kind of change he has affected for stakeholders with his knowledge and skills. This was really important to clarify, because he was not previously highlighting this clearly and effectively. With these achievements now maximised on his LinkedIn, CV and personal consulting website, this client is going to attract the right opportunity much more quickly and easily.
There are always treasures to uncover – that shouldn’t have been hidden away or poorly communicated with mixed messages!
The conversations I have with experts, consultants, executives and business owners around what they’ve achieved and what this brings to their ability to create value, always astound me. There are always treasures to uncover – that shouldn’t have been hidden away or poorly communicated with mixed messages! There is nothing more rewarding than helping someone uncover these strengths and points of difference… and it reminds me to keep striving to highlight my own, in order to attract more fantastic opportunities for my business.
Time spent ‘standing on the peak’ and reflecting on what you have achieved is a valuable investment in your future!
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