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Welcome to Jon Michail’s Personal Branding Masterclass. Jon is the founder and CEO of image group international, an award-winning image consulting and personal branding pioneer established in 1989. This podcast will bring you old-school wisdom, inspiring ideas, strategies and hacks for the new tech world. Here you will learn everything about personal branding: the system, the techniques and the right mindset to have a successful personal brand, image and reputation.

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Hello, everybody, and welcome to my podcast. Today, we will continue to discuss the importance of awareness, a subject we covered last week, the Pawnee crisis, and of course, how it affects personal brand leadership. Well, many would think Polly crisis well doesn't affect personal brand leadership that much. But I'm gonna show you today that it does. And of course, it impacts everybody. A anyone that thinks it doesn't impact them, is what I would call misguided. Firstly, the poly crisis has created a volatile and uncertain environment, making it difficult to maintain a consistent message. And secondly, what I would say is Hello, hello, and also increases stress and anxiety that reduces focus and energy. And I would also say productivity. However, it can also present opportunities for leaders to demonstrate their personal brand leadership skills by use, and build trust and credibility. But you're probably thinking, what's this concept called the Polly crisis? Well, I'm gonna explain that to you. And actually, I'm going to explain it to you because I'm going to be reading from a particular chart in front of me, that give you a little bit of synopsis of what that means. But if you look up the word online, looked up poly Crisis and images, you'll see exactly the example I'm talking about. 

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And what it is here is a situation where you've got many, many different challenges around the world, what will be probably regardless, black swan events that are having an interacting part, and of course, creates all sorts of other issues, and unexplained consequences when one thing happens. And of course, you don't know where it's gonna end up a, you know, the Ukraine war with Russia. That happens, then you get old breakdowns of follow from that, including energy prices, food crisis, and all sorts of other issues, including the refugee crisis. So there's a lot of things that are happening from that perspective. And when I'm looking at Maduro chart here that I'm going to suggest that you go and look online, you'll see that this pressure is coming from everywhere. Now, as a contrarian, of course, we'll look at crisis as an opportunity, because it's the way it is, if you look at generally 100 people in the room 99% will not see it as an opportunity, they'll be caught up with the fear of it. And this is the key here, you know, so 

So it's about looking at the policy crisis well, and the challenges and of course, the, you know, the possibilities that can be created. And of course, you know, from the point of view of growing your personal brand leadership, or your leadership, full stop, that's to succeed in this environment, personal brand, leaders, or leaders that understand the power of the personal brand must be adaptable, resilient, and I will go even beyond resilient, they need to become anti fragile, and focused on the mission and principles. And that's why I'm here today, I will share five steps to help you become a greater leader with an influential personal brand in the poly crisis will. So some of the stuff that we're going to be covering, obviously, you might have heard in similar ways before, but I just want to put a new edge to it today around the concept of poly Christ's and of course, what that actually means from the perspective of the future. And of course, the opportunity to grow because it's definitely if you're not thinking about it right now, you will be thinking that about it very soon, if not in the next three 612 months.

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 So you need to have a strong and authentic personal brand today to establish your professional presence. But there's a caveat. Don't overdo the Professional bit. Otherwise you could become a typical pod. What that means is, you know, definitely become professional but at the same time know that too much professional can get you into trouble meaning you just stay there safe, not taking risks, and of course not looking at the opportunities that come with bringing out what I would call is an entrepreneurial and chutzpah approach. Your authentic personal brand is what sets you apart from others in your industry and shows why people should trust you and your expertise.  Now if you're thinking you know, very successful people that are not doing it any of this, that's great, but you don't know what that full total life looks like. You only see what you see, you don't know what goes on behind the scenes, you don't know what networks they had, what positions they have, what relationships they have, and so on. So you don't want to be thinking that again. Because success, of course, is not by accident, you know, it's a game. And in what I share with you, is this, what we call the out fair advantage of building of your personal brand to of course, when maximize your value in this game, it's a crowded market out there. And we know this. And of course, with technology and AI disruption, shaking things up, the future belongs to those that are willing to take the bull from the horns and adapt. Otherwise, you will find yourself in potential problems down the track. And some people of course, after COVID have found themselves in all sorts of challenges with either losing their jobs, even if they say it's a big job market out there. Well, you know what, I get a lot of mixed messages out there. And it's not always as sweet it is presented from the agenda of of course, people pushing that particular view. Otherwise, if you can't live in the volatile environment, you know why advice to you is very simple. Find yourself a safe job, and hide. But I will say this too. But don't ever complain when things don't work out to your plants. Okay. And then, you know, you claim that you're a victim of this particular change that is happening, because everyone's got the opportunity to break through their limited beliefs and get into a growth mindset. The second step is to develop your story. Now your story is what makes you relatable, that helps you connect with your target market. Yes, your target market as per your personal brand positioning. And, of course, over your messaging, because of the great technology that is available regarding data and analytics, you can definitely Tod that people, companies, brands that you want to be associated with. And of course, it's perfect, because technology is a great enabler. To do this. To develop your story, clarify your core values. You know, what motivates you, what inspires you your unique skills, and of course, your experience, this is all important. That's to get you to, you know, utilize this as part of your story, creating, use evidence based results, to showcase your expertise, and how you have helped elevate it, inspire others in your industry. When telling your story, be authentic, and focus how you can add value to your clients lives. Remember, people connect with people, not brands. So explain, you know, explain this whole story to the world because your story is what actually people connect with. And that's why personal branding is so essential. And if you don't believe me, just have a look at the popularity. In the last five years. Remember, we've been doing personal branding for over 34 years before the word didn't exist, especially from a Google perspective, because Google didn't exist. So it's that new key word in the last 10 years, it's grown in popularity, but also it's grown in popularity, because people know, they need to be, you know, the CEO of their own lives, they need to take control of their own lives, they can't be dependent on anybody other than themselves. 

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First, of course, thing comes after that. So your story will support you to establish credibility to be taken seriously in your industry. And to be taken seriously in your industry, you must be able to demonstrate your expertise and credibility. And that means not just yep, yep, yeah. But then it comes upon points, where you've got to actually deliver that in action. You know, and this is the thing with a lot of consulting type, advice, coaching, etc. It's a lot of talk, talk talk, but it's like, you know, unless you've done this, you have no idea to walk in somebody else's marked a sensitive docking used that term, that famous Indian term, of course, that resonates from the perspective of embodying other people that have done it before you otherwise he got no idea what you're talking about. Just yep, yep, yep. And of course, that happens big time. And of course, it also happens, you know, with a lot of high level positions. And, you know, very well known people in society, including very famous people, including very well known people, especially, you know, in positions where entrepreneurship is lacking. And it's more about what I would call bureaucracy and playing games, and of course, haven't had experience in those worlds as well. I can tell you, they are two different worlds because growth mindset is a different way of thinking. It's a it's a mindset, this is it, you know, and you're either going to be growing to possibility or you're going to be doing the opposite and staying in the middle is actually not doing anything

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Because nothing stays the same, there always goes one way or the other. So other than high level networking for the shipper success, and the how the super successful work and when it's executed well, of course, it's super powerful. And we've spoken about this before. But demonstrating your expertise and credibility means writing authority pieces, blog posts, sharing case studies, speaking at events, landing a powerful podcast when featured in the media and of course, offering valuable content to prove your value. And this is very important, because not only is that important from the perspective of people finding out about you, but also from a technological point of view in algorithms, and, of course, your name coming up on Google. And if you don't believe me, just quickly search your name and see what shows up about you. Now, if nothing shows up, you know, there's many reasons why that would be happening. But I can tell you this, anyone, anyone that's gonna do any form of business, including you guard from a pitch, you go in for a new position, et cetera, will check you out. And if there's nothing specifically online about you today, they would be asking you a lot more questions. So you're creating a lot of questions that possibly don't need to be there. So what we say is always invest in creating high quality content, you know, high quantity, of course, showcase your expertise and adds added value added value to your target market. This will help you to establish yourself as a thought leader in your industry and build trust and currency with your audience, you know, show real testimonials and real results that have changed or even transformed people's lives. The next part, what I would call it, step three, is stay informed of current events. Now, a lot of people you know, get all their current events from one or two sources. And I say, that's great. But you want to open up your possibilities here. If you keep our reading one walk, you're only going to get one view of the world. 

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So what you have to do in a poly crisis, will you stay informed of current events, way beyond what you're just reading on a daily news, okay, and this is crucial, this means what in keeping up with the latest news trends and so on in your industry, it also means speaking, and following people outside your the thought bubble, and proactively seeking solutions before problems arise, you got up, you know, there was an old Of course, proverb that says, with no vision, the people will perish. While this means the same thing in our lives, if you have no vision about the future, you are just plodding along. So this is important. And if you can't do it yourself, this is where you got to, you know, enroll people, network with people bring people into your life that at least might have that that skill. That insight might be better than you. But don't be you know, don't be afraid from that perspective. Just open yourself up, I can't I can't stress enough of that set up alerts for keywords, and topics that are relevant to your industry. Subscribe to industry publications and newsletters that you respect. And you know, stay up to date on latest trends and develop attend selected webinars and events that are outside of the norm, do things that the majority might not do. This is the key here, where you will attain real thought leadership as opposed to blah, blah, blah, cookie cutter, or motherhood statements. And there is so much of that today. Why? Because we've spoken about this many, many times before. People are afraid people are in fear, and of course, lack courage, because also there's a concept called Getting tensile when your views did not sit with the official narrative, intentionally pick where you are going to invest your time and energy in these times of Polly crisis, because remember, your energy is not infinite. And managing your energy well, especially in Nepali crisis is essential, because managing your energy well will sort of get you to leap steps ahead in the game. Certainly way ahead, most people.

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This is essential because you know, you can transform negative comments and experiences into positive when you know what to do. And when you do with an authentic and caring approach, in my experience, people are very forgiving. People will forgive other people in their companies if they treated right. You know, so don't tell people you care, you show it. And this is essential. And of course, I'm sure, you know, you, as a listener will be able to read lights, how you've been treated really badly, in recent times, especially from a tech perspective online. Not cheated, right. And of course, she felt not very good about the whole experience. And of course, this is the opportunity when people do treat you, right, you're certainly respect that and now experience, people come back to you, and also become great referrals for you. So this is essential. So if you're going to be online, this is a key, you need a system, otherwise you you'll face eventually overwhelm. And in my experience, a lot of people that do face that, and eventually give it all up. And that also, of course, when you give it all up can also affect your reputation. So what's important about that is it's not that it doesn't work, it's that your systems don't work, you know, you certainly work but your systems might not be working. So this is why it's essential. That's why you got to work specifically on this with a systemized approach. And that's technology and what I would call also a human centric involvement with an expert that understands what they are doing. You can join, do this all yourself, go ahead, if you feel competent in it, please go for it. In my experience, though, you don't want to be putting energy into things yet that you're never going to be the authority on. Always, I would say work with the best, it's certainly what I do in my life. So I'm willing to invest in that in reference to being with the best. 

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And the last tip, of course, sort of fits in very well is to invest in yourself. What that means is take the time to research the gate, attend workshops, seminars, network with other recognized professionals in your industry, and learn from authentic experts in your field. And that could be coaches, mentors, and so on. Yeah, it's important to stay up to date with the latest trends, as I noted at the outset, and developments in your industry, and invest in your personal and professional development, my experience shows that I get the greatest value not by studying my industry, I study other industries. And this is another contrarian way of looking at things because I already know my industry fairly well, of course, I keep up to date with it. But my real gems come from studying other industries, you know, and this is, this is where I've had some of the biggest growth personally. And of course, from a corporate perspective in our business, this will help you stay competitive and adaptable in a constantly changing will. And part of that is what I've noted also previously in other episodes is to become an autodidact. Look, you're gonna get this, I love knowledge. But what I love more is wisdom. And the difference is, and again, I've got some comparisons in front of me that I want to sort of come up with you tonight. If you don't know the difference, of course, you can always chip that online and get yourself more clarity on that. But this is the thing, knowledge is composed of facts, your information and skills, where wisdom is composed of knowledge, experience and good judgment. You know, so that's one big difference of the two you want to get. Definitely get the knowledge but at the same time, you get the wisdom because wisdom encompasses knowledge as opposed to the other way around. And the other thing that I've noticed to you previously, is this online, you're getting a lot of history being erased, you're getting a lot of great information from the past been erased, it's getting censored, it's getting canceled, and you want to really, really question that in our so basically sometimes you don't know what the hell is going on out there when big tech companies would want to do that. So my perspective is this become an autodidact, study, research. And of course connect with people that you love, trust and of course respect where you can have conversations at times and I might be difficult, you know, with the majority of your group. In conclusion, personal brand leadership Nepali crisis well requires a proactive approach, and a willingness to invest in yourself and your brand. Subway establishing a professional presence, developing your story, establishing credibility through any form the current events, managing your online reputation and investing in yourself. You become a leader in your industry and thrive in a rapidly changing world.

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So with that, I'd like to thank you for listening today and I trust you found this episode valuable. Remember to rate us on Apple podcasts and to subscribe for more valuable content. Once you do please email us at confirmation. And we will send you a copy of the ebook the real world guide to authentic personal branding. Also remember to connect with me on various social media platforms including Twitter @Jon_Michail, LinkedIn as Jon, Michail and Facebook as image Group International. I thank you for tuning in today and I look forward to providing you with more valuable insights next week or wish you a great week. Cheers. 

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Jon Michail’s Personal Branding Masterclass" Podcast is sponsored by Image Group International, a global team of practical, digitally savvy personal brand and image strategists based in Australia, committed to maximizing your impact, influence and authority in the business world. To learn more and apply for your personal coaching, seminars and group workshops, please visit imagegroup.com.au or call 1800 631 311.