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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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Welcome back to my show. I'm John Michael, your guide through the intricate well the authentic personal branding, and today we're taking a step back from the digital era to explore the timeless art of traditional networking. In our hyper connected world, you know, it's easy to get caught in the allure of social media and forget about the power of face to face interactions. But let me tell you, traditional networking still holds immense value in building your personal brand, and advancing your career and or business. I would say that just as much, or even more than ever, and I'll give you insights to consider from today's discussion. So what is the art of personal branding in traditional networking? And how can you master it? Well, let's start with some context. The real big and small deals in business are done behind the scene. And with his perspective in mind, I'll be connecting it to today's session around networking and of course, personal branding. In business, particularly at the highest levels, there are significant deals, and pivot soul connections often occur away from the public eye contrary to the pervasive culture of social media transparency, evident today. To this day. This trend harks back to historical practices of all established families and accumulation of generational wealth, where discretion and strategic networking have long been the key to maintaining and expanding influence. In our historically the most influential families and businesses thrived in this great collections, and closed door negotiations. So what that means is it wasn't done on Facebook, the Rothschilds, the Rockefellers and the Morgans have passed, especially from American context. And in recent times, including musk, Bezos, and Zuckerberg, for instance, build their empires through tight knit networks of trust, and private agreements. And of course, in the Australian context, the same applies here for the practice the Murdochs. And the forests, these families understood and understand the value of privacy, allowing them to negotiate deals without external pressures or public scrutiny. This approach enabled them and enables them to this day to control information flow, manage public perception, and strategically plan that moves in the marketplace. 

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So personal branding in the context of these traditional networks, does not align specifically with a contemporary practice of broadcasting achievements and intentions on social media. Instead, it involves cultivating a reputation for reliability, discretion and influence within a select community. You know, the goal is not public recognition, per se, because they already have it. But the trust and respect of key stakeholders, it can open doors to new opportunities and collaborations. So building such a personal brand requires what I would say is been consistent with one's business dealings, reinforcing reliability, you are a crucial trait for guiding and maintaining trust, while of course, within a role playing within these, you know, elite networks. So the quality of relationships is essential. Depth is more important than breadth in building these influential offline communities or networks. And that is dramatically different from the online world. So it's so different, contrary to what we might think the focus is on cultivating a few high quality relationships that can lead to more significant opportunities. Then numerous superficial connections plus it's also bad confidentiality. So about and of course, in my role, of course, that a lot of experience that playing the role of confident so it's about specifically keeping things within so upholding a standard of strict confidentiality, of course ensures that sensitive information is protected, which is critical in the high stakes environments. When it comes to visibility. ality it's specifically about strategic visibility, selective visibility and high profile gatherings, you know, such as exclusive clubs, charity events and private functions is a more effective branding strategy to engage, then widespread public exposure, especially when I'm talking about elites. And in today's digital age, that, you know, the temptation is to publicise every business move on social media. And that can be detrimental to the kinds of high level dealings that I'm talking about here that required confidentiality and strategic forethought. So while social media can be a powerful tool for broad reaching brand awareness, it is not typically conducive to the formula formation of deep strategic partnerships that drive the most significant business deals. So to navigate this lands, Skype, effectively modern entrepreneurs and of course, executives should leverage technology wisely. So it's very important, but he got to use that wisely, suddenly, you know, using the digital tools to enhance not to replace traditional relationship building practices.

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For instance, on LinkedIn, you can be very effective for initial contacts. But deeper connections should be forged through personal meanings, and of course, direct communications, like everything, it's essential to maintain a balance. While some visibility is necessary to signal presence and relevance in the industry, as witnessed by the most successful leaders and brands in the world today, you must balance this with offline activities and private networking strategies that I've already mentioned before that protect definitely trade secrets and strategic plants. The new generations of business leaders, from my point of view, are advised to get educated about the value of privacy and discretion in business practices, especially in environments where the old gods still plays a significant role. And remember, the Old God still controls a lot of the wealth in society. So don't think because somebody's getting that little bit all that longer matter. That would be a fairly, what I would call ungrounded move or thinking to have, so you want to be really, really clear about that. So what doesn't change though, is the value of making a memorable impression in all of this, whichever way you do it. So whether you're attending a networking event, a conference, business meeting, etc, your goal is to be clear of why you're there. You know, so why have you attended and to stand out in a positive and memorable way, if you choose, obviously, to stand up? For my point of view, that's a proactive mood, you know, unless you're on that sub sort of covert operation, and I think most people listening to my podcast are not on that in most cases. So that means projecting the part exuding confidence and being genuinely interested in the people you meet said it's if I can use the Ozzy Blacula. It's about being fair dinkum. So what does that mean? Well, it's important to be authentic. And why is that important? Well, that can sound a little bit cliched today, but your personal brand is all about being true to yourself, and showcasing what makes you unique. If you sincerely care about building authentic relationships, avoid being someone you're not. People can see through that. And he can do major damage to your reputation. Instead, focus on highlighting your strengths, of course values and asking questions that relates with the people you meet. And the only way you can ask questions people you made is about obviously, you know, listening to them, and opening a little bit of your heart right to get some sort of connection because real connected networking, and this is connected networking, as opposed to networking, per se, is about building relationships, not just collecting business cards, as I've noted, that taking the time to get to know people, and I am not going to say this is easy, by the way that definitely takes time and energy to other people you meet on a deeper level. Yeah, it doesn't happen. It can't happen superficially, you got to get interested. So asking thoughtful questions, listening attentively and looking for ways to add value to their lives or business is what matters here. And of course, adding by you could also mean you know how you going to deal with some of the challenges and pain spots, etc. Remember the power of the follow up so you've met them at a networking event, or a meeting. So you got to make sure to follow up with the new connections in a timely manner. Whether it's sending a personalised card, an email, connecting on LinkedIn or scheduling a follow up leading Stein top of the mind is key to cultivating in that word, if you are serious in growing your relationship chips. If not, that's fine. That's also a choice, however, know that real relationships need that attention and cultivation over time. And that's how established families and business have done that throughout history. It's all about relationship. 

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Networking is a two way street of reciprocity, assist them have given tight. Don't just focus on what you can gain from your connections that's cheap and nasty, more so consider better how you can contribute and add value to their lives and businesses Allah challenges as I noted, a few minutes earlier, such a conclude while the landscape with network given dealmaking has evolved with the advent of digital communication, the most substantial business deals often still rely on the Agile principles of discretion, trust and tightly knit networks, as evidenced by historical business dealings this cultivating a personal brand of values these principles alongside model tools and strategies can yield significant Abate, often unseen successes in business served by mastering the art of personal branding. In traditional networking, by being authentic, you can build genuine relationships, expand your influence, and that'll walk you opportunities for growth and success. Well, that's come to the end of today's episode. Before we finish our chat, though, I'd kindly asked you to connect with me on social media. My Twitter ex is John underlined Michael, my LinkedIn is John Michael, you can find me as image Group International Facebook. Also remember to rate us on Apple podcasts and subscribe for more valuable content. If you need any help your journey please contact patricia.bosa@imagegroup.com.au. I thank you for tuning in today. And remember, whether you're networking online or offline, your personal brand is your most valuable asset because it's your reputation. Until next time, 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.