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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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Hi everybody, and welcome back. It's great to have you here with me today. I'm excited because we're discussing a key principle that derives personal professional success and shapes the foundation of what I would say is your authentic personal brand. And that's certainly a subject close to my heart, and that's obviously continuous learning. So now you've probably heard a term lifelong learning before, but let's be honest, what does it mean for your personal brand and, of course, reputation, and more importantly, how does that continuous learning affect the way you're perceived by others, whether it's your career, your business or, of course, even your personal life. And think about that for a moment. That could also mean you as parents, a partner, a son, daughter, a mother, father, etc, etc, etc. So let's first define what that means. Continuous learning isn't just about going back to school or signing up for more formal education, by the way, we love education, but there is a time where you don't need any more formal education. You probably need more life education. That's my experience, having worked with many successful people out there, including, of course, people with doctorates, PhDs, and actual doctors, surgeons, etc. So the life aspects is really what's important, especially in a changing environment that we have currently. So according to research by Deloitte in the global human capital Trends report, fairly long winded title, today's workforce is moving towards a learning in the flow of work culture, and this means that learning isn't confined to the classroom. It's a growth mindset, a constant hunger for new knowledge, skills and experiences that keeps you ahead and, of course, adaptable and experiences is the key here, because if you can get the experiences, then obviously you embed the knowledge, as opposed to just reading it from the book. It's this ability to learn and adapt that sets high achievers from the rest. And think about it, every industry today is evolving at breakneck speed. A LinkedIn learning report found that 94% of employees would stay at a company longer if it invested in their learning. And why? Because growth is not just about professional, it's also personal. It keeps you relevant, sharp and, of course, forward thinking. So now let's connect continuous learning to your personal brand. Your personal brand, as we've discussed numerous times, isn't simply a snapshot of who you are today. It's a story of evolution, a timeline of growth. Authenticity is a core part of your personal brand, and to be authentic, you must be committed to self improvement, because sometimes, yes, when you are authentic, sometimes you're gonna fall over. That's okay, and we don't show away from that. You can't afford to stay stagnant, especially not in today's fast paced world. People are joined to individuals who embody growth, those who are always learning, adapting and leveling up. And you know, I've got numerous examples I want to share with you today. So take Jeff Bezos, for example. He once said, If you double the number of experiments you do per year, you're going to double your inventiveness. And of course, that's not bad saying, considering it's coming from Bezos, as the founder of Amazon. And this is the thing about that, the more you we've said this in different ways in the past, but the more you give it your best shot. Obviously, this is another way of saying specifically, you might get more chances in getting some sort of results.

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And that's what continuous learning is about, experimentation, exploration and a willingness to be better than you were yesterday, and laughing at failure in the face, because having a go is what moves human beings forward and moving on to the next part. I'd also like to share some of the benefits of course of continuous learning. So when you embrace continuous learning. It also communicates the world several powerful things to your audience, colleagues and clients, that they might not have known about you, and one of them is adaptability. Now, of course, adaptability, again, it's a very important trait to have, because when somebody that can navigate changes and challenges with ease. It also, of course, indicates a calmness to the world that, of course, provides a lot of confidence. So the ability to pivot is crucial, and the past pandemic obviously proved that, and especially when you consider that, According to McKinsey, the large consulting firm, 370, 5 million workers might need to change occupations by 2030, due to automation and AI. Now, when you think about that, just ponder on that for a moment. What that means is, you know, personal branding, of course, is going to grow and grow and grow, because how are you going to differentiate yourself in the world where a lot of jobs are going to be lost, and specifically, there'll be fewer jobs, but of course, there'll be a lot of new ones created as well, and that's the opportunity of reinventing yourself. And personal branding is exactly where that comes in next there is curiosity. And what's interesting about curiosity is we know that when you actively seek new wisdom, knowledge and skills, you're telling the world that you are driven to improve and also that you value yourself 100% because self improvers and self starters and self leaders out there are telling the world right, they're taking some risks with that and also accountable so they value themselves full on 100% and of course, Harvard Business Review and take curiosity enhances decision, liking reduces conflict in teams and, of course, drives workplace innovation. See, this is another myth destroyed. Remember how we were told that curiosity kills the cat? Well, in our experience, curiosity did not kill the cat. It enlivened its free spirit. Next, also, we want to visit resilience. Resilience another big concept right now, and by the way, and I'm not going to have a go at anybody here, but of course, the latest research that we're going to be talking about somewhere down the track is also about resilience and Gen Z specifically, because that's a serious problem right now with the workplace, but we'll talk about that another time. The more you learn, the more confident you become in stepping outside your comfort zone. And it's one of those moments of discomfort that real growth actually shoots up, and that's when it all happens. Remember, the uncomfortable zone is the growth zone, not the comfortable zone. And this is very, very important. And you just relate this to your own life. You know, think about that every time you've had that creative tension of uncomfortability is when possibly over that a time it could have been few moments later, could have been a day later, a week later, some good came out of that, and this is the importance here, the more comfortable you become, the more you become a boiling frog in water, okay? And you don't even know, potentially, over long term, how much damage that could be doing to you, because you're getting very, very comfortable the corporate and entrepreneurial worlds are about ongoing growth and evolution, in my experience, is a great thing to have, especially as part of your way of being, especially when it's done with purpose. So in essence, when you invest in your learning, you're investing, of course, in your reputation as well, and that's part of your personal brand, it shows that you're a dynamic leader who's committed to growth. Another area you might want to consider is this. So you might be thinking, so how do you incorporate continuous learning into your routine without feeling overwhelmed? That's a great question, and I know your time is precious, so let's break it down in manageable strategies. First of all, commit to micro learning. The idea of micro learning is that it's rooted in the principle that you don't need hours of study to learn something new. 

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And studies, and my experience, suggests that the brain is far more effective at retaining information when it's delivered in short, focused births. And of course, social media is proving that right now with the short attention spans, so that could be one indication of that. By the way, there's other negatives associated with that as well, but I want to stick on the positives today. So first prioritize your interests and use your precious commute time to listen to podcasts. Select the podcast. Spend 10 minutes a day reading articles in your field. Watch short videos that provide actionable insights that you can put into activation immediately. You know, small, consistent efforts come down into big results. Number two is also attend networking events and conferences, but strategically now this is, you know, I can talk, from my experience, I've obviously cultivated a lot of networks over the last 35 years, and some of the events I've gone to are a waste of time. So that means, after the experiences, the more research you do on why you're going there, and three outcomes you're looking for before you get there, might be a good way to start thinking about this. Yes, so make sure it's a good investment of your time, because it's not just about what you learn, but also who you learn it from. There is an old myth that you could learn from everybody. Basically, it's true if you have 1000 years to live on the planet, but we know better, that the short time we have, we must invest it purposely. So that means also you gotta respect your time, therefore the right networking events and goal wise, for picking up fresh perspectives, and, of course, hearing industry and non Industry Insights, especially when you're just starting out or you're an emerging leader. And according to Inc Magazine, 85% of jobs are filled through networking. Now this is the funny bit. Who would have known that, right that a lot of the jobs are already filled before they're even advertised. Of course, I'm saying that with a little bit of jest, because the reality is that's how most jobs are filled. They're not filled through the front door. They are normally filled through the back door again, be selected, you know, and attend also to the right workshops, webinars or conferences that fit your mission. So be very clear why you're attending it. And it could be and if it's just basically for ideation or or just the awareness building, that's fine as well. Just be clear on why you're doing how you're investing your time, and hopefully you will meet and engage with other professionals who can challenge your thinking and broaden your horizons. So attracting leaders into your sphere of influence, in my opinion, is a strategic move. It rarely happens by accident. So if you want to, you know, and this is a big one that I've spoken about before, before before you become a leader, start acting like a leader. That's the key here. And of course, you're already on the road to leadership, and this is very, very important. Leadership doesn't happen when you've actually become a leader. It starts with self leadership. And number three is set learning goals. I noted this a second ago, but also, we often set career goals, right? We set financial goals. You know, fitness goals, get fitter or thinner or healthy or whatever. But what about learning goals? The greatest learning is wisdom based that you get action quickly. So what's important is define what skills and loads you want to acquire over the next three, six or 12 months. For example, if you're aiming to improve public speaking, set a goal to watch TED Talks weekly or join in a local Toastmasters group and get communication coaching, if that's required. A Stanford University study found that setting specific learning goals can improve focus and motivation, especially if you link them to your core values. So this is very, very important. Next one is also the diversify your learning sources. So it's easy to fall into the trap of sticking to one learning method. But here's the thing, different types of information stick better in different formats. So read books again, listen to podcasts, watch videos, attend live events, all take selected online courses. Now, in my experience, having done this for a long time, I do it regularly, and I also recommend that with my selected and of course, intimate networking groups. So by diversifying your sources, you expose yourself to a richer learning experience and make it easier to connect ideas across various disciplines. Finally, also reflection. And we've spoken about reflection in different ways, but generally, reflection is very, very important. And of course, I would say, you know, you would do it daily, if not many, many, many times during the day. You know, this is all about flow.

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This is about creating stress or anxiety or creating more problems for yourself. But it is a very, very underlooked key to learning. So we want to look at this as really something that can make a difference if you reflect and make that as part of your behavior. So continuous learning is not just about absorbing information, it's also about reflection. So according to a study, again by Harvard Business School, people who spend 15 minutes at the end of the day. Reflecting on what they learned, perform 23% better after just 10 days than those who don't. Now, I've said you can do it numerous times to the day, right? I don't know about that result, but certainly, if that feels right for you, I certainly do that, especially for decision making. I think you might even get better results, but I think 20% better after 10 days. Man, that's a good statistic. So reflect on your day, your week. Think critically about what you've learned and how you can apply it to your brand, Business, Career, and, of course, your life, and ask yourself, How does this knowledge align with my values. And this is very, very important, because if you don't align up with your values, you might get misinformed and potentially disinformed into ideas that really don't resonate with who you are, okay? And this is very, very important. That's why I've spoken about grounding critical thinking before. This is very, very important. Otherwise, the latest trends can take you off course, and I think that's very valuable in my experience. So how can I help you serve your audience better? That could be another one to consider, especially if you're going to be working with clients. So the act of reflection helps internalize learning and makes it actionable. As we wrap up today's episode, remember this, continuous learning isn't just the tool for achieving success. It's an essential part of who you are. In my experience, a lot of people have gone to school, they've gone to university, get a double degree, get a job, and stop learning. That's not what you know. What talking about here continuous learning is, of course, if you want to do any more formal academic education, go ahead, go for it. But at the same time, it's also experiential learning, because that's actually what's going to make the biggest difference, as opposed to getting more papers for your wall. So just consider that when you're thinking about, obviously, what are some of the things you need to do moving forward. So it's a very important part of how you also will build more authenticity in your personal brand, because your ability to grow at that and evolve is what sets you apart in an increasingly competitive and disruptive world. It shows initiative. So every time you push your boundaries, stay curious, or take that step to learn something new, you're adding to the rich journey of your brand, and what that is is a lifelong journey of growth and, of course, development. So I say, why wait? Start now. You'll never know the benefits until you commit and, of course, get into action.

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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 personal coaching, seminars, and group workshops, please visit imagegroup.com.au or call 1800 631 311.