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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 and welcome to my master class before we explore today's episode, I'd love to connect with you online. My ex is John, underline, Michael. My LinkedIn is simply John, Michael. And you can find me as Image Group International on Facebook. Let's connect and keep the conversation going. Today, we're exploring a topic that's not just timely, but essential, aligning your personal brand with your leadership. And when you want to be thinking about leadership, now you might want to be thinking also your self leadership, and, of course, your group leadership. But I am going to just use the term leadership as a collective The reality is, we are at a pivotal moment in history. You're going to have a new president about to start, or by the time you've heard this podcast, is already most likely sworn in a time when Leadership isn't just a buzzword, it's an expectation, and you're going to see really interesting changes in leadership, definitely for the next two to four years. It's no longer about only about profits, prestige or products alone. It's also going to be about legacy, and today, I'm here to help you make yours meaningful. You music. Let me start with this truth. Your personal brand represents your leadership, and your leadership is your legacy. It's what you stand for when no one's looking. It's how you make people feel. It's what people remember long after you've left the room. So why personal branding and leadership are intertwined. Why? Well, let's break this down. Personal leadership matters so much when it comes to personal branding because, as I noted, the world is shifting so it's always mattered, certainly in the last 20 odd years or prior for that matter, as well. But right now, in this current moment, it's Matt It's mattering more than ever, because the world is shifting so quickly. People are no longer just buying products or services or investing in values. Research shows that 88% of consumers want brands to help them live more sustainable lives, whether it's clients, employers or investors, people are gravitating towards leaders and brands that stand for something bigger than simply profits. When you align your personal brand leadership and for example, sustainability, you're saying, I'm here to do more than just make money for money's sake, although, of course, we've discussed before, money is important. I'm here to make a difference. That's a noble message that resonates deeply with people, and it's one that will stand the test of time if you sincerely mean it. So what that means is no virtue signaling, just do it from your heart and your head, okay, but just do it because it's what you actually believe in.

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So how do you align your personal brand with your leadership? How do you do that? Well, here are four actionable steps, and we can start implementing them today straight away, step one, re evaluate your values. You know what you stand for? Take a step back and ask yourself, what do you truly stand for? It could be, in this case I mentioned already sustainability. It could be that you stand for making a difference in your community. It could be that you will do whatever it takes to make sure your family has a lifestyle that really resonates with them, and, of course, with you, and gives you the freedom to travel and spend the way you like your life as per your needs and wants. So this is something for you to work out. Your personal brand is not just what you do, though. It's why you do it. In other words, ask yourself, what do you get out of bed in the morning? And if it's and of course, it's mostly we know this for most people, is really to earn an income so they can pay their bills. That's fine. I mean, everyone has to do what they have to do, but the same time, what I'm really getting you to identify here is that there's something a lot bigger than just doing that. So identify the core values that guide your decisions. If sustainability, that's fine, integrity or social impact matter to you, make those values Central. To your brand. Of course, when you ask for me and my business, authenticity is the key part here. Originality is another part. And of course, being provocative, to get people to think differently is very, very important part of my values as well. So it's how I'd like to make a difference. But for you, could be something totally different. So this isn't about perfection, and some things will evolve over time. But as I mentioned, for me, it's authenticity. But again, guess what? Authenticity also is a big, big concept as a trend in today's world, because there's so much fakery going on that we've spoken many, many times about before. So authenticity, as it's often said, your personal brand is what people say about you when you're not in the room. So let your values be the foundation of that conversation. And that will certainly give you a lot of feedback, and that will also get you then to start questioning some of the pros and cons of what you're actually doing. 

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Now let's go to step number two, lead with integrity. So integrity is the backbone of leadership branding, and integrity is basically what keeps a structure together, like coming from the word Integris. So what we're talking about here is, if there is no integrity, the structure collapses. So if you're going to advocate for sustainable practices, like we've had a lot of people do in the last 10 odd years, you'd better make sure your actions match your words. In my experience, there's a lot of Virtu signaling around that, because it's got nothing to do with really caring about the sustainable practice. In many cases, it's more about what I would call is follow the money. Okay, so people can spot a fake a mile away, and trust once broken is almost impossible to rebuild. So operating with integrity doesn't mean being flawless. It means being transparent. If you make a mistake, own it if you're taking steps to improve, share your progress. Trust is earned through consistency and authenticity, and people will forgive you when you're that, when you're authentic, and you just say, Hey, I'm sorry, mate, I stuffed up, people will forgive you, as opposed to cover up. And of course, we know what that looks like and cover up. It's an energy that really is a fairly, fairly, what I would say is non attractive, if I can use that word diplomatically that way, although I think it's a lot worse than that. So now let's go to step number three, collaborate with like minded, what I would call a spirited individuals. Okay, so like minded for me, he means like minded spirit. This is very important. And the beautiful thing about this is you don't have to agree on everything, as long as you get along and you connect. From that perspective, I think miracles can happen. So leadership is not a solo act. It's aligning yourself with others who share your vision. And of course, by sharing your vision together, you can amplify your impact. This could mean partnering with organizations, joining forces with genuine influences and authorities in this in a particular space you're interested in, or even mentoring others. Take the time to build relationships with people who are also driving change, or even beyond change, what I would say call is transformation. Collaboration shows that you're not just about me, you're about we, and in today's world, that's the kind of leadership that inspires loyalty and respect, and people are very, quite hungry to find that. And of course, get involved with that sort of energy that I would use to specifically describe that. Step number four is sharing your story. Now, people don't just want to know what you do. They want to know why you do it. And of course, this why we've discussed this many, many times. Yeah, why do you do what you do? Why do you want to make a difference? What is it? So? Whatever it is for you. So your story is the emotional hook that connects you to the audience. Remember, without emotion, there's no connection. We make decisions always based on emotion, and then we justify it with logic, and it's the same thing here with your story. 

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What inspired you to focus, for instance, on sustainability, if that's going to be your subject and your authentic story is really what's going to make this really stick? So what challenges have you faced in staying true to your values? That's also a big one, because staying true to your values, also living in the world that we're living in can get you into trouble, because living with some of your values right now might have got you canceled in the past. But what happens when you don't stay true to your values before you know it, and I can tell you, for some people listening to this. Because the evidence would show, my experience shows this with people. I know that if you don't stay true to your values, eventually you don't even know who you are anymore, okay? And that's a serious problem, because you've gone away from who you truly are. And this is a serious problem, of course, for a lot of people out there. And I think if you do that for too long, I think mental health and all sorts of other issues would come to the surface. So share these moments that make you human, relatable and most importantly, real. People love that. And a case studies that I want to share is the Patagonia guy, Yvon Chouinard, a French name that's always difficult to pronounce, but I think I've done a fairly good job with that. The point here is this. He built more than just the business. He built a movement from using recyclable materials to donating profits to environmental causes. Patagonia lives and breathes its values very unique from the perspective of do exactly as I say and say is exactly as what I do. It's a congruent company, and even himself has been transparent about his journey, including, of course, many of the challenges his leadership has turned Patagonia into a brand that isn't just admired, it's actually trusted and trust, as I've said many, many times before, is the ultimate currency of leadership branding. Trust is everything.

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So in closing, where does this leave you? Well, the time is to act now. Reflect on your values, ensure that integrity is at the core of your brand. Seek out like minded, like spirited collaborators, and never underestimate the power of storytelling. As leaders, we have a responsibility and the opportunity to shape a better future. It's our role to step up, stand out, and share exactly what we want to share with the world. The brands that thrive in 2025 and beyond will be those that prioritize the impact and legacy over short term cheap wins. I want to thank you, as always, for tuning in and especially to this episode. If today's master class inspired you, encourage you to subscribe and share it with your network. And if you're ready to take your personal brand to the next level, reach out to Patricia. Patricia, dot bosser at image group.com.au, let's make your legacy unforgettable until next time. Stay bold. Stay authentic and keep leading with purpose. I'm John Michaels. Signing off with a big Cheerio.

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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.