It was an honor to have had a conversation with the graduating senior women of the Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority chapter at Santa Clara University this week.
It was an honor to have had a conversation with the graduating senior women of the Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority chapter at Santa Clara University this week. This may come as a bit of a surprise to at least some of them, but these graduating college senior women know more than they realize about successfully developing their personal brands.
I was there to talk about how to prepare to show up as the very best versions of themselves. I believe that the personal branding concept gets a bad rap because it is often seen merely as marketing one’s self for professional success. One of the most salient points that I wanted to get across to everyone is that personal branding is actually so much more than that. I see that your personal brand is a strategy and a structure that helps you to live the life you want, which is so much more than a job.
This group of graduating college senior women know more than they realize about personal branding. Given the opportunity to think about this subject, they handily crafted the components to a solid plan to develop their brands.
I asked the women to brainstorm the answers to four questions related to the process of developing a personal brand. It’s not as though they were given a crash course, and then the chance to answer an essay question. Quite the opposite, actually, as I offered a little background insight, and then let everyone participate in small group activities. As it turns out, these graduating college senior women know more than they realize.
They had solid ideas about how to unearth their unique promise of value. They talked about the need to place oneself within a group or community that aligns with one’s values. One of the crucial values that came up throughout the night was the need to be authentic. Don’t be someone you’re not, was a poignant statement.
It’s so easy when you’re young and eager to please and get ahead to “fake it until you make it.” But, I advised that this strategy is a set-up for an unnecessary failure. And, I’ve seen mature adults of a certain age try to behave in such a way to seem relevant, which only undercuts their true value. In fact, another opinion expressed by the group is to avoid letting other’s strengths degrade your own. By focusing on what you aren’t good at, or what you seem to lack, you take your attention away from where you excel.
Using all public spaces in the sorority house, nearly 40 women split up onto groups to think about how to unearth their unique promise of value, how to compellingly communicate their brand, how to clearly communicate their brand’s high quality, and what is most crucial about being authentic.
They were also on the right track about how to compellingly communicate their brands. Some of their advice was about having good verbal communication skills, including that of being humorous and a good listener. They felt it was especially important to create a sincere and personal connection with people. They also considered the importance of developing a strong reputation and about showing up with consistency, in that one’s presence is matched by one’s actions.
Of course, personal style was a point of discussion. It’s a crucial way of demonstrating the high quality of one’s brand. I emphasized how personal style trumps attractiveness and that it is empowering to become known for a look that matches to one’s personality and goals, strengths and actions.
At the end of the conversation, one woman asked for any special advice specific to them as young women just starting out. I briefly paused to take in the question before offering an answer and an explanation. I told her that any advice I’ve ever given to any of my other clients still applies to them. I honor and respect that they are young women. But, why treat them like a special class? This suggests that they will not get what they want without having to do more than the average person.
A very recent study shows that women now hold 52% of all corporate management roles. I refuse to think that youth or gender automatically plays against their abilities. In fact, I am certain that these are strengths. This is hardly a naïve realization. As these graduating college senior women know more than they realize, and they need to own that moxie with conviction.
Joseph Rosenfeld helps successful Silicon Valley technology entrepreneurs and executives discover their personal brands and design their personal styles. Get Joseph’s free report that helps you know “7 Ways to Transform Your Personal Style”.
