Blogging for t5m.com

I am now running a channel for t5m - the fabulous digital and broadcast site. Apart from my blog :-), you can also find coverage from the BRITs, documentaries, sporting events, and in-depth profiles of actors, musicians, writers and designers...

You can read all about it here: t5m.com

Louise

Web 2.0 Expo NY: Gary Vaynerchuk - Building personal brand...

Gary Vaynerchuk talks about building personal brand within the social media landscape.

His PP message - patience and passion ring true. So many are questioning what they are doing, whether they have a true passion for it. Gary's message: if you are not doing what you do with passion, stop doing it!

There are a few seminal moments in life when we get to take a step back from the day to day and really ask ourselves if what we do with most of our time is something that we are truly passionate about. More often than not, those seminal moments come with change. And usually, we are not in the driving seat. It comes out of the blue - often it seems harsh, unfair, difficult. The rug is pulled from under our feet and we are left floundering, gasping for air like a fish out of water.

I see this day to day with my clients, and have experienced it myself on too many occasions. If we don't live our passions, if we are not prepared to take the risk and change what we are doing, then life comes along and changes it for us. And all too often, its downright uncomfortable to say the least.

I'll leave the expletives for Gary - suffice to say that its a little like a spring clean - grab the opportunity, claim the space that loss presents and take a stance. Work out what you love to do and then begin. And don't stop until you find the flow, are in the groove, totally in the zone. You will know when you get there. The feeling is awesome.

Life Changing Events in May

Are you a Leader, Entrepreneur or dealing with change in these tough economic conditions?

We are delivering three life changing evening workshops on the 18th, 19th and 20th May to hone your soft skills - vital in these difficult times.

Click on the appropriate link for more info and to reserve online - places are limited so do book early to avoid disappointment.

18 May - Leadership Brand
19 May - Entrepreneurial Brand
20 May - Vital Transitions

And feel free to contact me if you have any questions or queries: louise@mowbraybydesign.com

What do Microsoft, Dyson and HP have in common?

Is this the right time to start a new business? We are expecting the largest reduction in GDP since 1946 in the next 12 months - and unemployment levels are set to rise to over 3.25 million by the end of 2010.

And interesting to note that Bill Gates founded Microsoft in the recession of 1975, James Dyson launched his vacuum company in the early 90’s and Hewlett-Packard emerged out of a garage at the end of the Great Depression. According to Ernst & Young’s ITEM Club, the recession may well be the catalyst for the next generation of UK entrepreneurs.

The current situation may well fuel an increase in entrepreneurial activity, which will undoubtedly play an increasingly important part in re-energising the economy. On the other hand, investors are cautious and unless the people driving the ideas are creative and persistent, they may not find the funding they need. Low start up costs, quick routes to market and a high perceived value are vital for customers and investors alike. But without charasmatic, passionate people with strong personal brands leading the way, it will be tough, very tough.

Piers Morgan interviews Sir Richard Branson

"I think reputation is really all you have in life - and that's something which you've got to fight to protect." Sir Richard Branson responding to a question from Piers Morgan on Piers Morgan's Life Stories - ITV.

I often refer to Branson when speaking or presenting - call it an enduring, compelling fascination with a powerful personal brand doing it his way. All the way. Sir Richard gets it, in the way that I believe Piers Morgan himself gets it - another one to watch.

This interview is a must see.

Public Speaking & Presenting

Does the thought of presenting or speaking in public rock your very core? So many are paralysed - reduced to a hyperventilating, sweaty fight or flight muddle by the very thought of getting up in front of a group. And yet, having the presence to deliver your intended message in an impactful way is a vital foundation skill that we can all learn. I think that they should teach this stuff in school. And not only in the debating society. The ability to perform with passion and conviction is all about a simple change in focus - from ourselves to our audience.

So as a start, with a focus on your audience, you need to apply the power of PIE. That is Persuading, Informing, Entertaining or Educating. I'm not too keen on yet another acronym, however, we all like the power of PIE/Pi/pie.

This particular PIE is all about the purpose or objective of your talk - whether you are delivering to the members of the board or at a conference of thousands. What are you trying to achieve? Do you need to persuade; are you simply informing; does it need to be entertaining or is the purpose to educate? Once you are clear in your own mind, you have the flavour or tone of your presentation. The secret here is to keep the focus, don't waiver.

The charismatic Steve Jobs does it best:



Leadership brands - the banks

I was watching the Treasury Select Committee's grilling of four former bankers last week. The interesting face of this story is the perception of banks in the broadest sense. When we look at the global brands that had until September last year have been synonymous with institution, due diligence, risk management, trustworthiness, solvency - we are now faced with an entirely different perspective. Bankers on the other hand have in recent years been perceived as risk-takers, financial wizards having a magic touch earning bonuses in multiple millions. The two have never really been congruent.

And with bankers bonuses being limited in bale-out banks, and the banks themselves being institutionalised, I believe that we are going to see very different leadership brands.

The premise of a strong leadership brand is that the leaders in the organisations they work for personify the aspirations of the corporate brand - and the successful application of this has a direct effect on the bottom line. So we expect that those working for Nike, swoosh, just do it - will in turn display the fundamental characteristics and personality of this well known brand - if they don't it, it has a negative effect on investors and customers alike.

And how will this now translate to the banks... with a whole new set of criterion, will the leadership in turn change dramatically to reflect the current situation? Somber leaders for somber times?

Job Losses

Whilst trying to get a feel for the numbers of job losses à la crunch I stumbled across an article in the Telegraph by Jamie Dunkley on the 2nd February titled Financial Crisis: Job Losses. It's worth a read as he diligently lists the 83,368 job losses in the four months prior (UK). And according to an influential report from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development due to be published tomorrow, it seems that two out of five employers plan redundancies in the next three months.

This all begs a key question - what criteria will those who decide the fate of this soon to be unemployed workforce use to make their decisions? The obvious - closure of unprofitable business units will see unnecessary, un-transferable skills and expertise go first. The fat will be cut and under performing individuals will be next on the list. Plans for growth and expansion will be shelved for the time being and with it the associated headcount. And then the difficult bit. The bit that is based on how people are perceived vs. any of the above.

I was consulting with a client who was employed by one of the financial giants that lost its footing recently. He and a number of his team were subsequently reemployed by the organisation that bought out selected business units. He described the agonising process of picking the few who would stay. The cut was 30 out of an original team of 100. The under performers and skills mismatch were a no brainer, which left him with 60. Losing the remaining 30 was difficult to say the least. All qualified, experienced, skilled - all technically right for the roles.

It eventually boiled down to perceived soft skills and relationships. Now we all know that perception is reality. Or I should say, perception is a form of reality. It can be demonstrably false, and all too often it is. Those with the perceived soft skill smarts stayed, and those without, left.

There could not be a more urgent need for all of us to take a good look at the impressions we are creating in the minds of those who can and may affect our success in the future. And I am talking all areas that have an influence - our bosses, clients, investors, employees, suppliers, business partners, colleagues. Its not rocket science, its not complicated - but it does need attention, soonest.

At times like these, extraordinary times, some settle into an inertia born of a perceived lack of control over their destinies. And others reach determinedly for the next rung. They both take the same amount of energy with very different outcomes.

Learn how: Personal Branding - The Competitive Edge

30th October invitation...

Please join me in London at the Chicago GSB campus on the 30th October. I will be talking at a breakfast meeting - the topic is "Personal branding in an uncertain world: why it matters, how it works and how we can turn it to our advantage."

Who: CGSB, Insead, LBS and Harvard Alumni will be attending
What: Breakfast meeting
When: Thursday, 30th October 2008
Where: CGSB London Campus, Woolgate Exchange, 25 Basinghall St, London
Why: Soft skills are vital in tough markets
How: Register online to book your place

The event starts at 07:45am, will finish at 08:45am and costs £15.

We still have some places left, so please book as soon as possible - and for those of you who have already confirmed, thank you, I am looking forward to seeing you there.

Louise

Do people see right through you?

In the tightening job market its more important than ever to stand out with a strong, robust personal brand. And for those who have lost jobs and are focused on getting back into the market - a strong brand will give you an all important competitive edge.

Last week, after five months of development and beta testing, we launched iWorkshop™ - the first interactive personal branding workshop available online. It feels extraordinary to crystalise an enduring, relentless niggling fascination with what makes one person succeed above others - into an application that can help people to stand out and shine.

Online presence...

What is the point in being on a social or business networking site if you don't put a photograph of yourself on your page? We certainly remember the names of our close friends and those we do business with, however, most of us have hundreds if not thousands of 'contacts' that we have interacted with over the years and the chances of remembering everyone without a visual reminder is slim.

Furthermore, why do these faceless people feel that its ok to connect without any explanation of how you might know each other or why they would like to know you?

The most common explanation that I've heard is that people want to maintain some sort of anonymity or exclusivity and only connect to those who know them really well. A comedy of contradictions - if you only want those who you know to connect then why have an online presence?

And the most fascinating aspect of this is the negative first impression that we have of this faceless brigade. I am sure that I am not alone when I say that I am deeply suspicious of those who attempt to connect as friends or business contacts without a photograph to jog the memory or explanation - what's the point?

An online presence, which is what this boils down to, is a vital aspect of a personal brand. We live in a world where 'googling' others is considered normal - even potential employers check out their applicants online. Very simply, we need to ensure that every experience that others have of our brand is one that represents us effectively. Masked ball's aside, we wouldn't appear at a party or business event hiding our faces - why do this online unless you want to make others suspicious of your intentions?

Women in Business

I found Lina Saigol and Roula Khalaf's article in the FT yesterday titled "Women make gains in Arab boardrooms" particularly interesting bearing in mind that I spent three and a half years based in Dubai. From a survey into boards in the six-nation Gulf Co-operation Council, it seems that public companies listed in Oman and Kuwait have more women (2.7 per cent in Kuwait) on their boards than in Italy (2 per cent) and Japan (0.4 per cent).

However, these figures are not representative of the region as a whole where only 30 per cent of woman play a part in their economies versus 55 per cent worldwide. My personal experience of working in the middle east is that women are well respected in business and are a formidable force to be reckoned with. The UAE, in particular, is vitally aware of the impact of having 50 per cent of their 'local' workforce in play - and my impression is that women are encouraged to excel in the workplace.

From a personal branding perspective, I found that the women in business that I met are particularly aware of how they are perceived and the initial impressions that they make. Business is still primarily oiled by relationships and reputations in a far more obvious way than in the UK and USA where the fundamentals are often masked by big company brands. Not that personal brands are necessarily stronger in middle east - rather, they seem to take the lead. I think that we mistakenly rely too heavily on corporate brands in the west - often to the detriment of our careers, and ultimately, the detriment of the companies that we work for.

Style over substance?

I have been working with a client who is in banking over the last few months. With so much turmoil in the markets, she wanted to ensure that her company understood her value. As she should - banking has been hard-hit globally with job cuts reaching frightening proportions and everyone is feeling understandably vulnerable.

It is at times like these that our personal brands really do work hard for us, not only in obvious ways when we are present, but more importantly, behind the scenes where we have little direct influence or control.

We often hear cries of 'style over substance' when discussing making our brands known to our market or audience. This is such a misnomer. Being known for who you are, what you do, and how you do it better is, in most cases, all about subtlety rather than blatant self-promotion.

Job Cuts

This week I was invited to join a panel on BBC Radio Five Live to discuss when those in business, politics and sports should resign. With so much uncertainty in the markets and a frightening number of job cuts reported and predicted, the need for a strong personal brand couldn't be more stark.

And it seems fairly obvious that when people should go is a timing issue. Either an unanticipated disaster has occurred as in the case of Terminal 5, or we want to pre-empt a possible disaster as in the case of Mr Brown. And one can argue that Mr Walsh's management style prevented those who thought that a disaster might occur from raising the issue - and their heads did roll. And the latter, well, we are predicting a rather difficult coming week for the British Prime Minister.

Yet more often than not it is worth seeing a possible disaster through to completion for the greater good of the organisation. In the not too distant past, the constant change of leadership had deeply negative effect on the Conservative Party, leaving voters reluctant to commit.

And it is at times like this when that we see people's personal brands having a profound effect on their futures. We are prepared to weather the storm with those that we can connect to emotionally.

Simon Cowell

Interesting comment from Simon Cowell on American Idol's latest series cutting the remaining 24 down to 20 this week. He said it as it is... nothing unusual in that, however, he happened to outline the foundations of a powerful personal brand.

Now, we often hear Simon describing a performance as dull, boring, unmemorable. On this occasion, he went into a little more detail. He said that the performer had to bring something different, memorable, interesting, unique, relevant to the table. I would sum it all up and use one word. Compelling. All of these things need to add up to compelling. We need to want more. Loads more.

Intuition...

One of my clients is an entrepreneur of note. Having worked with him last year on his own personal brand, I am now working with all of the heads of the companies that he invests in. From my perspective, its interesting to see that there are a number of key common traits in the people that he is backing. From his perspective, he has chosen these people and their ideas based on a gut feeling. When it comes to the wire, he relies on his intuition.

And I find that these savvy smart people that seem to embody the word success really do use and trust their intuition more than most. They take all the knowledge that they can gather using their five senses, and combine it with the one thing that is difficult to quantify. They research, analyse, logically work through the data and assuming it stacks up, then tap into a wisdom or 'knowingness' that just has nothing to do with facts or figures. In my clients' words... "there are so many similar ideas, technologies, services - assuming that there is a level playing field, the only thing to bet on is the people involved." Interestingly, he has bet on people with healthy personal brands... they are compelling to their markets, absolutely authentic and consistently consistent.

Interview with Ayesha Vardag, Divorce Lawyer

Ayesha Vardag is one of the top divorce lawyers in the UK, handling high profile, high net worth cases. She graduated with honours in law from Cambridge University in 1990, and as a scholar in European law from the Université Libre, Brussels in 1991. She then worked at the International Court of Justice in the Hague and at the UN in Vienna. She qualified and worked initially as a finance solicitor at Linklaters in London and Moscow, and then at Weil, Gotshal & Manges in London. Ayesha also trained as an advocate at the Inner Temple and was called to the Bar.

Ayesha moved across to Matrimonial and Family law in 1999 at Sears Tooth. She left to lecture in family law at Queen Mary’s, London, and to establish Ayesha Vardag Solicitors as an independent practice. She works primarily with high net worth / high achieving clients, drawing on her City based deal orientated negotiating skills against a background of hard hitting litigation experience, and a strategic intellectual grasp of the law. Recent work has included the major reported case of FS v JS, one of the first multi million cases since the notorious House of Lords decision last year in Miller v Miller. And this year a celebrity £30 million international divorce involving offshore trusts and a £40 million international divorce involving foreign assets.

We met at the Milestone Hotel in Kensington over delicious champagne and I asked Ayesha what ©The Power of Image meant to her. She said that “it is the immediate impression that one gets of another”, and when it comes to Personal Branding, she believes that it is a “recognisable personal statement of who you are”. She went on to say that “as people come to know your work it becomes less important, but initially, first impressions really count”. When I asked her about the Image Culture within her company, she said that she has created “a city, professional, glamorous culture… a departure from some of the dingier matrimonial lawyers of the old era when family law was seen as low rent and hadn’t become a high stakes financial field".

She seems to be naturally aware, and her offices and team are living proof. Ayesha employed a design consultant to create, in her offices overlooking the High Court, an environment that will be comfortable and familiar for her clients… “quietly opulent, with the feeling of a private home”. She wants her clients to feel that the service that she provides is “personal… bespoke” and that her office environment is “somewhere that they will feel at ease”.

When it comes to her clients’ Image, Ayesha advises them what is appropriate in the courtroom. “Men should be smart, sober, respectable, demure… not too sharp or snappy… Women should be quietly expensive, not flashy or too sexy, with no vulgar displays of wealth”.

Ayesha’s parents were the first to instil an awareness of creating a positive first impression. Her father was a politician and her mother elegant and conscious of Image. She laughingly remembers wearing a smart grey suit for her interview at Cambridge University.

Ayesha’s clients are international high net worth individuals, many of whom enjoy resident non domiciled status in the UK in its capacity as an on-shore tax haven. She describes a “feeding frenzy” in her market due to the UK’s generous rulings on divorce and says that there are a “vast number of people profiting from the conditions”. She competes with what she terms “the magic circle of long established firms” and her business has grown exponentially as her clients feel that she delivers “a more personal, proactive, thinking service with lower costs” due to the leaner organisational structure and personal service… “my clients don’t get relegated down the ranks”.

When it comes to high net worth divorce cases, “people want someone to fight on their behalf, to win… someone who is strong and confident and may look slightly intimidating to the other side”. And Ayesha plays the part. She is not only a solicitor, but originally qualified as a barrister and dresses accordingly. “Chanel suits day-to-day, and pinstripes when in court so that others take you seriously”.

God forbid I ever need her services, but if I do, this is the person who I would want to fight my corner.

Valentin Borissov

Celebrity clairvoyant Valentin Borissov is one of the top psychic consultants in the UK, with a growing international reputation. He inherited his psychic gifts from his grandmother, a Romanian countess as the ability of second sight runs in the family.

From all accounts, Valentin is able to give amazingly accurate predictions and guidance whether the questions relate to business & career or personal relationships.

Valentin uses a combination of divining tools including the little known cards designed by Madame Lenormand, astrologer to Napoleon Bonaparte. For business readings, he uses specially designed cards created by world famous psychic and hypnotherapist Valerie Austin, author of a number of bestselling books including Self-hypnosis.

You can book either a personal or business reading with Valentin. Call Nathalie: +44 20 7349 0093 or email: info@the-alchemist.co.uk.

Interview with Paul Richardson, Director, Barclays Wealth

Paul Richardson is a Director of Barclays Wealth, the Wealth Management arm of Barclays plc where his role is Global Head of Sports Media and Entertainment. We have had a couple of conversations on the power of image and personal branding, and I wanted to explore further...

It seems that Paul has always had an interest in sports and media - he started his career as a solicitor specialising in this field before becoming head of legal and business affairs for the sports marketing group, API, which later became Octagon Marketing.

In 2000 Paul joined Coutts as Head of the Sports and Entertainment division before being made Head of London Private Banking in 2004. He moved to Barclays Wealth in August last year.

I asked Paul what image means to him... "Image is your personal brand, the way that you convey yourself to the outside world. It is a collection of your brand values... professionalim, honesty, integrity... Initially its about what we see, how someone looks, after that, its about picking up on someone's brand values by observing their actions."

Paul says that whilst we are aware of the impact of others image, he likes to take the time to form a view or make a decision about someone. "People can look the part, however, once they start talking to you, or if their body language is incongruent, the warning signals may flare..."

In a market that has traditionally hired from its own ranks, Barclays Wealth has embarked on a programme of 'lateral thinking' in growing their now multi-skilled and multi-experienced team. "We launched this new and thorough approach with the understanding that we can educate people on the technical aspects of the role... we look for the raw material... an individual's substance and brand values, combined with their professional experience and areas of interest."

Paul's clients are the rich and famous - I asked him about celebrity. "We are all the same, my clients are good at what they do, they are just doing it in the public eye... they expect professional, objective advice."

And does he adapt his image depending on who he is meeting? "Its about dressing appropriately... if I am there in a business capacity, then I need to look the part, however, it would be rather strange for me to attend something like a concert in a shirt and tie..."

A day in the life of Moi...

9:00 Having spent an hour dealing with my mail, now dashing for Starbucks en-route to my first meeting. Hail a black cab and arrive with seconds to spare. A new client in banking, and a full image consultation begins. We talk about lifestyle and I get to know a little more about how he spends his time and whether his wardrobe reflects this. He has just been promoted and his new position will thrust him even further into the public eye. As I learn more he seems to visibly relax as he realises that I am not here to critique, only to find ways to enhance who he is and his roles in life... that of business leader, husband, father...

We start with the physical and I measure up... we discuss body proportions, scale, colours and grooming and how to create optical illusions that are best suited to his shape. The great thing about clothes is that we can hide imperfections and enhance the good bits and for a man who claims to have no idea, I can see that he gets it.

With analysis under the belt and the solution defined, we go shopping. I can tell that he is not keen. He gets into the swing of things once he realises that we can ignore rail after rail... wrong colour, wrong shape, wrong style - and head directly for what we need. Successful purchases in hand, he declares that he enjoyed shopping for the first time ever. And I am happy.

We agree to meet again to discuss his communication skills. He needs a refresher on the media-training front and his public speaking skills need a re-vamp. I have also noticed that his body language is a little awkward, but feel that this may change after all of the above. We decide to evaluate again in a month's time.

12:30 Hail a cab and head for a meeting with leading communications and branding specialists. We are collaborating as companies invest vast amounts on their brands - personality, values, equity... but often forget about the people who represent them. We buy a brand because of what it represents and how it makes us feel, and if we are then faced with an individual, whether it's the CEO or a sales person, who doesn't personify the brand, it creates what I have coined the 'brand lie'. We talk about how this works across cultures and markets and how to assist companies to create 'brand congruency'. The next step is to identify those brands in their portfolio who could benefit from Image Consulting...

1:30 In another cab on my way to my next meeting with a builder to discuss floors... I style both people and interiors and am revamping an apartment for a client in Knightsbridge. I receive a call from a client who has recently had a baby and we set a date for a full make-over. I arrange for a haircut, facial, massage, mani & pedi and a make-up artist. I block out time in my diary for shopping and wardrobe management and call her back with the details.

2:15 A thankfully short meeting with the builder and really hungry so up to the 5th Floor in Harvey Nichols for a quick salad. I pick up two dresses that I have in mind for my next client and head on to my meeting with her on location, which is in a luxury retailer around the corner. She is presenting a new series and we are short of a couple of dresses for the next two day's filming. She thankfully loves both of them and we agree on which dress is suitable for each day. I help her with shoes, accessories and overall styling for both and leave her in the capable hands of the make-up artist as filming starts.

4:00 Running short of time and I head back to my desk to prepare for this evening's presentation. I am talking to a business group about men & women's business styling and cross-cultural business etiquette. First impressions really do count when language and familiarity with cultural norms are thin on the ground. I focus on finding an acceptable middle ground, whilst maintaining the authenticity that makes us each individual. It's a subject that I enjoy and with the final touches to my presentation complete, change into a suitable suit and on the run for a cab once again.

5:30 Arrive at the venue and make sure that technology will deliver. I mingle with the organisers and guests and it's an hour later when we start. A good Q&A to end with and I spend time chatting to some really interesting business minds... we swap cards and agree to explore further. Another cab and I ask the driver to wait outside my apartment for a quick change, then on to dinner with a few friends at Zuma. I can't tell you how much I am looking forward to their soft-shell crab...