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- Nicole Martin
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- Remixing my wardrobe to create buzz-worthy, office-approved outfits! Find out more at: Creating Panache.
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Cross Pollination
Friday, September 17, 2010
Personal Branding IRL: Don’t Compromise the Value of Your Brand!
1:54 PM | Posted by
Nicole Martin |
A little bit of a story to kick off your weekend… The other day, I received an e-mail with a proposal for a giveaway here on Employed Panache. OMG, did I just read that right? My first giveaway!!! My heart fluttered a bit as a read it… this is exactly what I’ve been working my tail off for. A giveaway could bring EP to the next level – for some reason, this is one thing (of many) that is proof of a legit blog to me. Chalk it up to high expectations for myself, but either way, I was psyched!!
I started to re-read the e-mail, taking in the details… I’d never heard of this company before, but hey, I do love to support small businesses. I clicked the link to their website to check out their products. First impression was that the items for sale weren’t really my style, but I continued to explore the site, looking for the right product for my giveaway. (Grand assumption here that I would be able to choose which product I wanted to feature!)
As I looked through the site, I became increasingly disappointed. Anything that I thought could work for the giveaway just didn’t feel right… not exactly my style and not my typical price point either. Not that EP is about fashion on a budget, but that’s how I shop and I’m pretty sure my readers notice! In any case, I just couldn’t relate to what was being offered.
Then I started thinking about the IFB Evolving Influence conference recaps. There were so many talks around the value of your blog and your brand. Overall, the message was to be sure not to sell yourself short. Also, it was stressed to not compromise who you are and your reputation.
Excitement turned to disappointment and doubt. Not sure what to do, I went for a run to think things over (I seriously do my best brainstorming this way!) 35 minutes later, I knew 2 things… first, that I had a topic for my next post. Second and most important, I was not going to pursue the offer any further. I’ve replied back with a polite decline, and if I ever hear back, I’ll post an update.
The moral of this goes way beyond blogging. Know and understand well who you are and what your values are – in other words, everything that makes up your brand. Once you know this, do not compromise it for anything! It’s easy to be tempted by bigger companies or seemingly great opportunities when it comes to taking on new clients or even job offers. But don’t be swayed – be true to yourself!
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