HOW TO CREATE YOUR PERSONAL BRAND?

WHAT IS PERSONAL BRAND?

If you don’t show up on GOOGLE, you DON’T EXIST….. Have you heard this recently?

It is the most common saying in today’s new age branding. With the rise in Social media and fast connectivity the right presence on these social networking sites does the right justice to your skillsets.

Many people have many definitions and explanations to personal brand, but for me it’s a very simple understanding, something like what Jeff Bezos says “You’re brand is what people say about you when you are not in the room”.

Each one of us is a brand, we need to understand the correct process in order to market ourselves to others.

Experts have identified the 3 “C” of personal branding and if you get these 3 “C” right you geti t right at the very first stage of understanding this concept.

1.       CLARITY : Clear understanding of your ultimate goal.

2.       CONSISTENCY: Ensuring the consistency in the content and messaging that is passed on to the target audience.

3.       CONSTANCY : To keep hammering the target audience within the right time frame.

Remember its not only the celebrities who needs to develop the content for their brand, each one of us need to understand ourselves  first before selling the product or services of any other company. This will only help an individual to landup in the right job at the right time, making the perfect balance and growth.

But there are also some special tips to follow when you are building your personal brand.

1.   BE GENUINE

Authenticity is the key word here, you need to know WHO, WHAT, WHY, and the HOW’s about yourself.

2.   TAKE A STAND

Keep a  consistent principle in life, and ensure that you take a stand at the right time. Don’t try to be wishy-washy, this shows a very weak side of you to others. 

3.   THINK BEFORE ACTING

Before you send out the communication out, you need to chalk the plan in your mind. Once a mistake done cannot be amended.

4.   QUALITY OVER QUANTITY

Keep it less, but keep you content with high quality. It should speak louder than words.

5.   SLOW AND STEADY WINS THE RACE

Keep a slow but steady pace. Hurry can kill the quality of your work and content. Create your brand with utmost care.

6.   RESPECT RELATIONSHIPS

Its only the real world connections who will help you build you brand. In this rat race, don’t forget the genuine relationships. Keep them and take their help to build your brand. Testimonials is the best after service of any brand.

7.   GIVING IS THE KEYWORD

Share and express the knowledge with your network groups. It is about gaining importance by the act of giving.

8.   MEASURE

Keep deadlines, keep targets and ensure that you keep measuring them every now and then.

Self evaluation is the best self help. Learn from each failure in the process of building your brand and learn on how you can make it your achievement.

NEW YR RESOLUTION : WARDROBE WEEDING

This new year’s party did your wardrobe scream “I have nothing to wear!”

If so then you must immediately make a resolution and promise to yourself to cleanse your wardrobe and gift yourself a smiling set of clothes which always have lots to offer on every occasion in this coming year.

1.       Take an expert’s help to establish a personalised shopping list for any must have that you may be missing.

2.       You need to create your own lookbook

3.       Learn to mix and match your wardrobe in order to use all that has been lying in a corner of your wardrobe and never used for years.

This new yr’s resolution should be wardrobe weeding!

The first thing is to start trying all the pieces one by one and separating them in 4 different categories.

KEEP   

Goes without saying, segregate all those clothes that you wear most often. Pls remember any piece of garment that has not been worn for the past 18 months should fall in the other 3 categories but this.

But offcourse, if there are any pieces that needs small repairs and investment in the form of pair or ornament it can lie in this group. But ensure to make a note of the same and immediately act on it.

We Indians have a huge lot of expensive traditional wear which are not worn very often, these can be packed in a separate section of your house, since it needs safe and clean area to be stored. If you pile them along with your daily clothes their self life can be reduced as the wardrobe is opened a number of times during the day which can lead to direct contact of dust and sunlight.

THROW AWAY

All those garments which are beyond repair should be thrown out immediately. Anything that is damaged, stained, with holes and discoloured, throw it immediately.

GIVE AWAY

All the procrastination about “I’ll wear it when I loose some pounds and inches” should be attacked first.

Also give away the clothes that you don’t wear anymore including your jeans, jackets, dresses and sarees. This donation can bring a smile on all those needy people.

SWAP / SELL / REPAIR

Those really expensive shoes, great style designer dress which doesn’t fit you anymore can be swapped with your brother or sisters of that size. The lovely clothes which are in the perfect conditions can be sold on olx and ebay. Earn some money and buy a new pair of clothes which you can wear.

After this assortment, your next step to wardrobe weeding is to arrange and pile all the garments from the keep category to your wardrobe. Arrange them in the category of : shirts, trousers, jackets dresses etc. Even though you may dream of having a walk-in wardrobe, at least with this new set up you’ll never waste your time looking out of the clothes for your next occasion.

AN ANIMAL PRINT SAGA IN THE CORPORATE WORLD!

Be it Europe, Asia, America or any other part of the world. An animal print phenomenon in the dressing is somewhat amusing yet interestingly popular concept for all the fashion designers.

Mostly followed by the women’s wear, these animal prints can make an interesting fashion statement.

The most common animal print is the leopard and which is also one of my favourite.

Psychologically these animal prints can grab a lot of attention due to which this kind of dressing have become very famous at different stage shows and concerts.

But a city job will not welcome these animal prints in their boardroom meetings, therefore they have to be worn in style and twist :

1.       Leopard print over jacket : 

      If you are staying in the colder regions and have to travel a distance before reaching your work           place, this animal print over coat is a must in your collections.

2.       Leopard print heels :  

      Either high stilettoes or smart wedges, your walk can make an impact with these stylist animal             print. You can try it with a solid black, beige or white dress, along with a statement neckpiece can       add on the flavour.

  

3.       Leopard print blouse but combined with a jacket : 

      A great combination of the leopard print along with a decent looking jacket can be a very                     interesting choice.

4.       Leopard print bag : 

      Interestingly even a bag can make a lot of difference to the whole corporate look.

5.       Glasses / Scarf : 

      If you want to be minimalistic in making a statement look, just try either printed glasses or a scraf       around your neck. And you are set to conquer the corporate world.

TIPS TO BRING A TWIST TO YOUR OLD HOME

Shouldn’t your home reflect and what you love?

Your house speaks louder than your expressions. It definitely talks a a lot of your ideology, your customs, your behaviour and also the mannerism.

I would like to share a few tips that can help you revive your old home without much investment.

And yet look very attractive and welcoming for the guests.

Below mentioned are a quick and small tips that can help you make a better experience at home.

Expression wall

Think of a corner or wall in the house where you can hang the pictures of all your loved ones. Different expression and different incidents which have brought new and fresh memories in your family can be beautifully elaborated in that space of home.

 

Art wall

Art can be a very personal choice. Express yourself either in the form of photographed picture or in the form of an art on one of the wall of your home. If you are an artist yourself, use that wall as a canvas to create your masterpiece. It’s your home therefore forget about the judgements.

If your child is an upcoming artist too, you should motivate him/her by making frames of their art on the wall of their room.

 

Go green

Fresh green leaves and fresh green colour in your drawing room can bring a lot of freshness when you enter your home. Clinically it can help you overcome a lot of medical issues like depression, stress, cold etc due to its property to purify the air with lots of oxygen.

Just remember not to keep plants in your bedroom as in the nights the properties of plants are to take in oxygen and give out carbon di-oxide and this can be a little suffocating while sleeping.

Lights…. Drama and action.

The twist in the décor of your house can be done with an exquisite piece of a lampshade or a light piece.

Just by changing the colour of your lampshade you can completely create a difference in the complete dressing of your house. Something like a crystal chandelier or a black piece of lamp can bring loudness to your dead room.

 

Switch from your regular lamp.

On some of your special dinners and occasion light up your house with some special pieces of candles.

You can bring a lot of romance and excitement with just few candles. To add some more life light up the aromatic candles along with the music of your choice.

  

Pot in the potpurri

It helps in warding off the unpleasant smell  and germs from the house. It brings in lots of freshness at home,  while it also brings a lovely fragrance to you house. Imagine the smile on the face of your visitors when they walk in your house and are welcomed by a wonderful fragrance and a warm smile from you. You bet to win them at the doorstep.

 

Dine with seasonal  flavours

You can keep an attractive bowl on your dining table with some seasonal fruits. The more colour to this decoration can be even more attractive.

Create an Oasis

Treat yourself with a spa treatment in your bathroom. Organise your toiletries in a very interesting manner, buy some fabulous overscale towels and colour co-ordinate them with your bathroom décor. Some potpourri, some small plant or few small lit candles can bring a spa come alive.

Rotate your accessories

Keep changing your throw pillows, bed spread very often. Everytime you can make a difference in the statement of your house by these minute changes. If you can keep a second set of few statement pieces that can change as per your home décor it can add a little more interest. Off course the cutleries also make an impressive statement.

 

Mirror drama

Find an antique mirror for your special place. Either near the dining area or your dressing room. The beautiful and vintage look of the mirror helps in hiding the fine lines and wrinkles on your face.

 

Carpet it

A color co-ordinated carpet in your room can add an extra warmth. It feels and looks great to see the house complete with a warm and soft carpet which helps pamper your feet when you walk around.

 

And finally

Sparkle and shine

Clean your house and polish it with to sparkle with shine.

Pure and clean house will make you feel that you have accomplished something.

OVERSHOPPING A SYNDROME OR THERAPY!

Have you ever thought about the reasons for overshopping?

In the past few years i have seen a very drastic change in myself in terms of shopping. Offcourse clothing and fashion has been an integral part of my life since I started to understand what fashion is all about.

I used to think I shopped because I loved clothes and fashion, but I’ve come to understand there is a lot more to it than that.  Many psychologist have proven that being a compulsive shopaholic can go much deeper than just a passion for style.

According to me these could be some of the reasons for overshopping…..

Depression

I think we all go through this phase of depression at some point of time in our lives. And you want to just sit with the feeling of sad and being unhappy. At this point of time if you land up shopping, yes it will definitely help to uplift the mood, at least temporarily. In fact it send the person to an altered state of mind not unlike the high one gets from alchohol or any other drugs. And in this high we tend to overshop without thinking if what we nought is really our necessity.

Loneliness

Despite of a growth in social media and many other ways to be connected with your friends and family, many of us suffer from loneliness and lack of connection. It is a feeling of being left alone within a huge crowd. And shopping can be the best friend to fight against this loneliness, when you visit you mall you tend to see a lot of people around you. The friendly sales team is at your service to help you look better and make you feel less lonely. And this nice gesture of those sales people can lead you to shop things which are not required and not in your wishlist at that moment of time.

Boredom

This is my personal experience, when I don’t have a lot going in my life, I find myself taking small trips to the nearby malls. Its like a crime to even log on to the internet in such times, as the e-commerce websites have such lucrative offers which are just irresistible and you again land up shopping for no reason.

Low Self-Esteem / Insecurity

Most of the people around struggle with the low self-esteem and feeling of not being “good enough like XXX”

In order to look better, we try wearing different styles and cuts. We try the brands which are bought by your friends and families, in this bargain we land up buying clothes which are not required and not necessary.

As every dressing you tend to receive a feedback. If dressed better it always follows with compliments and validation from others. But if that bought dress does not look so receive any special compliments it keeps lyeing in one corner of your closet forever.

Poor Body Image

All of us want to look pretty, thin and in shape. Some people refrain from shopping for clothes when they have gained weight or feel bad about their bodies.  For me, the opposite has been true.  When I feel unattractive or fat, I shop in the hopes of finding those “magical” clothes that will provide me with positive feelings about my body.  In essence, a person is shopping for a feeling more than for actual clothing, but any improvement they receive in their body outlook is just temporary.  For this you must know your body shape and style that looks best on you.

Peer Pressure

This is the regular phenomena in the teenager kids. Style keeps changing every now and then and these kids want to upgrade and update themselves with the trends by shopping the latest version of that clothing.

When women move out with their family and friends they land up shopping more than what they would shop by themselves. We often end up buying too much or we purchase things which really don’t work for our lifestyles or personal style aesthetic.  In addition, if our friends are buying lots of trendy new items, we don’t want to miss out or appear lacking in terms of style quotient.

Pls share your thoughts on this syndrome of over shopping….

CRAFT YOUR PERSONAL STYLE LIKE PM OF INDIA MR. NARENDRA MODI!

Personal brand is the first impression you make when you walk into a room and every single impression you make every day, the key to branding is making a consistent impression.

As said in my earlier post, the world judges you in the first few seconds of meeting you and if you don’t grab attention in that tiny window of time you can be losing on opportunity coming your way.

And the key to this is a need to transform the first impression to lasting relationships.

If you captivate, inspire and treat your audience in the first few seconds they will listen to what you want to say and like and start trusting you. Your personal brand is the doorway to your inner world however this door has to differentiate you and has to match to the topic of the work.

Unless you do not become the most important asset in your business, people will not choose to do business with you. Along with the overall appearance of the brand and the brand ambassador, content definitely has to be rock-solid to support it. However information doesn’t sell alone regardless of how good it is, people can find the information on internet, but it is all about how you make the audience feel and trust your content that differentiate you as a personal brand.

In the domain of Indian politics today, there is only one man who understands the value of personal branding than anyone else, he is SHRI NARENDRA DAMODARDAS MODI.

He is the magnificent case study in the annals of image management study in the current state.

Today lets understand the art of crafting your personal brand based on the life study of our great leader Mr. Modi.

1.       UNDERSTAND YOUR CORE VALUES

Born on September 17^th, 1950 at Vadnagar, a small town in Mehsana district of North Gujrat, Sri Narendra modi grew up in a culture that instilled in him the value of Generosity, benevolence and social service.

Right from his childhood he was confronted with many odds and obstacles, but he transformed challenges into opportunities by sheer strength of character and courage.

  

  

2.       CREATE A BRAND IMAGE.

This makes you conscious and strategic about how you show up for yourself and others and how you live your personal brand on day-today life.

It’s the basic understanding how you want the audience to perceive you and that is exactly where the slogans of Mr. Modi came in picture.

AB KI BAR MODI SARKAR

JANTA MAAF NAHI KAREGI

ACCHE DIN ANE WALE HAI

 

3.       CREATE A SPECIFIC PHYSICAL APPEARANCE, STYLE AND WARDROBE

The fashion icon NARENDRA MODI has made his simple short sleeves white kurta with colored bandgala jacket, a style statement for many followers. Be it a simple party meeting to a national speech event, the closed neck jackets cannot be missed on him. Known for traditional cotton and silk kurtas that reflect his image, Modi’s clothing style and its color palette has evolved over years, mostly favouring bright colors especially orange.

Another peculiarity of him is that being the prime minister of India, he prefers to address all his speeches national or international in the Hindi language only. He is ensuring that Hindi earns its rightful place as a recognised world language.

 

4.       CREATE A TITLE THAT POSITIONS YOU AS A LEADER.

The campaign that started NAMO4PM took a new shape after the announcement of PM candidature. A perfect plan was made to

Leverage the popularity of NAMO through various platforms like social media and merchandise items.

                                                                                +

Highlight all negative aspects of UPA government

                                                                                +

Enlighten the hope and positivity among people.

5.       CRAFT YOUR PERSONAL STORY

“The journey of Shri Narendra Modi from Chaiwala to PM”

This story is heard and told to every kid and adult in the country. Each citizen of the country was made aware of Modiji’s journey from serving Indian tea on streets to campaigning and becoming the Prime minister of India.

Born in a small village in Gujrat, has worked as the family tea stall according to a sympathetic biography to Gujrat’s longest serving chief minister and now becoming the prime minister of India.

People pls remember, personal story is required to create the difference between you and the rest. There are thousands of people who can do what you do but there is only one person who can do it the way you do it with the way you do and that is YOU!

6.       PRACTISE BEING YOUR BRAND

It’s a huge mistake to be like everyone else, if there is nothing different or remarkable about you, you’ll be overlooked and forgotten.

Today we see the Prime minister of India following and practising the promises and brand image which he has created over a period of time.

Prime Minister Narendra modi launched mygov, an interative website that seeks to foster participatory governanace but also aims to keep lakhs of volunteers wcho enralled for the Modi campaign. The site looks to engage ordinary people as well as experts in an interative forum.

He is the IMAGE OF SUBSTANCE, He is Mr. NARENDRA MODI.

WHAT'S THE STORY OF YOUR ROOM.

In continuation to the last article, yes colours do play a very important role in understanding the psychology not only the person but also of the house owner.

The house you live in nearly always refers to you, depicting your body and aspects of personality.

This becomes obvious if, having visited a friend’s house you judge their character by the look, feel and condition of the house.

In a larger context, a house can represent a family tradition, your age, and the class the family is in within the social hierarchy.

The house can also depict a way you allow the world or people into your life, or exclude it. House is a massive symbol and it can link with many aspects of you and your life.

This indicates things, feelings, past influences you are presently dealing with. As a person, who has many facets and possibilities, and the various parts of the house depicts these. The interactions between these facets are what make you who you are. Understanding them enables you to find your way through the things you face in yourself and the world.

This is why home created from the four walls of a house ….by the people living in it who create every part of that living area with their ideas and emotions. And this why when you enter any house for the first time your sixth sense can feel the aura of that home which is created by the people living there.

People who are open minded, positive, vibrant always tend to create a very positive aura in their home which is normally felt by the visitor and it gets a smile on their face.

In a nutshell you may find a few distinctive styles of home décor, but any of those styles are made with the interiors and colors which depict the personality of the owner.

CREATIVITY

Shades of ORANGE, YELLOW, expands your thinking. It reduces self-consciousness and allows you to express yourself with confidence. Use it in your home when you want to feel younger. It is the colour of laughter and celebration, it is the colour for conversations to get started, for the minds to starts flowing. These colours help disappear darkness and allow us to see the brighter side of things. Always remember an array of colour is the key to happiness

You could try an interesting wall art in this shade or just give a few dash of this colour in your throw covers or wall pieces or even a kitchen towel.

It’s the colour to grab attention and therefore the part of your house which has this colour can never be missed by any visitor!  Try it!!!

                                                                         

HEALTH & PROSPERITY

GREEN increases wealth. It is the primary colour in nature. It is the colour of fresh start and growth. It will encourage you to honour your unique talents and manifest them in the material world. 

Try a green almirah, cheque-book or a front door

Green is also the colour of healing. It represents nourishment and helps steady the body, balancing your equilibrium and stability. Use this colour to rejuvenate yourself, and maintain a balance between the physical and emotional well-being.

Try using this colour in your study or reading room, or you can also try green wallpaper, sofa cover or even kitchen bowls.

 

CALMNESS

BLUE encourages efficiency and gives a sense of peace. This colour purifies your thinking, so you can cut through the clutter and discover what is most important in your life. It helps you integrate the big picture with the little picture. It dissolves tension and promotes tranquillity. Specially Light Blue brings ease into the home and harmony in relationships. You could try your living room with blue, or it could be the room colour of your young son.

LOVE

Have you ever though why the colour PINK relates to young girls?

Pink is the colour of love, and it is the most soothing colour to the eyes. It promotes tenderness and is a comfort in the times of emotional transition. Use it in a room when you are trying to increase receptivity and understanding. You could just go bizzard with painting the whole room pink, from walls, to cabinets to bed covers to wall clocks and yet it will look serene.

 

REST

AQUA inspires trust. This is the color to use when you need to relax. You could surround this color aound yourself if you have difficulty sleeping, dreaming or meditating. Try an Aqua bed cover, duvet, or curtains.

SPIRITUALITY & ROYALTY

Shades of PURPLE, signify royalty. The bedroom colours of most of these kings in the olden days used to be in this shades of purple. This colour is spiritual, it will help you connect to higher plane. Purple encourages a fresh perspective on emotional issues. This colour will also deepen your sense of humanity. Use it in your home to enhance compassion and to experience friends as family.

ENERGY & SENSUALITY

Bright RED color stimulates you, it will fortify you. It is the color of confident and excited people.

This is the color which inspires passion, use it to move your through inhibitions and emotional blocks that prevent you from expressing yourself. It will remind you to live life fully and to love your body.

Try a red Ottoman, reclining chair or just a lampshade.

POWER

BLACK colour is the full of mystery and sophistication, it holds the enrgy of power and protection. It is the colour of night, deep waters and depth.

Black can convey a heavy feeling if used in large proportions. It can be used sparingly to define other others in the interiors. Do not try a Black colour in your kid’s room or even a black ceiling.

PURITY

WHITE is the colour of purity and innocence, White is also considered as the supreme colors in ancient Yogi Traditions. A fresh white snow or even the immaculate dress of a beautiful bride, pure white colour fascinates us with its energy and positivity.