I love the HGTV channel. Here in the U.S., it’s all about home design. No surprise that anything connected with design would capture me, but last week I stumbled upon a new show that revealed an unusual message for me…. (imagine what it could be?)
It was a show about Debbie Travis choosing a new chief designer from a pool of candidates. Their assignment: use a door to create something that would show her their ‘essence’. Hmn…. a lot like the Branding process, it’s important to clearly capture one’s essence through multiple modes of communication.
Immediately, I was hooked. They were all really stressed out at first. Just like so many I work with when they begin the process I’ve created! A really natural reaction. The weight of packing all you are into a single expression can be really daunting. Of course, the way I build the process, that feeling quickly disappears, but the parallel was obvious.
After tons of angst, at the end of the show she acknowledges two key people. One who exhibits great design, but not necessarily her ‘essence’, and the other whose design was a bit of a train wreck, but who had revealed herself more than anyone else in the room. She unknowingly ‘failed forward’ as I call it.
Here’s what struck me:
* Capturing our essence can be a process for sure, but it’s worth it to reveal ourselves through our brand messages. Words and images are powerful clues for the audience, who really are interested in connecting. We’re doing it all the time anyway, so why not be clear about your communications.
* Mentoring takes this process to a completely different level. Watching these poor kids struggle was SO painful, and this can be such a joyful process! It’s self expression for crying out loud! having a mentor would have altered everything.
* Branding is a very, very layered conversation. This was just the beginning of discovering the ‘who’ of the participants. When we are willing to begin and give ourselves over to the process, amazing solutions are revealed. I’m sure on subsequent shows, more will be revealed.
* It was super obvious that the candidates that did well did something special. They created something from nothing, they stepped past their fear to experiment with possibility, and they instinctively tapped into a part of themselves that held the answer that was right for them.
All of these points parallel the marketing and branding process. With guidance you can tap into resources you may not realize you possess. Within you are the keys to creating a strategy that will assist you in succeeding in ways that you’ve dreamed of, and it truly isn’t as daunting as it seems to be when attempted alone.
So, take something from this as I did. Get a mentor that knows where you want to go, and can help you get there. Trust themselves and yourself that you DO know your heart. Stay at it, and trust. Trust the process, give yourself fully, and you Will get where you want to go. In creating your brand, in creating your life.
Keep blooming,
Judy
3 Comments
It is funny how this was originally written on April and I saw it today. When the student is ready, the lesson will reveal. I believe that there is a little fear of putting yourself out there and that is where the pain of branding can come about.
I also believe in being authentic. I’m a writer and a procrastination coach and one of the things I talk about a lot is the avoidance that causes the procrastination sometimes is based in having things to do that are not in agreement with who you are. I think branding is the same way. If you try to brand yourself as something you are not, it will show and people will not trust you.
I love the analogy of the assignment in the show with the process of branding. Very clever.
Hi Roxana, and thanks for your note.
In my work, I call procrastination the ‘gateway drug’.
Why? Because the more you do it, the more likely your are to dip into those other ‘bad boys’, doubt and fear. When left untreated this fear will consume you. Yes some procrastinate when not in alignment, but I often find that there’s other stuff under all that, which may have nothing to do with what we think, and that’s where the processes I work with can be really helpful. You get aligned, you get moving, and you get results!
Good stuff.
Stay in touch,
J.
So nice to find you Roxana (via LinkedIn blog group)…your post is insightful and well written. AND I totally get who you are from your voice and the story you used to illustrate your point. Just the sort of thing I’d like to add my Blog Carnival later this month. Consider this your official invitation: http://www.thewordchef.com/blog-carnivals.
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