A friend of mine recently asked me for three words that would describe her. Here’s what I said: Fearless, Quirky, Trustworthy. (I also added wicked smaat, because she is and we do live near Boston.)
This friend -- Marta -- has been building a brand. Her brand. And it got me thinking about how we all need to be a little more Fearless when it comes to our brands, and our business.
We spend so much time concerned about how others in the industry perceive us -- are we ‘professional’ enough; do we sound smart; are we using the right catchphrases? So we put on our suits, we strap on our briefcases and we design our brands with industry jargon. And guess what? We end up looking and sounding just like everyone else.
I’m working hard to be who I am. As a woman in business, especially, we can get caught up in how to dress like a businessman, and how to negotiate like a businessman, etc. But we aren’t businessmen.
And even if you are -- don’t be afraid to be individual. Fearless, Quirky (but always Trustworthy.) Be better than good enough...
Here is my inspiration for the day: Martafy!
Amy Katz (@amybkatz) is an entrepreneur who has launched, built and sold a range of IT media platforms. As president and CEO of After Nines Inc., she oversees business development, sales and finance for the overall company and ChannelE2E. Read her blogs here.
