I had dinner with an old friend in New York City. We recalled our early corporate days at Procter & Gamble, a time when more formal clothing was the norm for her, a woman who joined me for dinner in workout clothes. Back then, even running experiments in the pilot plant she’d donned a suit jacket.
And I, well, I wore polyester pants and platform shoes. No it wasn’t the 70s but I was 22 yeas old and fun, for a chemical engineer.
This article isn’t about platform shoes, fun as it is to recall the days of actively shunning the corporate uniform. (Truth, I did have my share of suit jackets and ‘casual Friday’ polo shirts – yuck).
It’s all about your platform – the one on which you are building your business.
I attended the Hay House “Writer’s Workshop” this weekend. I was inspired and impressed by the speakers, Kris Carr and Gabrielle Bernstein. However, the main message, or point, of the workshop was all about the importance of building your platform.
This is part of what I help my clients to do, so while I was expecting to learn something new and fabulous, I did learn how many people still don’t know this. Traditional publishers will rarely publish a book written by an author without a platform – a way to reach people. You need a subscriber list, a TV show, a record of sales of another product, etc., for a publisher to have a strong sense of faith that you will actually sell books. Of course anyone can self-publish, but again, you need people to purchase your book once you go to press (or before!)
So, the good news? YOU can build a platform. No problem! You just need to decide on a mission that matters to you, hone in on your genius (what you do naturally brilliantly), and get to work spreading your message! One foot in front of the other and before you know it, you’ll have a platform.
(Not sure how to build your platform, check out AIM for Profit, here!)
Back to my friend and I at dinner. The impetus for our remembrance of our corporate dress code was this – a discussion about being willing to be yourself at work. She has found herself in a job that truly lets her be her because she refuses to be anyone else. This is different than the outlook she held at 22.
That’s the key to a strong platform, by the way. Build a brand that truly represents YOU. Kris Carr started with her documentary film Crazy, Sexy Cancer. It showed the raw her for better and worse, and she still shows up that way today. Gabrielle Bernstein’s latest offering is called “God is my Publicist.” They are each clear about the personality they bring their platform, and it shows in the success they enjoy.
What’s one action you can take today, in alignment with who you truly are, to build awareness of you, your uniqueness, and your message, AND capture names and emails? Now do it!