“Just working hard is not enough to build a career, because your work can’t speak for you, you have to speak for you.”
Personal branding doyenne, Nancy Poleon drops this quote during our interview and not only do I know that I’ll be including it in this article but I file it away for a ‘letter to my younger self’.
So, how do you speak for you? Why does it matter? What should you say?
As well as Nancy, I loved this opportunity to reach out to four other inspiring personal branding and visibility experts to elicit their answers to the above and convinced them to share their top tips for showing up, without feeling like you’re showing off.
In and of itself, the very fact I came to speak to Nancy, Lucy, Fifi, Tiffany and Louise is by nature of the fact that they are all visible, doing this work.
What does it mean to be visible?
“We need to look at visibility in a different way,” remarks Nancy. “I always say that personal branding is the answer to the question, ‘what do you want to be known for?’”.
Working in the music industry, promoting rock stars like Britney Spears, Alicia Keys and Pink gave Nancy the tools she now uses to accelerate female leadership through her business BrandedU. Her fast-track online program, “HARDER, BETTER, FASTER, STRONGER” covers the 4 basic steps of personal branding.
An introvert may feel a world away from a Rockstar, but that’s where visibility coach and personal brand strategist Fifi Mason comes in – she works specifically with introverted business owners to develop their personal brand.
“To be visible means to be seen as an expert in your area. It's putting yourself out there to share your knowledge and expertise, build authority and become known for it. It involves taking control of your Personal Brand and 'showing up' in a way that is true to who you are, what you stand for, and positions you as a go-to person in your area of expertise.”
Louise Heaven balances a day job as a corporate manager, with a growing healing business, Louise Heaven Healing that offers distance Reiki/energy healing over Zoom (due to Covid) as well as hosting regular women’s circles.
In addition to her own personal journey of exploration about how she wants to show up, Louise also frequently supports clients who wish to be seen and heard as their true selves, free from labels, limitations and expectations:
“To be visible is to show up fully as yourself. When we allow ourselves to be visible and show our truth, we naturally align with situations and people that resonate with us. Being visible allows us to show our gifts that will help us to progress. Being visible is also speaking up when something feels uncomfortable or wrong, and having the courage to do things differently, to be innovative and drive change.”
Lucy von Sturmer is the founder of The Humblebrag, an impact-driven thought leadership agency based in Amsterdam. Known for speaking up and encouraging others to do so as well, she says:
“For me, being visible is only important - and valuable - if you're visible for your ideas - your values - and your big mission. Visibility for visibility's sake is not something I'm interested in, but I am interested in challenging the status quo through the power of new ideas, and amplifying new and diverse voices.”
Lucy’s online course, Positioning for People Changing The World, does exactly that - providing leaders with the inspiration, guidance and a practical framework to learn how to effectively craft your story, and position yourself in a divisive and changing landscape as a change-maker.
As an experienced TV presenter, newsreader, MC, and reporter, Tiffany Hardy knows what it’s like to be visible and in the spotlight. She’s now combines this experience into On-Camera Coaching through her business V!TSOL Media!
When asked what feels authentic to her when it comes to being visible, Tiffany responds: “I love colour and bright colours at that! I don’t wear bright colours online to try and stand out, that’s who I am and what I do normally in the real, physical world - it’s very genuine! I like being a bit different. My company V!TSOL Media is all about being bold and having fun and not being afraid to stand out from the crowd. It’s about being yourself and being a bit different from the status quo.”
How not to appear arrogant?
One question often raised when it comes to discussing a need to be more visible, is how to do so without feeling like or being perceived that we’re showing off.
“It’s not about bragging, it’s not a self-promotion campaign,” counsels Nancy. “Personal branding is a leadership skill. It’s about networking, having a mentor, a sponsor, knowing your qualities and making them visible rather than focusing on what you can’t do.”
It’s also about showing up for others says Nancy. “If you think about your end goal, your intention, why you’re making something visible, most of the time it will be to help somebody else. Because if you’re in that position then you can help other people.”
This core theme of showing up to help others came through consistently in my conversations and was incredibly inspiring. Rather than perceiving visibility as a way of bettering your own position, reframing it to see it as a way of supporting those around you sits much more comfortably.
“Are you "bragging" - or are you sharing an idea/opinion/message that's important to you,” asks Lucy. “If it's about talking about the work you do, try and remember why you do what you do; it's probably to help people in some way. By being visible for your ideas, you'll find your tribe!”
Fifi echoes this: “It's not about bragging about your achievements or saying you're better than others. It should come from a place of giving and add value to those in your network.”
“Showing up can feel uncomfortable if we’re coming from a place of scarcity,” suggests Louise. “It might feel like ‘showing off’ if we feel we’re in competition with others, for a promotion or pay rise for instance. When we come from a place of abundance, understanding that there is more than enough room at the table for everyone, it can be more authentic. If we’re not in competition with others, we can celebrate their achievements too. Bring others along with you on your journey to being visible.”
In terms of how that all physically manifests, Tiffany adds: “It’s all about what you say and how you say it. Also your tone of voice and body language can help decipher whether you are arrogant or just having an opinion and input.”
Flipping the fear of appearing arrogance on its head, Nancy also challenges that it’s surely MORE arrogant to assume that those around you will just intuit what’s important to you.
“If you are constantly just doing your job, but you don’t tell people what you do… we’re all busy, you can give me some information now and something comes up, I will have forgotten it already. So you cannot go to your boss and just the one time tell them something that you did, because in an hour I can promise you they’ll have forgotten it.”
“We live in a world where there are so many messages – for you to really accomplish something you’ve got to be consistent. If you consistently do one thing, people will recognise you for it. And if you consistently show up for yourself, then you’re in a position to show up for others as well.”
What advice for someone wanting to be more visible then?
“If you're afraid to be visible,” advises Fifi “Firstly you need to figure out why you have this block.”
A possible block might be a fear of what others may think offers Louise: “From my personal experiences and experiences with clients, the biggest fear of being visible is ‘what will people think’? By putting your head above the parapet, you make yourself a target. But in my experience, it’s been a target for positivity. It allows others in your true tribe to see you, to recognise you as one of their own. Sure, there might be some negativity – mostly from others who are fearful of being visible themselves. Your ability to be visible may trigger others. Know that it has nothing to do with you personally and is a reflection of their inability to be visible, when deep down they want to be.”
Both Louise and Fifi advise starting small, with little steps first if this is the case.
“Take one small action to push out of your comfort zone every day,” suggests Fifi. Her ‘Get Unstuck Power Hour’ can be a great way to figure out what that next step might be.
“Start small, with individuals or in smaller groups where you feel comfortable. As your confidence in being visible grows, scale up to bigger groups and more challenging situations,” says Louise. “Your confidence will grow as you move through the process. Keep tuning in to how it feels. Journal or take notes on the process. You’ll be amazed how quickly your confidence with being visible grows – look at how far you have come, not just how far you want to go! “
10 Steps for being more visible:
Define your goals - decide what you want to be known for and who your audience is (Fifi)
Start before you’re ready. All of us have imposter syndrome on some level – don’t wait until you feel ready to begin. Take the first step and see how it starts to snowball. Never underestimate a good power pose to remind you of all the strength you have inside you. (Louise)
Choose one social channel (that has your desired audience) and make sure your profile represents what you're all about. (Fifi)
Invest in a good press shot. (Lucy)
Write down your story, so that when you start networking, you know what you want them to know about you. End it with where you see yourself in 5 years. Because looking back at where you come from and where you want to go, will give you focus. And you know you can’t reach those things without being visible. (Nancy)
Change your profile picture to something that shows a bit more of your personality, a passion or interest, or favourite colour, or something you do. (Tiffany)
Start by sharing the ideas and views of those that inspire you; it doesn't have to be 'all about you.' You can draw attention to yourself by lifting up others. (Lucy)
Start commenting on relevant posts that you can add value to and make connections. (Fifi)
Define your personal values, and start "defending them" by sharing your thoughts. (Lucy)
Turn up to your next video meeting with a new background. Maybe show a favourite painting in the background or sports equipment, e.g. a surfboard (if you’re into that!) could be a nice, bright, interesting addition that shows something about you, and lets people get to know you, even if you don’t discuss it at the time. (Tiffany)
How will I know it’s working?
“Know that it doesn't happen overnight. It takes time, patience and consistency to develop an effective personal brand,” says Fifi. “You will know when colleagues and connections come to you for your opinion or advice in your area of expertise. You may also start to get asked to feature on podcasts, guest blog, speak at events and get tagged in relevant conversations on social media.”
“People will start taking notice,” says Tiffany. “You might get some good feedback from your manager, or someone on your team, or a client.”
“The phone won't stop ringing,” says Lucy. “People will invite you for coffees; for exchanges of ideas, and interesting conversations. Say YES.”
“You should be getting more job offers,” says Nancy. “There should be more choices. There should be more people talking about you.”
“As you allow yourself to be visible, you give others unconscious permission to do the same,” says Louise. “If you share your true feelings in a meeting, you might notice others doing the same. Being authentic and visible will align you with others; you will naturally start to connect with others who align with you. Opportunities will open up to you that you wouldn’t imagine are possible.”
And what of this current climate?
How do we harness the potential of a virtual world? Are there any advantages to the current virtual work state when it comes to being more visible?
“You can start being more visible in subtle ways, or ways you couldn’t be in the office, like showing some personality with your background, or wardrobe (everyone seems a lot more casual while we’re locked down and working from home!),” suggests Tiffany.
She also points out that “you can easily hide notes or reminders around your computer at home to help you remember to be more visible. Eg, post-its to remind you to ask questions, or to look at the camera etc.”
For those more intimidated by face to face meetings, Fifi reframes that “right now, it's far easier to get a video call and to start building deeper connections with those in your network. There are also a lot more online networking groups popping up.”
“Right now we can feel more isolated so people are looking for people to help them show them inspiration, to have conversations about stuff they find interesting,” says Nancy. “Go and network with people you have commonalities with and have open and honest conversations.”
I/we’d love to know how you get on!
If you’ve got a question that you’d love me to explore, seeking out experts in the field to help me answer it, then I’d love to hear from you! Send me an email, or slide into my DMs over on Instagram if there’s something you’d love to know more about…