COACH FOR IMPACT! ™ EXPERT INTERVIEW SERIES
Program: 03
Program Title: What Does It Take To Build A Strong Personal Brand?
Program Length: 782 words (written)
Date: 10/28/2013
Guest: Anna Rydne, Communications & Personal Branding Expert, founder of CommunicateSkills.com
Host: Hank Chin, Director, APCA
Program Title: What Does It Take To Build A Strong Personal Brand?
Program Length: 782 words (written)
Date: 10/28/2013
Guest: Anna Rydne, Communications & Personal Branding Expert, founder of CommunicateSkills.com
Host: Hank Chin, Director, APCA
What does it take to build a strong personal brand? Why is this so crucial in today's crowded marketplaces? What social media tools are recommended? How long does it take? Today, Anna Rydne, a Communications and Personal Branding Expert shares her first-hand experiences, successes and insights with you. |
Hank Chin (APCA): Please introduce yourself to our audience.
Anna Rydne: My name is Anna Rydne and I feel very honored to be invited to your website. Hank and I were connected when we both participated in the Personal Branding Across Cultures Blogathon over at Peter Sterlacci's blog earlier this year. One of the stories I enjoyed the most was Hank's 3 Powerful Elements for Personal Branding in Taiwan.
Here's my story:
As a communications professional, I too often felt that my accomplishments and opinions were overlooked in the organizations I worked for, despite my overall high performance. Last year, I decided to change the game plan. I started a blog within my area of expertise – communications, marketing and PR – where I could get exposure and support for my opinions and skills. I also engaged actively online to build my personal brand.
The project turned out really well, and fulfilled some of my dreams. This summer I was headhunted to be responsible for the global internal communication at Mynewsdesk, a digital newsroom provider that has changed the PR landscape not only in Sweden but also in the Nordics, UK and Germany. I also got a book contract with Impackt Publishing in England for a book about Communication in Customer Service.
For a long time I blamed myself. I thought the reasons why I was neglected at work depended on the fact that I looked younger than my age, had a girly voice, was too patient, or behaved too nice for too long. Too often my accomplishments were overlooked despite my overall high performance. Last year, I decided to change the game plan. I started a blog within my area of expertise – communications, marketing and PR – where I could get exposure and support for my opinions and skills.
http://makeapowerfulpoint.com/2013/07/19/the-female-question-how-do-you-make-yourself-heard/
Hank Chin (APCA): In North Europe/Europe, which social media tool would you recommend most? Could you tell us why?
Anna Rydne: I think Twitter is the most useful social media tool for me at the moment. It's a quick way to share information, and since I'm following a rather targeted group of marketers and comms people, I receive the most recent, ground breaking and exciting information within my area of interest. It's also a useful tool to connect and interact with people.
I'm also very fond of LinkedIn and I think the network has huge potential to be the next Facebook for grown ups. It's a perfect place to network and I was actually headhunted to my current job at Mynewsdesk via my profile on LinkedIn.
Hank Chin (APCA): As a personal branding expert in North Europe and Europe, when referring to personal branding, what is the important mind-set you're embracing?
Anna Rydne: I have some favorite mottos when it comes to personal branding.
The first one is "be so good they can't ignore you". It's easy: Your personal brand is actually nothing more than other people's perception of you and your achievements, and if you don't stand out or act passionate about what you do, nor will your personal brand.
Next motto I embrace is "the road to success is trying". Looking at myself, I never plan for an exact outcome when I make changes in my life. If someone asks me what I'll do in five years from now, I have no clue. I actually don't want to know. The journey is what's most important to me. I have trust in my inner compass, and that it'll guide me to a place that's right for me.
All things in my life haven't been perfect, but so far I don't regret the experiences I had. And I know that if I haven't tried, I wouldn't have accomplished the things that I'm actually proud of today.
Hank Chin (APCA): What possible trends in communications have you spotted?
Anna Rydne: Content has been king for a while, but I don't believe in pushing out content just for the sake of it. The content you communicate must be of value to people. It's the same thing even when it comes to internal communication. If your corporate information isn't attractive or engaging enough, people switch channel.
What I'm about to do this very month is to open up Mynewsdesk's internal communication to the public. Very soon, our internal communication will be available in our People Newsroom, for anyone to read, comment on and share. In this way we challenge ourselves to be newsworthy at all times, and it also matches our core values which is openness, brave enablers and pioneering. I think it's groundbreaking, and I think it's the future.
Hank Chin (APCA): Thanks for your time and for sharing your insights, Anna!
Anna Rydne: Thanks for inviting me.
Anna Rydne: My name is Anna Rydne and I feel very honored to be invited to your website. Hank and I were connected when we both participated in the Personal Branding Across Cultures Blogathon over at Peter Sterlacci's blog earlier this year. One of the stories I enjoyed the most was Hank's 3 Powerful Elements for Personal Branding in Taiwan.
Here's my story:
As a communications professional, I too often felt that my accomplishments and opinions were overlooked in the organizations I worked for, despite my overall high performance. Last year, I decided to change the game plan. I started a blog within my area of expertise – communications, marketing and PR – where I could get exposure and support for my opinions and skills. I also engaged actively online to build my personal brand.
The project turned out really well, and fulfilled some of my dreams. This summer I was headhunted to be responsible for the global internal communication at Mynewsdesk, a digital newsroom provider that has changed the PR landscape not only in Sweden but also in the Nordics, UK and Germany. I also got a book contract with Impackt Publishing in England for a book about Communication in Customer Service.
For a long time I blamed myself. I thought the reasons why I was neglected at work depended on the fact that I looked younger than my age, had a girly voice, was too patient, or behaved too nice for too long. Too often my accomplishments were overlooked despite my overall high performance. Last year, I decided to change the game plan. I started a blog within my area of expertise – communications, marketing and PR – where I could get exposure and support for my opinions and skills.
http://makeapowerfulpoint.com/2013/07/19/the-female-question-how-do-you-make-yourself-heard/
Hank Chin (APCA): In North Europe/Europe, which social media tool would you recommend most? Could you tell us why?
Anna Rydne: I think Twitter is the most useful social media tool for me at the moment. It's a quick way to share information, and since I'm following a rather targeted group of marketers and comms people, I receive the most recent, ground breaking and exciting information within my area of interest. It's also a useful tool to connect and interact with people.
I'm also very fond of LinkedIn and I think the network has huge potential to be the next Facebook for grown ups. It's a perfect place to network and I was actually headhunted to my current job at Mynewsdesk via my profile on LinkedIn.
Hank Chin (APCA): As a personal branding expert in North Europe and Europe, when referring to personal branding, what is the important mind-set you're embracing?
Anna Rydne: I have some favorite mottos when it comes to personal branding.
The first one is "be so good they can't ignore you". It's easy: Your personal brand is actually nothing more than other people's perception of you and your achievements, and if you don't stand out or act passionate about what you do, nor will your personal brand.
Next motto I embrace is "the road to success is trying". Looking at myself, I never plan for an exact outcome when I make changes in my life. If someone asks me what I'll do in five years from now, I have no clue. I actually don't want to know. The journey is what's most important to me. I have trust in my inner compass, and that it'll guide me to a place that's right for me.
All things in my life haven't been perfect, but so far I don't regret the experiences I had. And I know that if I haven't tried, I wouldn't have accomplished the things that I'm actually proud of today.
Hank Chin (APCA): What possible trends in communications have you spotted?
Anna Rydne: Content has been king for a while, but I don't believe in pushing out content just for the sake of it. The content you communicate must be of value to people. It's the same thing even when it comes to internal communication. If your corporate information isn't attractive or engaging enough, people switch channel.
What I'm about to do this very month is to open up Mynewsdesk's internal communication to the public. Very soon, our internal communication will be available in our People Newsroom, for anyone to read, comment on and share. In this way we challenge ourselves to be newsworthy at all times, and it also matches our core values which is openness, brave enablers and pioneering. I think it's groundbreaking, and I think it's the future.
Hank Chin (APCA): Thanks for your time and for sharing your insights, Anna!
Anna Rydne: Thanks for inviting me.