Demythifying Brand

There are more generations than ever before in the workplace and they don’t always see eye to eye. In this episode, we have a Battle of The Decades where three people in their 30s, 40s and 50s bring their perspectives on leadership.

Lynette and Sheri are back for another season of myth busting and spicy conversation. This season is all about leadership – what it is, what it isn’t, and what we can do to shake things up.

Forbes calls 2024 the year to build your personal brand. On this last episode of Season 1, we talk about navigating, and growing, your personal brand within your work environment. Whether you eventually want to strike off on your own or plan to stay full-time at a company, having a strong personal brand can help you get noticed, promoted, and attract connections and opportunities that align with your vision. 80% of recruiters consider personal branding important when evaluating job candidates. While personal brand can help with talent recruitment and business development, Sheri and Lynette also discuss how to decide which company cultures fill your cup, and which ones are a waste of your time. 

We're continuing our conversation on life changes with Brenda Beckedorf, ecosystem builder, leader, and strategist, and CEO of the recently-launched Society Five.0. On this episode, we explore loss, resiliency, career change and self discovery. Whatever your life change is, it’s bound to have an impact on you— and your brand. 

We all go through changes, whether it’s moving to a new city, changing careers, getting married, getting divorced, having a child, or losing a loved one. Whatever the change is, it’s bound to have an impact on you— and your brand. There’s a lot of talk about change management for organizations, but what about your own personal change management? When something rocks your world, how do you react? Some put their head in the sand,  play an avoidance game, or fight hard to maintain the life or the person they used to be.In this episode, we suggest a different approach as we dish on the role of personal brand in life changes. 

The more you put yourself out there, the more people will have opinions. While you do need to accept feedback, how do you decide when it's time to accept feedback, or when it's time to refuse delivery. Lynette and Sheri are back to talk about post-it people vs. crabs, and how to maintain a possibility mindset and not join the freak out. We'll share some of our own stories, challenges, and how we managed to stay grounded in our authentic (and spicy) selves.

So you're putting yourself out there now and wow, it's uncomfortable. It's a bit like wearing new shoes, only this time you're not  going to let a couple of blisters prevent you from rocking them! How do you stand there, exposed to the world, with confidence? On Episode 9, we learn from AnnLisa Jensen—community leader, conservationist, and the first Indigenous councillor for Parkland County, Alberta— about collaboration, reconciliation, and bringing your full self unapologetically to the community causes you believe in. 

If the words, "public speaking" strike fear into your soul, you’re not alone. Some seem like born performers, while others would rather walk past the spotlight. Regardless of which camp you fit in, being able to speak effectively at meetings, webinars, conferences, presentations, and family reunions, is integral to building a strong personal brand. We talk to communications and brand legend, Peggy Garritty—entrepreneur, storyteller, Chancellor of the University of Alberta, and former Chief Reputation and Brand Officer at ATB Financial—on how to rethink public speaking and turn fear into fuel for opportunity.

Networking is more than handing out business cards—it's an opportunity to build a community of supporters who help you think differently and achieve your goals. That doesn't just happen at cocktail parties, it happens at work, on boards, during a community volunteer event, and at your kids' soccer games. Research tells us that people form first impressions within 5-7 seconds of meeting you. What impression are you leaving? This week, we sit down with people leader, community builder, and marketer, Tina Thomas, to talk about modern networking, how it can help you, and how to do it well.

The internet is a scary place (let alone the metaverse!), but it’s the first place employers, investors and general looky-loos go for information.  That's why it's important that your online presence reflects the personal brand you are building and communicating. In this episode, Lynette sits down with Sheri and special guest, founder, and influencer marketing guru, Jingjing Zheng, to get some fresh tips for how to build and maintain an effective online presence.