The Your Brilliant Difference Podcast: Personal Branding for Career Advancement, has a new episode every Thursday. It's produced to help mid-career corporate professionals and leaders use their personal brands at work to rise and shine in their careers, whether it be getting a promotion, finding fulfilling work, or bolstering their influence. Hosted by Finka Jerkovic, the Founder and Career Advancement Coach at Finka Inc., this podcast is inspired by her corporate Your Brilliant Difference Program that has helped people across North America and Europe get promoted and noticed at work. Your Brilliant Difference is a cutting-edge personal branding method that flips the script from "me" to "we" so people can focus on the transformations they deliver for people, as that's where the true growth and results happen. It wasn't until Finka harnessed her own personal brand, Brilliant Difference, that she started making her own career opportunities to design a successful career pathway, and now she's sharing this method with you. After every episode, you'll learn how to advance in your career through personal branding or skills that strengthen your personal brand, like communication and influence. Don't forget to subscribe and share with your network!
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June 6, 2025Episode 2067 min
Episode 206: Special Announcement from Finka
I've got an announcement. My third book is in the works, and I've got a solid draft that I can now work with. To get to the next stage of my writing process, I need to start from the beginning to write my second draft. My goal is to share a readable draft with a few select readers by the end of the summer. I need to put all my creative energy into this next draft and as a result I will be pressing pause on my podcast for the summer. I'll be back in the Fall to give you an update on the book and what is coming up next. Thank you for tuning in and being here week after week. Have a joyous summer and I can't wait to come back and tell you all about the book and where things are heading. Finka
May 23, 2025Episode 20535 min
Episode 205: The Power of Coaching to Brilliant Differences
Struggling to tap into your team's full potential? You know your employees are talented, yet you can't seem to bring the most out of them. Chances are it's because you're not coaching to their Brilliant Differences. A Brilliant Difference is composed of people's God-given gifts, their talents and strengths, and how they uniquely actualize them to transform the lives of others. It just so happens that the workplace and people's careers are the perfect arenas to live it out. I think of Brilliant Differences as diamonds; they need pressure and cuts to be realized and utilized with the most value. That's like your team. They're diamonds. They're valuable. They just aren't fully aware of it yet. That's where you come in, leader, asking them specific questions to hone and coax their Brilliant Differences, so they can make a meaningful impact, leading your organization to excellence. From understanding the progression of zones of brilliances, to mitigating the mediocrity trap, to the right series of questions to ask, you'll know exactly how to bring the most out of your people after listening to this episode. Don't Miss Out! Grab Your Brilliant Difference Coaching Questions Download Here Leadership Development Audit Apply Now Like What You Listen To? Share the episode and show with a fellow colleague and podcast listener! Leave a rating and review. Your feedback is valuable. Related Episodes Workplace Coaching vs. Edge Mover's Coaching and Why You Need the Latter How to Create a Successful Coaching Session: 5 Things You Need to Do 3 Coaching Skills Every Leader Needs—Let's Do LAPs! Connect Beyond the Podcast for Daily Career Support Connect with Finka on LinkedIn Interested in Working with Finka on Your Company's Leadership Skill Development? Book a Call
May 15, 2025Episode 20443 min
Episode 204: 3 Coaching Skills Every Leader Needs—Let's Do LAPs!
There are three coaching skills you cannot forgo in your leadership and career, and they are LAP: Listen. Ask questions. Pause. Seems simple enough, right? Wrong. Trust me when I say there is an art to executing each of these skills. When done wrong, it can be dismal and tiring. But when done right, it not only fuels your career and leadership, but those of the people in your company! I'll teach you how to do it the right way. By the end of this Your Brilliant Difference Podcast episode, you'll learn: Lessons from workplace coaching experiences (from myself and clients). Why coaching is crucial for workplace success now more than ever. The difference between the three tiers of listening and how to tap into all. How to form your coaching questions to be open-ended, strategic-thinking starters. The power of pausing and when to use it. You're only one listen away from growing your coaching skills, bringing the most out of yourself and people. Leadership Development Audit Apply Now Like What You Listen To? Share the episode and show with a fellow colleague and podcast listener! Leave a rating and review. Your feedback is valuable. Related Episodes Workplace Coaching vs. Edge Mover's Coaching and Why You Need the Latter How to Create a Successful Coaching Session: 5 Things You Need to Do Connect Beyond the Podcast for Daily Career Support Connect with Finka on LinkedIn Interested in Working with Finka on Your Company's Leadership Skill Development? Book a Call
May 8, 2025Episode 20345 min
Episode 203: How to Create a Successful Coaching Session: 5 Things You Need to Do
What are the elements of a successful workplace coaching session? What makes an employee eager to grow and change vs. stuck in their ways? I'll answer both questions. Even better? I'll teach you exactly how to facilitate a coaching conversation at work that actually uncovers potential and gets results from your people. You might think you're already coaching, supporting and mentoring your people through weekly huddles and individual touchpoints, but the truth is, if you aren't doing these five things, you're not actually coaching: Making space for intentional, strategic thinking Analyzing comfort zones Facilitating the three types of change Developing self-awareness in talent and purpose Designing Edge Moves From knowing the four types of questions to ignite powerful thinking and "aha" moments, to understanding the psychology behind change resistance, you'll have everything you need to start coaching your team successfully. Share Your Experience! After listening to this episode, take two minutes and share your own coaching or listening experiences on LinkedIn using the hashtag: #EdgeMoversCoach. Share your biggest episode takeaways and insights and what you'll be bringing back with you to your career. Mentioned Books The War of Art by Steven Pressfield Wherever You Go, There You Are by Jon Kabat-Zinn Breakthrough Coaching by Marcia Reynolds Leadership Development Audit Apply Now Like What You Listen To? Share the episode and show with a fellow colleague and podcast listener! Leave a rating and review. Your feedback is valuable. Related Episodes Workplace Coaching vs. Edge Mover's Coaching and Why You Need the Latter Connect Beyond the Podcast for Daily Career Support Connect with Finka on LinkedIn Interested in Working with Finka on Your Company's Leadership Skill Development? Book a Call
May 1, 2025Episode 20251 min
Episode 202: Workplace Coaching vs. Edge Mover's Coaching and Why You Need the Latter
Workplace coaching has been used for years to garner performance and results from employees...but it only goes so far. Traditional workplace coaching is limiting, and if you really want to see long-term, sustainable growth and development from your team and business, you need to be an Edge Mover's coach. Where does traditional workplace coaching fall short and what is Edge Mover's coaching? I answer these questions in episode 202, the catalyst of a new podcast series: Edge Mover's Coach. Coaching is one of the most vital skills needed in the workplace, but it's often done wrong. I know this because I've experienced it first-hand and had to make my own coaching pivots in my career. But I'll let you in on everything—my coaching success stories, my coaching fails, and why I now practice Edge Mover's coaching—so you can bring the most out of you and your team. Share Your Experience! After listening to this episode, take two minutes and share your own coaching experiences on LinkedIn using the hashtag: #EdgeMoversCoach. Share your biggest episode takeaways and insights and what you'll be bringing back with you to your career. Leadership Development Audit Apply Now Like What You Listen To? Share the episode and show with a fellow colleague and podcast listener! Leave a rating and review. Your feedback is valuable. Related Episodes Stop Talking, Start Coaching How to Be a Brilliant Coach Connect Beyond the Podcast for Daily Career Support Connect with Finka on LinkedIn Interested in Working with Finka on Your Company's Leadership Skill Development? Book a Call
April 24, 2025Episode 20153 min
Episode 201: CHARISMA Framework: How to Establish Executive Charisma
People with executive presence often have charisma, or executive charisma. What is it and how can you establish yours? First off, charisma is your ability to compel people with your charm, inspiring them to understand your message or take action. Sounds pretty close to executive presence, right? But how you actualize and elevate your charisma to fuel your executive presence differs. You do so by following my simple eight-step CHARISMA framework: Courage Humility Authenticity Responsiveness Intention Storytelling Mindfulness Articulation Paired with resources below, learn everything you need to know about effectively establishing your executive charisma to elevate your leadership and career. Executive Charisma Package: CHARISMA Framework + Charisma Self-Assessment Scale Download Now Workplace Communication Quiz Start Now and Find Your Communication Style Mentioned Research and Books The Dynamics of Warmth and Competence Judgments, and Their Outcomes in Organizations — Harvard Business School Presence by Amy Cuddy Leadership Development Audit Apply Now Like What You Listen To? Share the episode and show with a fellow colleague and podcast listener! Leave a rating and review. Your feedback is valuable. Related Episodes What It Means to Have Executive Presence (+ an Exercise to See Where You're At) How to "Own a Room": 3 Executive Presence Primers Storytelling: Your Executive Presence Secret Weapon Need More Career Direction and Clarity? Connect with Finka on LinkedIn Interested in Working with Finka on Your Company's Leadership Skill Development? Book a Call
April 17, 2025Episode 20036 min
Episode 200: Storytelling: Your Executive Presence Secret Weapon
If you've ever wondered, "How can I have more executive presence?" this episode is for you. Stories have been shared for millennia and are 22x more memorable than facts, yet corporate professionals and employees give it a middle-of-the-pack priority, even though it's a critical key to boosting their executive presence and leadership at work. The priority revelation is based on data from my Career Advancement Forecast (give it a read if you haven't yet). So, I'm taking storytelling—what's seen as an underrated, nice-to-have skill—from the middle and spotlighting it at the top because you cannot have executive presence and grow in your career and leadership if you don't tell stories. They connect. They engage. They influence. They persuade. Today, you'll learn how to become a master storyteller by: Understanding why storytelling makes all the difference in your career and impact. Leveraging 4 types of stories you need to have in your executive presence, workplace arsenal. Knowing what makes a captivating story. Listening to how one of my clients told a story in a presentation and received critical career feedback of: "must be promoted." This is just the beginning of your executive presence, storytelling journey. Uncover your story today and start connecting and influencing important stakeholders and situations. Leadership Development Audit Apply Now Executive Presence Self-Assessment Download Now Like What You Listen To? Share the episode and show with a fellow colleague and podcast listener! Leave a rating and review. Your feedback is valuable. Related Episodes What It Means to Have Executive Presence (+ an Exercise to See Where You're At) How to "Own a Room": 3 Executive Presence Primers Need More Career Direction and Clarity? Connect with Finka on LinkedIn Interested in Working with Finka on Your Company's Leadership Skill Development? Book a Call
April 10, 2025Episode 19924 min
Episode 199: How to "Own a Room": 3 Executive Presence Primers
People with executive presence are often told they know how to "own a room," igniting engagement and attention without saying a word. But what does this look like and how can you do it too? Using these three executive presence primers: Be intentional Define the stakes Bring your Brilliant Difference Owning a room isn't about owning it, but making space for others, which is where intention, stakes, and your Brilliant Difference come into play. Tune into this new Executive Presence 101 episode and elevate your EP at work. Leadership Development Audit Apply Now Executive Presence Self-Assessment Download Now Discover Your Brilliant Difference Download Your Brilliant Difference Brainstorm Like What You Listen To? Share the episode and show with a fellow colleague and podcast listener! Leave a rating and review. Your feedback is valuable. Related Episodes What It Means to Have Executive Presence (+ an Exercise to See Where You're At) Need More Career Direction and Clarity? Download the Finka Inc. Career Advancement Forecast Connect with Finka on LinkedIn Interested in Working with Finka on Your Company's Leadership Skill Development? Book a Call
April 3, 2025Episode 19830 min
Episode 198: What It Means to Have Executive Presence (+ an Exercise to See Where You're At)
It's elusive. People often don't know exactly what it is or looks like. Let's change that. Discover exactly what it means to have executive presence, as well as where yours is right now. This is the start of a new, four-part series: Executive Presence 101. Executive presence is something you either have or don't. It's an invisible ingredient that enables you to capture attention in a room without uttering a single word but makes people lean in when you do speak, remembering how you made them feel hours afterward. So it's no surprise that it's often called the "X factor" of leadership, and I'm going to teach you how to harness it. Not only will you understand the three pillars of executive presence, but how to assess where your current levels are at in your career. Do You Have Executive Presence? Find Out With the Executive Presence Assessment Download Now Discover Your Brilliant Difference Download Your Brilliant Difference Brainstorm Mentioned Research Executive presence: what it is and why it's important The New Rules of Executive Presence Equipment to Help You Elevate Your Online Executive Presence Logitech for Creators Blue Yeti USB Microphone IXTECH Boom Arm - Adjustable 360° Rotatable Microphone Arm Shure MV7X Microphone Rode PodMic Cardioid Dynamic Broadcast Microphone Like What You Listen To? Share the episode and show with a fellow colleague and podcast listener! Leave a rating and review. Your feedback is valuable. Related Episodes Why is Influence Important in Leadership? Learn From My Doozies 3 No-Nonsense Rules for Influencing Executives and Senior Leaders 5 Communication Styles in the Workplace — Which Do You Speak? Value-First Centre of Influence Framework: Proven Method to Build Career-Elevating Relationships Need More Career Direction and Clarity? Download the Finka Inc. Career Advancement Forecast Connect with Finka on LinkedIn Interested in Working with Finka on Your Company's Leadership Skill Development? Book a Call
March 27, 2025Episode 19740 min
Episode 197: Value-First Centre of Influence Framework: Proven Method to Build Career-Elevating Relationships (Part 4 of Influence Without Authority Series)
To have influence, you need to tap into the influence of others. You need a centre of influence (COI). Influence is built and nurtured; it's not something you're automatically granted. And the process starts with building your influence network, or what I like to call, your centre of influence. To grow in your career and leadership, it's essential to surround yourself with the right people. Knowing and working with the right people can bolster your chances of being hired into a new role, getting promoted, getting invited to important conversations, and expanding your network and reach in your industry. But it starts with giving value. Concluding the Influence Without Authority series, in this episode I dive into: What a circle of influence is. How to identify COIs in your company. How COIs can help you break through the corporate noise. 3 steps to mapping your COIs. The 3 types of influencers that will make up your COI. Methods to add value to your influencers. By the time you're done listening, you'll know exactly who to turn to and build relationships with, and how to shine in your Brilliant Difference, giving value to those who matter most. Take the Communication Quiz Discover Your Workplace Communication Style Influence Amplifier Blueprint: Apply Essential Influence Rules in Real-Time Grab Your Blueprint Like What You Listen To? Share the episode and show with a fellow colleague and podcast listener! Leave a rating and review. Your feedback is valuable. Related Episodes Why is Influence Important in Leadership? Learn From My Doozies 3 No-Nonsense Rules for Influencing Executives and Senior Leaders 5 Communication Styles in the Workplace — Which Do You Speak? Need More Career Direction and Clarity? Download the Finka Inc. Career Advancement Forecast Connect with Finka on LinkedIn Interested in Working with Finka on Your Company's Leadership Skill Development? Book a Call
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