Embark on a journey with us as we unravel the essence of personal branding and how it shapes the trajectory of both entrepreneurs and corporate mavens. Imagine creating an aura that not only leaves a memorable impression but also truly resonates your core values in every sphere you touch. That's exactly what we're discussing today. We delve into the magnetic pull of authenticity and how staying true to yourself can be the north star in navigating the pursuit of success. From the magnetic effect of positive thinking to the law of attraction, this episode is a treasure trove of insights on crafting a personal brand that acts as a beacon, drawing the right opportunities and connections to you.
As the corporate world evolves, we dissect how companies like eXp are pioneering the celebration of individuality and autonomy, a far cry from the stifling traditional corporate culture. We highlight the liberating power of trust and the freedom to make business choices that align with one's unique identity, discussing the transformative impact this has on both personal growth and organizational success. Don't miss our special announcement about the upcoming investor panel power panel event—your golden ticket to engaging with leading investment experts. This episode is not just a conversation; it's an invitation to redefine your professional universe.
Embark on a journey with us as we unravel the essence of personal branding and how it shapes the trajectory of both entrepreneurs and corporate mavens. Imagine creating an aura that not only leaves a memorable impression but also truly resonates your core values in every sphere you touch. That's exactly what we're discussing today. We delve into the magnetic pull of authenticity and how staying true to yourself can be the north star in navigating the pursuit of success. From the magnetic effect of positive thinking to the law of attraction, this episode is a treasure trove of insights on crafting a personal brand that acts as a beacon, drawing the right opportunities and connections to you.
As the corporate world evolves, we dissect how companies like eXp are pioneering the celebration of individuality and autonomy, a far cry from the stifling traditional corporate culture. We highlight the liberating power of trust and the freedom to make business choices that align with one's unique identity, discussing the transformative impact this has on both personal growth and organizational success. Don't miss our special announcement about the upcoming investor panel power panel event—your golden ticket to engaging with leading investment experts. This episode is not just a conversation; it's an invitation to redefine your professional universe.
Hi everybody, it's Christine Fisk and I'm here with Beth Rooney. We're back for another episode of the Abundant Investor, and we have a topic today that we think is going to attract a lot of you who are entrepreneurs, who are running your own business, or maybe you want to. We're going to talk a little bit today about personal branding and about approaching things differently.
Speaker 1:
Personal branding is really the way that people feel when you leave them. It's what you're known. We're going to talk a little bit today about personal branding and about approaching things differently. Personal branding is really the way that people feel when you leave them. It's what you're known for. It's the mark that you leave on everything you do, and we're going to dive into this a little bit today and talk about why this is so critical if you are running your own business, or even if you're someone in an organization whether that be your family, a company, whatever why making your mark and being clear on what you want to be known for is really critical to leaving your mark, having an impact, doing the thing that you want to do.
Speaker 2:
I love it. Christine, this is such a great topic because it relates to so many people. I mean, I think we think of it a little bit of as as a real estate agents, like what's your agent, what's your brand as an agent? But it it it goes so far beyond that and I and I think of, when I think of brand, I think of your energy, like what is the energy you put out in the world and what are you attracting with that energy? And I really believe, if you're putting out positive energy and and really you know seeing the good in things and in wanting the best for everybody and like sort of having like these, this win-win negotiation strategy, all of those things all wrapped up together become your brand and guess what? You start to attract more and more people that are like that into your world and more and more things just go your way.
Speaker 1:
Exactly, exactly, and it's really transferable to anything. You know, I think it's my experience as an investor. It's been very similar, the energy that I've brought to that, from the beginning, not knowing what I was doing, but coming in with a certain energy around it and a certain attitude that it was going to happen no matter what, and that I was going to build good relationships with the people I was working with, and I saw that come to fruition and work out. I think you know people who are in real estate as agents see it too, and I think one of the things that we love about where we're working is we have so much flexibility to show up in the ways that we want to, the ways that work for us and are aligned for us.
Speaker 1:
There's no playbook in exactly how you have to do things here and, like anyone in an entrepreneurial position, I think so many people think that they have to do things a certain way that there's some kind of playbook that you've got to find somewhere buried in the internet that is going to tell you how to be a successful fill in the blank, and it's just not true. The most important thing, all the strategies in the world are not going to solve this for you is that you show up and you're really clear on who you are, what your energy is, what do you want to attract and how you bring that to the forefront so that you are attracting the same energy back, because like energy attracts like energy. And so I I know that from the beginning, beth, we've been really intentional that I mean and it's in our name our focus is on abundance. It's we believe that there's infinite possibilities. We can see that so much is possible for our own world, for our own lives and our own goals within the organization. And, but mainly like the reason why it's called that is because we believe that for our clients, we believe our clients can have whatever they want. We're here to show them the way and we can do that with strategy. We're also doing it with energy, and we're also doing it with energy through our own example of how we're doing it. So I think that that's I think it's really powerful and you know, we're continuing to build out different aspects of our business with that same energy and we're seeing the results of it.
Speaker 1:
Just coming back, I would say we've got a lot of momentum in a lot of areas right now and it really a lot of it is the result of the way that we come into relationships or the way that we come into work.
Speaker 1:
We like to say the way you do anything is the way you do everything right. So, really being clear on that and coming back to that, sometimes we go to this default setting that was maybe like a way that we were programmed, a way that we learned life earlier on. And the the real, you know, the real winners, the people that figure this stuff out, are the ones that notice that, oh, I'm going back to a place that I don't want to be and they're leveling back up. They're saying I'm going to do the thing anyways, I'm going to show up anyways, I am going to turn on, I'm going to find abundance. When I don't feel it, I'm going to show up anyways, I'm going to turn on, I'm going to find abundance. When I don't feel it, I'm going to be present, even though I'm distracted, because you know that that's how you want to be and that's how we show up this way.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, I know, I think I agree with you a hundred percent. I think what what I'm hearing us say, christine, is that your brand is really. There's two big pieces of it. One, it has to be authentic. You have to be true to who you are. It has to. You have to feel natural, like it's not, like you're put. You know you're that I, you know you just can't be somebody else, that you're not right. So it has to be authentic. And then you have to find the right energy. And that energy has to be in, and it works best when it's a positive energy. And that energy has to be in and it works best when it's a positive energy. And you've put some thought into what is it that you want to attract, what is it that you want to be? And then, between being authentic and coming into everything you do, with that energy you're.
Speaker 2:
You're now creating a brand because every time somebody is with you, they're getting that vibe and they're walking away saying, huh, I really feel great when, after I speak with that person. Or or, conversely, I really feel lousy when I speak after I speak to that person. So, being aware of you know that um is so important and um, and really, you know, I think those are two good things to really look at one, what's authentic, what feels good to me and to what's the energy that I'm bringing. And I do love that quote. We've talked about Babson hockey here a lot. We hear the coach right Say that a lot is the way you do, anything is the way you do everything, and I think that's a it's really important. It's true, people notice when you smile at them. Definitely.
Speaker 1:
We're just talking about that too, yeah.
Speaker 2:
People notice the way you carry yourself, your body language matters Like being engaged in a conversation with people and being present.
Speaker 1:
Matters Like looking people in the eyes when you shake their hand, like all of those things really matter because it becomes your brand Absolutely, and I think you know that you can spend all the time on your logo and your colors and still get all of this wrong, right, because you think that that's your brand.
Speaker 1:
But, the reality is is that the brand is the way that people feel about you, and it becomes what you're known for Like, oh like. Would do you want to be the person that's known for going the extra mile? Or she, you know, she came over and she gave me all this information about my house. She didn't ask for anything in return. She's so generous, you know. And then, on the other side of that too, like right, it doesn't mean that you're giving everything away and you're quote unquote nice. I think women have a habit of like tending to think that we have to be so nice and giving it. Also, it can be having great boundaries, like right, like really respecting your boundaries, and that can be part of your brand too. So it really gets to be whatever you want to define it by. And the other thing is, you know, going back to what you said you want to define it by. And the other thing is, you know, going back to what you said, beth, this is so important. You have to be authentic, and so many of us have learned to be a certain way, whether it's dressing, a certain way, whether it's thinking that, you know, certain jobs were prestigious and that we would be, you know, lauded more and be more accomplished if we had certain jobs. And then, conversely, certain jobs are not going to give us these social nuggets or points right, and so we don't go after them. Or even if we're inclined to do something like be a carpenter, we don't go down that road, maybe because we just think, oh, that's, even though I really love to work with wood, it's not accepted. So when we steer away from what's not authentic, guess what? People feel it. People feel it, and I have a good little story on this that happens to be related to real estate.
Speaker 1:
When we bought our first investment property, the lawyer working on the transaction from the loan company was not. You could tell he did not like his job. He was. He vented about it and he was telling us that he didn't enjoy it that much and it just made me not want to work with him. And guess what? He made a couple of mistakes and he neglected to tell us too that he drove up from Cape Cod to Boston and he said he was going to do it and not charge us, and then he ended up charging us and he was an unhappy person, and you could just pick up on that, and that you know what stayed with me was you're not happy in your job, are you Like I? Just you could feel it. You know when people don't enjoy it.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, I think of the dentist in Santa's workshop in Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. Remember there was an elf that wanted to be a dentist.
Speaker 1:
I don't remember Tell more.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, and he was, like you know, just, he was, like you know, in the wrong job. He didn't want to be an elf, he wanted to be a dentist. And you know, it's true, like, like you feel that when people are not in there, you know you, you can walk into a coffee shop and you can tell if people are happy in their job, and what have you. And I think that you know, like we talked earlier, you know, happy people create happy customers, and so when companies do a good job making sure their people are happy, then their people are going to be really good about making sure the customers are happy, and that's an, you know, an age old adage, but it's true, and I know that you and I have felt that recently at eX, like we're we're you know we're relatively new here we have like skipped a few documents that we needed to have signed and instead of getting like a nasty slap on the wrist, we've gotten a cheerful phone call saying, hey, here's a document you guys we'd love to have you sign. Oh, okay, great, we'll get that done.
Speaker 2:
It's like it's just such a different approach or like, um, you know, like whatever it may be, if someone comes to you and asks you to do something, and it's something that you don't really want to do, like fill out a form or like, you know, whatever it may be, if they ask you in a, in a genuinely, um, nice and, and you know, upbeat kind of way, it makes it a lot easier to do it and then, and then you know it's just it's, it's the culture of having, you know being part of a culture where people are respectful of each other and you know making things easy, making things efficient and then allowing you to be kind of who you want to be.
Speaker 1:
Yeah, I really love that.
Speaker 2:
Yeah.
Speaker 1:
Yeah, I really feel like it's been. So this is my first brokerage that I've worked for and I feel like, in the interactions that I've had, which are really well facilitated so that we have opportunities to meet people across the world really and these are facilitated and really also anyone can set up their own group, call their own workplace forum, anything to connect with other people, which it's cloud-based and it's super easy to connect with people. I know this sounds like an act for eXp and I don't mean it to. I just think it's a beautiful example of how a company sets up the environment for everyone in it to be who they want to be and they have the opportunity to collaborate and become brand advocates without being told to be, and they have the opportunity to collaborate and become brand advocates without being told to be brand advocates. So, in my mind, there's nothing worse and this is why corporate was not a fit for me anymore there's nothing worse than being told from the top how to talk about the company and what to be and how to show up.
Speaker 1:
And I think, like all entrepreneurs, and you probably agree, beth I want my freedom.
Speaker 1:
I want my freedom to express up right, and I think, like all entrepreneurs and you probably agree, beth I want my freedom. I want my freedom to express how I feel, what I want to be and to be my own brand, and I think that's a lot of the reason why people don't fit in corporate these days. They're like realizing the importance of personal brand and feeling that more and more, we have the opportunity to show up and do things in so many ways the way that we want to. No one's saying do this, don't do that, right, like we have an open house coming up soon and we have a really fun idea. We don't have to go get that approved by someone, or I mean, you know, we get to choose the vendor that we're going to hire to do this fun thing, and it's just so much freedom and flexibility to do something that aligns with who we are, and it's so fun and as a result, we're more productive and the company grows as a you know.
Speaker 1:
it's just a win-win for everyone.
Speaker 2:
So I think it's really good it's not only just the ability to do it. It's like we have the compensation. We don't have to. We don't. We have a high, we're highly compensated in terms of the split they give us. So we don't have to go and ask somebody above us for money to spend on marketing and then get their approval to spend the money that we're earned anyways. It's just a whole different thing. Instead of saying they just they just say here, let's give you, let's be generous with our compensation split and know that the best agents are going to reinvest that back in themselves and do things like we're going to do at this open house and the way we market ourselves and spending some money on that, and then the business grows. It's simple, but not many people do it because you have to trust people.
Speaker 1:
The company has to let go of control right Like yeah.
Speaker 1:
I think it's really trusting and it's it's the trust and faith piece that everything is going to work out and that, like the ones who figure it out, are going to be wildly successful, and that's great for them too, it's great for the company and it's great for the individual.
Speaker 1:
And if someone doesn't jive with that, listen, there's people that like a lot of structure and are entrepreneurial, and that's absolutely okay. There's a place, there's abundance, there's a place for everyone, right, and you know, we happen to like to be able to express our own brand, and I think it's just a really cool and fun thing and it also allows us to do everything that we do, because while we're selling houses, we're also selling life insurance policies. We're also helping people learn how to invest. We're also helping people through a 1031 exchange. We're doing so many different things, wearing these different hats that we have from all of our experience, and I think what allows us to have this really cool brand is that you and I are both bringing together these different skills to the table and they're super complimentary. It's like I feel like it's like a killer team.
Speaker 1:
It's like we've got so many things that go together and in another environment I might be told well, christine, you've got to go complete these 40 hours of training because you're a new agent and I'm like I'm learning more just from working with you that I would sitting in some training where I tell you like my mind would be in a daydream anyways.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, you know you started this call off by talking about um, your branding and your personal brand, and then doing things your way. And I and I think that's really important I feel like, um, you know it's hard to find that and I feel like, like you think of, like people early in their career, you got to try a lot of different things till you really know, like, what is it that I, what makes me authentic? Like what is it that I really love to do and where am I in my best energy? And so I think that you know, if you're listening to this in your early in your career, you don't necessarily know that that's okay.
Speaker 2:
Go to work at a big company. Learn that like, see what you like, what you don't like, and see how you like doing certain things and and and where you feel like you're really like are there times when you feel like you're really compressed and in a box and you got to get out. You know and be aware of that, and so and and you know I always like, if you want to drive me insane, answer, say to me when I ask, why are we doing this? If the answer is, it's because it's the way we've always done it. I'm like can I leave now, please Like you know, like you couldn't give me a worse answer.
Speaker 2:
Like, give me a better answer. I'm like I gotta go. That doesn't work, like you know, it's like the definition of insanity of doing the same thing over and over, you know. So I think that, um, you know, like we've talked a lot about the status quo and questioning the status quo and doing things the way you know are the right way to do it, and that that is sort of it's good for your clients, it's good for you and it's and it's not just because, oh, that's the way we've always done it and, christine, you're a great reminder to me of that too Um, I fall, you can fall into that trap of like, well, that's not how we've done it in real estate, well, why, you know, why not do it a different way?
Speaker 2:
And like, yeah, that makes a lot of sense. So it's, I think it's, it's, it's been a great, it's been a lot of fun for me, within the abundant investor, to be able to do that, and I think it's a great lesson for people to to. You know, a great um skill for people to have to say, like you know, kind of questioning, why is it that we're doing things this way? And am I just following into, like this status quo of doing what everybody else is doing just because that's the way it's always been done.
Speaker 1:
That's such a great comment, beth. I think that one of the yeah, I read a book and I think it's the 15 laws of leadership, where the author talked about one of the ideas. One of the laws was spend time with people in other industries, and I love it because when you talk to people who come from a different background, you get new ideas about how to do the things in the industry that you're in, and I think that helps you to question the way things have always been done right, and it's obviously like you value innovation. I can hear you as you're saying that, and so do I, and we want to be innovative, we want to be forward thinking and we want flexibility to do things in ways that are easier, that are more fun, that are in.
Speaker 1:
For a lot of the history, I think work was considered hard quote unquote hard work and it and it was done a certain way. That just doesn't have to be that way anymore, and I really do believe that you can find work that is aligned with what you love, and that was also really good advice to go figure out what it is. The only way you're gonna know as a young person is to go experience some different things, and to ask questions, whether it's out loud or in your head, and like well, why are things done this way? And do I really wanna work in a cubicle farm, or do I really wanna work in a job where I have to travel all the time and I'm never going to be home? Right, you have to ask yourself those questions and say is that aligned with who I really am? And then, once you know that, you can find, like it's out there. It's out there in probably multiple forms, so you can find the thing that's aligned for you, and if you want to be really your own person, then you're probably an entrepreneur.
Speaker 1:
You, and if you want to be really your own person, then you're probably an entrepreneur, and there's ways to do that. Whether you're, you know, completely on your own, or you're, I think, like there's jobs, like being in real estate, where you're entrepreneurial, you have a lot of flexibility, and yet you still work for an organization and you have that, you're tethered to that, or you have a franchise there's so many ways to think about that in personal brand, and you can be in a corporation. The point is, though, to really know what is true for you, right, and keep asking. I think there's a lot of conditioning in our society that's confused us and just leads us to think there is a status quo, there's a way to be. That is the way that you quote unquote. I don't like this word should be. So you know, stop shooting on yourself and think about what works for you.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, yeah, that makes it. It makes it so, it's so true. And I think, yeah, I think the the, you know, questioning the status quo and why, why things are, I mean, and we've talked about that, even with finances, you know, I think people just fall into this like, oh, I should start a, I had a baby, I should start a 529 for them. Well, is that really the best way to save for them? Are there alternative ways to save and other ways that you can, you know, save money? And the answer in my mind is yes, there's, you know, properly structured, high, high, high cash value life insurance. It's like a supercharged bank account that you know, does so many things at once, you know, while allowing you to save for your, your child's, college or whatever it is they decide to do down the line. So, yeah, we've.
Speaker 2:
I think that this theme of um, you know what is it? That's your brand, what, what is really what? What do you what? What do you? What's your authentic self, what energy you bring and how do you do things in a way that really feels aligned with. That is just so much about what we're doing here at the abundant investor. So we love this, so true.
Speaker 1:
So I would say, if anyone is curious about developing their personal brand, we've actually done a course for people like we've done this. Um, I've, I've created this and we'll offer it to you, so we'll put a link to that. If you want to grab that, we're going to offer it free for a limited time and we'll put that in the show notes. And if you want to connect with us on any of the things that we've talked to you about today, then just send us a message. We love hearing from you. We love hearing what's up.
Speaker 1:
We also have a couple of things coming up that are pretty cool. We have this investor panel power panel that is getting together on May 21st, so I just want to give a nod to that, because that's coming up soon in the greater Boston area. We have a little. We'll put a link in the show notes if you'd like an invitation for that. That's going to be amazing. We've got some real big hitters on the panel and we're going to be there as well. We'd love to have you, whether you're a beginner or more advanced investor, and you know Godspeed to you and all that you've got going on.
Speaker 2:
That's great. Thank you so much, Christine. This was a fun conversation.