Today, I want to share a tip about a dear friend of mine who is the perfect role model for branding. To me, branding is how you show up in the world – how others remember or describe you. It’s both your personal brand and your business brand.
The secret is to be purposeful about your branding. My friend, Susanne Forbes Dicker, has done just this. Susanne is known as THE HAT LADY. She is a real estate agent from Dallas who moved to Michigan a few years ago. Every time I see Susanne, she’s wearing a hat. She literally has hundreds of hats, and each one is coordinated with a specific outfit. It’s her brand.
A few weeks ago, we traveled up north to Bay Harbor for a weekend event, and each day, Susanne wore a beautiful outfit with a matching hat. In fact, she even wore a hat in the car. Her branding is smart, classy, kind, and consistent – a reflection of who she is.
During our four-hour drive up north, I had a chance to ask her about being THE HAT LADY and how this branding has helped her with her business. This is what she shared with me:
“I have known the value of branding ever since I worked at Neiman Marcus between 1965 to 1969, and I saw how valuable a moniker it was to do statement dressing and to have a HAT LADY “tag.” It has served me well with marketing myself and my real estate business. My tag line was “I wear many hats to serve your real estate needs.”
I love that. It’s so simple, yet it sticks. Susanne continues to explain, “People would always say that they were working with the HAT LADY in buying or selling their homes. In fact, I was riding a camel in Israel, and a couple came over to me and asked if I was THE HAT LADY from Dallas, Texas. Even now, I don’t know how to dress without a hat.”
Now that is a powerful, yet simple branding idea. It would never work if she wore a hat once in a while or just on occasion. Susanne owns this brand, and it has served her well.
Now it’s your turn. What’s your personal brand? If you’re in business, what is your business brand? Think about this for a moment. My brand is Smart Women and living with purpose, passion, and prosperity. Not only is living with purpose, passion, and prosperity my tagline, but these ideals are how I live my life every single day. When asked if my glass is half full or half empty, I always say my glass is overflowing. This attitude has helped me stay positive even through my darkest hours – it’s what makes me tick and is the reason I get up every morning.
Personal Branding Coach, Jill Jordan, always says, “If you don’t brand yourself, someone else will, and you may not like what you end up with.” So my suggestion is to spend some time thinking about your branding. Be purposeful. If you aren’t sure, get some help.
Here are some things to ponder:
- How are you showing up in the world?
- Ask others what they think your brand is.
- Notice when someone introduces you – what do they say about you?
- And how is your branding serving … or not serving you?
For more on branding, visit our website: www.smartwomensempowerment.org, go to the BUSINESS and MARKETING tab, and then scroll down to BRANDING. There are some terrific articles by branding experts Jill Jordan, Ruth Klein, Gail Martin, Kaya Singer, and video expert, Lou Bortone. You can also access all these articles from the Smart Women’s Empowerment mobile app through your app store.
Katana Abbott, CFP®, is a Life and Legacy Coach™, and founder of the Six Pillars of Awakened Prosperity System™, the proven step-by-step process that shows you exactly how to create wealth, make a difference and live the life you love. To get your F.R.E.E. Video Course and receive her weekly money, mindset and manifesting articles on attracting more wealth, joy and ease into your life visit www.smartwomencoaching.com