Engage Opportunities not Opportunists

In your quest to reach your goals as an entrepreneur,or the everyday fly girl* or guy you will without a doubt meet people who you will engage with that will help to advance you directly or indirectly to the next level. Stay prepared, you never know when an opportunity might present itself, stay aware, an opportunist is waiting for an opportunity.  Know the differences:

SIMILARITIES:

The short list of how they can be confusing when you come upon them

• They both sound similar in theory, but they have different agendas and end results.
• They both look appealing, sound like a good idea, and show promises
• Both require your all in effort but aren’t geared towards any real benefit for you.

 

DIFFERENCES:

Opportunity Driven People (O.D.P.):

ODPS see the holes in your vision but also see the value and unrealized it’s greatness, they come to the meeting of the minds with their  own “hole fillers” and help to create a win-win situation for all parties concerned.  A person committed to an opportunity with you wants to see you do well because it impacts them too. They look to build relationships with you, and grow with you often times, even past the completion date of your joint venture

 

Driven Opportunist People (D.O.P. – Let’s just add an e & s and refer to them as DOPES):

True to the online definition, a D.O.P.E is a person (or group) who exploits circumstances to gain immediate advantage rather than being guided by consistent principles or plans. I often see people who in the infancy of their endeavors who struggle to “get put on” by those who have arrived <~ (My thoughts on those who have arrived in a later post) to be turned down, ignored, or put on the back burner.  When the shine on your star starts to glow a little brighter … low and behold .. you’ve got a host a people who now want to partner with you.  Even in an opportunistic situation, sometimes things can work out in your favor, more times than not they don’t.  Opportunist require a fast turnaround, are often doing you a favor, and tend to look out for the bottom line, their own.

We all get burned in our excitement to advance to the next level in our industry, but do yourself a favor and look at the facts before you leap with your heart in hand.  If you’re going to go all out with your efforts, make sure it’s beneficial to you by way of monetary, exposure, or experience exchange.

BE

• Great at what you do, it builds confidence and set’s you apart as an expert
• Confident … you put your own self on by Just showing up!
• Consistent & Visible, more people are paying attention than you realize
• Be known for having and maintaining high standards for your brand lowering them only get’s you level with the ground
• Believe in your Brand and its worth, if you don’t .. who will?

 

*All my old school people will get the fly girl reference. 

 

Until next time ..

Continue to Rock Your Greatness!

 

 

 

Brands that AM: Stand & Deliver, LLC

In this business, dog eat dog, fast paced moving world of exposure and all things “right NOW” one of the things that we seem to forget is the need to really connect with others.  Making connections is what Carlos Davis owner and founder of Stand & Deliver, LLC is known for doing … well.

A man with his entrepreneurial hands in several successful projects, Carlos has made a name for himself and his partners by hosting a well attended and fast growing event entitled “Connecting the Dots.”

By his own words, Connecting the Dots was created from the many requests he received to take the connections that he made as the host of a popular radio show offline to more people.  His first event was well received, and the community wanted more.   Carlos will be the first to admit, the event has grown faster than he initially thought creating partnerships with venues like Label located here in Charlotte North Carolina.

Carlos is often asked why he doesn’t charge attendees for this event, and he is quick to share that his vision is to make sure everyone who needs to attend is afforded to opportunity to do so.  He believes we all need to be willing to serve others.  It’s not about developing a cash cow; it’s purely service to the community.

Because networking is so vital for people who are looking to connect and build relationships for both business and personal exposure, Connecting the Dots has become an incubator of sorts by pulling a diverse group of people with varying degrees of experience and opportunities into one location to truly engage.  It’s been one of the better consistent, professional events we’ve come across, and truly an organic way to introduce oneself, develop, and grow real relationships.

To make sure he continues to bring more value to the venues than what is expected for a free event, Carlos collaborates with businesses that are helpful for those looking for employment too.  The event partners with local businesses, Photographers for professional headshots, Start-ups for exposure, and national brands such as Yodle, State Farm, and Verizon, for direct conversations with potential employers.

To know Carlos is to know that he never leaves a conversation without asking how he can help you, so we had to make sure we beat him to the punch by asking how we (Me, You, and YOU too) could help with future events.   Here’s where you get to get involved:

• Find what you’re passionate about and serve the community in which you live
• Attend a Connecting the Dots event
• Invite other professionals
• Participate in vending opportunities that are available
• If you’re in the local area there’s still time to sign up for the next one held Thursday September 18, 2014
• If you’re not in the local area, get involved in an initiative that supports the community or start one yourself.  Carlos said it best, “My mentality is a service mentality, if we can do it here, you can do it.”

 

Carlos V. Davis is a professional speaker, professional networking coach, collaborator, and Chief Empowerment Officer of Stand & Deliver LLC. We take a unique approach to professional development by focusing on 4 pillars: speaking, fitness training, coaching, and event collaborations. Whether it’s an individual professional or a corporate entity, we are passionate and focused on serving professionals in taking their careers to higher heights.  Connect with Carlos:  Twitter,  Instagram, Facebook or contact him at 704-916-9643 or carlos@istandanddeliver.com

Until next time, 

Brand Responsibly 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Don’t Get Caught With Your Services Down

Our business was considering sponsoring another company’s* event and because my brand is on the line we of course had to check them out to see if it was something we wanted to pursue.

Since this only a sponsor consideration, there is no need to do a thorough look-see, so the following short check list of things will suffice:

Website – It’s up, running, gives the gist of what’s going on, and there’s a contact number.  Okay grade

Facebook – There are a fair amount of likes, they post often even though actual engagement is low. Great grade

Phone call – They answered, but the conversation goes customer service flat from there.  Substandard grade

 

We inquired about two specific services that were listed on their website, the representative didn’t seem knowledgeable about their services and spoke more about what they didn’t offer.  While she was nice enough to ask what stylist we wanted, she never asked my name, how we heard about their business, or attempted to get us in for a visit or schedule an appointment.   Hopefully it’s apparent at this point that I AM la Brand will not be lending its brand name to endorse or sponsor this company.

 

DON’T MAKE THE SAME MISTAKES!!!!!

Brand Tip

Your logo, website, or social media platform makes a first impression, your service and how important you make potential and current clients feel leaves a lasting impression.  Your brand includes how you interact with EVERYONE at every encounter.  Answer that phone or respond to that email each time, with great service like it’s a million dollar deal.

Brand Must

ONLY associate your brand with brands that maintain the same values, work ethics, vision and yes, service appreciation that you and yours delivers.

Business 101  

Don’t leave money on the table, let it walk out the door, or get off the phone without attempting to provide service.  Ask inquirers how they’ve heard about you or your business.  Doing so gives you an idea of which marketing platforms are the most effective for getting the word out about your brand.  They are already interested, turn an inquiry into a sale.  Always be selling!

What are some of the things your team does to help with customer service and sales? 

*Company name not disclosed to protect the under-delivering party.

 

Until then … Brand Responsibly

Legendary Brands & the Women Behind them

This week, I AM la Brand takes a look at some legendary brands, and the powerful women behind them. 

Our first pick:

 

 

“Estée Lauder (/ˈɛsteɪ ˈlɔːdər/; July 1, 1906^[1] – April 24, 2004) was an American businesswoman. She was the co-founder, along with her husband, Joseph Lauter (later Lauder),^[2] of Estée Lauder Companies, her eponymous cosmetics company. Lauder was the only woman on Time magazine’s 1998 list of the 20 most influential business geniuses of the 20th century. She was the recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom. She was inducted to the Junior Achievement U.S. Business Hall of Fame in 1988*.”

 

Born Josephine Esther Mentzer, this iconic business woman’s life and work spanned, the course of 98 years.  Her works serve as a reminder of what hard work, and relentless focus can do for anyone that endeavors to succeed in his or her passion’s work.  The legacy she built with her husband continues to thrive posthumously as the Estee Lauder Company. 

Attributing a lot of her success to hard work, selling, selling and more selling, Estee was also known for taking calculated risks.

                      “I never dreamed about success, I worked for it”. ~Estee Lauder

 

See other quotes from Estee Lauder at Huffington Post, click here

 

Who are some other iconic women that inspire you?  

Thank you for your comments, liking and sharing!

 

As always,

 

Brand Responsibly

 

*Source: Wikipedia  

Are you choosing the right provider for your brand and marketing results?

Just as eggs, sugar, flour, and butter are crucial parts of a non- glutton- free cake recipe, design, marketing, and public relations are key elements of a brand, but individually are not as effective as the whole.

I was recently in conversation with marketing colleague Dana Sidberry of Motivation Marketing.  We had an interesting discussion about the fact that branding has become a new buzz word on a personal and small business front.  We also noticed how the “brand and marketing expert enthusiasts” are showing up in droves.  Much like the popular overuse and catchall of being a coach* in recent years (yes I went down that road too), everyone seems to be a brand and marketing specialist now.

You wouldn’t go to your physician for repairs on your vehicle would you?

I applaud and support anyone who has the courage to pursue his or her entrepreneurial dream … to that end I say .. believe it, claim it, and go all out for it.  Of course you already know a BUT is coming, so let’s get to it.  I respect all my peers in the media, marketing, public relations, design world, but as a professional branding consultant, calling yourself a car makes you no more a car than slapping up a nicely designed photo layout and calling yourself a media (read previous title variations) expert.

I’m not able to lay out 4 years of my marketing education for you in one post, but please know, the majority of the strategy, analytics, planning, and yes even the design concept of a good brand with great potential is done well before a high gloss event photo shows up on the scene to be marveled at.

 

As with any professional whose assistance you choose for a service of any kind, success leaves footprints.  Does your services provider have as a minimum of the following?

Specific education in his or her chosen field …

Continues to invest in their craft with continuing education .. (yep that education thing is BIG)

Show experience in the area that YOU require assistance with …

Proven results.  No hype or fluff … “Show me the numbers” they speak for themselves.

Buyer beware, be sure to ask questions and receive answers that relate to your situation, after all, it IS your reputation at stake.

Are you a media, marketing professional, or in another line of business all together and see similar situations?

 

*P.S. I AM la Brand Media maintains the utmost respect for professionally certified coaches and up and coming persons and their respective craft.  

 

As always,

Brand Responsibly

Are Leaving YOUR Viewers Confused?

 

If I had a dollar for every time I was left with questions about what a person or company actually does, I would probably be writing this post from a private island.

If you’re like us, when you make contact with an individual or a company the first thing you do is … yep, check out their social media sites (I bet you’re nodding your head).   Guess what?  Your sites are being checked out by others too! So the question become, are your viewers confused and turned off before they get a chance to experience the benefit of your brand?  We certainly hope not, don’t miss another opportunity, or leave revenue on the table, try these couple of quick fixes as a start.

 

Profile Information

Complete the profile with clear and concise information about you and your services.  Even if it’s a personal page, don’t assume your friends and family on FaceBook already know what you do.  Make sure the information is clear and consistent on all the social media platforms that you use to promote yourself.

Leave potential clients with a good understanding and a feeling of connection with your services or products every time they come into contact with your brand.

 

Photos

It took us a while to create an account on Instagram, but now we are in love.  One of our favorite brands to watch is Happy Nappy Honey Inc.  Some brands get the concept and nail it, and some others …..  are still finding what works for them.   Use your photos to tell a story about who you are, what you do, and who you do those things for.  Include and showcase brands that compliment your services.

Content

Content is KING .. or in our case Queenly!  No matter which social media platform you use, provide good content.  Don’t make your timeline the “Me Show” and, don’t attempt to sell on every post, people will eventually tune you out.  Provide your viewers with tips, how-to’s, and other beneficial information that will make them come back to your page again, bringing other loyal converts in tow.

 

A picture is worth a thousand words, but clarity is priceless.

 

Brand Responsibly