Creating a personal brand

This was never published as intended on May 10th, 2015.

It’s the final countdown to graduation and Knoxville 70.3.  My stomach dropped as I just typed that onto the screen.  Who knew these last five months of school would fly by and turn into days away.  Training on the other hand some days seem longer than others.  Maybe working three jobs and going to school all the while traveling the past few months has helped the time pass by with ease.  However, the whole job hunt these past two months is grueling.  Constantly updating my resume, tweaking Linkedin, rewriting a cover letter, and hoping to receive an invitation for an interview. Yuck.  Today, at a conference about personal branding and the importance of it in the business world.  Yes, I know it doesn’t take a genius to realize how important it is.  But it made me stop and think I have been so busy creating my life and opportunities for myself over my journey in going back to school I haven’t really sat down to think who am I.  I know I can list off a list of qualities about myself and why I am a great catch, friend, sister, daughter, coworker.  But who am I?  What do I want to be known for?  Where is my future headed?  How do I look in the eyes of someone else?  How amazing would it be to be able to step outside of yourself and observe yourself at work, home, with friends, family, really anywhere.  Like Scrooge from A Christmas Carol.  What would we focus on?  What would we critique?  Does it show what we are most concerned about by what we are willing to critique first?   If someone critiques their own clothes, voice, hair, does that mean something different than someone who focuses on how they talk to people, how they interact with others?   I find it fascinating to have these thoughts and share them on paper with other people.  Sometimes we forget to stop and think about how we are presenting ourselves to other people.  For example when you start dating someone you always make sure your hair, clothes, manners, and everything are in check.  Once you begin to get comfortable with the other person you start to wear sweatpants, no makeup, and shocker you may even have a few bodily function slip ups. hahaha.  We are all human so the last one is comical to even consider and how people react to this fact, mostly males.  Is our truest self the one in sweatpants and t-shirt with hair pulled up into a messy bun or the one on the first date in a killer pencil skirt, blouse, and heels that show off those killer calves.  I would venture to guess it is somewhere in the middle.  Balance in anything is important.  Sure, I love to dress up like any other girl but I do appreciate days where I can lounge around and not worry about my hair, clothes, or makeup.  I don’t believe this qualifies me as a slob, rather someone who appreciates those slow days where there is nothing on the to do list.

It’s the final countdown to graduation and Knoxville 70.3.  My stomach dropped as I just typed that onto the screen.  Who knew these last five months of school would fly by and turn into days away.  Training on the other hand some days seem longer than others.  Maybe working three jobs and going to school all the while traveling the past few months has helped the time pass by with ease.  However, the whole job hunt these past two months is grueling.  Constantly updating my resume, tweaking Linkedin, rewriting a cover letter, and hoping to receive an invitation for an interview. Yuck.  Today, at a conference about personal branding and the importance of it in the business world.  Yes, I know it doesn’t take a genius to realize how important it is.  But it made me stop and think I have been so busy creating my life and opportunities for myself over my journey in going back to school I haven’t really sat down to think who am I.  I know I can list off a list of qualities about myself and why I am a great catch, friend, sister, daughter, coworker.  But who am I?  What do I want to be known for?  Where is my future headed?  How do I look in the eyes of someone else?  How amazing would it be to be able to step outside of yourself and observe yourself at work, home, with friends, family, really anywhere.  Like Scrooge from A Christmas Carol.  What would we focus on?  What would we critique?  Does it show what we are most concerned about by what we are willing to critique first?   If someone critiques their own clothes, voice, hair, does that mean something different than someone who focuses on how they talk to people, how they interact with others?   I find it fascinating to have these thoughts and share them on paper with other people.  Sometimes we forget to stop and think about how we are presenting ourselves to other people.  For example when you start dating someone you always make sure your hair, clothes, manners, and everything are in check.  Once you begin to get comfortable with the other person you start to wear sweatpants, no makeup, and shocker you may even have a few bodily function slip ups. hahaha.  We are all human so the last one is comical to even consider and how people react to this fact, mostly males.  Is our truest self the one in sweatpants and t-shirt with hair pulled up into a messy bun or the one on the first date in a killer pencil skirt, blouse, and heels that show off those killer calves.  I would venture to guess it is somewhere in the middle.  Balance in anything is important.  Sure, I love to dress up like any other girl but I do appreciate days where I can lounge around and not worry about my hair, clothes, or makeup.  I don’t believe this qualifies me as a slob, rather someone who appreciates those slow days where there is nothing on the to do list.