Category Archives: Personal Branding
The Five Star 5 – Your Brand Can Rock…
If you want it to!
Seriously (my 7-year-old son loves to say that word now)!
Today more than ever, personal branding is incredibly important. The tools are there to stand out in very crowded niches and be game changers helping those who really need it.
I think many people undervalue their worth online in one, or multiple niches that they are working in.
Always remember that people love to work with like-minded people, so don’t be afraid to put yourself out there and build a kick-a** community of raving fans.
When I think of personal branding, 5 things really come to mind:
- Be Yourself – Don’t try to be somebody that you are not. It rarely works, and you just look silly
- Engage Others -Nothing worse than somebody putting out great content but never engaging their audience
- Be Consistent – One big red flag that stands out for me when I come across a new brand is if their social media content is inconsistent, with long breaks of nothing. If you are in, you are in – show up often with high quality content
- Be of Service – It is not about you, it is about your audience. Once you get the mindset of helping others, it will be a game changer. The money will be there, as long as you don’t focus on it
- Start a Blog or Website With Your Name – Even if you have an existing business, it is a great idea to be branded online with your name as well. What better way to get known online than people being able to stop by “Insert Name.com”!
- What does personal branding mean to you?
- What struggles have you had with your brand, and what steps have you taken to make yourself a “rock star” brand now?
I would love to hear your thoughts!
Shoot me an email at TimMushey@gmail.com, or comment below.
Oh yeah..let’s connect if we are not already!
- http://ca.linkedin.com/in/timmushey
- https://www.facebook.com/SellLeadSucceed
- https://twitter.com/TimMushey73
- https://plus.google.com/+TimMushey/posts
- http://www.youtube.com/user/TimMushey
Have a FANTASTIC day 🙂
The Baseball Beer Dude That Rocked!
So, like – there are lots of us on earth right?
Many of us are trying to stand out from the crowd and do “out of the ordinary stuff”. Heck many of us are trying to do ordinary stuff but still get noticed.
Like delivering beer to people’s seats at a baseball game.
There is no way to stand out from the crowd doing that right?
WRONG!
I had the pleasure of attending a Chicago Cubs exhibition game in April of 2011, and did not realize how much of a treat I was in for from watching a beer vendor work. His coverage of our section immediately caught my attention! He was more charismatic, more outgoing, more energetic, and more fun to watch than any other beer concession worker than I had ever seen before. I caught myself watching him work more than the game itself!
But that was not even the best part. When he left our section for a bit, I followed him and we had a bit of a conversation. I was captivated by his stories of working in the industry for many years. When I left with my drinks, he gave me his “business card”. It was a laminated baseball-like card with his picture on the front working at a game. On the back it had all of his “statistics”. By statistics I mean all the venues he had worked at during his career, and events that he attended.
I still have his “business card”, and look at it from time to time to remind me what it truly means to have a well-developed personal brand.
- What do you do to stand out from the crowd?
- Where do you know that you can improve to increase your exposure?
Developing your personal brand is not a “when I feel like it” thing. It should be ongoing. Daily if possible.
Be memorable, be engaging, be caring and for goodness sake have some fun!
Would You “Scroll Past” Your Profile?
Think of all the times you have scrolled through long lists of profiles on social media sites.
I like to use the analogy of what makes you stop and look at a résumé when flipping through a big stack of pages?
- What makes you stop and click to find out more?
- What makes you keep scrolling past?
How is your online presence looking lately?
Is it maybe time to check your :
- Pictures
- Profiles
- Links to other social media sites, videos, blog posts etc.
The social media space is becoming more crowded every day. What are you doing to entice others to stop and take notice of what you are doing?
If the answer is not much, you will blend in and just be another “résumé in the pile”.
Make today the day that you step up your game 🙂
Getting To Know Tim!
This is a repost of my first blog entry on January 23, 2012! I have many new followers, so this is a great opportunity to get to know me a little better!
My name is Tim Mushey, and those who know me well call me “Moosh”. I have decided to start this blog with a “Get to Know Me” post so you will be able to understand where the inspiration for this content came from!
I have loved to lead, motivate and inspire others for as long as I can remember. I have often been told that I have the gift of gab, and always have something to say. One of my groomsmen described me best to the guests at my wedding,
“All you have to do is say hi to Tim on the phone or in person, and next thing you know, you have all the updates on the latest TV shows, sporting events, bands and current events. Speaking to him is like flipping channels with a remote control.”
And he’s right! I’m passionate about many things in life – music, sports, my family, friends and work – and I love to share information with everyone! I believe that if I had not battled a stuttering problem all of my life, I would have a career in TV sports broadcasting in some capacity. I often envisioned myself as a sports anchor growing up!
As the son of two teachers, education has always been important to me. I achieved a Bachelor of Commerce Honours degree at the age of 22, and with my first “real job”, was managing a car rental branch by the age of 24. I took a little break after two and a half years in that fast paced business to travel to Australia and New Zealand. I was nervous leaving my family and friends, but a good friend of mine quit his job to do the same thing a few months before, and I thought that was an incredible idea! I ended up travelling for over 7 months, and the experience was better than I could have ever imagined. I made many life long friends from all over the world on that journey, and even managed to squeeze in some work experience selling encyclopedias – true story!
When I returned home in 1999, my career path lead me to outside sales and I have never looked back. It did not matter if I was selling mattresses, credit reports, electrical products, corporate parking programs or photocopiers, there was one commonality – I loved to sell! I had an exciting opportunity to manage a team of 10 reps and support staff with about 40% coverage of Canada in 2007, but changes occurred simultaneously within the organization, and I ended up declining the offer. To this day, I think back to what might have been, but deep down I know I made the right decision for my career and family. Being a Sales Manager was my dream job for many years.
Throughout the years since I completed my degree, I’ve realized that university was just the beginning of my education. So much of my success in sales didn’t come from what I’d read in text books, it has come from what I have learned in the field. Each role, and each account specifically has challenged me to grow each day. I have a wealth of knowledge, tools & systems that I am eager to share with others in sales, and those considering it as their profession in the future.
The internet has provided me with the ability to broadcast all over the world now. If I had affected lives in my own communities over the course of my life, why could I not affect lives everywhere in the future? I have learned to manage my stutter, and even though I still have to work on it daily, I am now ready to get in front of the camera, feel confident, and once and for all lose the words “self-conscious” from my vocabulary!
I hope you enjoy this blog. It truly comes from the heart, and was an absolute pleasure being involved in all aspects of its creation and its ever-changing content going forward!
Let’s Connect!
What’s Your “Edge”?
When I started my online journey several years ago I battled uncertainty and doubt early on. Thoughts regularly came up like:
- So many other people are already excelling in (insert niche)
- What could I possibly share that hasn’t been discussed before?
- What value could a newcomer like myself bring to the “party”?
Over time as I gained momentum and started to feel pretty good about things, I certainly realized that I had an “Edge”.
The “Edge” was me. It is specific to my brand and business. No one person is exactly the same as me, nor will my business be exactly the same as anyone else’s.
You have an opportunity to do FANTASTIC things!
- Let your personality shine. Allow your audience in to your life a bit. Show them who you really are
- If you are funny by nature, add some humour to your work, but don’t force it
- Be creative with your content, and do some “outside-of-the-box” things that your audience will start to expect
- Be you – it is what you know best
- Be humble, grateful, helpful, accommodating and go-to resource in your niche
Do you want to take your “Edge” to another level? NEVER EVER stop learning!
Check out these 5-Star resources that help me move my business forward every day:
Social Media
- “Jab Jab Jab Right Hook” by Gary Vaynerchuk http://bit.ly/18kORAY
Ebooks
- “Ebooks The Smart Way” by Pat Flynn http://bit.ly/1fsJzlx
Writing
- “Copy Blogger” by Brian Clark http://bit.ly/1nQnSSC
Podcasting
- “Podcast Answer Man” by Cliff Ravenscraft http://bit.ly/1aqesJQ
Awesomeness (Personal Branding)
- “Nametag Scott” by Scott Ginsberg http://bit.ly/1fZvhtj
- If you feel stuck and need a bit of a push, let me know – I am here to help!
- If you have overcome obstacles lately and now feel better about things, let us know the good news!
Would love if you commented and shared your stories (or you can always email me at TimMushey@gmail.com)
How Bad Do You Want It?
I spoke at a local Toastmasters Conference over the weekend and had a tremendous time! My discussion focused on the basics of Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and how to use the social website “MeetUp” to attract guests to local club meetings.
When my presentation was over, I continued to chat with several attendees.
A couple of people took particular interest in what I was doing online with social media to build my brand. I recall comments like,
- “You obviously don’t have kids. How could you do all this other stuff and work full-time?”
- “What kind of day job do you have?”
- “How much time do you spend on social media per day”?
They commented on their busy lives, and how utilizing social media to improve their future seemed nearly impossible.
I was getting nervous and was not sure what to say next. My instincts finally kicked in . I proceeded to say one phrase in a very confident (but non-confrontational) tone,
“How badly do you want it?”
“Actually I do have kids; a seven-year old and a 13 month old. I work full-time out of the house. We are as busy like most families, seemingly running all the time. But I make it all work. I have blogged for two years, spent at least 15 minutes per day building my brand most days over the past 3 years.
I focus on doing my “social media brand building” before the family gets up in the morning, or late at night. If it is on a weekend, I sneak away from them for short periods of time. The only reason I can commit to the crazy hours is that I LOVE WHAT I AM DOING!”
I continued to discuss the “Little Bit Everyday” mantra that I learned from Jeb Blount over at Sales Gravy.
I love the gym analogy. People think that they have to buy a gym membership and workout at least one hour per day to get in shape. Small chunks of time on a regular basis makes a difference as well. Some days I spend hours on my online presence, others only a few minutes. But I show up ALL THE TIME. You can’t start engaging with social media, get all excited, then disappear for weeks at a time. If I see profiles like that, I am gone!
When that conversation was done, one of the attendees said to me, “I never thought of it like that“!
I am happy the message resonated with them, once I explained balancing family life, and moving my consulting opportunities forward.
- How do you balance everything if you are working full-time with a regular “day job”?
- How much time do you spend daily on social media, blogging and building your brand?
- What struggles do you face as you try to move your business forward?
Would love to hear your thoughts on this very important topic. Most people are struggling just to get through the day, and it would be nice to share ideas how successful people are able to manage all of their commitments!
Hey – Are We Connected? Just Checking!
Hey…
I pride myself in showing up as often as I can on several major social media outlets.
You can find me at:
Facebook
www.facebook.com/SellLeadSucceed
(don’t forget to “like” to stay connected)
Twitter
https://twitter.com/TimMushey73
LinkedIn http://linkd.in/zx0yGN
Google+
http://bit.ly/XvkjRr
YouTube
http://www.youtube.com/user/TimMushey
And if you ever need to email me
TimMushey@gmail.com
Tell your friends, family, colleagues! The more the merrier!
Enough about me! I would LOVE to know where I can connect with you?
Enjoy the rest of your week! Tim
Sell, Lead, Succeed! 