Make a summarize of this. Give me 5 pointers about being noteworthy and about norms and niches:



Let's start out by exploring what noteworthy really means and why it matters. According to Oxford languages, the definition of noteworthy is worth paying attention to. So Are you worthy of noticing of noting, and by Who, who do you want to be noteworthy to? It's worth considering this because some of the decisions that we make about who we want to notice us will determine where we play to our strengths, and what we can achieve in our business, in our organization, in our career and our communities. In our second episode, in this series, we talked about what you believe as a brand and what your boundaries are as a brand. And one of the things I shared was how important it was for me to define what those boundaries were. So I could be more relevant and resonant and aligned in the message I wanted my people my ideal audience to notice. And one of the ways I've found really useful in understanding who my brand and my offer potentially mattered to was to think about norms. What are the specific things in common. So when I spoke to people originally about what I was doing as an entrepreneur, after I left corporate life, I was very broad. as I went along my journey, what I was listening for was what really mattered about what I said to various groups of people. And what I found were people were drawn to my story about leaving corporate life and setting up my own business over time, that extended into how I actually talk on building a personal brand, a personal brand that was noteworthy not only to those close to me, but also to clients and to the wider entrepreneurial audience at large. Just this week, I've been recognized as one of thinkers 360s 2023 Top voices globally. So in thinking about who my personal brand, and that are to one of the specific things that mattered to people that they were interested in, that really struck a chord with them were the things people said were their outcomes that they were interested in with a backgrounds that were similar. And when we start to look at what those particular norms are, what those common threads are in our audience. How does that become a resonant and relevant message to that particular audience that I can repeat to them? One of the things people also talk about when they spend time with me is energy, enthusiasm, and feeling like they're in a safe space. So one of the things I thought about was, how do I honest that that common thread that people experience about me? And how do I convert that into something that's an outcome for people, which leads me on to the second point outcomes? What sorts of things were people interested in achieving? Not necessarily as a result of working with me, just in general, what were these people who were talking about the things they loved about being interested in? And while people talked about building their business, or having greater freedom in their life, building more control their outcomes when more specific and particularly when we're talking about building a personal brand, one of the sayings that came out most often was building my personal brand is kind of like my kryptonite, I'm stuck between knowing I need to build something that's more impactful. And that gives me what I what I want in order to achieve where I want to go. But I don't want to lose me, I don't want to feel like I'm wearing a mask or I'm being inauthentic. So authenticity is a big theme. And that comment about I feel like working on my personal brand is my kryptonite was something that I could help people unlock. So one of the outcomes I talk about a lot is building an authentic and impactful personal brand. It's not just about unlocking your greatest asset, it's about helping you to harness who you are to articulate who you are, and then to amplify that so that it actually serves the direction and the goals you have for yourself. Culturally, what's really interesting is who's drawn to me. So I've tended to attract a lot of direct speaking cultures. At the moment, I actually have a couple of Dutch clients, I work a lot with us clients. And I do work with a lot of Australian clients and organizations. I've also worked with cultures that perhaps are not known for the directness. So I've had phenomenal success with cultures in the Caribbean, with cultures in Europe in the UK that are less direct, but appreciate that I provide a safe space are about constructively confront people with what's holding them back and help them to hold the space to find an alternative way forward. Sometimes the culture is about background. So I work with a number of clients in the corporate space, who are looking at what's next for them mid to senior level we're looking at well, what's next for me? Am I at the at the pinnacle of where I want to go in organizations? And where do I want to take that is that into a non Executive Director, portfolio? Is it into volunteering and contribution work? Is it setting up something on my own hanging out my own shingle, what's at the heart of these is knowing who you are to start with. So that outcome that people were looking for that saying, I want to be authentic, I don't want to wear a mask, I just want to be able to present the best of myself to get the results and the kind of life I want to achieve. So when I actually took all of those pieces of the puzzle and started to map out who each of these groups were, there were some niches that came up there, you may have heard of these in different ways. So developing avatars, developing personas, I like to call them niches, it makes me feel like I'm being specific about what you want, what your background is, and how I can help you to unlock that. The niche has also helped me to think about a group of people who have a particular set of norms. Now, when we talk about norms, that's when we're talking about what are the common things people say, Why are they saying that? What are the various outcomes they want to achieve? And what cultures styles of backgrounds? Are they coming from? How do I adjust my offer my style for each of those niches while staying true to the building brand new proposition and my personal brand. So it's all about asking what matters to who each niche becomes part of how I stay aligned, where the various niches of my audience stop and start. If we took each niche, what we find are the messages that are particularly relevant and resonant to that niche and no other that's what helps us stay aligned. And our messaging to these niches. It might be people who are in the phases of transition into a new part of their career and are looking for now to keep a sense of who they are while transitioning into a new phase or new way of working or living their life. That's the common thread but on the outlier corporate to entrepreneur needs a very specific offer. I've been there myself, I know the journey. I know that potholes that we fall into as we embark on our business building journey. I also know what really works, I can demonstrate what it takes to stick with it and build a personal brand that's impactful, influential and authentic, so it's not exhausting. Instead, it's energizing, invigorating, and draws people and opportunities to you. At the other side of the coin. I work with a lot of mid to senior level executives that are in transition in some way in their career. So these might be middle level managers that are moving into really senior roles and having to adjust from being more operational in To thinking more strategically about how they're going to operate, or these might be senior executives or CEOs who are looking at that next stage in their career, they've been used to operating in a certain way, and may be used to thinking strategically, but it's about applying that strategic lens to the next phase of what they want to do. So those different groups of people have different interests, different things are relevant to them, and different nuances and outcomes really matter to them. So designing these niches helps me stay aligned, it also means I don't fall into the trap of addressing everyone at once. And at the same time, no one likes to be mass market. And in this age of personalization, broad brush messaging does not stick, it does not resonate, and it is not relevant. And that's why building those boundaries around what your brand offers, and creating what that group of norms, behaviors and outcomes is for each of your niches, your persona, as your avatar is so critical, you need to be clear for each niche, what you are and what you're not, and which part of your offer of your personal brand. Serve which niche. So what was the lesson I learned in all of this? Well as in earlier episodes, I've talked about how I needed to create boundaries around what my personal brand was about what my offer was about what you could expect in working with me, when you're thinking about your audience, what's relevant and resonant to them will lead them to you only if it is aligned with what they experience from you. Remember, your personal brand exists in the world of others, it does not exist inside your head, it exists in how others experience you. And as others experience you in this consistent, frequent and relevant way. That starts to create an expectation, an expectation of what they might get from you. So the common theme for me is people who are in transition, but in drilling down on my niches, the different offers I have relates to where people are in their journey. In coaching, it's particularly around that corporate to entrepreneur journey, am I moving from a large organization where I've had the benefit of a brand and a an infrastructure to help me define who I am to moving into my own organization? My own speaking or or non executive portfolio? How do I define who I am when there's just me? And similarly, in corporate? It's the same question, how do I define who I am, but it's in the context of operating in a corporate. So it's thinking about how we take those lessons, how I understood how I could still be part of a bigger brand, but still have a unique and impactful personal brand. That was true to me. So I leave you with the question, what's noteworthy about you and what's noteworthy to who? It's time to dig into the details? It's time to get forensic about your offer? Is your offer noteworthy? Do you understand who your niches are? Who your avatars are? And are you clear about norms think more than the demographics, think about the psychographics. Think about the language they use, what they say what outcomes they're looking for, what cultures and backgrounds they're from, think about it in their language, and then you will paint a picture of what is noteworthy to the people that you serve. This is not an exercise that's common, but I invite you to take it on because it is part of building a brave brand, being clear about what you believe and what your boundaries are building a resilient brand that's relevant, resonant and can be repeated to really land with the people who matter to you being aligned, sticking to your knitting, understanding that moving from a tension right through to action and acknowledgement, and then starting to define more closely who your audience is and why what you offer should matter to them.