Make Your Appearance Count For Your Best Success:

Running a business in the new economy means that most of us spend a big chunk of our workdays behind a computer screen. And as many can attest, the longer we work from home, the fuzzier the idea of lookingpresentable gets. Our definition of making a good impression means we spell check our emails, rather than practice the perfect handshake. But, what happens when we land a big client meeting, or that long-awaited media interview? Below, a few tips on how to shift seamlessly between work-from-home solo-preneur to real-world, successful business owner. And don’t worry, you don’t have to compromise your authentic self to do it!

Do Right By Your Brand

Your brand is in essence, your point-of-view. The more confident you are expressing your spin on things, the more likely you will make a positive first impression on your ideal clients. Take a few minutes to think about what your brand represents, and how you can embody it best with your dress and overall appearance. This means different things for different people by the way: just think of how a business consultant might dress compared to an edgy hair stylist. Blue highlights could garner praise at a high-end hair show, and rightly so—but it would probably not win over a Fortune 500 client. What would make you feel in integrity with your persona and the business you’ve created, AND make your target market feel comfortable buying from you?

Young, trendy industries love creative expressions of dress, but even in these scenarios, it doesn’t always mean you have full license to let your “freak flag” fly. The key here is to give an impression that you are successfuland confident in your area of expertise, whatever that may be. Do some research on successful people in your field, and keep an eye on the way they present themselves. It’s likely that they’ve taken their brand and their philosophy, and added their own, sophisticated spin on it.

Focus on the Fit

Ask any stylist what their #1 rule is when it comes to dressing to impress, and they will likely agree that it’s all about the FIT of the clothing you wear. Whether your daily uniform is a tank and a cropped pants, or a cardigan and slacks, you can uplevel your appearance by simply becoming a stickler about the way clothes fit, and flatter, your body.

Note that fit has nothing to do with being thin, or hitting the gym until you’re in the best shape of your life. Everyperson has a particular body shape that will shine in certain styles, and will flop in others. Find out which ones work for you by investing in a book, like that of Clinton Kelly’s (co-host of TLC’s What Not to Wear) Dress Your Best!  The Complete Guide to Finding the Style That’s Right for Your Body, or Kendall Farr’s The Pocket Stylist.

I also find that most nicer pieces I buy need a bit of tailoring to fit great. Find a great tailor near you and use them often!

Pay Attention to the Details

It’s easy to get overwhelmed by the challenge of putting together an outfit, and neglect the finishing touches that truly seal the deal. Here we’re talking about well-groomed hair, makeup, and nails. Your hair is one of your most important accessories. Get a good cut and color if you need it. It should always look styled, and frizz-free, no matter how conservative or alternative your personal style is. It’s okay to keep things natural and not overdo it on products and makeup, but your goal is to give an overall impression that you are composed and put together—and you care about your appearance.

If you think this tip is only useful for divas, chew on this… when mental health specialists do an assessment of a new patient, one of the first things they’re required to do is gauge the dress and grooming of their patients. If a patient doesn’t look like they comb their hair or take care of basic grooming, it’s a red flag that they aren’t functioning at 100%. Grooming says a lot about how you handle your world. It shows how well you tend to details, and how invested you are in where you want to go in the world.

Don’t Wait ‘til You’re THERE

Despite what you think, you don’t have to wait until you weigh a certain number, or have a certain amount of money in the bank to start presenting yourself like a successful business owner. Invest in a suit that makes you feel like a million bucks. Get the shoes that make you want to take a presentation by storm. You don’t have to spend a ton of money to do this—focus on wearing pieces that make you feel confident in your skin.

Ladies, a nice bag and watch are great investments that make a great business impression, and you’ll wear them for years!

Your Energy is Part of It

It’s likely that people won’t remember exactly what you were wearing, but they WILL remember how your energy made them feel. No matter how nervous or out-of-your-element you may feel inside, make eye contact and take your time to connect with people you are speaking with. Keep your business cards in a designated place in your purse or satchel, so you don’t have those awkward moments of scrambling through your purse.

If you can step into the world confidently representing your brand, and showing that you care about your business, yourself, and your clients, then you are dressing for success. People will pick up on it, and you’ll find that they’ll be ready and willing to champion you and your business.

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“Entrepreneur mentor Ali Brown teaches women around the world how to start and grow a profitable business that make a positive impact. Get her FREE CD “Top 10 Secrets for Entrepreneurial Women” at www.AliBrown.com“

© 2012 Ali International, LLC

Happy Holidays, everyone!  Thought I’d pass on some tips other than shopping for the season that will help to forward your career and get a start on upleveling your success!

The holiday season is the best time for networking.  You are more likely to come face to face with people that are not normally a part of your circle.  People are in a festive mood and are more likely to open up to new ideas for the New Year.  I challenge you to change your mind set about networking.  “Tis the season for giving, right?  So stop worrying about receiving, and start being open and generous this month.  It is the best way to make your networking efforts a real success, and a great way to start off the New Year.

1)  Have a new plan. Remember that I challenge you to be giving and just try to have fun!  Be generous – with compliments and your expertise as it relates to them.

2)  Dress festive and show your personal brand. Stand Out!  That doesn’t mean lots of bells and an ugly sweater (unless you are at an ugly sweater party, of course!).  Subtle reminders that it is the holiday by using color is the best way to stand out – along with a genuine smile and natural eye contact.  Red is very popular color this winter season.  However, try a twist with winter white, deep purple or rich teal.  Smile, look and make brand you memorable with your appearance.

3)  Conversation starters.  Conversations are relatively easy during this season.  Ask them what is on their wish list?  Are they getting something for others?  Do they have any travel plans?

Use your powers of observation to see what might be of interest to them.  Do they look like a gadget person?  Talk about technology, or ask advice about it.  Are they a book person?  Sports?  Just stay away from opinionated banter such as politics and religion.  I know it is a religious holiday season, but not all people have the same beliefs.  Unless the group you are with has the same belief system (e.g. a church group), keep your opinions to yourself.

4)  Make sure you mingle. If you stick with the same person or group at a party, what was the purpose of going to the party?  You might as well have just gone out for happy hour.  We all have the tendency to stay with people we know.  It’s safe.  Use the holiday season parties as an opportunity to your advantage!  Remember the challenge and get out and show your holiday spirit to others!  You have conversation starters, and remember that all you want to do is give or learn more about someone.  Don’t miss opportunities.  You never know who you might meet with this different mindset.

5)  Ask to connect in the New Year and follow up. I can’t tell you how many networking functions I go to and then I never hear about them again.  If it is someone that you would like to stay in touch with, make sure to get their contact information and connect with them somehow – at the very least on Linkedin.  And when connecting on Linkedin, make sure you send a personalized note with your request.  If you want more on e-Etiquette, download my new e-Etiquette Quick Guide to Internet Etiquette.  http://bit.ly/eetiqrequest

Let me know if you used any of these tips, and how they worked for you!!!

Have a safe and happy holiday season -

Monica

We all have to do it, meet people for the first time. And we all know that it only takes seconds to make a first impression – some newer studies even say a fraction of a second! So why do so many people continue to make bad impressions? Here are the top 3 attitudes I’ve heard for not taking care of their impression.

Wrong Attitude #1: I don’t think it’s that important. After they get to know me, they will see how great I am. My qualifications should speak for themselves.

Hmmm. Now lets think about this for a minute. If you don’t make a positive first impression, why would they even want to get to know you?

Regardless if we like it or not, people assimilate impressions with what they know. For example, If you are dressed well – I like to say “Put Together” – people will more likely think you are smart and successful. On the other side, if your eyewear, shoes, or your style in general is out of date, people will assimilate that with others that are out of touch with current business trends and innovation – which we all know businesses thrive on innovation.

I’ve interviewed many people. I’ve gotten excited because their resume was exactly what I was looking for in a candidate. However, when the person came into interview, I was immediately turned off by how they presented themselves. The person I was looking for not only needed someone that was capable of doing the job, they also had to present themselves as a trustworthy professional image for the department as well. I had to keep looking.

Wrong Attitude #2: I just don’t have time to think about it. I’m always in a hurry.

If you don’t take the time to think about making a good impression, why should others think you have the time to think about them or their business? Show that you respect yourself and others will know that you have the capability to respect them as well.

Before you meet others, take a few minutes to look at yourself in the mirror. Make sure your hair is not out of control, your teeth don’t have anything in them, makeup isn’t smeared, and you have your smile on! A smile instantly makes people feel comfortable.

Another thing to always do is to carry mints with you at all times. There is nothing that makes people want to run away more than bad breath! I remember an old boss from many many many years ago. He was a great guy but it was hard to be around him because he had constant halitosis. You don’t want to be remembered for that, do you?

Wrong Attitude #3: I’m sure I already make a good impression! I don’t even have to think about it anymore.

How do you know? Have you asked someone? If you’ve already gotten feedback in the last 6 months, great. If not, why not? Every person can uplevel themselves in some way – and should on a regular basis. Every successful business person has a mentor of some sort. It’s not like you are admitting defeat by asking! Just the opposite. You are admitting that you want to be successful and are doing something about it.

Get feedback from someone you admire, your mentor or a professional image consultant. Whomever you chose, just make sure it is someone that has a critical eye, knows the trends and can understand your audience. Don’t lose the job or sale because you made a bad first impression!

Enjoy!

To Your Prosperity,
Monica of ImageThat!

“It is not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change.” – Charles Darwin

Myth #1:  You can’t wear white after Labor Day.

Think of all of the beautiful creams and winter whites there are out there to wear.  Why wouldn’t you wear them after labor day?  If you have white capri’s – then I wouldn’t wear those after it gets too cold to wear capri’s.  I guess I wouldn’t wear white pants anyway as light colors draw attention to your body and I don’t want to draw attention to my bottom half so much.  But I have a lot of lovely everything else that I will wear all year long!  I am a low contrast spring and white white is not flattering for my skin tone so I try to stick to creams or off-whites.

Myth #2:  Your handbag and shoes have to match.

Matchy matchy is not necessary.  I’ve been using my handbag or my shoes as a pop of color for muted classics.  Have you seen the colorful handbags and shoes out there?  However, if you have too much of the same bright color, it looks like a bad hair day.  If you use one bold color in either place, you look fashionable – but they definitely don’t have to be the same color.

Myth #3:  Black and brown don’t go together.

This is pretty easy.  Look at the the leopard print that has become a classic.  Nature doesn’t lie when it comes to colors.  You can wear brown with some black or black with some brown.  I wouldn’t make each one a main part of your outfit (blazer brown, pants black), but you can wear a dark brown pant with a black shoe.  Give it a try!

Myth #4:  Black is flattering on everyone.

Actually, black is slimming.  But, it is just not flattering for many skin tones.  Too much black can make many people look tired, bring out wrinkles and emphasize those nasty under eye circles.  Now, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t wear black.  Just make sure that colors that compliment your skin tone are close to your face.  Use a scarf, jewelry, or collared shirt that are your enhancing colors to bring out your inner glow.  And if you notice, everyone wears black.  You are very hard to see when you wear all black.  If you want some positive attention, use some color!

Myth #5:  You can’t wear gold and silver together.

I had to add this one because I overheard someone talk about it while I was out and about.  I used to only wear silver because that was what I liked.  However, during my color analysis training, I found out that I actually should be wearing gold!  Well, since everything I owned was silver, I wanted to come up with another solution… Wear both!  And, funny enough, look and you will find.  I found several great necklaces, earrings and bracelets with both silver and gold in them.  Amazing!  And, gold is actually on trend now, so add gold to your repertoire if you were like me – a silver only person.

I hope you find these helpful.  If you have any other myths that you’d like to bust, please reply to this post, comment on Facebook, or email me at monica@imagethat.biz.

Fall is here and that means it’s time to get on top of the trends of the season.  There are many newer fashion trends, while some continue on from last year – such as military style and leather.  Remember that animal prints are now classics, which means they are timeless.  Here are some of the trends that are new for the fall 2012 season – guys included!

Fur, fur, everywhere is fur.  And the potential of gaudy just increased immensely as fur is in LCD color.  Don’t take your best fur – just an old faux piece sitting in the closet – and dye it your favorite color.

Guys – get a scarf??  Or a military inspired jacket with a fur hood.

Embellishment – No, not costume jewelry to wear, but jewels ON your clothes.  Don’t ask my how to wash these pieces, however.  Maybe a couple of pins will suffice.

Monochromatic – Matchy matchy taken to the extreme.  Head to toe in something other than black – including the shoes!  How to stand out?  Make one of the colors a different material – satin, leather, lace, fur – whatever you can find.  The bonus of this trend – it can make you look long and lean.

Guys – you’ve already seen the tie and shirt match.

Boudeaux - In some of the mag’s they sometimes call it oxblood.  Of course burgundy is used as well.  I like bordeaux best – a sophisticated wine.  The rich color can make you stand out like crazy in fall and winter but buyers beware.  It is a COOL color.  Warm skin tones like myself should not wear it close to their face.  Good thing I have that color in a pair of shoes I bought a couple of years ago!

Guys – Bordeaux is a great color for a shirt for fall.  Get one now – if you are a cool skin tone.  Otherwise opt for a red with more yellow in it.

Pattern on pattern – if you dare!  What I will say about this trend – if you are heavy, don’t do it.  It will draw attention to everywhere you don’t want it to – except for yourself.  If you are so bold to try it, make sure there is one neutral to tie it all together.  You can also opt for the same pattern from head to toe – but how “sleepy” is that?  I’m not in.  I’ll mix and match materials, textures, and even some patterns but…  BTW – floral pants will be big.  I’ve seen them a little in the stores here.  In Paris, everyone is doing it.  I’ll stick to patterns on skirts.

The orient takes on Martha Stewart – Asian influence is still prominent but now in tapestry.  Think Versailles.

Guys – maybe a tie?  It will make you look really “rich.”

Finally down to accessories.

The handbag 9 the HUGE clutch.  I’m still totally into the cross shoulder bag and plan to stock up right now as they are still readily available for most.  I love the sleek look of the clutch, however.  It’s just not for my “brand.”  I like hands free.  How do you shop without dropping something?  The clutch is beautiful, none-the-less.

Shoes – Lace up boots.  I knew that for men when I first got into this business.  Now it’s all of the place – including heeled tennis shoes!  I’m not sure if I’ll embrace that one as I don’t like to tie anything much.  But – it’s a trend!  I did wear out my Dr. Martans back in the day…  BTW – they are opening up a store in MOA (Mall of America in MN).

So go shopping and get trendy – as long as it matches your signature style, color and looks good on your body shape!

Enjoy!

To Your Prosperity,

Monica of ImageThat!

In a previous article, we termed the phrase of personal branding as Company Me, Inc.  You are the CEO of Company Me, Inc.

Clarity:

This is the same as Imagine in The IMAGE Success System.  You will never Stand Out and Play Big if you are not clear on what experience you want others to have with you.  Make it clear why you are who you are, what you can clearly do for others, and what makes you unique.  In other words, be your authentic self.  It wouldn’t be clearly you if you are just like someone else!

Communication:

Everything that you do communicates “brand you” in one way or the other.  Your personal image is your communication vessel.  The ABC’s of Image are Appearance, Behavior, and Communication.  In personal branding, how you communicate your brand is all about your appearance, your behavior AND written, spoken and non-verbal communication.  Communication is how you market yourself for success.

And guess what, it should be: ….

Consistent:

“Brand you” should have the same look and feel across all platforms – online and off.  To make this easy, you need to be really Clear and authentic with your personal brand.  Wearing jeans with holes in them one day and then a suit the next is not consistent.  Complaining about your boss online one day and then telling a future employer that you are a team player is not consistent.  Be clear.  Be consistent.  You ARE the CEO of Company Me, Inc!

Color:

Is my communication consistent here?  Yes!  I always recommend a Stand Out color for everyone I work with.  It is such an easy way to authentically Stand Out!  I was at a networking function and talking to a woman who had on a lipstick red suit.  I was drawn to her immediately and thought – darn!  She stands out in a better way than me!  Every woman that passed her complimented her on it.  Seriously, I have a scarf that is really not even that bright and I barely walk out of the door without people complimenting me on it.  It has a mixture of all of the colors that make my skin brighten as well, so I always love wearing it and feel confident when doing so.

Think of a color, any color.  Got it?  As long as it compliments your skin tone AND can be seen easily online, that could be your “brand” color.  Be clear and unique when using it.  Now, consistently infuse that color through all of your communication (online and off).

How are you going to use these tips to Stand Out and Play Big?  There’s no better time than now to get started!  Use The IMAGE Success System to make it happen.  Imagine, Manage & Plan, Take Action, Grow and Enjoy the life you Imagine!

After some research, I determined that there are many people who feel like they just don’t know how to put things together to really reflect their personal and professional style.

Ask yourself these questions:

Tip 1:  What are all of the situations in which you need to look your best?

For example, In a previous life, I used to have to crawl around in dirty telephone closets and on the floor while still looking my best when talking and training clients and upper management (installing internet access to hotel rooms).  It wasn’t easy!  Unfortunately that meant that I couldn’t wear skirts very often – which is one of my signatures.  But I still managed to look put together regardless of what my tasks were that day.  I had to!  The key was to invest in “sturdy” clothes and shoes that allowed me to move freely and didn’t show dirt.  Back then there wasn’t wrinkle-free and lycra – but now there is, so that is all good for those of you who are looking to go into the boardroom, regardless if you are there now or not.

What about casual Friday, networking, evenings out, outside work functions, kids’ activities?  Make a list of all of the situations you are in public and need to look appropriately dressed.  This includes traveling, grocery stores and outdoor activities!

Now look at everything else about you other than your clothes.

Tip 2:  Is your hair, makeup, and are your accessories current/up to date?

One of my clients, who will remain nameless, is an attractive middle aged woman.  The thing was that the way she styled her hair was what I’ll affectionately call “mom hair.”  It made her look much older than she needed to!  After some convincing from me and her hair stylist, she changed her hair style from “mom hair” to amazing and current.  Now she looks about 20 years younger than she is!  And that can definitely affect your outlook on life!!  Don’t underestimate the power of an awesome hairstyle.  Women with “mom hair” always look older than they should.   Men can also fall into that trap – so beware.  And ask.

Tip 3:  What do you already have that makes you feel great?

Make a list of your favorite clothing items.  Do they fit in with your lists above?  Start to plug in the places you can wear these things.  Make sure they match the situation!  For example, just because you love a pair of “worn in” or ripped jeans doesn’t mean you should wear them on casual Friday.

The best pieces you will actually be able to use in more than one situation.  The goal would be that your wardrobe has a dual purpose for many occasions.

Tip 4:  What do you never wear or doesn’t make you feel your best?

This is the time to purge those kinds of things that you already have.  Some things are just in disrepair and need to be thrown.  Some things just don’t fit anymore and should be donated.  Some things just aren’t right for some reason.  Then evaluate if getting them altered will benefit you or if it was really just an impulse buy.  Those items should also go in the donate pile.  Finally, there are some items that have sentimental value that you just can’t get rid of.  Store them in a box somewhere outside of your closet.  Revisit them next year to see if you have lost that attachment and can finally let them go.

After this exercise, you should probably have taken out about 80% of your wardrobe!  Enjoy the feeling!  Don’t you feel lighter, cleaner and fresher?

Tip 5:  What are you missing?

This is your shopping list:  What is on trend.  What basics are you missing after you cleaned out your closet?  Do you have what you need to go from workroom to boardroom?

If you want help getting this all figured out, contact me immediately monica@imagethat.biz!  For a very limited time, I am offering a VERY SPECIAL end of summer 2 for 1 Image Update at $749/each or Single session for $997.  You can’t go wrong.

 Contact me directly before this special runs out!  monica@imagethat.biz or (612) 990-3734.

To Your Prosperity,

Monica of ImageThat!

Every brand has a color associated with it.  What is yours?

In a conversation with someone last week that worked for T-Mobile, he mentioned that T-Mobile spends a lot less on advertising than it’s competitors.  The funny thing was that it didn’t seem like they did as I can’t really remember many of the other cell services ads.  Well, okay, “Can You Hear Me Now.” is in my mind now, but it wasn’t then.

During that conversation, I realized that I knew immediately why I remembered the T-Mobile ads over the others.  Color!!!!  Their honeysuckle pink color stands out and is memorable.  That’s it.  I remember that color.  Not too much about the ads themselves, but I associate that color with that brand.

What is YOUR memorable brand color?

Part of building your personal brand includes your identifying color.  The goal is that when someone see’s that color, you want them to think of YOU!  Your personal brand color should match your personality, beliefs and attitude.  It is one of the most dramatic ways to promote brand you.

While looking at the colors below, answer these questions:

Which of these colors catch your eye first?  

What does it make you think?  

What does it make you feel?

Does this color match your personality?

Please note that I am not presenting colors that are considered “neutral” (black, brown, navy, tan) as they do not stand out.  For your personal brand image, neutrals are used to mix and match with brand identifying colors.

Yellow – Yellow is a bright attention getter.  It is a hard color for many people to actually wear as you need to know which shade of yellow is best for your skin tone.  As you can also see, it is also hard to view online.  Yellow does enhance concentration, hence it is used for legal pads.  Interesting!  If you are a bright and cheery person, I recommend that you use yellow as an accent to your dominant brand color.  BTW – if you are painting a nursery, avoid yellow as research has found that babies cry more in yellow rooms.

Orange – Orange, like yellow, is cheerful and FUN!  Tangerine Tango happens to be the Pantone color of the year for 2012, which is why you see a lot more shades of orange on the market.  Orange can be associated with ambition and new attitude as it isn’t as common of color as the others.  Orange is a great color to stand out !

Green – Green is a color that can symbolize nature, rejuvenation and money.  The variety of greens is almost endless – sea green, lime green, spring green, dark green.  Green is a relaxing color and easy on the eyes.  Hospitals use green because it relaxes patients!  If you to present calm, inspiration, and wealth, (e.g. – ImageThat!’s website , green can be your perfect color.  As always, find your green – the green that looks good on you as well as inspires others.

Blue - Blue is the most common of all colors in most everything.  It is a loyal, peaceful and tranquil color.  Because of that, it will be lost in the crowd unless you use a very specific type of blue or a pattern with blue.  Blue is believed to promote productivity.  As with yellow, if your first attraction is to blue, I’d use it as a supporting color as the commonality of blue will not make you stand out.  

Purple - Purple is the color of royalty, luxury, wealth and sophistication.  As with all colors, there are different shades of purple.  The lighter the color, the less royal and sophisticated.  Everyone has a shade of purple that is good for them.  What is yours?  

Red - Red is the most intense of all colors.  It can stimulate a multitude of strong feeling – lust, love, hunger and even fear.  Restaurants use red accents to stimulate hunger.  It most definitely is an attention getting color so using this color as part of your personal brand can pack a punch.  Just make sure it is the right type of punch!   

Pink – Pink is a version of red but much more tranquil and soft.  It is often considered “girly” or feminine but can pack a punch if used in the right context, even for men.

As a Certified Fashion Stylist, I’ve been trained that it is best to keep your color combinations to three.  One will most definitely be a neutral with two additional supporting colors.  However, I believe that if you have two neutrals, you can have two supporting supporting colors like those listed above.

What are your “two” non-neutral personal brand colors?

Once you pick two, make sure to:

1)  Make sure that each of these colors compliment each other.

2)  Make sure that each of these colors compliment YOUR skin tone.

3)  Start using these colors as accents in your signature line, in your professional photo on Linkedin, and especially in your wardrobe!  Hint:  Your wardrobe includes accessories, shoes, as well as clothing.

Take an inventory and make sure your brand color is consistent, build it and become memorable!

As always, Enjoy!

Is your personality an archetype?  According to a definition in Wikipedia, in psychology, an archetype is a model of a person, personality or behavior.  Or, a generic version of a personality.

Psychologist Carl Jung took archetypes a little further.  He claimed that in the archetypes, we recognize our own impulses, fears, desires and needs.  Archetypes are therefore hardwired in all of us.  Jung’s archetypes revolved around the psyche: ego, feminine, masculine, and persona (or image we present to the world).

The personality archetypes were taken a bit further by Carol S. Pearson, a professor of leadership studies at the University of Maryland.  Her system, which is based on Jung’s work, created 12 basic brand archetypes.  Others have added brand archetypes onto Jung’s and Pearson’s original work.

I’ve compiled these archetypes from Pearson’s originals with some input from other research and training.  There is definitely more to each personal brand archetype than what I have listed below – we are talking personalities and psychology after all.  This is just a brief overview.  Of course there is more to it than just picking, but it’s fun to take a look!

What archetype do you think you are?

Innocent (Idealist, Optimist, Traditionalist)
Personal Brands:  Forrest Gump, Mr. Rogers, Gandhi
Fulfillment:  Lives based on deeply held values and beliefs…successful at ignoring and moving through barriers.

Every Person (Egalitarian, Realist, Comrade)
Personal Brands:  Jimmy Carter, Catie Courick, Jack Black
Fulfillment:  Helping others belong and fit into the group…successful at providing a sense of belonging and team building.

Hero (Competitor, Crusader, Achiever)
Personal Brands:  Mary Lou Retton, John McCain, Wonder Woman
Fulfillment:  Rise to overcome challenges…successful at producing consistent results.

Caregiver (Supporter, Nurturer, Altruist)
Personal Brands:  Lady Diana, Mother Theresa, Bob Hope
Fulfillment:  To make a difference for someone else…successful at providing consistent, high quality service.

Explorer (Adventurer, Wanderer, Individualist)
Personal Brands:  Amelia Earhart, Christopher Columbus, Jacques Cousteau
Fulfillment:  Seek out new approaches and perspectives…successful at staying current with trends and encouraging initiative.

Lover (Partner, Connector, Aesthete)
Personal Brands:  Elizabeth Taylor, Bill Clinton, Luciano Pavarotti
Fulfillment:  Build relationships…successful at building partnerships and seeing the possibilities for greater quality of life.

Revolutionary (Troubleshooter, Rebel, Game-changer)
Personal Brands:  James Dean, George Washington, Sid Vicious
Fulfillment: Change something that they feel needs to be changed…successful at developing truly radical ideas and services.

Creator (Artisan, Inventor, Dreamer)
Personal Brands:  Martha Stewart, Georgia O’Keeffe, Beethoven
Fulfillment:  See new ideas take shape and motivate creative thinking in others…  successful at developing original products or services.

Magician (Wizard, Healer, Envisioned)
Personal Brands:  Tony Robbins, Richard Simmons, Barack Obama
Fulfillment:  See a vision realized and motivate others to believe that anything is possible…successful at serving as catalysts for change and turning problems into opportunities.

Ruler (Leader, Powerbroker, Role Model)
Personal Brand:  Steve Jobs, Hillary Clinton, Winston Churchill
Fulfillment:  Demonstrate leadership and use influence to make things work better…  successful when they can make decisions that benefit others.

Sage (Expert, Mentor, Analyst)
Personal Brands: Oprah, Al Gore, Albert Einstein
Fulfillment:  Finding the answers to great questions and motivate others to seek the truth…successful at developing expertise so that it is useful to others.

Jester (Entertainer, Wit, Jovial)
Personal Brands:  Steve Martin, Tina Fey, Robin Williams
Fulfillment:  Can use their ingenuity and wit and motivate others to see the value of fun…successful at brainstorming and thinking outside the box.

You will probably see yourself in a few of these archetypes.  That is probably true.  We most likely have a dominant archetype with one or two supporting roles.

Why is this even important?  Because we often struggle with who we think we are because it may not fit with whom we really are, or, for that matter, who we want to be!  If you look at some of the personal brands, it is obvious that they fit there.  For example, who wouldn’t think that Robin Williams is a Jester?

Most of us want to be one archetype, but when it comes down to it, we are really another.  For example, a mom wants to believe that they are a caregiver, right?  Not every mother can have the archetype of caregiver.  It doesn’t mean you are a bad mom.  It means that you have something else to give to your kids than just taking care of them.  Embrace your archetype and let it shine!  It will make life a lot easier.

What brand archetype do you think you are?  Make a comment below!