When I started Talk About Talk, I had NO IDEA I’d be focusing so much time and energy on personal branding. I thought I’d be focused more on communication topics such as listening, confidence and storytelling. But almost every day, one of my clients or listeners shares the significant impact that developing their personal brand … Read More
Personal Branding is important, yet it never seems urgent. Dr. Andrea Wojnicki shares 3 specific reasons why we should all take the time and effort to develop our personal brand, plus she shares a variety of resources to help you develop your personal brand: a new online course, podcast episodes, newsletter blogs, and more. Resources … Read More
Introducing yourself shouldn’t be something you dread. Learn a 3-point self-introduction framework (not a script!) plus 4 general tips for introducing yourself effectively. Introducing yourself is a rare opportunity to highlight your personal brand! Connect with Andrea & Talk About Talk: Website: TalkAboutTalk.com Communication Coaching Newsletter: https://talkabouttalk.com/blog/#newsletter-signup LinkedIn: Andrea and TalkAboutTalk Youtube Channel: @talkabouttalkyoutube Re-release of ep.86.
Are you on the job market or do you know someone who is? Well then here’s someone you’ve gopt to meet! Please meet Sharon Mah-Gin. Sharon is an executive recruiter with decades of experience across all functional areas, including sales, marketing, HR, operations, general management, and finance. She is also a dear friend with whom I’ve … Read More
Executive recruiter Sharon Mah-Gin shares her advice for job-seekers, including what to do first, what employers are looking for in job candidates, common mistakes, and (yes!) the significance of your personal brand when it comes to job searching. Resources Sharon Mah-Gin: LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/sharonmahgin/ Executive Search Alliance – http://www.execsearchalliance.com/ Relevant Talk About Talk Episodes for Job Seekers … Read More
Andrea answers nine communication skills questions from Talk About Talk listeners, including how to deal with negative people, how to network when you’re working from home, gender differences in communication, and more. Resources: “Smart Brevity” book by Jim VandeHei, Mike Allen & Roy Schwartz “Your Brain at Work” by Dr. David Rock (S.C.A.R.F. model) … Read More
Have you heard Jeff Bezos’ definition of a personal brand? This definition is particularly useful because we can imagine various scenarios when we’re not in the room – and we really, really care what people are saying! Certainly, this definition works well. But recently I’ve come up with another definition that I like even more. Are … Read More
People make all sorts of mistakes when they’re developing their personal brand. Can you guess what’s the most common Personal Branding mistake? Read on to learn that and more… 3 things to Talk About this week: 1️⃣ 3 common Personal Branding mistakes (yes, including the most common mistake) 2️⃣ Take the Communication Skills Poll (I want to hear from … Read More
Andrea shares the 3 most common personal branding mistakes and misconceptions she sees with her clients: communicating first, scripting, and copying others. Learn why these are mistakes, and what you should do instead to build a strong and effective personal brand. RESOURCES Other Talk About Talk episodes on Personal Branding: #98 The Power Of Personal … Read More
I’m so happy to hear from many of you how much you like the new “3 things to Talk About” format for this communication coaching newsletter. More evidence of “The Power of Three”! Here we go… 3 things to Talk About this week: 1️⃣ Practice makes perfect… or does it? 2️⃣ The elevator pitch 3-point checklist 3️⃣May … Read More
Drop your rehearsed elevator pitch and try this instead! Certainly, being prepared for impromptu conversations with influential stakeholders is important. But elevator pitches typically come across as rehearsed and insincere. Instead, keep this simple 3-point checklist in mind! RESOURCES Website: TalkAboutTalk.com LinkedIn: Andrea and TalkAboutTalk Weekly Communication Skills Newsletter – https://talkabouttalk.com/blog/#newsletter-signup Email – Andrea@TalkAboutTalk.com For a transcript of this … Read More
For a while now, I’ve been saying that INTRODUCING YOURSELF is the most direct way to positively reinforce your personal brand. I just realized that HOW YOU DRESS may be at least as important! Here are some actionable tips to help you reinforce your personal brand through your clothing choices. Integrating Your Personal Brand Into … Read More
Do you ever stand in front of your closet wondering what on earth you should WEAR TO WORK? as3d via Canva This challenge is so common that it’s a cliché. But I would conjecture that this challenge has grown over the past several years, as it’s become more acceptable to dress down at work, even before the … Read More
What to wear to work? Your clothing communicates a lot about you, more than you probably think! Andrea shares what some of the research says about how we dress and others’ perception of us. Then she shares some do’s and don’ts when choosing your outfit. Here’s a question: what’s your most successful, happiest self wearing … Read More
Most of us think we are SELF-AWARE. But research indicates that only 10-15% of us are technically considered highly SELF-AWARE. The good news is that we can turn up the dial on our self-awareness. By doing so, we improve our communication, our relationships, and our performance. Basically, we will be happier and more successful! When … Read More
Based on a few recent conversations with clients, it occurred to me that people define the concept of SELF-AWARENESS in different ways. Let me share some examples… “Ashley” was an amazing leader who I had the privilege of coaching over six months. About a month into our program, she revealed to me that recently when she was … Read More
How self-aware are you? Andrea shares the definition of self-awareness, different types of self-awareness, and how we can improve our communication effectiveness by being more self-aware. RESOURCES The 3 Point Body Language Scan Podcast Episode: https://www.talkabouttalk.com/96-3pt-body-language-scan/ Talk About Talk Website: TalkAboutTalk.com LinkedIn: Andrea and TalkAboutTalk Weekly Communication Skills Newsletter – https://talkabouttalk.com/blog/#newsletter-signup Email – Andrea@TalkAboutTalk.com
THANK YOU to listener “Amanda” who recently asked me for some pointers on how to “SAY NICE THINGS” about herself. I dedicated this week’s podcast episode to answering Amanda’s question! Do YOU ever struggle to talk about your credentials & accomplishments? Like it or not, learning to say nice things about ourselves is an imperative. … Read More
Andrea talks about how to communicate your skills and credentials without sounding arrogant or conceited. Learn three strategies for how to say nice things about yourself. “Your work does not speak for itself. You also must speak for your work.” RESOURCES Dr. Andrea Wojnicki & Talk About Talk Free 20min consult – Book Andrea Website – … Read More
Here’s your checklist of 5 impactful but often overlooked ways that you can communicate and reinforce your personal brand. Of course there’s how we introduce ourselves, our social media profiles, our resume. But when was the last time you updated your voicemail greeting? Check out TalkAboutTalk.com RESOURCES Personal Brand Online course: https://talkabouttalk.com/personalbrand Gravatars … Read More
If you’ve been a Talk About Talk newsletter subscriber for a while, you’ve probably learned a few things about PERSONAL BRANDING. But I bet you still have some Qs. Recently I did a LIVE Q&A focused on Personal Branding, with an audience of over 850!!! I hope you’ll listen. You’ll hear my answers to 13 Qs, moderated … Read More
Do you have questions about Personal Branding? Andrea answers 13 personal branding questions from a live Q&A event hosted by the FishBowl app. Learn how to boost your confidence, 3 specific benefits of developing your Personal Brand, and more! RESOURCES FishBowl https://www.fishbowlapp.com/ Andrea on Fishbowl – https://www.fishbowlapp.com/fb/andrea-wojnicki Maye Samoiel https://www.linkedin.com/in/maye-samoiel-cpa-cica-cfe-ambci/ Dr. … Read More
Let me ask you something: What makes you REMARKABLE? “Remarkable.” That’s a great word, isn’t it? It’s a word that Lisa Bragg, CEO of MediaFace and Founder of The Bragging Rights Collective, thinks we should use more often. I agree. Lisa Bragg Last week I introduced you to Lisa’s philosophy of BRAGGING – a bold and positive reframing of … Read More
“Stop BRAGGING!” “It’s not polite to brag.” “Nobody likes a bragger.” Image by Dean Drobot from Canva Wait – is BRAGGING really such a bad thing? Not according to Lisa Bragg, Founder and CEO of MediaFace, and author of the forthcoming book, Bragging Rights. Lisa says that the really negative things associated with … Read More
Do you ever worry people might think you’re bragging? Lisa Bragg encourages us to focus on what makes you remarkable, and shares why you probably don’t need to worry about bragging. Host Andrea Wojnicki also shares 2 ways to talk about your superpowers without bragging. RESOURCES Lisa Bragg LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisabragg Instagram https://www.instagram.com/thatlisabragg Mediaface: … Read More
We all have a personal brand, whether we choose to strategically manage it or not. And more and more of our impressions are made online. Image by ismagilov from Getty Images/Canva There’s no question: Social media is a fantastic opportunity to cultivate our personal brand! Last week I introduced you to my friend, social media … Read More
Social media is an effective but under-leveraged tool for communicating our personal brand. Let’s get strategic and learn how. Consider 3 things: WHERE you’re engaging, HOW you’re engaging and WHAT you’re saying. Here’s your opportunity to get updated on social media from an industry expert, Andrew Jenkins, author of “Social Media Marketing for Business.” … Read More
This week we’re celebrating 100 EPISODES of the Talk About Talk podcast! How do you like to celebrate the major milestones in your life? Flowers 💐? Cake 🎂? Champagne 🥂? Image by inkdrop from Canva Or how about… sharing some of the key insights you’ve gained through the process of reaching that milestone? If you’re a … Read More
You may not think so, but managing your Personal Brand is kind of like managing your credit rating. Have you been putting off focusing on your PERSONAL BRAND? Maybe it’s been on your “to do” list for a while, but you were focusing other things that felt more pressing. Developing your Personal Brand may not … Read More
A few months ago I received a message from a Talk About Talk podcast listener in Europe, who decided she could benefit from communication coaching. Little did I know that our work together would inspire a future podcast episode, but you just never know when those “aha moments” are going to happen… Image by marchmeena29 from Getty … Read More
Personal Branding is important, yet it never seems urgent. Dr. Andrea Wojnicki shares 3 specific reasons why we should all take the time and effort to develop our personal brand, plus she shares a variety of resources to help you develop your personal brand: a new online course, podcast episodes, newsletter blogs, and more. … Read More
Every day, each of us has a decision about what to wear… image: unsplash @ anniespratt Feeling uninspired?!? Before you grab the same old suit/dress/shoes, ask yourself this: What can my PERSONAL STYLE say about my PERSONAL BRAND? Last week I introduced you to my “Fabulous Fashionista Friend,” the “Swiss Renaissance woman” Anne V. Muhlethaler. This week I want … Read More
Recently, I was coaching a senior marketing executive with a vivacious personality. This woman is BOLD. As we were running through the various ways she can communicate her bold personal brand, she asked: “Andrea, what should I WEAR?” At the time, she was wearing a black suit jacket over a beige shirt. No accessories that I could see. Lovely … Read More
Your Personal Style provides an opportunity to communicate your Personal Brand. People often see you before they hear a word you say! Learn a technique to help you define and cultivate your Personal Style, plus a simple tip to help you decide what clothing to buy and what to leave in the store. Thank you … Read More
Have you ever wondered whether self-promotion has to be “shameless”? Or when you should (and should NOT) apologize? Or why and how men and women often communicate differently? If you haven’t listened to episode 95 yet, part 2 of my conversation with communication expert Judith Humphrey, we cover all this and more! Thanks again, Judith! Here’s a summary … Read More
Talk About Talk Top 3 Communication Insights and Goals Happy 2022! In the most recent episode, The BEST OF Talk About Talk, I looked back at the Top 3 most downloaded episodes of 2021. (Image: Canva – Sergey Nivens) Have you listened to these episodes yet? Episode #58: Communicate with CONFIDENCE – Mental … Read More
The Talk About Talk Top 3’s! 2021 is almost over! It’s that time of the year when we look back at the year gone by, and also look ahead to the new year. (Image: Canva – duckycards from Getty Images Signature) Personally, I love rankings and “Best Of” lists. In this week’s … Read More
The best of Talk About Talk, including the top 3 most downloaded podcast episodes of 2021, 3 insights we learned, and 3 communication goals for 2022. SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST RESOURCES Books & Podcast Episodes “Talk Like Ted” by Carmine Gallo #58: Communicate with CONFIDENCE – Mental Preparation #86: Introductions – How … Read More
Have you been told it’s time to start “demonstrating leadership”? Learn 5 ways to communicate your leadership potential and make leadership an integral part of your personal brand. You can create thought leadership, demonstrate people leadership, you can talk leadership, and more. RESOURCES Podcast Episodes #52 – Communication Skills of Effective Leaders – with executive … Read More
Tips for Introducing Yourself Last week it was the framework, now its general tips for introducing yourself. Do you remember the framework? It’s 3 simple points: PRESENT PAST FUTURE Remember, it’s NOT a script and it’s NOT in chronological order. Here’s my example: PRESENT – “Hi. I’m Andrea Wojnicki. I’m a communication coach at Talk … Read More
How to Introduce Yourself Do you know how to INTRODUCE YOURSELF? When you’re in a meeting and the meeting leader says, “Let’s take a moment to briefly introduce ourselves. I’ll go first…” …does your head start spinning? Perhaps you get tongue-tied when you’re introducing yourself? Maybe you get distracted by “that guy “ whose self-introduction lasts way … Read More
Strategic Principles of Personal Branding Before we shift to the 3 STRATEGIC PRINCIPLES of PERSONAL BRANDING… let’s review the most common mistake that people make in terms of their PERSONAL BRAND. Do you remember what it is? COPYING OTHERS Instead of copying others, I urge you to focus on your unique traits and qualities – … Read More
STRATEGIC PERSONAL BRANDING CONFIDENCE is still the #1 most common communication-skills-related topic that I get asked about from listeners and clients. PERSONAL BRANDING is a close second. Interestingly, when we take the time to define and communicate our PERSONAL BRAND, our CONFIDENCE is elevated. So focusing on your personal brand is like a double-whammy! image: unsplash … Read More
Strategic Principles of PERSONAL BRANDING: Before you start promoting your Personal Brand, you need to articulate what it is! Learn the 3 strategic principles of Personal Branding, plus the most common mistake that people make when crafting their Personal Brand. PRINCIPLES OF PERSONAL BRANDING RESOURCES Podcast Episodes #77 PERSONAL BRANDING: Reinforcing your Personal Brand … Read More
IMPLICIT COMMUNICATION & YOUR PERSONAL BRAND We can think of communicating our PERSONAL BRAND both EXPLICITLY and IMPLICITLY: EXPLICIT as in the words. Overt, direct, unambiguous messages. This includes your resume and how you introduce yourself. IMPLICIT as in signalling or sending queues. This is less direct, but critically important communication, as in your body language, your style, and lots more… … Read More
Personal branding is more than just the words we say about ourselves. Learn to reinforce your personal brand through consistent implicit communication, ranging from your personal style, possessions, affiliations, how you show up for meetings, and more. RESOURCES Dr. Andrea Wojnicki Email – Andrea@TalkAboutTalk.com Book Andrea for a free 20min “communication skills training” consult Andrea on … Read More
YOUR PERSONAL BRAND – I’m excited to share 5 insights to help you improve your PERSONAL BRAND! Recently my friend Sharon Mah-Gin and I have been coaching female executives all over the world on Personal Branding and Networking. Do you remember Sharon? She’s the energetic executive recruiter who shared her Networking tips with us in two … Read More
On the tension of PERSONAL BRANDS: There’s a real tension here: Do you bring your whole self to work? How can we be authentic without sharing TMI (too much information)? How can we be transparent without appearing unprofessional? image: Unsplash @ loicleray Read on to learn: why navigating this authenticity-TMI tension might be easier for … Read More
How can we be authentic without sharing TMI (too much information)? How can we be transparent, bring our “whole selves” to work, without appearing unprofessional? Copywriter and messaging strategist Tom Megginson encourages us to be authentic, but focus on our audience. Code-switching and filtering are two ways to maintain authenticity without compromising professionalism. RESOURCES … Read More
Actionable advice on how to communicate your personal brand online, including 3 KEY PRINCIPLES of personal branding, plus instructions for how to UPDATE, PARTICIPATE and MONITOR your personal brand online. REFERENCES & LINKS Resources “How to Optimize your LinkedIn Profile” podcast episode – https://talkabouttalk.com/62-optimize-linkedin/ Updating your email signature – https://talkabouttalk.com/email-communication-blog/ Talk About Talk “Communication … Read More
Let’s Develop Your Personal Brand! It’s time to develop your personal brand. PERSONAL BRANDING, or proactively managing our identity, is important. But it can also be overwhelming. Let’s take it one step at a time! Last week I wrote and podcasted about HOW TO COMMUNICATE YOUR PERSONAL BRAND ONLINE. This is a great place to … Read More
On COMMUNICATING Your ONLINE Personal Brand – QUESTION: Do YOU have a “Personal Brand”? ANSWER: Of course you have a personal brand. We all do! The real question is: how actively are you managing it? PERSONAL BRANDING is reputation management or impression management. Ideally, your personal brand transcends both personal and professional contexts. Managing your personal … Read More
Here’s a list of 10 things you can do to COMMUNICATE YOUR PERSONAL BRAND ONLINE. (image: Unsplash @ samish_18) Let’s do this! 10 Ways to Communicate Your Personal Brand ONLINE! FIRST – KNOW YOUR PERSONAL BRAND Personal branding is a popular term these days. But identifying your unique personal brand can be overwhelming. … Read More
This week we focus on another aspect of our personal and professional IDENTITY: our NAME! Over the past month we’ve covered ARCHETYPES 101, ARCHETYPES & FEMALE POP STARS, and PERSONALITY. Are you getting the theme here? It’s all about IDENTITY. What does YOUR NAME say about you? Read on to learn: What your name means How our names affect us … Read More
In this week’s podcast (podcast #40!), I briefly summarize all of our learnings into “The 19 COMMUNICATION SKILLS We Learned in 2019.” To come up with this list, I went through the key learnings from the 39 podcast episodes, the weekly email newsletters, and the 5 LinkedIn papers from the past year. To simplify the list, I categorized the learnings … Read More
An efficient summary of the 19 Communication Skills from 2019, including the words we say, types of implicit communication, tips for specific people & contexts, & important meta learnings. THANKS for listening – and READING! Let’s TALK! Web: https://talkabouttalk.com/ FB Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2512948625658629/ FB: https://www.facebook.com/TalkingAboutTalk/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/talkabouttalk/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/talk_about_talk Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/talkingabouttalk/ Email: Andrea@TalkAboutTalk.com TalkAboutTalk … Read More
This week we focus on “AUTHENTICITY” (a.k.a. “the real deal,” or “not putting on airs”). Authenticity is critical for effective communication, whether we’re talking PERSONALLY or PROFESSIONALLY, managing a brand. You can skim this short email or click the links to learn more! Let’s do this…. ?PODCAST EPISODE #33: COMMUNICATING AUTHENTICITY AUTHENTICITY. It seems like a … Read More
Authenticity is important for both people and for brands. But what does it really mean to “be authentic”? Ana Serrano (CFC chief digital officer) shares her expertise on authenticity, including how the digital realm has amplified the performative nature of authenticity and how inauthentic “green-washing,” “art-washing” and “social impact washing” on behalf of brands can backfire. References & … Read More
This week we Talk About BRANDS (your personal brand, brand management frameworks & the top brands!) ?FIRST – THE PODCAST For this week’s podcast, I had the privilege of interviewing CEO and team performance expert Michael Boydell. Sounds intimidating, right? But Michael is very down-to-earth and honest–AUTHENTIC. He describes several exercises that anyone can run through … Read More
Are you actively managing your professional and personal brand? Can brand management frameworks help us manage our own careers? CEO & team performance expert Michael Boydell suggests we start with a blank sheet of paper. If it feels uncomfortable, we’re on the right track! Ask yourself: Where & with whom am I most joyful? What … Read More
