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Personal branding: A path to balance, goal achievement, and a more satisfying life

In this week's episode (#64) of the Get Hired Up podcast, I interview my friend, mentor and colleague, Susan Chritton, author of Personal Branding for Dummies. 

When we show up at work and at play as our authentic selves, we experience confidence, joy, and engagement. This is personal branding to me. 

Personal branding is also about helping strangers to get to know us, which is especially important during today's digital and social era. 

According to acclaimed author, Keith Ferrazzi, who wrote Never Eat Alone and other secrets to success, one relationship at a time: 

"A brand is nothing less than everything everyone thinks of when they see or hear your name. The best brands. like the most interesting people, have a distinct message." (I highly recommend both books listed here, and thank you to Kevin M. for recommending Keith Ferrazzi's book). 

According to Susan, “Self-awareness occurs when you’re able to observe yourself as others see you.” 

“The most important ingredient as you embark on the personal branding path is self-acceptance. You need to be able to look closely at yourself, be able to listen to what others think about you and be willing to grow and change."
 

"Personal branding helps executives to develop an individual reputation that can be transported to other positions and to separate his or her association with a particular company."
 

Susan is a thought leader in the careers and personal branding sectors and it's such an honor to share her expertise and perspective with you. She is an executive career coach, certified career counselor and applied positive psychology practitioner. 

She helps people every day bring various aspects of their lives together, helping them find balance, work towards their goals and have a more satisfying life.  

I met Susan in person at a Career Thought Leaders conference in Madrid in 2018. We became fast friends with so much in common, including January birthdays, which makes us both Capricorns. 

I hope you enjoy the episode.

Upcoming Podcast Topics

• Corporate Governance & Emerging Technologies
• IPO Options for Growing Tech Companies
• Trends in Financial Compliance 
• Advanced Communications (voice)
• Career Paths in Elite Cuisine

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Canine Friendship & Compassion

The special bond of companionship and unconditional love of a dog is a powerful relationship. It's a very intimate relationship we share with our canine friends, who are a special part of our family.

Here is Miss Cocoa, a rescue from Texas, with her human, Troy. Miss Cocoa's hind quarters are paralyzed and Troy walks her with a special support leash. 

Troy walks her several times per day and I marvel at his commitment to her care. Happily, she is awaiting a customized canine wheelchair that will give her some degree of personal mobility. He explained that there is a one percent chance she may regain the use of her hind legs. 

I met Troy yesterday while walking our Ruby-Muppet (below), also a rescue (from Grand Turk). Ruby has been with us for seven months now and keeps us on our toes and laughing with her silly antics. 

Here in Nova Scotia (CANADA), we're experiencing record flooding and rain with preliminary numbers showing rainfall totals ranging from 150-250+ millimetres as of 6 a.m. AT Saturday. 

As of Saturday afternoon (at the time if this writing), it's still raining. Our daughter, Allison, who is in transit has reported that all major highways between Windsor and Halifax are washed out completely. What would typically be a 40-minute journey has translated into a four-hour ordeal. 

According to estimates, this is the heaviest flooding since Hurricane Beth in 1971, which I remember as a young child. It completely washed out a pulp mill in Sheet Harbour, Nova Scotia, leaving hundreds unemployed. It was never replaced.

I hope you are safe and sound where ever you are. Have an optimized week ahead. 

Maureen Farmer is a CEO advisor and personal branding strategist for next-level executives, investors, and board nominees. 

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Westgate Executive Branding and Career Consulting Inc. would like to acknowledge that we are located in Mi'kma'ki, the ancestral and unceded territory of the Mi'kmaq People. We are all Treaty people.