Hi,

So last week I didn’t write my blog. Did you miss me?

I am so sorry but for the first time in almost 4 years I just could not find any inspiration, because like the Human League song:

“I’m only human
Of flesh and blood I’m made
Human
Born to make mistakes”

I was tired. Like really exhausted. And I had to prepare for a whole day of training a group of men and women at an agency in Hilversum. And I like to keep my blogs fresh, so I basically write them the day before we send them out. But I am sorry I didn’t keep to my end of the bargain of keeping you up-to-date on a weekly basis.
But hey let’s look at some other women who have had to show their human side and because of this have developed a real authentic personal brand.

My favorite is Adele.
Even though she doesn’t like to be called a personal brand, hers is one of the most authentic.

“It makes me sound like a fabric softener, or a packet of crisps. I’m not that. But there’s personality in an artist, and if you’re expecting people to let you in and give themselves to you, you have to be a whole package”.
Lesson 1. She is right: it is all about showing your personality!

“I get really bad nerves. I thought they disappeared… But I did a BBC special the other day, I was fine in rehearsal, then the minute my fans were in there, I froze again. I couldn’t control my voice. I also find something very lonely about touring. You play for so many people, and you go home alone.”
Lesson 2. She is really honest to her fans. Masks off and she shows her vulnerability which makes her authentic.

I love what she said about her song ‘Someone like you’:
“I wrote that song on the end of my bed. I had a cold. I was waiting for my bath to run. I’d found out that he’d got engaged to someone else.”
Lesson 3. Through her songs she shares aspects of her life. This is her personal story and it makes her relatable and human.

Then recently Taylor Swift came out supporting a democratic nominee even though she had never been involved with politics and people probably thought she was a republican. This has really helped her personal brand.

6 years ago she said: “I don’t talk about politics because it might influence other people. And I don’t think that I know enough yet in life to be telling people who to vote for.”

And last month she said: “In the past I’ve been reluctant to publicly voice my political opinions. I feel very differently about that now. I always have and always will cast my vote based on which candidate will protect and fight for the human rights I believe we all deserve in this country. I believe in the fight for LGBTQ rights, and that any form of discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender is WRONG.”

Because her voicing her opinion voter registration spike by 65.000 people. The girl had impact! Go T.Swift!
Lesson 4. If you have a voice use it. Be visible and dare to be noticed because we need more women leaders.

And then my own lesson that I have to share with you. Last Friday I gave a training at an agency and I really over prepared. It was like I felt a bit intimidated by them, they all had big degrees and worked huge accounts. So I started to get more and more insecure by the time it was the day before the training. And that exhausted me. My own insecurity just drained the energy out of my body. In the end I got out of bed and just said to myself the morning of the training: “You’ve got this and if they don’t get it, it was not for them and you will be fine.”

In the end they were more than happy.

And my lesson learned was that we need more confidence as women because we are more than capable. It is the biggest thing keeping us from showing ourselves and what we are made of.

Don’t you think?

XOXO,

Nancy