Impact. It’s the 3rd element in my four keys to helping you create a compelling, BOLD, genuine personal brand.
My passion in business is backed by my love of innovation. Without impact – you have little innovation. Without innovation you have mediocrity and low-to-no high culture. Imagine the condition of our world without the impact of Steve Jobs’ genius, visionary attitude, and the legacy he imprinted on our culture. Ever notice how his love for “Zen” and Buddhism are reflected in all Apple products? Look at the simple, artistic design of the products. A portion of Steve Jobs’ innovation and impact came from his passion to live a “Zen” lifestyle. He incorporated that impact into his products.
How can you incorporate what you stand for in your branding, products and services? Just recently I received an unexpected positive validation about my branding via email from someone in my community. Her perception of my brand was spot on – yet I never used these words before in my branding. Soul + Business = Marla. I was so thrilled that she got my impact.
Imagine the world without the talent, brilliance and inspiration of actors like Julia Roberts and her entrepreneurial drive to do motion pictures on her own terms. We wouldn’t have had the pop culture impact of the EAT PRAY LOVE film, which her production company produced based on her love for yoga, Hinduism and world peace.
Now imagine a world without your talent and passions knowing the many lives you were meant to enhance and transform small or large. Your brand MUST have impact in order to stand out and rise above the density.
That impact is who you are.
The question is what is your impact? What do you want to be known for? What will you take a stand for order to impact our culture through your business purpose? Can you give yourself permission to stand out?
When I mentor my clients through the development stages of their personal brand – we go further in depth about their values and living in congruency with those values. They can communicate with so much clarity what they stand for and what impact they truly want to make.
What action can you do today that will raise the standards in your own personal branding in how others perceive you online?
Let’s look at Julia Roberts and how she positions herself as an innovative, trustworthy, impactful brand.
In a new series of blog articles, I am giving you my entertainment PR and Journalism perspective in how to apply compelling content to your branding. My purpose here is featuring women celebrities we admire for their intelligence, wit, courage, talent and savviness to be entrepreneurial role models for us beyond their celebrity while inspiring us to be leaders in business on our own terms.
Roberts became one of the highest-paid actresses in the world, leading The Hollywood Reporter’s annual "power list" of top-earning female stars from 2005 to 2006. Her fee for 1990's Pretty Woman was $300,000; in 2003, she was paid an unprecedented $25 million for her role in Mona Lisa Smile (produced by her Red Om Films).
In 2010, Roberts's net worth was estimated to be $140 million and now is reported to be $150 million. In 2003 her production company, renamed Red Om Films ("Moder" spelled backward – her husband Danny’s last name), produced Mona Lisa Smile, in which Roberts plays an art history professor. Red Om Films also produced the highly acclaimed EAT PRAY LOVE and the Jo Lo romantic comedy MAID IN MANHATTAN among many other films.
So beyond ALL her enormous success, you will find an incredibly down-to-earth, genuine and unpretentious woman who stays out of the spotlight as much as possible except when she is promoting her movies as required in the formula of filmmaking. Same quality Sandra Bullock has. Common theme here.
She also gets my GENUINE BRANDING AWARD for using her celebrity for good intentions and building her own business on her own terms.
Let’s get down to the business of branding:
10 Things We Love About Julia Roberts’ Brand
1. Julia lives by her values and her brand speaks to that. When you craft your brand based on your top 10 values and live congruently by them, you will have loyal followers and believers. Sit in a quiet place away from your office for 30 minutes and write out your top 10 values in life. Wrap your brand content around them and watch what happens.
2. Julia is a visionary with a purpose that goes well beyond her personality. Several of her films she produced from her own company reflect her purpose to serve the greater good. (Eat Pray Love) When you have a purpose well beyond your own needs and your brand reflects that in the way people experience you at your website, social media channels and programs/services – you will have an authenticity that attracts clients and loyal followers. People love to be inspired and even more love to hang out with those who bring out the altruism in them. Serve well.
3. Julia evokes a positive, uplifting emotion via her brand. Don’t you feel good every time you see that gorgeous smile and feel her “energy?” She evokes a spiritual, high energy in her branding – even in her most simple photos or mentions in magazines. A sexy, compelling brand inspires others to feel. That is connection and resonance. Be that for your market. It builds your know, like and trust factor.
4. Be humble and relatable. Julie has this in spades! When you read anything about her in publicity (magazines, radio, TV, online, etc.) she always comes off as humble and unaffected by her stardom. She is real. She is and always be “America’s sweetheart” (like Sandra Bullock in the previous blog article). How can you revise your brand to be even more humble and relatable? Re-read your about page on your site. Is it an inspiring story or plain vanilla resume? Make your perception approachable. People will love you for that and it feeds your conversion rate.
5. Julia is seen as a down-home girl from Georgia as much as an innovative force in women in business. Despite her largeness, she captures public interest by conveying a great balance between innovation and an ordinary woman doing extraordinary things. Who can’t relate to that? What is your delicate balance you want to convey in your branding via video, social media, your website, and in-person?
6. She’s unapologetically herself. She gives herself permission to be all she is with no apologies. She is confident, strong, feminine, creative, goofy, silly (love her laugh), brilliant, spiritual, stubborn, strong, a loving mother, etc. Can you be unapologetic about you and stand for that in your branding?
7. Clarity. No mixed messages in Julia’s PR, branding, or marketing. She is careful how her publics perceive her. What about your brand? Clarity is one place many business owners need support in. Is it time to sign up for a mentor’s help and stop trying to do it all yourself? It could be costing you thousands of dollars to save a few.
8. Low-drama. Her brand is clear, relatable, inspiring and beautiful. In all her publicity she makes sure the drama is kept to a minimum (God bless those paparazzi). She lives her life outside Hollywood and runs her personal life with grace and ease. Can you say the same for yours? Do you keep your brand message clear and life in low-drama? This plays an important role in your perception and believability. Drama can show up on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram etc. Strange photos tagged not by you? Watch your image and what you are feeding your publics.
9. High Standards. Julia’s brand reflects her standards in life. By looking at points 1-8 here – you can see she has clear boundaries and standards. Is it time to raise your standards on your brand and re-look at your personal and professional boundaries with money, clients, family, and friends? It will show up in your branding. I know you want the best positioning. Raise your standards each year and watch what happens.
10. Family is her main core value beyond her celebrity and women business owners want to know they can have their quality family time AND a feeling of accomplishment and fulfillment from their work. The public loves a nurturing Mom. We all can relate. Be sure to post family photos in your social media channels and in your about page. Soften the entrepreneurial edge with your feminine nature by showing you are a loving parent, sister, aunt, family member. It’s always a beautiful balance in a genuine brand.
Julia gets IMPACT. What is yours?
Rare opportunity to get my personal help in a small group setting
I'm booking 30 minute inquiry calls to go over your branding and positioning this week and next (till Aug 15th) to see if I may support you achieving profits quicker via your branding platform and discuss how my once-a-year VIP Day Sept 4th, "The Brand of You: Perception, Positioning, Impact and Profit," can help you! I've have up to 8 spots for eager and ready business owners! You’ll have a rare opportunity to get my personal help in a small group setting to create a meaningful, fulfilling, and genuine brand. Email support@marladiann.com Let’s do it!
