"But I don't want to Hao Lian!*"
When I first learned about "building a personal brand" and "being visible online", this was the first thought that popped in my head.
*hao4 lian4 is a Teochew term used to describe a braggart, show-off, or someone who is unashamedly self-indulgent.
Growing up in an East Asian-influenced culture, Confucian ideals were infused into my behavioural expectations.
A key ideal in Confucian thought is that of humility. Clambering for attention and status are seen as dishonourable and crass behaviours. Above all, it is a cause for loss of ‘face’.
You can imagine how this would lead to me thinking that putting myself out there is no different from blowing my own trumpet, singing my own praises, proclaiming myself from the rooftops… you get the idea.
It wasn’t a desirable thing to do.
And when I examined a little more, I realised that I viewed people who were constantly clamouring for visibility in a low light.
I didn’t want to be like them.
Hence the resistance to making myself more visible online.
Now, obviously, the fact that you’re reading this suggests that something must have changed.
And something did.
I stopped all online activity for over a year.
Truth be told, I didn’t miss it.
Instead of agonising over what to post or what to show, I spent more time listening and reading.
Serendipitously, some of them discussed this topic, about being visible.
And I slowly started to see it in a different light.
What I used to think was “shameless self-promotion” and “narcissism” doesn’t need to be, as long as the intention is purposeful and useful to others.
Sure, there’ll always be people who take it wrongly, but that’s true of anything - whether expressed online or offline.
I started to see that letting others know what I know and offering information is helpful to them. It’s not about promoting myself and my views (though there is an unavoidable element of this in all public expression), it’s about sharing what I have.
Most people are clever enough to figure out the motivations behind your post, and if you share with good intentions, it’s better (and easier) to let them decide for themselves whether they want to read it.
So here we are.
It’s your decision.
Opportunities Amidst the Current Microbiological Climate
Unless you are somehow isolated from the world and its happenings, this is a period of constant daily news about the latest disease outbreak - that of COVID-19.
Almost like a throwback to the days of SARS, temperature taking and travel declarations are the norm again.
And thus, invariably, comes the economic downturn. What else would we expect from cancelled travel, delayed shipments, and affected trade?
And yet, within all of this, there appears to be vast opportunity.
The question is, can you spot it?
Depending on your location, expertise, and station in life, you may be in a unique position to take advantage of the sudden slowdown.
For some of you, this is the perfect time to start developing that area of business that you never had the time to do earlier because you have been constantly swamped with work.
For others, this is your opportunity to just take a step back and recover from all the stresses that you have been placing upon your body and your relationships.
And for still others, this may be a chance to explore new markets and clients that never existed before now.
What I’m trying to say is that sitting around, merely reading the news, and having a pity party for yourself is not going to get you very far. Take this unprecedented opportunity to do something. You will be glad you did.
Quietly Leaving Your Mark: Personal Branding for Introverts
[To my fellow introverts:]
Like you, I struggle with the dilemma of deciding between being known and having a quiet, private life.
Note the present tense. I still do.
What I learned is this:
In order to have the quiet, private life that I want, I must first be able to provide for it.
Yes, I’m talking about the 3rd most taboo subject: Money.
Let’s get real.
You need a fair bit of change to live in the most expensive city in the world (according to The Economist Intelligence Unit - EIU). As do I.
Prime opportunities go to those who are at the top of their field. If you’re not up there with them, you’re getting second-rate projects that they rejected or were never going to enter their field of vision anyway.
What that means for you is that you are fighting with a lot of people for very little gain.
Is that really how you want to live out the rest of your life?
This is my perspective.
I’m done being passed over for meaningful projects that I know I’ll be great at, which instead got handed to the loudest person in the room.
I’m tired of being treated as if I’m slow or invisible during unnecessarily raucous meetings and ‘brainstorming’ sessions.
I have had it with people wondering whether I’m good at what I do just because I take time to think rather than talk constantly and offer information they may or may not want.
This is why I built my personal brand around who I am and what I wish to achieve.
It required a lot of thought and a lot of work, but I am on my way to leading the life I want to lead. It’s going to be a journey, and I’m glad that I have friends along for the ride. (You guys know who you are!)
If this is a journey you have heard of but haven’t embarked upon, I encourage you to take the first step and start building your personal brand.
If you’re concerned that you don’t know what to do or which direction to head, it’s alright. You don’t have to go it alone. We can be your guides and show you the way.
Join me and my friend Eugene Seah on the 10th of July (it’s a Tuesday) from 7 pm to 10 pm at Synergy Hub @ 45 Middle Road #06-00, a mere 5 minute walk from Bugis MRT station.
I will be showing you how you, too, can quietly leave your mark on the world and those around you.
Personal Branding Workshop with Eugene Seah
On 13 Feb (Mon), I was invited by Eugene Seah to sit in on one of his personal branding workshops. This time, it was with The Singapore Professional Golfers' Association. The attendees consisted of many golf coaches, some of whom have been coaching their learners for years. I'll admit that I didn't know there were so many golf coaches in Singapore.
At the start, things went off a little slowly. My thoughts were that golfers were more likely to display introvert characteristics. They would likely prefer to take a back seat and absorb information than they are to readily respond, After all, they chose to play a sport that encompasses small groups of players in a huge expanse of quiet, serene surroundings.
Nevertheless, with Eugene's generous outpouring of energy, engaging demeanour and useful personalised advice, the golfers eventually warmed up to him and became highly enthusiastic.
A trio of takeaways from a trainer's perspective:
1) Use familiar terms
Seeing as how the attendees were all golfers, Eugene used acronyms like BOGEY and ACE to emphasise certain aspects of this branding workshop. The use of such familiar terms was clearly visible in the attendees' increase in response to him as he built more and more rapport with them.
2) Focus on one or two points only
The amount of time available meant that there was no way of going too in-depth into the concepts of personal branding. As such, instead of doing a touch-and-go on many different 'modules', Eugene chose to focus on one main area - in this case, the subject of Style.
3) Consciously connect with the audience
There are numerous ways to connect with an audience and Eugene managed to do quite a few of them.
He was there early to mingle and talk to the participants.
He also identified and gave airtime to individuals who were more open to sharing at the beginning, thus encouraging the others to open up as well.
Finally, he asked for and used the first names of those that he interacted with during his workshop.
It was a great experience to learn from and observe a fellow trainer.
Thanks, Eugene, for the invitation and the opportunity.
