My Online Checkup
I am amazed by how many people have never Googled themselves. Don't think it matters? Think again.
When I Googled myself recently I found lots of interesting tidbits. First, as expected, there at the top of the list is my skyepr website, followed by the Brand Dame Blog, and my LinkedIn profile.
Then there's something interesting called my Pipl Profile -- never heard of that before. I click on it et voila! All the words I use to describe my personal brand collected into a handy snapshot of Brand Lyn! How clever! How thoughtful of Pipl's deep search robots to scour the web on my behalf...
But wait, what's this? Lyn Chamberlin-Scientology Service Completions? WHAAAAAT? I hesitate to give you the link, dear reader, to yet another snake-in-the-mailbox Scientology scam that is designed to get those of us appalled to see our names connected in any public profile to this organization to click and read the propaganda that's there. There is no way to get rid of this, and since Google listings appear in order of their rankings (the most-read appears first, etc.), I have to assume that people are as surprised as I am to find this link holding the #4 spot in my little Google precis.
Once I get past this blight on my otherwise, ahem, impressive Google reputation, I skip happily along through articles I've written, talks I've given, even Sue Bridge's book about the tragicomic saga of The Monitor Channel.
Several clients have asked me lately if there is a way to get rid of something on Google that you wish wasn't there. The answer is there is no quick fix; no instant delete. The only solution is to take your online reputation very seriously. Just because you can't see it doesn't mean it's not there.
You must feed the beast using every means possible -- yes, Twitter, flickr, LinkedIn, ning, and all the other entrance ramps to the Internet expressway. Keep shoveling coal into the content furnace and watch as that zinger someone took at you online in 2001 begins to fall below the Google radar.
Personal Branding & Time Management
What does time management have to do with your personal brand? A great deal, according to a post by Dan Schwabel, self-styled "leading expert on Personal Branding for the Gen-Yers" in his always helpful, on-the-money Personal Branding blog.
And I agree -- although it can be hard to follow the advice of Gina Trapani, whom Dan interviewed. Check out what she had to say:
Being on top of your game is the best kind of "branding" you can do, because honestly? Most people are not. Most people let email slip through the cracks, or say they'll get back in a week and don't, or drop the ball on that task you talked about doing in that meeting two months ago. When you follow up, when you're responsive, when you're on time (even early!) delivering on your deadlines -- even when you preempt being late with a "Hey, I said I'd get this to you today, but I turned out to be busier than I expected. How's Tuesday instead?" -- your co-workers and colleagues and clients will be impressed and only want to work with you more. You'll become known as responsive -- and therefore responsible -- and dependable and effective and indispensable.
Click on "indispensable" and read Dan's post called "The Nirvana of Personal Branding," in which he talks more about how being perceived as absolutely necessary, essential to any team or project, is one of the hardest personal branding goals to achieve.
Taking My Act on the Road
I'm pleased to say that it will be a very busy next few months for speaking and workshops. Here's a rundown:
August
WIND, Canton, MA. WIND is well-known in New England as the premier networking organization for professionals in transition.
September
New Directions, Boston, MA. I'm delighted to be returning to New Directions, leading two sessions of my personal brand workshops for senior executive women.
The great Michael Katz of Blue Penguin Development and I are teaming up for a one-of-a-kind, one-day workshop on "Branding Your E-Newsletter." Email Michael or me for more information.
October
I'll be speaking to a group of Tufts University alumni on "The Art of Personal Branding."
November
As the featured luncheon speaker at The National Association of Credit Managers, I'll address the critical components of "Developing a Personal Brand."
December
I'll be talking about Personal Branding as part of the Newton-Needham Chamber of Commerce's Small Business Lunch and Learn series.
Want more information about my workshops and speaker topics? Email me at lyn@skyepr.com.
Borrowing from Garrison Keillor:
Be well, do good work, and stay in touch.
Lyn
About Lyn
Lyn Chamberlin, founder and principal partner of skye|PR, is an Emmy award-winning television producer. She has more than twenty years of experience in the design and execution of strategic public relations programs, sales training, and leadership coaching. She is a former Director of Communications at Harvard University and a Vice President for Communications at MIT. As Director of Television Programming for The Monitor Channel, she participated in the launch of the award-winning 24-hour international cable news channel. A television producer, writer, and corporate media consultant, she uses her reporter's eye for finding the stories behind the people and companies that she represents.
A graduate of Columbia University, she lectures frequently on strategic communications and personal branding.
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