Written by Jay Trestain for the #MoreThan1in4 campaign…
Associate Partner, Global Offerings & Strategic Deal Leader – Adobe at iX, IBM.
I realised the power of personal branding most acutely through the pandemic and working away from my colleagues, clients and partners for so long.
How, I wondered, could I break down social barriers through a video call, in the same way a coffee, or a walk to the meeting room together enables when together in person.
At this point, I had already realised that my involvement in engagements often resulted in a more relaxed, fun and dynamic dialogue – but why? Could it be my ever-changing colourful hair? Or perhaps it’s my tendency to always connect personally with people?
The truth is, it’s all of that and so much more – it’s the manifestation of what you might call my personal brand.
I consciously made the decision through that time to really focus on my brand to be able to visually communicate via video call what I was losing from personal interactions – the bright colours, and unicorns were born – but let me be clear – these visual aids are not symbolic – they’re absolutely me – just with the volume turned up.
These are my top tips for you when thinking of what your brand is and how to develop it.
Be genuine and care deeply about it.
- I strive for people to trust me enough to relax, have fun and push boundaries with me.
- I strive to be a safe-haven for anyone wishing to express their own individuality and diversity and unlocking the magic that it brings.
- I strive to represent the evolution of modern working, where the lines between work and life are increasingly more blurred and that fundamentally, we’re all human!
Be impactful AND deliver value
The visual representation of my brand is whimsical and could run the risk of being unprofessional. This is a calculated risk, because I know I am good at what I do. But I encourage you not to have a blind spot – take feedback and compensate/de-risk accordingly. For me this means:
- Communicating with impact at all levels (this does not mean without individuality!)
- Delivering to my commitments
- Being dynamic and proactive
- Being the best servant leader, I can possibly be
Be consistent
Would you trust someone who turned up as different versions of themselves depending on the situation?
I can focus all my attention on delivering outcomes and not get distracted with managing my brand – it’s who I am, subconscious and ever-present.
(Probably most importantly) Be clear with your brand objectives.
There are some great resources and articles available that talk to the building of brands in the context of achieving a great step change in politics/business etc, but your objectives don’t need to be so lofty for a personal brand to still have incredible impact.
For me, it was about making connections, being trusted, and having fun whilst delivering value – it’s evolved and grown, but its foundations remain the same.
Perhaps you want to be a more impactful public speaker, choose both work and life, or bring more laughter into work…They’re all valid foundations to build a brand.
About: Jay Trestain
Associate Partner, Global Offerings & Strategic Deal Leader – Adobe at iX, IBM.
Biography:
Jay is a global leader for IBM, a multi-national IT services organisation where she is responsible for the sales portfolio of services IBM takes to market with some of its largest strategic partners.
Her career has enabled her to travel extensively, working with a diverse range of IBM customers and partners across all industries in a variety of technologies from large high-performance computers to the leading mobile device manufacturers. She is recognised as a ‘thought-leader’ in her area, is a regular external speaker and contributor to industry and technology publications and media outlets.
She is a passionate advocate for diversity and equality; she uses her experience to provide mentorship and coaching to women across business, technology and not for profit. She is also on the board of trustees for Aspire Academy Trust (a multi-academy trust of 29 primary academies in the South West of the UK) focusing on STEM in education.
You can follow Jay on her Linkedin.