I have been working on defining my personal offerings and “gift” for a year now. I’ve been doing this without focus and without a framework. And I’ve been doing it all wrong. I have been collecting ideas from the outside… looking at what other people with my credentials are doing. Or looking at “celebrities” in my field and trying to emulate what they may be offering to attract clients. I have been seeking the answers in the wrong places. The answers are never out there. They exist within us. So why is it so damn hard to sit down and just take the time to say “hello” to you. To take time instead of searching the internet or asking other people what they do. Just sit down and do some hard core reflection. Asking yourself the hard questions that have answers that you may not want to hear just now. What is it that you truly want? And why? And why are you doing what you are doing… is it working?

RECOGNIZE

For me my journey started with my transition to motherhood, my heart and body shifted so much faster than my mind. My EGO and my mind was holding on for dear life to the image I had of myself “pre-mama”. I was holding on to the definitions of success and happiness that I created for myself as a single person, I was valuing all the stuff I did and ignoring the stuff that makes me who I AM. Most of this came in the form of having my work define me. When I gave that role up, I felt a huge void in my sense of who I was. I fought against this wave so much. I tried to find meaningful part time work, I contemplated going back to work full time, I considered using this time to get more education… but in my heart I knew I wasn’t going to and that there was a different path for me.

SHORT CUTS DON’T CUT IT

This time last year I decided to take inventory of my skills and interests and create an alternative career for myself, one that I could make the rules, and I could decide when and how I wanted to work. I threw a website together and found some photos that I felt reflected who I was and pieced together my “work with me” page to let people know they could hire me. I did all of this without doing the very deep, reflective work that I now now to be the BEST process for uncovering a personal brand. My attempt to short cut this hard work was evident in both my online presence and my interactions with other people… I was still a little unsure of how to tell people what I was doing or who exactly would be an ideal client. Doing it this way held me back. I was still spinning. Still not sure how I was contributing or what my impact really was or how I fit in or who I could truly help.

SURRENDER

Walking through the framework for developing a personal brand is a similar process to any life or wellness coaching. Its allowing yourself SPACE to check in and do some self-discovery. Its journaling and sharing and eliciting feedback. Its answering the questions you know you have in the back of your mind about what you are doing. Its facing those harsh voices in your head that are telling you to abandon ship and start something new. I am so glad I surrendered to this process and I’m diving in deep. The answers I find inside will be the TRUTH and they will be all I need to confidently walk forward. Many thanks to my best friend Jayme, over at Journeyfoot.com for steering me down the path less traveled. It’s hard to change course in the middle of a hike, but sometimes there are wonderful sights to see on the more difficult terrain. The view will be worth it. Keep movin’ on.

Stay tuned for a fresh new online”home” for me… coming soon!