Executive Power Brand ~ Deb Dib, The CEO Coach

Advice from the Trenches - from Pink Slip to VP

Stop by Jason Alba's JibberJobber blog for some real-world "here's what worked for me" advice from a pink slipped, and now-employed executive job seeker.

He planned and he executed. He got his finances in order for a long-haul search, he networked (the right way) at every opportunity, he researched companies and asked CXOs for introductions/contacts at those companies, he volunteered as a resource for others (and in doing so, leveraged that to prove his skills and stay fresh).

His advice is simple and powerful. This is everything you've heard in books, articles, etc., but proven by a peer.

For many execs, making these plans isn't hard, and planning makes them feel productive. Once planning is done, getting started and staying motivated during the execution is the tough part. But it's no tougher than any mission-critical project at your company. Like those projects, job search done right requires a deep well of perseverance, hard work, resiliency, and emotional fortitude.

For those of you looking at the baffling and uneasy task of job search, make an action plan with these tips as your guide. And then get moving on executing on it! Rather than passively posting resumes online or waiting for a recruiter to return your calls, you'll be actively engaged in building your future, and developing career-long connections along the way.

Five Ways to Jump-Start Your Network When Your Network is Nowhere

Is this you?

You know networking works. You know everyone says networking is the best way to get a job. Maybe you even got a job from a lead a contact gave you. But you’ve been too busy doing your job to keep your network alive, or maybe you’ve never networked.

And now your network is nowhere.

You keep meaning to get out there and get started networking. When you have time. When you need to. When it feels right.

Now you’re afraid you waited too long.

You’re afraid that your job may be in jeopardy, or that you are being passed up for a promotion, or that you are stagnating where you are, or that you need more professional visibility.

Or maybe, the worst has happened—you’ve lost your job and you need a network NOW.

Jump Starting is Your Answer

Building a vibrant network of professional and personal contacts doesn’t have to take years. You CAN jump-start your network—even if you’ve not networked for months or years. Even if you have never networked.

Using just five simple steps you can create an action plan that will get you out there, get you known, get you traction, and get you set for a lifetime of powerful and satisfying networking. Follow these five simple steps to jump-start your network and create career momentum:

1. Be your own advertising agency
2. Be your own PR organization
3. Become visibly involved in industry groups
4. Get personal with one-on-one calls and meetings
5. Go virtual to get personal

The steps are not hard, but you will have to work hard to make this happen in a compacted timeframe. Remember—you likely have a lot of catching up to do! But with a plan and with passion, you can make it happen, and make it happen faster than you think.

Is success real without value?

Stop by Cube Rules today and read Scott Herrick's post Value Must Precede Success.

In the bustle of business we sometimes forget our grounding -- the reason we are in business -- and the way we want to conduct our lives.

Sure you can have a business (and a life) without value, but for how long, and at what personal and professional cost?

At Executive Power Brand, my passion is to work with leaders who consciously practice value as a goal -- in business and in life. Value is in their DNA. It's who they are -- an authentic part of their personal brand -- and it touches everyone they manage, the products or services the company sells, and the world in which they live. You might be surprised at how many of these great leaders exist in the corporate jungle, quietly and powerfully doing the right thing, everyday -- and leading highly successful companies or divisons.

Scott's post is an apt reminder of value's reach. It touches every part of life and business. With value, purpose meets passion and profit follows.

Can committed and passionate leaders instill a value proposition throughout the organization? Over at Chief Executive Robert M Donnelly explores how Apple, Costco, and FedEx have built value into their products, people, and customer interactions. Their corporate DNA is built around an implied promise of value, and their brands are wildly successful in their markets.

Without value can true personal and business success be achieved? Without value does success have real meaning? What do you think?

2008 Executive Hiring Survey - What's Growing and What's Going

ExecuNet just released their "16th Annual Executive Job Market Intelligence Report" survey of more than 250 employer organizations.

These are the executive job functions that corporate employers anticipate will deliver the highest executive hiring growth in 2008. Note, these are functions, NOT industries.

• Business Development, 14.8%
• Sales, 12.9%
• Operations Management (including Quality,
  Supply Chain and Logistics), 12.9%
• General Management, 10.3%
• Finance, 9.1%
• Engineering, 9.1%
• Marketing, 8.7%
• MIS / Information Technology, 6.2%
• Consulting, 6.1%
• Research and Development, 5.7%
• Human Resources, 3.5%

You can download an eight-page summary of the report from ExecuNet even if you are not a member. (The full report requires ExecuNet membership.)

The new face of loyalty

Jason Alba has a thought provoking post over at the JibberJobber blog. He speaks of a VP he met on a trip - they discussed how difficult it is to have been fired and to then enter a new job with any kind of loyalty. Jason said he didn't think he could have that kind of loyalty again. The VP said, 'Sure you will have loyalty. But you’ll be cautiously optimistic.'

I think "cautious optimism" is a great response to a job market in flux. With C-level tenures shrinking to three years and under (CMOs are trending at just about 18 months!) loyalty tempered with cautious optimism for the length of employment sounds just about right.

Of course that doesn't mean one should be cautiously optimistic about doing the job - doing the job requires loyalty to the team and full-out optimism and energy.

In my comment on Jason's blog post I suggested that for savvy career activists who know that they must be prepared to move at anytime, a good phrase might be "Cautiously optimistic. Change ready."

What do you need to do to create your own career (not job) security?

Are you change ready?

Are you hunting or hunted?

Here's a 'close to home' example of how branded 'niching' works to build visibility. As my developer Kirsten Dixson and I were building my new website (this one), I told her I wanted to showcase a group of respected colleagues to whom I could confidently refer prospects, as I just can't work with everyone, or even keep up with inquires.

As I thought about the resume and branding professionals I know well, I immediately thought of their specialties, their work styles, and the type of clients with whom they prefer to work. I had that clarity because they are so visible and branded in the careers industry. I know them, I know what they do, and I know I can trust them to deliver value to my referrals.

How would it feel for you to be that visible? To be so top-of-mind in your field? What would that mean in terms of your career? With purposeful branding you can create that visibility and reap the benefits.

As my speaking partner Kim Batson and I say in our brand presentations, 'You'll be the hunted, not the hunter!'

Do you want back in?

Did you leave your corporate job to follow the siren-song of entrepreneurship? Are you glad you did most days? Or are you like some who begin to feel the pull of a corporate job, a “steady” paycheck, and benefits? Are you just weary and/or bored by running your company? Or, have you sold a successful venture and find yourself in search of a new position?

If you are like many entrepreneurs in transition you are likely in your prime working years, have significant accomplishments, and would be a top-performer in a corporate setting.

And if you are like many entrepreneurs in transition you are finding it surprisingly difficult to get traction in today’s job market, to obtain interviews, and to secure offers.

Many companies are looking for 100%+ fit, won’t hire “outside of the box,” and don’t know how to translate entrepreneurial accomplishments into corporate terms. These are tough challenges, yet you can overcome them with the same creativity and drive you’ve brought to everything you do.

Use these 12 strategies and resources for success in entrepreneur-to-corporate transitions:

1. Define and refine your executive brand so that your value proposition is strong, understandable, and relevant to your targets. A coach trained in branding can be very helpful in this critical process. (Reach Communications Consultancy is a good source for Certified Personal Brand Strategists)

2. Don’t rely solely on Internet job postings and executive recruiters. Career transitions generally don’t fit into these models and the success rate is low. If you do choose to use on-line search strategies, focus on executive and niche sites like theLadders, Netshare, Execunet, RiteSite, Six-Figure Jobs and others.

3. Use your network! Focus your pursuit strategy on tapping into (or building) your network to become a prime source of information and introductions to decision makers. Check out Opportunity Knocks for a program that will help you jump start your network.

4. Learn the jargon of your target industry or field. Not knowing current buzzwords and “corporate speak” will brand you as an outsider.

5. Be proactive! Research possible companies, develop an employment proposal around key issues, and use your network to manage introductions into the company. At Executive Power Coach, we offer programs to help.

5. Join senior executive communities like Netshare where highly selective recruiters and companies pay to post positions and where you can join on-line forums (Netshare’s CEO forum is excellent) and network with people at your level.

7. Develop a team of advocates for your success – people who understand you, like you, respect you, and will be happy to give you PR.

8. Consider using an executive talent agent if your transition is especially difficult, if you are severely time constrained, of if your search is highly confidential. Check out Job Whiz (profiled in Forbes) for information.

9. Be sure that your resume and collaterals reflect your brand and value proposition, prove absolute ROI, and build a “fit” before you even interview. Check out the samples at Executive Power Brand for ideas.

10. Focus on building your interview skills and knowledge of your targets. Remember your resume is just a tool – it will not land you a job. Interviewing well by showing how you would perform in the new position will land you on the sort list and help get the offer. I recommend Ask the Headhunter’s strategies.

11. Build your on-line presence by posting your profile on sites like Zoom Info, LinkedIn, Ryze, Ecademy, and Ziggs.

12. Create a web portfolio and blog – you’ll be differentiated and you’ll be in control of your online identity.

With a clear brand, viable targets, and a powerful ROI message, you will be primed to go to the next level!

Are your dreams bigger than your job search?

I’ve had inspiring news from an experienced executive client with whom I’ve done personal branding and resume creation. She was excited to tell me that she was recently accepted into a highly-selective program at a major university – a program designed to help women executives create viable new businesses in technology.

I am surprised, yet not surprised. Through our branding work we discovered that she’d always been an ‘intrapreneur’ – an entrepreneur within organizations. My client was the person you could call upon to get any mission critical project done, in any part of the organization. Whatever needed doing, she could make it happen.

Her company was sold and she took a buy-out. She searched, and had offers, but she found it difficult to replicate the culture that had allowed her the intrapreneurial freedom and breadth of responsibility she craved. Disheartened, she wondered if she’d have to settle for a job that was just not her ideal. That’s when she discovered the university program.

Since joining the program only a few months ago, all that has changed. She’s crystallized her focus and partnered with two women to start a company that will manufacture a new device that will be instrumental in restoring quality of life to certain medical patients.

She’s decided to end her job search, build the new company, and do philanthropic work in her community. She’s bubbling with enthusiasm and happier than I’ve ever seen her.

It’s funny how branding works – I’ve had three executive clients in the past few years completely change their lives after going through the brand discovery process and developing a resume.

Each was highly successful, each received multiple job offers, yet each stopped looking for a job. Each is now doing something radically different, yet completely-on brand. And each is happy and fulfilled.

They tell me that the personal branding process put them in touch with themselves in a way that never would have happened had they not taken time from their busy lives and jobs to do so. They slowly but surely realized that their jobs were not providing important components to their fulfillment and happiness. And the impact of that understanding became so pronounced that it could not be denied or ignored.

They tell me that they learned that the risky thing was not doing something new and untested; it was settling for doing the same thing again.

Does my client with the fledgling business  have job security? Nope. Are she and her partners taking a risk? Sure. Is she on-brand and happy? Oh, yeah! For this new entrepreneur, the bigger risk was NOT taking the risk.

She is living a dream she didn’t even know she had. Are you ready to find your dream?

Purpose and passion as catalysts to profit – a bad brand fad, or better for business?

A year or so ago, the Working Knowledge Newsletter (published by the Harvard Business School) posed the question “What Do YOU Think: Is There Too Little "Know Why" In Business?”

The column was written by Jim Heskett and featured two then-recent books on the role of purpose in business: Know-How, by Ram Charan and Purpose, by Nikos Mourkogiannis. 

"Let others play with 'strategy' and 'tactics' and 'management.' Purpose is the game of champions." says Nikos Mourkogiannis.

According to Heskett, Mourkogiannis’ theory says transformation is based upon purpose found in four areas:

Discovery: challenge / adventure / innovation (as in dot.com 24/7 entrepreneurs)
Excellence: high-standards for the long-term (as in Berkshire Hathaway / Warren Buffett)
Altruism: serve first / profit will follow (as in Nordstroms)
Heroism: big plans to change industries / the way we live (as in Bill Gates / Microsoft)

I found this interesting because I see these areas and their impact reflected in my clients every day. My clients are corporate leaders who are pragmatic and purpose-driven, who can vision and execute, who are leaders and learners.

My clients sometimes lead Fortune companies; they sometimes lead less visible organizations. They always create impact and they often inspire. And they make a difference while delivering robust profits. They dream of what can be and make money doing it.

My clients find that coupling purpose, pragmatism, and passion can build great companies and it can change the world in small ways and large. It's the best of American capitalism.

Do you agree or disagree?

Do you think purpose can drive innovation and profits and world change? Is it all “New Age” drivel, the groundswell of a passing trend, or a sea change that is transforming the face of American business?

Where do you fall in the Discovery / Excellence / Altruism / Heroism quadrant? Do you fall anywhere in the quadrant at all?

And if you do, how do you reflect YOUR purpose in your work life? Do people know what you stand for? Are you in alignment with the values of your company? If you are a corporate leader, do you work to make profits with purpose?

If purpose is important to you, take a stand and be on brand!

Build a brand statement around your passion and purpose. Use it in all your career documents and use it as a basis for decision-making in your career. When you make your brand visible in all you do you’ll attract companies that are looking for someone like you. And, since as a leader, you reflect your company’s brand, being brand-aligned is critical! As you build your brand you’ll build theirs and as you build theirs your build yours/

Here’s my brand statement to the world: I am unabashedly passionate about helping visionary, gutsy, fun corporate leaders with a conscience build great careers, mold great companies, and even change the world a bit.

What’s yours? Get gutsy, get real, and get it out there!

Re-branding your employment brand

Want to change your brand – no can do – it’s part of who you are!

BUT, you can change what you are known for, and the perceived value attached to that. To do that you need clarity and passion. In fact the toughest part of rebranding is clarity -- once you have that the passion is inevitable. The focus takes some work to stay on course every day and do what needs to be done to build the new brand presence.

Here are ten "Deb Dib" rules for rebranding employment or business brands...

Note: these “rules” are not for a personal brand – that’s hardwired into you. But the face of that personal brand-- how your brand “works at work” or in business -- can change according to your interests or market conditions…hence the need and desire to rebrand.

1. Do the homework you need to do to know what you want to be known for

2. Make sure it's comfortable and authentic to you

3. Make sure it's valuable to an employer or your market

4. Try and be as niched (specialized) as possible to increase your value

5. Get passionate about evangelizing your new message (if you can’t be passionate about it you may not yet have reached the clarity of a deeply visceral brand—keep working for that “eureka” feeling that tells you you’re there)

6. Create a strategic plan and timeline for maximizing your exposure as your new brand. Don’t forget to include re-building or establishing your on-line presence.

7. Make all decisions brand decisions – ask yourself, “Is the answer on brand or not?” “Will this decision strengthen my brand presence, or weaken it?”

8. Have very good reasons for doing something that is off-brand-- because a muddy brand dilutes rather than strengthens. A muddy brand confuses and erodes confidence – your own and that of the marketplace.

9. Educate your personal board of directors as to your new direction -- get some passionate advocates working with you.

10. Give to get -- be open and generous with “on brand” knowledge and help – the "career karma" William Arruda and Kirsten Dixson talk about in Career Distinction doesn’t happen in a vacuum.

Bonus rule: Gladly embrace the fact that building, strengthening, and refining an authentic and valuable employment or business brand never ends -- it's an evolving and exciting continuum.

So you’ve decided to use an executive coach – now what?

Coaching is the catalyst many people need to help bring out, work toward, and achieve their very best (even dreams they thought were unattainable) in a way that they may not have been able to identify on their own. It's very cool. But how do you choose a great coach?

A good coach must be able to articulate to you the kind of client with whom he or she works best. And a good coach must be very willing to decline to work with you if you don’t fit that model.

In addition, it’s important for you to know what it is you want from the relationship – do you want a coach who is a good listener who can ask the right questions to help you “see the unseen” within you, an accountability partner, a high-level trusted advisor (be aware that’s not as much about coaching as it is consulting / mentoring), a strategic partner, a cheerleader, perhaps all of the above.

Do you want someone serious, humorous, calm, energetic, enthusiastic, thoughtful? Chemistry means a lot in an effective coaching relationship.

What are your goals for coaching – why are you looking for a coach? What do you want to achieve? Vague ideas are OK at the start, but specifics tend to emerge as work progresses. Are you ready to take action – how much “pain” do you feel? Enough for you to move on items in your coaching plan?

Hint: Ask your prospective coach if she or he has a coach and for how long? Most coaches have a coach themselves, because coaching works. I’ve had two coaches (still working with one), both of whom have been critical to my success over the years.

Notice I didn’t mention certifications, credentials, etc. There are so many out there, that it is tempting to use certification as a guide, and that’s a good jumping off place. But chemistry, fit, and progress are often better indicators.

Coaching can be a truly transformative and propelling experience, if you’ve got the right synergies with the right coach. So don’t be afraid to ask questions and dig deep. Ask you coach to explain her brand, her value proposition, her process, what excites her most about coaching. If your coach can’t deliver that information, that lack of clarity should give you pause. But is what she says gives you a shot of energy – a jolt of enthusiasm, then you may be set to soar.

Your resume probably sucks – here’s why, and how to fix it!

Just about anyone can write a “job graveyard” document (also known as a chronological “responsible for” resume). But NOT everyone can write a career marketing brief. (Also known as a branded resume.) The resumes brand-aware top resume pros write today look very different than the job graveyard resumes of ten years ago—and that's because they adapt to new market conditions, and the new ways resume information has to be communicated.

The Internet has changed the resume dramatically--and not just because resumes are submitted electronically, although that's a big thing. One of the things the Internet has done is taught people to read in short bursts--short paragraphs with white space around them. Concise writing, quick reads, critical content mapped exactly to the target employer / industry is what the best resumes of today have become.

That kind of resume can't be done by an outplacement firm or volume shop because it takes so much time to get it right. A short pithy resume is deceptive. It can be read in less than a minute--it probably took 20+ hours on the part of the client and writer (it has to be a partnership, BTW!) to research and strategize, and write and edit and polish and review and re-edit and set.

Great resume writers are pros at helping their clients identify strengths, personal brand, value proposition, and accomplishments. (And then dumping the ones that won't work to make a case for employment in the client's target industry). The process is as important as the deliverable (the resume) because the resume intake process has a hidden but valuable benefit--it preps the client to be able to interview knowing all of the above.

To me, that's the price of admission for a great client-resume professional partnership. Will the client come away knowing their value, the accomplishments that prove it, and be able to talk about it in networking and interview terms?

What, that's not a resume? Darn right--that's better than a resume! But guess what, a resume comes along with it! That's the value of using a real pro to help market your into your next job.

Most people find it difficult to have the insight and clarity needed to do this themselves. And unless they are in the careers industry they certainly don’t have the understanding of the latest changes in resume styles or job search. The professionals I know who are great at what they do go to one or more conferences a year, present at conferences, teach classes, write, and are in general, thought leaders who are at the cutting edge of this profession.

And they never, ever stop learning and teaching. And it’s real world, not academia. They’re in the trenches doing this work with their clients every day—and inventing new and better ways of “selling” their clients into their next great jobs. They are dedicated, and smart, and absolutely ethical. And worth the investment of working with them in more ways than one!

Having said that I will say something radical: You can get a great job without a resume, and you can get a great job with a terrible resume.

If you understand your value proposition (and know how to dollarize it), if you have a suite of accomplishments that illustrate it and you can speak of them clearly without rambling, if you are an excellent networker, or use a succinct value proposition letter sent to the right targets (check out JobBait.com for a great service to do this), if you do a bunch of other things right, you can get a job with a lousy resume, or no resume at all.

But that’s a big “if.” Everything has to fall into place for that to happen.

And even if it does, you still miss the value of the resume prep process—those value insights that position you to be your own best PR firm when you interview and speak! And guess what? A great resume is a leave behind that keeps on giving—especially when it comes to reviewing candidates on the short list ad determining compensation. Might not be such a good idea to give that up!

So consider having your resume professionally created. But be careful when choosing a resume professional. Ask the right questions and understand that as in any profession, you often get what you pay for. Meaning that generally a lower investment will not get you the level of service and value I’ve just discussed, and a lower investment will likely not get you a highly certified or experienced resume professional.

When choosing a writer, ask about certifications, years of experience, type of specialty, intake process, etc. to get a feel for how the writer fits your needs, budget, and target job. Many writers today have multiple certifications, and not just in resume writing. They may also be certified coaches and/or certified personal brand strategists. Having someone who knows the full spectrum of career development and job search is very helpful—jobs aren’t found in a vacuum!

Some certifications you might look for are Master Resume Writer, Credentialed Career Master, Nationally Certified Resume Writer, Certified Professional Resume Writer, Certified personal Brand Strategist, Certified Career Management Coach, and others. Organizations of resume and career professionals exist—some of the best are The Career Management Alliance, The National Resume Writers Association, The Professional Association of Resume Writers and Career Coaches, and Career Directors International.

There’s an industry of dedicated career professionals out there waiting to help you—and your investment will be recouped the first week of your new job—especially if you get it faster and it pays better and you love it—what a deal!

Your career: It’s all about the brand!

Strong, compelling personal brands are not an accident. They are nurtured, strategized, refined, and they are always top of mind. Every career or personal choice is -- at some level -- a brand choice: Is it on brand or not? Will it support the brand, or not? Will it build brand authenticity and visibility, or not?

Strong personal branders know the power of branding, and its need for consistent attention. In fact they welcome branding because it gives shape and focus to their actions. Everything has a distinct purpose. In fact every action attracts the notice of the brand's target and leaves "non-targets" uninterested.

And that's a good thing – because great branding, built on authenticity and passion, simplifies decisions by automatically “repelling” opportunities that aren't a fit -- the stronger the brand the more aligned the opportunities -- the others fall away.

I’ve been a career management professional for executives since 1989, and exclusively for C-level execs since 1999, and my clients have always done well. But since becoming a Certified Personal Brand Strategist in 2004, I’ve seen my clients’ success skyrocket when they purposefully focus on building personal brands that enhance their already stellar value propositions.

The biggest benefit I convey to them is that top talent will usually make it to the short list – but how hard will it be to get there? Purposeful branding activities build visibility so that execs become the hunted rather than the hunter. Once on the short list, how hard will it be to win out over superstar competitors? Purposeful branding builds the chemistry that is often the key decision-making tool, when all else is relatively equal. 

Effectively coupling personal branding with a strong value proposition is, in my opinion, the defining difference between “good,’ “great, ” and “What will it take to get you on board? When can you start?”

Branding goes to the Interview

Some people miss a key point about personal branding – they think of it as spin, as untruthful, as a big ego-trip. But personal branding is not large or oversized, it's just who you are -- but "who you are" identified and leveraged.

A strong personal brand is not "in your face." It's a force that attracts and repels exactly because of its strength. And that's exactly what it should do. It attracts the people and opportunities that appreciate and need it and it repels those that don't.

Candidates and companies are so used to seeing hires in terms of “what can you do to make money for my company” that they often don’t consciously realize that the “who you are” and the “how you do what you do” are just as important for optimum hiring.

Yet, a Korn Ferry survey from a year or so ago discovered that once a candidate was on the short list, the things that got the candidate the job were chemistry and fit.

Branding proves chemistry and fit.
It's simple really -- at its core, hiring is all about money and fit. Accomplishments and skills demo the money and the brand demos the fit. You need both for a great hire that works for the candidate and the company.

Branding works really well in interviews because it helps with a natural selection process -- meaning that a company/job where your accomplishments and brand fit will allow you to be yourself -- in fact that's why you’ll be hired. And a company that's not looking for your kind of brand won't hire you

While that might lead to short term disappointment it also leads to more effective and satisfying hires. There's great potential in a hire where the personal and corporate brand mesh. Being who you are in the interview means you can be who you are on the job.

Your authenticity resonates and gives you great credibility and potential to succeed. And if you manage your brand, have a powerful value proposition, and keep visible in the marketplace, your brand helps you build a strong reputation – which leads to more visibility – which leads to you becoming the “hunted not the hunter.” Companies and recruiters will know who you are and come to you. And who wouldn’t love a process that delivers that kind of power? Well, that’s what well-managed personal branding does.

CEO Branding

Once a Novelty, It’s now a Necessity in the Battle for Top Executive Jobs

People have been talking about personal brands since Tom Peter’s ground breaking article “The Brand Called You” appeared in Fast Company magazine in 1997. Since then the world of branding has exploded, with experts and novices alike extolling the virtues of personal branding.

Human branding has become a force in personal and career development because the process and outcome of personal branding works. It authenticates and clarifies the value of an individual and empowers that individual to be more, to achieve more, and to contribute more—with an empowered enthusiasm and vigor that attracts success, satisfaction, and happiness.

In fact, in the changing world of work, the power of branding may be most visible in today’s most successful corporate CEOs, organization leaders, and entrepreneurs.

March 2nd Executive Forum in Cos Cob, CT

I'm co-presenting a program with my colleague Barbara Safani on the value of LinkedIn for C-level and other senior executives to members of the Executive Forum in Cos Cob, CT on March 2, 2008. This event is exclusive to Executive Forum members and is closed to the public.

Passion builds brands and BRANDS BUILD CAREERS!

Do you know the adrenalin rush you get from a great idea? From brainstorming with smart, savvy people? From knowing that you made a huge difference to someone? From knowing that you made a mental connection that precipitated a brand-new process or product?

That’s what I LOVE, and that’s what I feel everyday that I work with GREAT PEOPLE — CLIENTS LIKE YOU!

Passion builds brands and BRANDS BUILD CAREERS!

EVERYONE has a PASSION (however deeply buried) and I WANT YOU TO KNOW YOURS! Sometimes we forget our passions as we get bogged down in the daily complexities of our careers and responsibilities.

Without the underpinnings of passion driving our actions and careers, we are not who we were meant to be—we may be BETTER THAN ORDINARY, but we are NOT YET EXTRAORDINARY.

What are core strengths and passions that define you? What is your business value proposition? What is the ONE THING that will make you IRRESISTIBLE to decision-makers?

You MUST know these things, you MUST be CLEAR and EXCITED about WHO YOU ARE and WHAT YOU OFFER to communicate your VIABILITY as a SHORT-LIST CANDIDATE.

I want to help you make your brand happen!

What makes YOU Extraordinary? What is YOUR Passion?

I want you to be JAZZED BY WHO YOU ARE! I want you to tap into YOUR UNIQUE POWER to create the CAREER, LIFE, and LEGACY you want. 

I want EXTRAORDINARY PEOPLE LIKE YOU to know your passion and power, to feel it, to be it, to MAKE THE DIFFERENCE YOU WERE BORN TO MAKE!

My passion is helping you reconnect with WHAT DRIVES YOU—helping you reconnect with your value to your organization, your family, your world, your SELF—so that you can SOAR and create POWERFUL MOMENTUM AND TOP DOWN CHANGE.

My passion is supporting the careers of men and women like YOU, who have PROVEN that CREATING BETTER COMPANIES and organizations with innovative, VALUES-DRIVEN, humanly-focused, sustainable business practices CAN drive ROBUST CORPORATE PROFITS AND SHAREHOLDER / STAKEHOLDER VALUE.

My passion is helping EXTRAORDINARY people like YOU have the career, compensation, life, and deep satisfaction you want by knowing that WHO you are and WHAT you do has IMMENSE VALUE to the right organization.

My passion is helping extraordinary people like you do what you love!

My personal brand includes these brand attributes…

My clients, colleagues, family, and friends tell me I am Experienced, Intelligent, Inspiring, Enthusiastic, Passionate, Pragmatic, Creative, Genuine, Supportive, Successful, and Warm. Those are the strengths and skills I bring to every client.

What do your core people say about you? I want to help you find out and help you use that information to help you TAP INTO YOUR PERSONAL POWER and create the IRRESISTIBLE VALUE PROPOSITION that will get you on the SHORT LIST for your next great opportunity.

I want to deliver the brand that will propel you where you want to go!

The Realities of an Executive Career

We help executives with BIG dreams, but we're all about reality!

Reality
If you are like most executives you've worked hard to accelerate your companies but neglected your own personal marketing! You are, in effect "faceless, not famous!" a victim of your dedication to doing a great job.

Reality
The average tenure of a very senior executive is 18- to 36-months, and shrinking. Are you prepared to maximize your power now, and to out-compete when you need a new position?

Reality
With the executive marketplace in continuing flux, even the best candidates will likely be looking at a long, possibly difficult job search. If you needed a new position tomorrow, could you call on any number of business associates and recruiters to be your advocates? Or would you need many months to ramp up a network?

Reality
Companies use the Internet and recruiters as secondary sourcing for candidates. They prefer referrals of known people with great track records. If someone outside your company heard your name, would they immediately know who you are, what you've done, and why you matter. Could you be hired almost site unseen?

Reality
Traditional job search is a frustrating and often demoralizing activity that takes far too long and delivers far too little. Personal branding accelerates job search and supports career management to deliver outrageous career success. (See our frequently asked questions page for how it works!)

Reality
To maximize your effectiveness, enjoy career control, and live your career and personal dreams, you need to protect your current job, maximize your internal effectiveness, and prepare for your next job.