The Long Road of Recovery

August 2009

You may have heard in the last couple of weeks that the recession is over. But, as Newsweek says, good luck surviving the recovery.

The bottom line: we're in for a long haul here. Competition is up. Cash flow is down. While the money will start to flow, it's going to look more like a creek than a river.

To help more people stand out in this environment, Blue Feet is launching personal branding workshops, a small-group version of what I do for individual clients. Beginning August 26, I'll be working with five job seekers to uncover their unique gifts and help them communicate what they offer to the world.

One of the most rewarding things about the work I do is seeing an increase in my clients' confidence. As we've heard for months now, confidence is key -- not just for the national economy, but also for your own personal economy.

Here are some other ways to increase confidence and survive the recovery.

Learn New Things

I had a client who struggled to answer the job interview question: What have you been doing with all of your time off? It turned out, she'd been doing a lot - attending conferences, learning new skills, getting out and meeting people.

She just started a new job. Coincidence? Not a chance.

Whether you're an executive job seeker or an entrepreneur, to remain competitive, you need to add new skills. This doesn't mean you have to go back and get another degree, although you may choose to do that. But learning new things can open up career possibilities.

A lot of organizations are giving away content or offering discounts. While conferences can be expensive, I know of at least one person who plead unemployment and received a discount. This might work particularly well at the last minute, if there are still openings.

Do Good Deeds

Better yet, organize a group to do good deeds. You'll have fun, feel great and others will be impressed at your initiative and organizational skills.

Dawn Wilcox, of Allison & Partners, founded Quality Time with PR Minds, a day when non-profits could get free advice from PR professionals. Now in its seventh year, Dawn is well-known and well-respected for something that for her just fulfilled a passion for helping others.

The perfect organizing opportunity is coming up on 9/11. My Good Deed, which was co-founded by my former boss David Paine, is now a movement to make September 11 a national day of service. Support includes major corporate sponsorships, federal legislation and a plethora of non-profit organizations.

Give your friends, colleagues, professional organization or networking group something important to do on 9/11. Take the pledge and organize an event.

Energize Your Brand

I recently met with some colleagues, entrepreneurs, who told a familiar story: "We've been going along fine for years. Every now and then we tweak our marketing. We know we should do more, maybe even go after better, different, more interesting business, but the business is coming in.

"Then the recession hits. Business is slow. My wife got laid off. Now we have to do something."

But the next thing they said was how I knew they would not only survive, but thrive.

"This is an opportunity."

"When we get it (a new brand expression), it'll take us to a whole new level. We'll be playing in a completely different space."

You may not have asked for it or wanted it, but the recession has given many people the opportunity to think about what the heck they're doing, or want to be doing, or should be doing.

Blue Feet can help. Whether you're a job seeker or entrepreneur, Blue Feet helps identify the gifts you offer and communicate that to the world in a cohesive, consistent brand.

Meet New People

The smartest person in my writers networking group is the photographer. She's the one who taught me to network among people who are complementary to your services, not competitive.

Hanging out with colleagues who understand the challenges of your profession can raise your spirits. Spending time with those who have a need for your services can raise your bank balance.

What organizations can you join or visit to expand your network? And I don't just mean online. I mean in person too. (See my May newsletter titled Get Out.)

Industry organizations are great, but also consider organizations that represent many professions, such as the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO), where men are welcome too, or Business Networking International (BNI). Social clubs, like the City Club in LA, are excellent also, since they're designed in large part to further the careers of members. Don't forget alumni associations.

Meetings of many organizations are designed around education. They almost always offer a non-member rate, or the opportunity to visit before joining. So you don't have to commit big bucks to find out if it's a good fit for you.

Workshops Start August 26

Please send Blue Feet to your friends, family members or colleagues who are struggling to stand out in this job market. Every person is extraordinary. Most people just don't know what makes them so special. Even if they do, they wouldn't think of talking about it.

If this sounds like someone you know, help them get their very own Blue Feet with a personal branding workshop or private branding package.

Find out more