In This Issue
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Brenda's step-by-step personal branding system to take charge of your career. Earn more , do more and be more at work
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"One of the most comprehensive books on succeeding at job interviewing I have read." Los Angeles Times
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Master your personal brand to get the job you love - right out of college
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Brenda and other well-known speakers inspire and motive you to live your purpose
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Where in The World is Brenda Now??
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Author, Speaker, Trainer and Coach Brenda Bence travels extensively to present her unique approach to corporate and personal branding at conferences, conventions, & corporations all across the globe... | |
If you'd like Brenda to speak or train at an upcoming event, conference, or meeting, please
e-mail her at:
Brenda@BrendaBence.com
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2013
Aug 1-3: Singapore
Aug 4-10: Taipei
Aug 11-19: Singapore Aug 20-23: Tokyo Aug 26-Sep 18: Singapore Sep 19-20: Hong Kong (TBC) Sep 23-24: Singapore Sep 25-28: Shanghai Sep 30-Oct 9: US Oct 10-25: Singapore Oct 26-Nov 2: Phuket, Thailand Nov 3-22: Singapore Nov 25-28: Mumbai Write to Brenda if you would like her to speak to, train, or coach your team.
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Get a Deal If I'm Working Near You!
Save money by sharing expenses with my other clients. If you see I'm going to be at a location near you in the future, feel free to contact me so that we can explore what I could do to help build your team's leadership personal brands and help make a stronger Corporate Brand/Personal Brand Connection™. I look forward to hearing from you!
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Contact Us
Brand Development Associates International
Singapore Contact Information
Phone: +65-6322-1491
Fax: +65-6322-1493
6 Battery Road #30-01
Raffles Place
Singapore 049909
U.S. Contact Information
Phone: +1(312) 242-1830
Fax: +1(312) 277-9211
7477 West Lake Mead Blvd
Suite 170
Las Vegas, NV 89128
E-mail: Brenda@BrendaBence.com
Website: www.BrendaBence.com
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Greetings!,
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Can it really be August? It's hard to believe a large percentage of 2013 is already history! Indeed, this year has zipped by, and the team here at BDA and I have been busy doing what we love - speaking, training, and coaching individuals and companies about how to harness the power of branding to achieve more in life and at work.
Has 2013 flown by for you, too? If so, in this newsletter, I invite you to do a brand inventory 'pulse check' (whether for your company brand or for your own personal brand) to clarify the health and progress of your brand as we head into the last few months of the year. Check out the article called "Take a Brand Inventory Self-Check" to make sure you that, once December 31 rolls around, you will end the year with the brand you desire.
Also in this newsletter...
- We'll explore the topic of "authentic leadership" and answer the question: Can you use "being authentic" as an excuse to be a jerk?
- We'll explore your family's brand (and yes, you all have one!) and give you a fun family-branding challenge to share with your parents, siblings, and extended relatives.
- Lastly, we'll answer the question: "Can you be branded before you even have a name?" A very recent example reveals hints to the answer.
Thank you for your continued support, and here's to YOU™!
Brenda Bence
Brenda@BrendaBence.com
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Authentic Leadership: Are You For Real?
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A while ago, I coached a senior-level executive at a multinational corporation who had a bad reputation within his company. How bad? Well, when I interviewed his coworkers and his subordinates, the most consistent word used to describe him was "jerk." He was getting business results and hitting the numbers, but those results were coming at great expense to others and to the company. Morale in his department was at an all-time low, and his team members were leaving in droves.
Clearly, his leadership personal brand was in serious trouble. Perhaps someone like Donald Trump can get away with that kind of reputation, but most executives who behave in this way are on the short road to ruining their careers. His future opportunities were going to be severely limited unless he learned how to work more effectively with others.
Yet, when I shared the feedback and addressed the issue with this particular executive, his response was that he was only willing to make a few changes in his behavior. "I do see that I could probably make a couple of adjustments," he told me, "but what I feel people want me to do is to be somebody I'm not." He planted his feet and insisted that, if he made certain changes, it wouldn't be "authentic." His reasoning, essentially, echoed that old song, "I gotta be me."
I have experienced this type of situation a few times in my executive coaching practice: an executive who refuses to make behavioral changes necessary to sustain and grow a promising career. It's a tendency to use "being authentic" as an excuse for bad behavior and poor people leadership.
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Family Brands: Is Yours like the Kardashians, the Trumps, or the Osbornes?
For many people living in the northern hemisphere, this time of the year brings with it good, old-fashioned, picnic-in-the-park family reunions. In fact, I recently received an email announcing a big family reunion that will take place in August in my hometown in Nebraska. And, my - how our family has grown! I was surprised to hear that over 100 people were invited.
 The invitation got me thinking about how similar and different families can be - and how each family has its own "brand." Have you ever thought of your family as branded? Even though your parents and siblings may not be as well-known as the Kardashians, the Trumps, or the Osbornes, your family does indeed have a brand just the same.
Not convinced? Try this fun exercise. Think about five words that you believe best describe the consistent characteristics of your family. What would they be? Then, at this summer's family reunion (or at any family gathering like a birthday party or a wedding), ask your siblings, cousins, aunts, uncles, and parents to share what their five words would be to describe the family... How similar or different are the answers? I'd love to hear from you - let me know what you find out!
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Take a Brand Inventory Self-Check
Coming to the beginning of August means that there are only five months left in the year - indeed, 60% of 2013 is already history! Whether you are working on your personal brand or your company's brand, it's a good time of the year to take an inventory to self-check your progress and ask yourself: How is your brand doing right now?
Keep in mind that your brand is the way others perceive, think, and feel about you (whether for yourself, as an individual, or for your company brand). So, perception is key. As you take a moment to assess the state of your brand so far this year, reflect on how close your current brand perception is to your desired brand perception. If you aren't sure, you may need to do some sleuthing to determine how others think and feel about your brand right now. Only when you know how much work you need to do.
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Can You Be "Branded" Before You Even Have a Name?
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Apparently so! As we all know by now, July 22 heralded happy news for the UK's royal family as Kate & Will shared their excitement with the rest of the world: Their firstborn had arrived! The eventual-heir-to-the-throne was quickly branded "The People's Prince," but mum was the word for quite some time regarding what they would name the little guy. So, there you go - I guess you can be "branded" before you even have a name! Congratulations, George Alexander Louis on your royal arrival!
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