Pause, Pivot and Proceed with Your Personal Brand
The other day I was reminded of a great quote from Duke Ellington “A problem is a chance for you to do your best.” When I researched the quote, I found another one from him, “Gray skies are just clouds passing over.”
The quotes are so timely and relevant right now. It was just a few months ago that we were all smacked in the face with a global crisis…a pandemic...a very uncertain situation. From a marketing perspective, I’ve witnessed several businesses and brands scramble to ensure that they were responding to the needs of their consumers. Quickbooks originally sent me an email a month before the pandemic to let me know that the price for the service was increasing. Then a month later, they sent a follow up email to say that they “understand that these are uncertain times” and that they plan to “postpone any pricing changes”. Let’s give it up to Quickbooks for being responsive and sensitive to us customers. A few of my clients for Bekoz Marketing, went from planning in-person conferences with thousands of participants to shifting to virtual meetings, and even some had to cancel all together.
I’ve witnessed an increase in online discussions, events, concerts, and worship services all via Instagram Live or Facebook Live and/or Zoom. Not to mention the all-day or half-day summits that offered wellness information, interviews and chat and chews. Brands found new ways to reach their audiences and to stay connected.
It’s all been a lot...the past few months, have been a lot…or how about this...these past few weeks have been even MORE. I don’t always speak out about the senseless violence and threats against my people, but it always hits home when I look at my African American sons as they sleep soundly in their beds, or I watch them laugh and play freely outside. I often think about their future, their protection and what they may have to deal with. This week was heavy, and I will admit I was all the way in my feelings. We are allowed to not feel okay sometimes, but we just can’t stay in our feelings because that’s not going to fix anything.
Now that I’ve gotten that off my chest I can get to the point of this blog….breathe...
I believe now is a good time for all of us to Pause, Pivot and Proceed. I’m specifically referring to our personal brands, but it’s really relevant for life as a whole right now.
Pause
Stop...take time to accept change. I get it, accepting change is a very hard pill to swallow, but we’re going to have to accept it in order to move forward. Pause and consider what impact your brand can have in this current situation AND in the near future. Remember you have a voice. We are all being very responsive right now, but how will we respond in the next 3- 6 months? Thinking back to the quote from Mr. Ellington, we were all presented with a problem, now what? But the second part of his quote is …”a chance to do your best”.
Action: I encourage you to take a moment, at least 30 minutes to a hour to PAUSE. Think about your brand, where it is, and how it has been impacted, but don’t stay there. Consider what’s next. You’re a fighter, this situation has only toughened your skin, exposed your resiliency, and fueled your innovation.
Pivot
“...a chance to do your best...” That means it’s a good time to pivot! When the crisis hit we were all pivoting to adjust. I feel like now some of us need to pivot from the distractions. It’s a good time to recalibrate, consider what you need to update, or change or adopt to enhance your brand. What do you need to do to reposition yourself in your field right now, given our new normal and anticipating our new-new normal that is on the horizon? The current environment has allowed for more opportunities to leverage digital platforms including social media. People that had never considered social media for communicating information for their organizations or businesses, found themselves learning new skills and being open to new ideas. Pivot is a verb - which means “to turn on” or simply put …to move in another direction.
Action: All of us have had to adjust and try new things. Take inventory of some of the new ideas that you’ve implementing during your time of PIVOTing. What has worked? What didn’t work? What do you want to keep? What can you adjust to work better in the future?
Proceed
Move forward. The goal here is, progress not perfection. What are you going to do to help someone, make change, impact lives and continue to live out your purpose? We’re not all on the front-lines but we can play a part. Remember, I told you earlier you have a voice, let it be heard. Through my personal brand platform I hope I can inspire people and guide them through the steps to enhance their brands and position themselves. Through Bekoz we’re connecting with organizations to help them mobilize their mission, connect with their constituents and further their cause. What are you doing through your platform? I promise you, I'll say it every chance I get...building your brand is putting your purpose into action. Get it out of its dormant state, breathe life into it...if you don’t know where to start let’s chat.
Action: Move...you’ve paused and reflected, you’ve pivoted in another direction now move forward. Get your plan into place and believe that you will succeed. There are so many resources available to you….me, being one...to help you move forward.
Hey, know that I’m here for you and happy to connect with you.