Check out my posts on Self Help !
Showing posts with label Self Help. Show all posts

Understanding yourself: A Quick and Practical guide to Self Introspection for building a Personal Brand

October 04, 2021

 

Self Introspection key as a tool to build Authenticity in a Personal Brand


Let me start with a Prediction, Most of you have a Facebook Account. I love Facebook and I am a fan of it.

The Best thing about it is you are connected or can connect with people who are your friends but due to a busy life or a different location you cannot connect.

Connections and Networks can be really powerful. Ask a successful Network Marketer or Business person the power and value of a Network.

People make a living of it (literally). You can leverage your Network to build a Successful business or brand.

My view of Brand or Business is not that of a person that uses his/her/zir network to suck the life of it. But rather to be a useful and reliable part of it (without being a doormat).

I believe building a Brand is like that, it is making a Promise and letting people know you can deliver on it.

Please check my Previous post on Personal Brand, where I share 6 Steps to Building a Powerful Personal Brand.

Lets look at Step 1, You are building a Personal Brand. You will have to start with you and an image or an idea of you.

A lot of us will accept that we mask our emotions at times and it is good.

But while building a brand you need to understand yourself so that you can showcase the 'Real You' you want people to understand and engage with.

The one who makes the promise to deliver a Service or Product that adds value to People.

So how does one Introspect? Do we have to prepare some kind of Questionnaire?

There are whole list of Questions. Let me break it down for you.

Experts recommend to use the following strategy while trying get a better picture of yourself.

Busting Some Myths about Personal Branding

Craft your own Brand Mantra


# Everyone is not your audience

This is one of the mistakes people make. I think we kind of assume everyone would find your content important or interesting.

It is like a movie or a song that you love and everyone else is like, 'Nah! that is crepes'.

Find your audience by focusing on niches that can be monetized.

Everyone does not like philosophy or self help, Some people do so why not focus on them.

# You don't need to meet everyone's standard

It is good to be on par with others, but sometimes we need to be clear about what we are into.

We must understand our purpose for a project or activity.  We must follow appropriate standards for the task at hand. Standards should also be implemented in a context or in  situation.

If you niche demands blog posts, see if you are following the right practices needed for a successful blog post.

# Modelling Successful influencers guarantees success

I think this is quite a fallacious thought to think that we can blindly model some Successful people and its surely going to work for everyone. 

Being successful is not following a recipe, Of Course there are established practices and techniques that do help people.

But I think these are more like guides or starting points rather than Laws of Success that cannot be broken.

# You have nothing to offer

I think this is an excuse we tell ourselves. Things or situations can be difficult to get around, but that should not stop you from achieving our goals.

Challenges make a journey more interesting. So you can focus on your positives and create a product or service that helps people.

May be you need to change the audience or the people you are selling to (some cases).

# Personal branding is one-upmanship

I think Personal Brands is about showcasing your Uniqueness and how you standout from your competition.

I don't think it is about putting people or brands down, competition doesn't need to be nasty.

Introspection and its Relation to PB

Change your world !


Where do we start is sometimes the question we all ask. Should we just blindly post pictures on Instagram or just write blogs or may be even a Book?

I don't think so, I think it is much more than that. What if all your efforts don't bear fruit? Should you just scrap it and leave it behind?

I think your purpose and goal will be a good guide to answer these questions besides an expert or consultant.

Introspection is key to authenticity, Authenticity adds value to your Personal brand.

Faking it till you make it does not mean being another person or portraying a false persona. I believe it is about portraying your potential to people. More like a symbol of what you could potentially become.

Introspection for building Authenticity

Introspection is preparing your mind for showcasing You


Introspection is key to understanding Authenticity.

We need to be clear about Who we are  and what we are offering people.

Story telling is key but authenticity builds a Strong Brand that promises Trust and Reliance to its audience.

Now before you check my other posts on Personal Branding, Let me leave you with a key to Introspection.

I would say take sometime out of your busy schedule and reflect on your dream. Try understand how it connects with your passion and how you can monetize it.

You could perform a SWOT analysis to help you understand yourself. You can see how your goals reflect you.

I would journal your thoughts and ideas regularly. On the weekends just skim through your own writings and evaluate them.

I believe this is a good starting point to be Authentic. Sometimes we  need sometime to just disconnect and connect with ourselves.

Concluding Thoughts

I believe Branding and Marketing is not about building a fake image or putting up a façade. I think it is more about serving people by being yourself.

When I speak about being yourself I believe it is about doing in a productive and smart manner.

I hope these thoughts and ideas are productive to you in understanding or building a Personal brand.

See you in the next post, Thank you for your time. Please do join the discussion on our Facebook Page!

Reference:

https://plantae.org/self-reflection-personal-branding/

https://medium.com/digital-reflections/be-the-brand-personal-branding-101-ab0f80576a00

https://cocoandcowe.com/2018/02/13/personal-branding/

https://influencermarketinghub.com/what-is-personal-branding/

https://www.capitalonecareers.com/how-to-create-your-personal-brand-divi-cdev

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/self-awareness-personal-branding-slava-noor/


[full-width]





Conducting an Online Class Without a Computer; How Mobile Apps Helped Me Save My Work?

September 22, 2021

How to take an online class without a Computer?


 I didn't choose to write this article, The situation I was in actually was instrumental in making this happen.

Past Few days, There has been something amazingly crazy going on. My Laptop just stopped working, Then my wife's laptop had a problem.

Since then I have been working from a Phone and my wife from a Tablet. Working from a computer has been a luxury, lol!

But I must say thanks to a few products and apps it was possible.

I used some Resourcefulness and my Android powered phone did the rest.

As an Educator, We need to work with different materials and present to students.

With classes going online, it has also become about technology.

Taking classes on a Computer, gets a lot of details organized.

While in an online Classroom, We use whiteboard software, video conferencing application and whole host of apps to make the Lecture possible.

I thought of sharing a few tips and recommending a few apps to make things easier.


5 Apps that help take an amazing class on my phone:

1. Video Conferencing application:

I personally prefer Google Meet over Zoom. I believe both have their benefits.

But I prefer Google Meet because it makes it easy to send out emailers for classes.

It integrates with Gmail and Jamboard easily this makes it a comfortable experience.

User experience is good and there are less distractions. Zoom also has its benefits.

Both work well from the phone. The user interface is easy to use and works seamlessly in my estimation.

2. Graphic Design tools:

There are a lot of photo editing and Graphic designing tools.

I just prefer Canva. It is not a photo editing tool, but its mobile application is really powerful.

It has features and templates that can help you create a beautiful presentation for class.

I used Canva for my presentations and for creating posts for Social media.

The Pro version has many great features.

3. Time Management Tools:

I use Remember the Milk and Trello along with other Google applications.

The mobile apps are really convenient and simple to use. As an Educator, it is important to keep track of various activities.

Time management mobile apps can really make working without a Computer manageable.

4. Quizzing Software:

Online Classes require engagement. Students have to be present online for longer durations than previously required.

I use Quizizz for creating Quizizz for my Students along with Jamboard. I didn't use the mobile application but the website adapts easily to the phone.

It is a great resource for online classes

5. Connectivity Tools:

WhatsApp, Gmail app etc. are some apps we take for granted, but believe me they are really awesome.

It makes sharing files and other resources easy with students and parents.

I thank these companies for creating and maintaining such amazing services.

Conclusion

I would like end by thanking all these amazing companies for such simple and powerful products they create.

I think more than money it also about serving and helping a lot of people.

The mobile phone we use everyday is a very powerful instrument and can be used to create amazing experiences.

Though some of these points may seem obvious, But I wanted to bring out the potential everyday objects and applications we use have.

If you like this article, Do join my subscriber list and get my Newsletter, it will update you with interesting articles and ideas you could use...Join Now!

[full-width]


Motivational Quote: Is it okay to wait and do nothing? Does it help?

September 13, 2021

 

Doing nothing can be something (Something fruitful)

G.K Chesterton is a very insightful and well respected Thinker. He would put forward the most complex ideas into simple and insightful thoughts.

I must confess I have not read everything he has written. I usually read because I learn something from it and It spurs my thinking and imagination to help me grow better.

I used to never believe in Destiny or Luck, After a lot of horrible experiences (Which everybody goes through) it helped me realize the importance of doing nothing.

I don't believe in Luck still, But it made me think about situations that are difficult to deal with and with no possible solutions.

We can feel crippled by this and even have life ending situations. I think if you are feeling suicidal, Please seek help from a licensed Mental Health professional.

Personally, I have learnt that it is important to accept certain things the way it is. Some things can't change, but we change the way we deal with it.



Waiting and giving time to certain plans may cause you to lose certain opportunities but it can also open up your thinking to new potential ideas and realities.

When we choose to do nothing, we are actually choosing to pay attention to other things. We give a certain amount of control to Destiny or Luck.

We allow ourselves to focus on choosing our struggles and dealing with what is important. Even no action is a choice and a Strategy.

If this thought resonated with you, Do join the discussion on my Facebook Page.

Thank you for your time. I have a Free Newsletter I would you to subscribe to it, Click here☝🏼

Further Recommended Reads

Quotes for Success

May your day to awesome

Importance of Self Image

[full-width]

The Art of Ignoring 'barking dogs'; How to choose your critiques? Critiquing is an art and not a pariah trick

August 25, 2021

 

Every dog has his day (Sometimes to get their backsides kicked)

When I was in College the fear of Public Speaking would really grip me. I would dread speaking in front of people.

It was horrible and I had the most terrifying experiences to tell you the least. But Today things are different.

I still have fears I need to deal with. Public Speaking is no longer a Fear rather now its more of a profession.

When you actively try working towards solving Problems, the chances of success grows. If you are Lucky the magic happens.

As an Educator we get a lot of Appreciation and Feedback. One thing I realized is that Receiving Feedback is an art as much as giving it.

There are different kinds of People (We all know that right!), But when you experience it as a Speaker it is a different experience.

There are people who will like what you say and those that just Troll you because they can.

Critiquing and Peddling Bullsh*t

I have read and watched a lot of Movie Reviews and I have a close friend who does it Professionally.

As a Movie buff we can sometimes be overly critical. But just think about it, we are only criticizing them as outsiders.

We don't know the efforts or the amount of Work these artists put into working on themselves and delivering a Performance (Whether Good or Bad).

Here comes the Critics, They are professionals who understand Cinema and the other practical aspects like Trade, Genre, technical work etc. etc.

As an Educator we have our own Lot of Critiques & Critics, Some may be even unqualified and still feel like they have the right to give their feedback (which is great) but unfounded Bullying is what I feel is disgusting.

I think Bullies whether in work, relationship or leisure is just a source of pain and frustration. They are unrequired attention seekers trying to feel important.

The worst part is when they justify themselves. You encounter these bullies not just in work or Cinema, You experience them in Relationships too.

They and their Enablers will go to any length to believe their Bullsh*t. They use self deception in a way that is Self Destructive.

In all this the victim suffers unnecessarily (in most cases these victims don't stand up for themselves and thus enables the whole situation Tacitly, my two cents)

The Art of Not Trolling

I thinking Trolling must be fun. I have never done it. But I have had a few encounters and they were not very good.

They were with some Religious Fundamentalists on Facebook. The whole experience besides being annoying; is plain disgusting.

There must be some kind of fun these Trolls enjoy. So how does one not Troll and have valuable engagements.

I think first would be to understand the Psychology and the reasons behind their action. Is this the kind of leisure one wants to engage in? Does this kind of engagement add value to anyone? How does it make the world a better Place?

Yes, The last question is also important. We can't pull this question out only when there are major calamities or Tragedies. Minor abuses and harm also carry the potential for major Tragedies.

The Next thing we should look into methods and Triggers that push our buttons. Keeping a Track of these hot issues will help us keep this tendency under control.

I think lastly trying to understand the people we disagree with. I think irrespective of People's IQ they have reasonable reasons behind their actions (Including Trolls, Just that they don't know otherwise).

The Importance of a Good Critique

Now for the Real Critic. A good critique has tremendous value.

You have an expert that shares valuable feedback.

It can be harsh sometimes but the value can be immense.

Let us take an example to understand this better.

We all have taken up some kind of sport or new Hobby at some point of time.

But we do need some coaching and support. Even If you are better than your team mates and people you know there is always some room for growth.

This is where a good critic comes in, he or she will evaluate you and your performance keeping in mind much broader parameters.

We can then use that information to improve our game. Credibility and right feedback are so important.

At some point of time, we all need some amount of healthy feedback. 

But Yes, Feedback can be unhealthy as well.

Good Pariahs vs Bad Ones

I don't believe all Trolls are bad or malicious. Some might be just jiving in to enjoy the experience, sadly at the expense of another.

They are not actually good, but in their own eyes they think so. There is nothing called a Bad or Good Bully (in my opinion).

It is basically demeaning (act) and it treats another person with lack of respect and charity.

So the so called Good and Bad pariahs fall in one category.

Self Respect and Tolerating Bullies

So you must have guessed somewhat my opinion. I think there is no reason to tolerate Bullying, disrespect or injustice of any kind.

Overlooking it is a part of the problem. We tend to overlook a lot of important issues till they become a problem for all.

I think bullies are not limited to Schools and Colleges they are there in your workplace, homes and neighborhoods too.

Don't be an Enabler and get manipulated into Helping these people. They need help of their own.

In Conclusion

I think that things will change gradually and being a part of a Positive development (Anti Bullying, Anti-Body Shaming etc.) is indeed something to treasure.

I hope this article encourages you to take a stand or at least introspect on the issue of Mental abuse, Trolling and Bullying. 

Our world has seen enough of pain, we don't need more of it.

Thank you for your time. Do subscribe to my Newsletter!. Catch you in the next post! Ciao!

[full-width]

5 Amazing Motivational Quotes on Success to drive you to a power-packed Start, Crafted to drive you to act now.

August 20, 2021

Motivational quotes to push you to Success

We all need a little push. A little nudge to push us ahead.

Okay, You don't need one. Share this post with someone who needs it.

Read it and see if it works. I think these quotes will get them thinking.

Words have Power whether you know or not (and it is not magic).

It is the way things are, We process ideas and we understand symbols as human beings.

One may think that we all have different aims and goals; how would these quotes be relevant to everyone.

Isn't everyone different? Yes, we are all different and it is good thing. But there is one thing that connects us all our Humanity.

As Humans we yearn for something that drive us and keeps us hopeful and positive, we could call that motivation (at least colloquially).

Importance of Taking Action

But before I share it, Let me remind you of some reasons you may want to take action on your goals.

I am not perfect and I procrastinate as well. Yes, I do and I strive to be better.

I don't want to pretend like I got it all sorted, I don't. 

So here are some reasons I am sharing, You could check this post if you would like to read about them in detail.

Reason #1 You Deserve it
Reason #2 It may be valuable to others
Reason #3 It is not Selfish

There are more reasons as well, I would encourage you to share it on my FB Page.

It will be a nice discussion, See you there.

Now Let us take a serious look at some of these Quotes.

Taking Action Quotes

I have handpicked these quotes that resonate with me.

I believe it summarizes what it means to take action.

I think taking small steps is more important than not working at your dreams.

Your actions don't need to be perfect, it needs to be in the right direction.

Quote #1:  You don't need Luck



Quote #2:  The opportunity is now





Quote #3:  Have a vision



Quote #4:  Value yourself first


In Conclusion

I am sure you found these quotes interesting. I also know that you would be having a different take on each of them.

My aim is not to be pushy but to encourage you. Each one of us have a unique situation.

But we all need encouragement. I hope you found this post interesting.

Catch you in the next post. Do join me on my FB page to discuss these quotes.

[full-width]

How good choices can make your Day? Have an awesome time

August 16, 2021

 

What is your choice today?

It is amazing how much freedom we have and take for granted. Yesterday we celebrated Independence Day.

My Catholic friends celebrated a Religious feast along with it. We made homemade sweets coupled with a family dinner .

Overall it was a pleasant day, But I can't count the number of days that were horrible.

A couple of days ago this thought popped in my head, It goes like this. If you can choose to be happy and also choose to see problems from different perspectives, we can also choose to be happy or even an awesome day.

Awesome days don't need to be perfect. I think they are crappy days like the rest of the days, but the only difference is that we have good and pleasant attitude.

The Power of choices is amazing, how we can make choices with outcomes that can potentially surprise us.

So I would like to encourage you with this small quote.




I wish you better choices, and an awesome day ( for the rest a good night's sleep).

In Conclusion

I would like to say this is more of a commitment to myself to make better and small, but powerful choices.

Yes I may fail sometimes, but who doesn't. Take care and catch you in the next post.

You can connect with me on my Facebook Page.

Powerful Professional Ideas you can use to quick start your next Profitable Side Hustle

August 14, 2021

Professional Side Hustle: Create an Asset that pays while keeping your job

 
Do you need some work that is fun? Are you looking for an opportunity?

These are some of the questions you have but you are connecting with the wrong people.

How about leverage what you know and help other? If you make an asset that pays you long term or may be immediately, Why not!

Does this sound interesting...There are many ideas you steal to do exactly that.

These ideas will not make you a millionaire or get you a Ferrari, but it can help you connect with people.


via GIPHY


It can help you experiment and try out some of the ideas you have. If it works you not only help a lot of people, you also help your self with some extra income (I won't call it 'Passive Income', it is not passive) I would call it 'Leisure Income'.

I have listed 10 ideas you could use to leverage your experience and help people by creating some awesome products.

Top 10 ideas that are Professional and Powerful:

Publish your e-books

Check this Free E-Book on Personal Branding

Yes, You heard it right. Publishing a book. Do you read blogs and articles? I am sure you read the news and also love to read books sometimes.

You can share some of your insights in an e-book. You can use an online word processor like Google Docs for the draft of the book. You could couple it with Canva for the book cover and other necessary templates.

Check my store on Gumroad, Click here!

Next you could, Review and Proofread your work (or even directly publish it) with service available on Fiverr or Upwork.

How to sell it? Create a Gumroad Account and paste the link on Social Media. That is it...It is that simple.

Craft Video courses

Create your own Video Course

You have a mobile camera. Use it to shoot a video. You can use apps like InShot or Kinemaster to edit the video.

Then upload the video on YouTube or Instagram. If you get a good response create a Course on Udemy or Gumroad.

You don't even need to show your face or narrate. You can add free stock music and add subtitles for the text.

I am not sure if you know, you can also create amazing videos on Canva. Try it out.

Host a workshop

Take this workshop online with Google meet or Zoom

You have a Google account. You have Google Meet. It is free and you can host a workshop for a group of upto 100 people on free account.

You can have each session up to 1 hour. You can collect the payment on Gumroad and send your customers a joining link.

Throw them a free E-book and incase they missed the call, Upload the recording on Gumroad for free.

Develop software apps

Build your dream app now! Join Bubble

Yes, You would need to learn coding. Believe in yourself you can do it.

Okay, you don't have that much confidence...No problem, Have you heard of Bubble.

Yes this web app can help you develop your own web based application in a breeze.

It is a no code platform and they have an amazing tutorial to get you started.

You literally create application you have been using. Let us name a few, How about create your own social network site, or lets say you want to create an application to take a survey, with Bubble you can do it quick.

They have a free version to get you started and you only need two things. One the will and good imagination to get you started.

Leverage your skillset by Freelancing

Don't get feverish about Passive Income, monetize your leisure

You want to get a part time gig. Look no further, you need to get on to this two platforms.

The first Platform is Upwork and the next one is Fiverr. It takes away all the pain of Networking and marketing yourself.

You directly can send a bid and apply for your next gig. Get paid on a hourly or project basis.

You can also showcase your existing work on the platform. They have premium versions too.

It is a great place to leverage your skills. Give it a try.

Starting a Podcast

Nah! I don't have a Podcast...I blog

You don't like to get in front of the camera. You just want to share your ideas without writing a word.

How about create a Podcast? You have many paid platforms where you can host your podcast.

But if you want to test the water, here are a few mentionable platforms, Anchor.fm, SoundCloud, libsyn, Podbean etc.

You just need to be clear about the niche you are into and the audience you have in mind.

If you don't have a great microphone, you could record your voice on your mobile phone or laptop.

Download Audacity and edit your voice clip. There are beautiful tutorials online to get started with sound editing. 

You will pick up skills along the way, but first get started.

Starting a Newsletter

Join my Newsletter, It is not a funnel and it is Free!

You may say Chris, I don't want to blog. It is okay don't do that, but if you like writing or podcasting.

You could share it with people and get paid for it too.

You could start a Newsletter. There are many platforms that are amazing to start Newsletters.

I will recommend 2 of the platforms that I currently use as a Subscriber and will probably use the platform in the future (Let's see, just toying with ideas).

The first platform is Substack and the other one is Revue by Twitter. 

You can share your ideas, views and take on various events. Create and share exclusive content to your audience.

Once you have a good following you can monetize your Newsletter on these platforms.

The amazing part is a Subscriber gets to sample the content before subscribing. Both of these platforms have list of the previous posts.

The other best part is the monetization. You can charge a subscription fee and even add your domain name if you don't have one.

Now no excuses, Hop on to Substack or Revue get one. DM me and I will subscribe (Pucca promise)

Starting a YouTube channel

Start your own Channel, YouTube is literally everywhere

This one is obvious. There are many YouTube channels on how to start one.

I would recommend two of my favorite YouTubers, Nick Nimmin and his brother, Dee Nimmin.

They will guide you through the whole game of Vodcasting and you can have your own channel.

DM me and I will subscribe (I will drop some comments too :P)

Starting a community

Life Commune: Free to join, No Hidden Charges!

This is way down on my list but I think this is the best of the lot.

Starting your own community. Yes you can make it a gig.

You can monetize through a subscription or by Ads.

You can build the group around a Topic or Profession you are passionate about. Then build an audience before you think of monetizing it.

Do offer your experience and value to your audience. You can start with FB Groups, Mighty Networks or even Discord to build your Community.

The Best part is it is absolutely Free.

Offer Tutoring services

Yes, I offer tutoring services. Drop me a message if your interested.

Yes, you can become a Tutor. I do offer Tuitions and it is fun.

I get to interact with School and College Students.

It is a fulfilling experience and you can make a Passive Income (Leisure Income) by helping people learn better.

In Conclusion

You can leverage your skills, have fun while doing it and learn, grow and help people too.

It is amazing the things you can do with Free Time.

Do try some of. these ideas and if you create something; If this post has inspired in someway do write a Review on my FB Page.

Take Care! Bye for now!

[full-width]

Powered by Blogger.