Posts Tagged ‘Personal Brand’

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Summer Connections

Wednesday, June 2nd, 2010

June marks the beginning of summer fun and all the great events that go with it! Grab your sunscreen and take a swing at a golf outing or just head out to mex and mingle!

American Marketing Association

Meet-up at The Woods Lounge

Wednesday, June 2, 2010

The Woods Lounge

5:00pm – 7:00pm

D.A. Blodgett-St. John’s

Time to Shine Tribute Dinner

Thursday, June 3, 2010

Stone Water Country Club

6:00 – cocktails, 7:00 – dinner

Kids First Golf Outing

Monday, June 7, 2010

Watermark Country Club

12:00pm – lunch, 1:00pm – shotgun start

Stone Water Country Club

11:30am – lunch, 12:30pm – shotgun start

Wedgwood Christian Services

23rd Annual Charlie Anderson Memorial Golf Outing

Wednesday, June 9, 2010

Thornapple Pointe Golf Club

11:30am – lunch provided, 12:30pm – shotgun start

American Cancer Society

Hope Lodge Benefit Golf Outing

Monday, June 7, 2010

Blythefield Country Club

8:00am – breakfast and shotgun start, 1:00pm – luncheon shotgun start

Young Leadership Council Golf Outing

Saturday, June 26, 2010

Alpine Golf Course

8:00am – 5:00pm

Gerber Memorial Health Services

Annual Golf Outing

Friday, June 11, 2010

Brigadoon Golf Club

GVSU

GVSU Enrichment Dinner

Tuesday, June 8, 2010

DeVos Place

6:00pm

Pine Rest Foundation

50th Anniversary Golf Classic

Monday, June 14, 2010

Arcadia Bluffs

8:45am – registration and breakfast, 10:00am – shotgun start, 3:00pm prizes and hors d’oeuvres, 4:00pm – departure

Boys and Girls Clubs

100 Holes Challenge

Monday, June 14, 2010

Sunnybrook Country Club

6:30am – shotgun start

aimWest

Momentum Meet-up & Networking

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

Presentations: WMU Downtown GR Campus

5:30 – 6:30pm

Networking: Tavern on the Square

6:30 – 7:30pm

Easter Seals

Walk With Me Event

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

John Ball Zoo

5:00 – 9:00pm

West Michigan Public Relations Society of America

Smile! You’re on Camera Luncheon

Thursday, June 17, 2010

The University Club

11:30am – 1:30pm

Grand Rapids Young Professionals

Annual Golf Outing

Thursday, June 17, 2010

Thornapple Pointe Golf Club

12:00 – 12:45pm – registration and lunch, 12:45pm – shotgun start, 5:30pm dinner and awards

Guiding Light Mission

13th Annual Golf Outing

Monday, June 21, 2010

Deer Run Golf Course

1:00pm – shotgun start

Frederik Meijer Garden

Garden Soiree: Celebrate Chihuly

Thursday, June 24, 2010

Frederik Meijer Garden

6:00 – 8:00pm

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Using social media to communicate your brand

Tuesday, May 25th, 2010

As I sit here putting the finishing touches on my presentation for the Kalamazoo Business Expo tomorrow (nothing like waiting til the last moment), I realize how much information is out there on branding and social media.

So in an effort to assist folks in sifting through the blogs, tweets, websites and more…I am summarizing, what I feel, are key points. First a disclaimer…social media is not for every business. You need to ask yourself some key questions before utilizing SM as a strategy to engage customers and grow your brand:

1. Are my customers even using social media?

2. If so, what networks are they on? Facebook? Twitter? LinkedIn? YouTube? Flickr? (you get my point)

According to conversationagent.com (and I wholeheartedly agree) social media is important to brands in the following way:

  • People, collectively and one on one, have all sorts of conversations, public, internal, private. Part of those conversations is the fact that they buy based on beliefs — yours. Do they connect with theirs?
  • A brand is a person’s gut feeling about a product, service, or organization. It’s individual, and it’s based on emotions and not driven by your messages.
  • More and more people are online. You can discover what they do there, depending on who your customers are

So how do you use social media to further your brand? Brian Solis (briansolis.com) says that small businesses use SM to:

  • Identify and attract new customers
  • Develop a higher awareness of your organization within your target market
  • Stay engaged with current customers
  • Collaborate more effective externally, such as with suppliers, partners, and colleagues
  • Collaborate more effectively internally

Social media is an effective way to communicate your brand through identifying, learning and connecting with consumers, customers, influencers and prospects. It is a way to differentiate yourself and communicate with your target audience.

Don’t take my word for it, ask Ford, Starbucks or any of the other top social media brands. If you don’t plan to engage fully, don’t engage at all.

There are lots of people out there like Scott Monty(Ford) and Brian Solis that are using social media to build their brands – whether it be personal or corporate.

So in summary:

  • Are you getting noticed?
  • How do you get noticed?
  • Projecting the right image?
  • What’s your message – is it clear?
  • Are you sifting through the clutter or adding to it?
  • Create a following
  • Stand out

And always, always be true to your brand.

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Opps to build your personal brand

Friday, April 30th, 2010

Personal branding is a must. It is open season for jobs and employers are on the look-out for the right candidate.

With networking events, golf outings, and more there is a plethora of opportunities for you to get out there. So what are you waiting for?

West Michigan 101 Best and Brightest Companies to Work For

Thursday, May 6, 2010

The Pinnacle Center

7:30 am – 11:15 am

GRYP

Friday Nights at the GRAM

Friday, May 6th, 2010

Grand Rapids Art Museum

6:00 pm – 8:30 pm

Van Andel Institute

Golf Outing

Monday, May 10th, 2010

Wuskowhan Players Club

Call 616-234-5712 for more info

GRYP

“Table for Six” Series

Wednesday, May 12th

Carlos O’Kelly’s Mexican Cafe

6:00 pm – 8:00 pm

GRNow

5th Anniversary Party

Saturday, May 15th, 2010

JW Marriott/Mixology

8:00 pm – ?

GVSU Young Alumni

Life 101: What You Didn’t Learn in College

Wednesday, May 19th, 2010

GVSU Eberhard Center

5:15 pm – 9:00 pm

AimWest

Lunch with Google

Wednesday, May 19th, 2010

DeVos Place

11:30 am – 3:30 pm

GRYP

Not Your Average Speaker Series – “Community Brainstorm”

Wednesday, May 19th, 2010

Wealthy Theatre

5:30 pm – 8:00 pm

Make-A-Wish

Dancing with the Make-A-Wish Stars

Thursday, May 20th, 2010

St. Cecilia Music Center

6:00 pm – ?

WMPRSA

Crisis Communication

Thursday, May 20th, 2010

Luncheon

American Cancer Society

Wine Tasting to Strike Out Cancer

Feat. Barefoot Winery

Friday, May 21st, 2010

McFaddens

6:00 pm – 10:00 pm

C-SNIP

Golf Classic 2010

Saturday, May 22nd, 2010

Contact staceyw@csnip.org for more information

Business Review West Michigan

MLS: Sustainability 2010

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

Aquinas College – Wege Center Ballroom

8:00 am – 11:00 am

Kalamazoo Chamber of Commerce

The Power to Grow Expo

Wednesday, May 26th, 2010

Radisson Plaza Hotel – Kalamazoo

12:00 pm – 7:00 pm

American Marketing Association

Emerging Trends in Digital Marketing-Panel Discussion

Thursday, May 27, 2010

Kent Country Club

11:30 am – 1:00 pm

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Event season is here

Wednesday, March 31st, 2010

April showers bring an outpouring of events to Grand Rapids!

If you are a professionals looking to be build your personal brand,  now is the perfect time to get out there and get connected.

See you around GR.

Rapid Growth

Not Your Average Speaker Series

Tuesday, April 6th

5:15 pm – 7:15 pm

Wealthy Theatre

Grand Rapids Chamber of Commerce

Business Exchange Luncheon

Applause Catering & Events

Thursday, April 8th

11:30 am – 1:30 pm

GRYP

Downtown Development Panel

Tuesday, April 13th

University Club of Grand Rapids

6:00 pm – ?

YWCA

Open Circle Luncheon Celebration

Amway Grand Plaza Hotel — Ambassador Ballroom

Wednesday, April 14th

11:30 am – 1:30 pm

Grand Rapids Chamber of Commerce

Business After Hours Home-Based Entrepreneur Expo

Thursday, April 15th

5:30 pm – 7:30 pm

Inforum

Breakfast Networking Group

Thursday, April 15th

7:30 am – 8:45 am

Panera Bread – Knapps Corner

Inforum

New Member Reception w/ WMCAT

Monday, April 19th

5:30 pm – 7:30 pm

AimWest

5:01 Networking

Photo Room at Bar Divani

Wednesday, April 21st

5:01 pm – 7:00 pm

Center for Community Leadership

Annual Fundraiser

Frederik Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park

Wednesday, April 21st

5:30 pm – 8:30 pm

American Cancer Society – Young Leaders Council

All-members Meeting

Hope Lodge

Wednesday, April 21st

5:30 pm – 7:00 pm

AMA West Michigan

Market Segmentation Tactics for Real World Success

Kent Country Club

Thursday, April 22nd

11:30 am – 1:00 pm

Gilda’s Club Grand Rapids

Beyond the Red Door Luncheon

Thousand Oaks Golf Club

Thursday, April 22nd

12:00 pm – 1 pm

GRYP

Fashion Show

Younkers – RiverTown Crossings

Thursday, April 22nd

6:00 pm – 8:30 pm

Inforum

Social Media 101 – Panel Discussion with area experts

Amway World Headquarters – Auditorium

Thursday, April 22nd

5:30 pm – 7:00 pm

AimWest

Bob Walsh: “Becoming a IT Linchpin”

Atomic Object (Wealthy Street)

Tuesday, April 27nd

6:00 pm – 8:00 pm

Inforum

Inner Circle

JW Marriott

Wednesday, April 28th

5:30 pm – 8:00 pm

Saint Mary’s Health Care

Shoppe Soiree

Cascade Hills Country Club

Wednesday, April 28th

5:30 pm – 8:00 pm

$35 per person or $40 at the door.

WMPRSA

Thursday, April 29th

25th Annual PRoof Awards

West Michigan 101 Best and Brightest Companies to Work For

Thursday, May 6, 2010

The Pinnacle Center

7:30 am – 11:15 am

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Marketing Yourself & Your Business

Friday, February 5th, 2010

chamber-university-logo1I am looking forward to participating in a panel discussion through the Grand Rapids Chamber of Commerce titled “Marketing Yourself & Business”.

The topic could not be more timely, as many small businesses are struggling to determine the value in marketing, or how to use certain PR & Advertising tools to increase sales. And boy are attendees in for a treat, as the panel of experts not only includes yours truly, but Cynthia Kay of CK&CO and Pete Brand of MINDSCAPE. Did I mention, that all of us are very fun? Oh and we are great presenters.

Those attending this informative & lively discussion on Thursday, February 24, 8-10 a.m. at Rapid Central Station, will walk away with knowledge surrounding messaging, branding, and growing your network.

The lovely Cynthia Kay will discuss “Being Your Brand” and how a strong brand can give any company a competitive advantage.

Pete Brand of MINDSCAPE will explain “Message” and how your personal brand shapes that messaging.

And finally, I shall emphasize the importance of “Building Your Network” to increase awareness of your brand that will ultimately assist you in  growing your obusiness.

To register for this engaging informative event (I have to say that, I’m speaking) go to http://www.grandrapids.org/chamber-university

I am looking forward to being on such a distinguished panel, and to present tools and strategies that will assist businesses in being successful.

See you on the 24th!

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