Flauntrepreneur Magazine >> Portrait of a successful flauntrepreneur – Ky Joseph

This month's success story is one that clearly demonstrates one individual's realization that a clear branding vision and execution was the impetus that resulted in a heightened professional profile

In her late 20’s, Miss X (alias) entered the media industry, radio sales to be specific. In this capacity, she learned almost immediately that you’re only as good as your last sale and your reputation is everything. She decided that she needed to stand out and equally important, she wanted to stand for something. She wanted people who dealt with her to know that with her came a promise, the promise that she would deliver results for whomever she dealt with. With a clear vision of her promise, she began to build her personal brand and very quickly became the top account manager. Just three short years later, she was promoted to General Sales Manager of that radio station and although she hadn’t been with the company that long, she convinced the CEO that she could do a better job building a sales department and revenues for him that the four previous sales managers had failed to do. Together, the CEO and this aggressive young woman negotiated her new salary structure as the sales manager for the organization. The base salary was agreed upon and then the bonus word was mentioned. She quickly interrupted, “I don’t want a bonus this year when I achieve budget” she said. The CEO looked at her with a skeptical frown. She went on to say that when, not if, the budget was achieved, she would like the company to place an ad in the Toronto Star letting the world know, or Toronto at least, that she had propelled the company to financial success that year.

The CEO agreed to her request and 13 months later, an ad was published with her photo in both the Toronto Star and The Globe & Mail. That year, together with her new sales team, she increased sales almost 80% without a decimal point increase in ratings and she was subsequently promoted to VP Sales for all stations under the umbrella company. She figured that ad would be the equivalent of winning an Oscar or Emmy in her industry. It said, “You can hire me with confidence to know I will deliver results for you”. As I am sure you can imagine, her network in that industry grew as a result of that ad and has continued to grow since. Networking is paramount to building one's brand.

The young lady in the story is me. I’m not sharing this story to boast about myself but rather to impress upon you the importance of building on your achievements to get to the next level instead of just coasting. That ad had become my new resume and of all the headhunters that have approached me since, I can attest it was a very wise business decision and flauntrepreneurial move on my part. I was now branded as someone who would deliver results, an achiever, accomplished.

Now I pose this question to you. Would you, as an individual with a clear vision to establish your personal brand have opted for a one-time cash bonus that would go as quickly as it came or receive a public award that branded you as an achiever? There was no contest for me. I had the foresight to see that ad or Oscar would bring me more gold in the future, or green as the story goes.