In August 2016, Colin Kaepernick, star quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers, silently sat during the playing of the National Anthem in protest of issues of “systematic oppression”, “equality and social injustice”, “racism and injustice in our criminal system”, “oppression of people of color in the United States”, and to not “show pride in a…
Category: Branding
5 Reasons to Join a Nonprofit Board
I recently spoke on an amazing panel, thanks to the Business Women’s Giving Circle. There were several themes that came out of that event that I wanted to capture because I know it will help individuals understand the many benefits of joining a board. Joining a nonprofit board is an excellent and enormous commitment. Many…
5 Mistakes Speakers Must Avoid Like the Plague
Recently, I attended a conference, a day-long event with multiple sessions and a few well-known speakers, with over 5,000 people in attendance. Although I got a great deal out of the experience, some of the actions of some of the speakers really disappointed me. So much so, that I summarized a few thoughts about speaking…
Personal Brand Lessons From the US Open
On September 8, 2018, the US Open Women’s Finals tennis match was held between Serena Williams and Naomi Osaka. The match was umpired by Carlos Ramos. In the course of the match, Ramos issued a warning for a coaching violation; then a one-point penalty for racket abuse; and finally, upon deeming verbal abuse as Williams’s…
Four Ways to Avoid Brand Fatigue
When it comes to branding, there is such a thing as being “too much.” Brand fatigue refers to that tipping point when your public presence and message stop having a positive effect. It is the point when visibility, frequency, and emotional effect actually work against the brand instead of for it. The following tips will…
5 Etiquette Rules for Your Personal Brand Online (Especially Young Professionals)
Recently I participated on a panel at a Reston Chamber Young Professionals event focused on personal branding and how to build your presence online. The audience was fantastic and we shared a great dialog on the rules of engagement and etiquette online. These five rules came up in the discussion and it seemed worth repeating.…