It Takes a Lifetime to Build a Personal Brand and 5 Seconds to Destroy It

While your reputation is, in essence, what others think of you, you have a lot of control over what influences their opinion.

As Richard Branson so aptly states, ‘All you have in life is your reputation: you may be very rich, but if you lose your good name, then you’ll never be happy. The thought will always lurk at the back of your mind that people don’t trust you.’ 

Your reputation comprises formal and informal factors, which we’ll discuss in more detail. 

Formal Factors

Official qualifications from recognised institutions and endorsements from powerful people are formal factors that form part of your reputation. These things hone your skills. 

In Outliers: The story of success by Malcolm Gladwell, he creates the 10,000 hours argument. You put a lot of time and effort into learning and developing your skills behind the scenes before you can apply them. Think about the Beatles: they played to different audiences in Hamburg around eight hours a night before they decided they were prepared to venture further afield.

While it certainly is doable to become a highly regarded leader without formal qualifications or institutional recognition, it is still the exception. In most fields, tertiary education is an important start.

Some institutions are regarded as having a higher level of recognition or value than others. That is, a business degree from Harvard, Oxford, MIT, London School of Economics, Cambridge, or INSEAD is recognised more highly than a degree from a smaller university that isn’t as well known. 

Here are some examples more relevant in the Australian context:

• the Australian Institute of Company Directors

• the CEO Institute

• CEDA (Committee for Economic Development of Australia)

• TEC (The Executive Connection)

• YPO (Young Presidents Organization)

• the Lowy Institute

• the Business Council of Australia

• Rotary

• the Private Wealth Network

Informal Factors

The informal factors of your reputation are those that you establish yourself on a personal level, namely your values and actions.

As Henry Ford says, ‘You can’t build a reputation on what you are going to do.’ You need to establish your values and constantly maintain them through your actions.

Here are some ways to take action on your values:

• Stay true to your word and do what you say you will. The best way to gain people’s trust is by being reliable and dependable.

• Have a mindset of helping other people realise their potential and reach their goals. Go above and beyond thinking about yourself and your own advancement.

• If you exceed people’s expectations, you will be noticed. Doing so will make you stand out as a positive role model.

• Show and operate with integrity. Fight for the good and stand up against what is wrong.

• Be consistent in the performance of your values. Steady and reliable behaviour leads to predictable actions.

• Engage with your community by getting to know people. Be available to give back your time and resources.

• Be thoughtful about your actions. Before you act, think about whether you’re proud of who you are and what you’re doing. Is what you’re doing worthy of your best self?

• Take responsibility for your actions and be accountable for your mistakes and failures.

Key Takeaways

Everything you say and do in your life impacts your personal brand, and in turn, your reputation.

Some of these things we can control. The formal factors that influence your reputation include your qualification and from which institution.

The informal factors are also up to you to control, but they can be more difficult as they take continuous work to maintain. A simple slip-up can damage a reputation that has taken years to build.

A great way to maintain the informal factors of your reputation is by thinking before speaking or acting. If you wouldn’t want those words or actions to appear in a newspaper, rather don’t say or do them.

Standing Out In The Crowd In a Meaningful Way

Actively managing your personal brand is critical if you want to make a significant impact in the areas of your life important to you. What you say and what you do influences how people perceive you, so take note that your personal branding will determine how successfully you’ll be able to make an impact in life.

Welcome to the fourth episode of The Personal Brand Catalyst. Today we are joined by Dr Charlie Teo AM, who has been instrumental in the development, dissemination, and acceptance of the concept of keyhole, minimally invasive techniques in neurosurgery. 

Dr Teo runs a fellowship program that attracts over 600 applicants yearly and has trained many of the world's leading figures in neurosurgery. He has trained neurosurgeons at distinguished centres such as the Barrow Neurological Institute, John Hopkins, Yale, Duke, Stanford, Vanderbilt, and Harvard universities. 

He has published over 160 peer-reviewed journal articles, has authored two books on keyhole approaches to brain tumours, and has featured as a guest editor for several journals. Dr Teo strongly believes that a surgeon's responsibility to his patients shouldn't end after surgery. 

In keeping with his desire to find cures for recurrent brain tumours, he has raised over $40 million which has been used to fund research and scientists, both in Australia and internationally.

It's such a great honour and privilege to speak with him today.

Self-Identity As a Brand 

Charlie Teo never deliberately thought of himself as developing a brand. He doesn’t see his reputation now as being a reputation of a brand or a reputation of a single solitary person.

But can the term “brand” be aptly applied to the name Charlie Teo? For him, it can be. But he never really thought about it as a brand.

Perception of Others 

Despite the controversial media in the last two to three years about Dr Teo, people would still come up and voice their strong passionate support for him no matter where he goes.

It is possible because they see him as a neurosurgeon, as a father of four children, and as a voice for voiceless animals. 

He thinks they see Dr Teo as a whole, as an entity and he believes he has turned into a brand. He thinks people see that brand is something that's worth congratulating him over and something that's worth supporting.

Using the Identity for the Foundation

Dr Teo’s previous foundation was called The Cure Brain Cancer Foundation. 

He specifically and deliberately requested that it not have anything to himself, he mentioned, "I didn't want a charity to die when I died and I felt the two could happen simultaneously".

Secondly, he knows that he polarises people and he didn't want the charity to polarise the community. So he specifically said he didn't want his name to be associated with any of his. 

The Cure Brain Cancer Foundation became the peak body for raising money for brain cancer research and weren’t going to disband when they asked Dr Teo to leave.

A lot of people would have disagreed with what was happening at The Cure Brain Cancer Foundation, but Dr Teo knows they would have wanted to have supported him, rather than an institution. 

So he had to come up with a name for a foundation that would then make sure that people knew that he was no longer associated with The Cure Brain Cancer Foundation.

Dr Teo affirmed an earlier point in the conversation that the people who think or strive to define themselves by their vocation, looks, celebrity status, and wealth, are going to fall flat on their faces once they lose it all because it's all about developing a brand by yourself.

Importance of Reputation

When Dr Teo started off in his career, his reputation was very important to him. 

Whether he was a good neurosurgeon or not in terms of his operative skills and his clinical skills, he wanted people to know that he cared and that he was in medicine for the right reasons. 

His intention wasn’t to become the world's best neurosurgeon or do the most difficult cases. Instead, he was simply going to treat his patients with respect. He was going to treat them in the same way that he would want someone to treat him as a patient. 

Most of the moral codes he lives by are incredibly simplistic and were given to him by his mother. Some of the codes he learned are, “Treat other people the way you would like them to treat you”, “Everyone got some value to give you”, “Don't think you're any better than anyone else” and so much more.

Values Being Tested

When asked where his values tested in his career and life, he said that it’s happening now.

Dr Teo loves neurosurgery so much, but he is unable to in practice it  Australia because he’s had his privileges taken off him. 

However, some people are willing to let him back in again on the condition that he ‘tows the party line.’ Everyone is telling him he should because at least he can start operating again. That way, he’ll be able to help some people as opposed to helping no one.

But according to Dr Teo, the only person who’s going to be damaged by taking on difficult cases is him and not other people.

The struggle he has with making that decision is whether he should become part of the fold because he can help some people or lose his self-respect.

But by standing by his moral code and disregarding professional political correctness, Dr Teo has developed a brand now that has been incredibly robust. 

And if there’s a lesson he wants to share with young people, it’s that, "To make decisions based on what is right for the greater good. Not what might be politically correct. Not what might get you a promotion at work. Not what might fill your banks with more money. Do what is right and in the long run, it will come back to reward you."

Brand As a Doctor

Dr Teo is a doctor in practice and in name, but he doesn’t think that he’s a doctor in brand. Simply because he’s shown integrity, stood by his beliefs and shown dogged perseverance. He believes these are the reasons why people support him, and not so much that he’s a skilled or talented surgeon.

Having a Mentor in Life

As a child growing up without a father, Dr Teo tried to look for father figures. If you read the book on his life ‘Life in His Hands; the True Story of a Neurosurgeon and a Pianist’, he talks about finding John Wayne as a father figure at one stage.

But apart from John Wayne, there was a school prefect called Nguyen Cameron who he held in high esteem because he showed kindness to Dr Teo. 

And then when he started surgery, there are a few doctors who he can identify specifically who were role models and helped him develop the code that he lives by now. 

One of them was Tony Milne, a pediatric surgeon in Brisbane, and he taught him the importance of questioning dogma and not blindly accepting everything that your professor told you. 

Another mentor he had was Mark Shanahan, who was a cardiothoracic surgeon at St. Vincent's Hospital in the era of Victor Chang. He taught Dr Teo the importance of perseverance and sheer tenacity when things seem to be going from hell to high water and losing control. 

And then in Johnston, Northern Territory, there was a neurosurgeon who showed him amazing intellect and how important it was to offer your patients not only compassion and surgical skill but also the importance of reading the literature and being scientifically up to date. 

These have been people along the way that have added to Dr Teo’s mum's general body of moral codes and have guided him to become the person he is today.

Charlie Teo As A Mentor 

Dr Teo has always wanted to be a teacher. When he was younger, he was a black belt in karate and enjoyed teaching more than actually sparring with the other students.

He won the best teacher award both in America and Australia but unfortunately, given the climate in Australia, he hasn’t been given the opportunity to teach. 

But Dr Teo has a fellowship (which he considers his family) of neurosurgeons from all around the world wanting to learn his techniques that he accepts every year he takes out all his teaching frustrations on them and passes his skills. 

Learnings and Insights to Share For Young People

The advice that Dr Teo wants to share the most, especially for young people is, “What doesn't kill you makes you stronger.”

He says, “At the end of the day, you've got to sleep with yourself, you've got to have self-respect, and you got to be proud of what you do.  

It’s so easy to say what is meant to be said and do what is meant to be done even though you know it's the wrong thing to do or the wrong thing to say because there is an immediate reward for doing that. You get promoted, you get the deal, you seal the contract, you tell a lie, and you managed to get some extra funding for it or whatever but don’t be ever tempted because it will come back to bite you.”

Dr Teo says other people call it karma, others call it God, the universe, or mother nature. But whatever others may call it, we are the sum total of our actions.

“You may feel alone at times or you might feel it’s difficult but at the end of the day, being a good person and doing things for the greater good will build your brand. It’s going to give you respect from others and more than anything else, it’s going to give you self-respect and pride for what you’ve done.”

Final Message and Outro

I want to thank Dr Charlie Teo very much for taking the time to really share his wisdom and insights. 

Thank you for listening to this episode. Please leave a five-star review and subscribe for more episodes if you enjoyed it. 

If you'd like to learn more about developing your personal brand, please visit garrybrowne.com.au to get in touch or grab a copy of Brand New Brand You. 

How to Build and Maintain Reputation and Relevance

Actively managing your personal brand is critical if you want to make a significant impact in the areas of your life important to you. What you say and what you do influences how people perceive you, so take note that your personal branding will determine how successfully you’ll be able to make an impact in life.

Welcome to the third episode of The Personal Brand Catalyst, where we are joined by Matt Levy, who was born 15 weeks premature with cerebral palsy and vision impairment. He has survived 50+ operations, including brain, heart, lung and ears. 

 Today he is an international swim star, having competed in five consecutive Paralympics - winning three gold, one silver and five bronze medals. He swam at five World Championships and countless nationals and other professional meets and holds 120 international medals and four world records. 

 Matt has been awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia and is an ambassador for Australia Day, Westpac, International Disability Day, Life's Little Treasures, Athlete Leader Swimming Australia and on an advisory board for the Institute of Sport and Commonwealth Games Australia. He’s a board member of Rainbow Club Australia Ability Options and the governance officer for the Australian Swimming Association, and countless other organisations. 

 What a pleasure and privilege it is to have the opportunity to speak with him today.

Self-Identity as a Brand

Matt sees himself as a brand from the sporting and ambassador side, but he just sees himself as “Matt Levy” when he’s going to work in his normal day job. He says it's about wearing two hats and having a different mindset for each.

 It's a really beautiful approach because many people don't have that understanding of exactly what their brand is. I think that he’s really encapsulated what people perceive him as, but also what he does, as being part of his brand. 

The Concept of Reputation 

Matt says his reputation is a byproduct of what he’s been able to do and achieve and not necessarily why he does what he does.

 He has always wanted to make a difference and show the community out there that you can do anything you set your mind to, no matter if you think you can or you think you can't. It's about having that attitude when taking the first step.

 While his parents instilled those values and beliefs early on, being born with a lot of challenges and having to overcome them taught him not to take any opportunity for granted and that you can learn a lot from anything, whether it's negative, positive or indifferent. 

 For Matt, it’s really about having fun in what he does, whether it's in sport or outside of it. He uses his experience and what he’s learned to inspire the next generation, and reputation is a byproduct of that.

Establishing Values

Because his values were instilled in him at a young age, Matt says he’s more on autopilot these days and lives his values naturally. He does think about it subconsciously to an extent, working on what's going to give him the best benefit and what's going to allow him to keep moving forward.

 He says that improving is what he thinks about on a daily basis: “I'm living these values and I'm doing XY and Z. How can this activity move me forward and keep me improving and moving in the right direction?”

Making the Right Decisions according to your Values and Beliefs

Matt recalls that in 1999, he was at a swimming carnival and had just finished his race and went off to play in the play equipment. By then it was time to get back on the bus and at this time he didn’t have a cell phone - so he ended up being stuck at Olympic Park, which was around 70km from his house.

 That moment started him on the journey of growing his mindset, figuring out things for himself, and taking that first step - he had to work out how to get home by himself. He didn't know what bus or train to catch and didn't know anyone there. 

 He realised that he had one of two choices: he could crawl up into a ball and cry, or he could do what had to be done to get home. 

 It took him three to four hours of asking strangers for help, but he made it home safely in the end. And this became a defining moment in his life, reminding him that sometimes the hard choice is the right choice.

Imparting Wisdom and Knowledge to the Younger Generation

Matt is less the type of person who talks to individuals and tells them what he’s done and how he’s done it, but rather leads from the front by showing them his actions. 

 We all do things in different ways, and each individual is trying to find their own way to build their brand and work out how they can move forward in life. 

 Matt may do something in his life that improves him, but that specific thing might not work for someone else. But, he says that everyone should strive to find that little bit of inspiration from someone that might help them move forward in their own journey. 

Taking Adversity and Turning it Into a Positive

With COVID, everyone has had that feeling of adversity in some way, whereas previously, everyone just went about their normal lives. So people are more empathetic to the fact that life isn’t always rosy and there are plenty of challenges along the way.

 This has given people another focus and made them look at themselves and look at what their purpose is in life. 

The Influence of Training in Different Aspects of Life

The skills that Matt has learned from his sport such as goal setting, discipline and mindset help build resilience and attitude, but also what you want to deliver from a reputation and brand perspective as well. 

What we do in life is echoed by what we learn, what we've done from experience and everything Matt has learned through his sporting career he has translated into his corporate life, too.

Building your Network and Connections

Matt started building his LinkedIn gradually from 2008. That’s where he prefers to share what he’s learned throughout his life, rather than what he’s done and how he’s done it. He focuses more on sharing insights because he doesn’t like to relieve his adversity and what he’s been through

In his book, he shares his key concept of success by emphasising the journey to get there. Matt believes that because we're only here for a short period of time, we might as well use the platforms we have while we're here. 

If you can change one person's view on life, then you've done a good service to the community.

Matt’s Philosophy and Approach to Expanding his Career Outside of Swimming

Matt always aimed to grow in other areas because swimming wouldn’t pay the bills, but it’s taken him many years to learn to balance swimming and working life. 

Things have been better since he’s been at AS in Canberra because everything is on-site. He doesn’t have to travel Sydney traffic for an hour and a half each day. 

He says that the biggest and most important thing as an athlete and as a human is recovery. So it’s not so much the training side of things, but the recovery and the rest from each session and making sure your mind’s not going a million miles an hour for 24 hours a day. 

Next year is the Commonwealth Games and that's definitely a big focus, but there comes a time when there's an end date. The aim is to end your career on your own merit and your own note rather than someone finishing it for you. So keep going while you're enjoying it. 

Matt’s Intention Behind Writing his Books

Matt consciously wrote his books to enhance his brand to an extent, but once he got into the process of writing it, it was more about wanting to make a difference to whoever read it and to be able to change their way of thinking and change what they do. 

He aims to change people's perception and understanding by imparting his knowledge and expertise on what he’s done in his life as opposed to promoting himself. 

Success doesn't come easy and it doesn't mean that you will win a gold medal or come first in a race. It’s about learning through that experience. Success to Matt isn’t about TV or winning medals. It's about improving what he did the day before and getting that message across to the reader more so than anything else. 

Being a Mentor

If people want to hear Matt’s experience and what he’s done, he’s happy to share it, but he doesn’t specifically mentor people. 

He says that things have been much easier during COVID thanks to Zoom. He prefers doing keynotes and speaking and releasing books from a mentorship side of things as opposed to one-on-one, because he has a full-time job, and then also swimming on top of that, and a couple of board roles. 

Matt’s Advice for the Younger Generation

Matt says that it's really about finding what your passion is and then working out where you want to go from there. That’s how he started back in 2000, wanting to go to a Paralympic Games class or the Paralympics in Sydney. 

He emphasises listening to the people around you because you're not going to get there by yourself. You're going to need a village.

Learn where your limits are and know what you're capable of. Don’t kid yourself about what you know and what you can and can't do. Being open and honest with yourself is how you really get the best out of it. 

It’s very hard to stand out from the crowd, but you can certainly stand out from what you were previously - even a day ago or two days ago.

Final Thoughts

I want to thank Matt Levy very much for taking the time to really share his wisdom and insights. 

 Thank you for listening to this episode. Please leave a five-star review and subscribe for more episodes if you enjoyed it. 

 If you'd like to learn more about developing your personal brand, please visit garrybrowne.com.au to get in touch or grab a copy of Brand New Brand You.

Relevance

To be relevant to someone or an organisation, you need to understand what is of utmost importance to them. 

Just as with a consumer brand or service, a brand must deeply understand what the customer wants. 

It’s essential to fully grasp the value of relevance, as it is by your relevance that you can make an impact. 

It's what you can do, not what you are, the notion of being something, not someone. 

Why Relevance is Important

The more relevance you have, the more opportunity you have to influence and make an impact for the better. People who seek you out are more open and willing to listen to your ideas and implement them. 

The value of relevance is in the ability to make an impact at scale. For example, you might want to change something about your community, your company, the city, or the world, and we all know there are plenty of things that need changing. 

How You Can Use Your Relevance

Let's take something that impacts us all, like climate change. You might want to do something to help make this change. Still, without relevance you're probably limited to recycling at home, working in the community garden, signing petitions - all worthwhile efforts, but they have little impact. 

Conversely, if you're a scientist and you have become actively engaged in scientific, public, and governmental discussions and policymaking over a period of time, you'll become more relevant and make a larger impact. 

The value of relevance can also be seen in the workplace. The more relevant you are in whatever area you want to make an impact on, the more impact you can make.

Managing Your Reputation

You can be relevant at a point in time but also over a period of time. With a consumer brand, a consumer usually wants a car or television that is top of the range for a short period of time. If you're a car brand or a television brand, you are relevant at that time when the customer has the need… And then it's gone. 

Similarly, with our personal brand, the skill sets and reputation you have are often only relevant to people when they're focused on a specific outcome or goal they want to achieve.

Relevance at a moment in time is about being visible and on top of your game when the moment occurs. 

How To Maintain Relevance Over Time

In different parts of our lives and in our various circles, we fluctuate between being more and less relevant and therefore have more or less impact. 

For the purpose of exploring relevance over time, we've chosen four key areas: 

• family,

• business,

• community,

• and our country.

At any given point in time, your relevance to each of these areas is different, and your travel pathways are also different. 

Maintaining your relevance takes a conscious effort. More importantly, it requires a level of self-reflection and emotional intelligence, leading to a deeper exploration of the real purpose in life. 

As Simon Sinek has captured in his now-iconic Ted talk about leadership, we need to start with the “why.” 

How Great Leaders Inspire

I'd suggest Roger Federer is the master of relevance over time. He's built up a highly recognised personal brand and mastered relevance at a point in time through Grand Slams and winning time and time again. 

While his relevance may be changing over time due to his age, his performance at a point in time has extended his relevance 

Separately, but connected, are his strong values that underpin his reputation and he's linked with sponsors who share those values. 

Key Takeaways

You can achieve relevance by understanding what people want and providing for that need.

Once you have relevance, you have more opportunities to influence people and make a difference for the better.

The difficulty lies in the fact that you’re often relevant for a certain time, so you need to build up your reputation to maintain your relevance over a longer period.

The best way to do this is to highlight your values, make them visible as part of your brand, and stick to them fiercely.

Creating a Meaningful Impact with Your Actions & Words

Actively managing your personal brand is critical if you want to make a significant impact in the areas of your life important to you. What you say and what you do influences how people perceive you, so take note that your personal branding will determine how successfully you’ll be able to make an impact in life.

 In the second episode of The Personal Brand Catalyst, we are joined by Louise Walsh: the founder and CEO of Walsh Capital, a third-party capital raising business that she launched in mid-2021. We discuss her career development over the years and how this led to the strengthening of her personal brand. 

 Louise and her team grew the ASX listed funds by $1 billion in assets in just six years. She has developed best practice investor and major donor engagement programs throughout her career, and has a substantial ultra-high net worth and high network across Australia. This extensive network has been developed and nurtured over three decades. 

 Having started her career as a lawyer at Allens head of sponsorships for the Sydney Olympic Games, Louise is widely regarded as one of Australia's leading philanthropic advisors and is a fundraising expert. Louise's extensive capital raising experience across many sectors - most recently is the CEO of the Future Generation companies. 

 And what a privilege and pleasure it was to speak with her today.

Defining herself as simply a brand - or as Louise Walsh

You probably don't look at Louise as a brand. But when she got married 19 years ago at the age of 39, she was having a chat one night over a glass of wine with her husband and he said, “Are you going to change your name or not?”

And she replied, “Well, I’ve thought about that. And I think there's a bit of brand equity in Louise Walsh. So I don't think I've got to change it.” They were just having a laugh, but Louise didn't want to go through all the admin and the paperwork, and they weren't planning on having children.

So when someone says, “Oh, that's interesting. You've never changed your name to Jordan,” her husband says, “There's a bit of brand equity in Louise Walsh.”

Being concerned about how people perceive you 

We have to be totally honest with ourselves. You can sit here and say you don't really care what XYZ thinks, but it’s always in the back of your mind. 

Louise grew up believing that you've got to be yourself. Her parents were very influential in her life and her mother used to say, “It’s always better to be overdressed than underdressed. Always remember, just a little bit of colour. A bit of a difference is very important.” 

They’ve both got quite signature glasses, and that's been a bit of a trademark over the years. You don't want to be outlandish, but there is something about having been remembered. 

Louise says that she never wants to be going to the grave in her eulogy where someone says, “We remember Louise Walsh as being nice.” That's not the description she’s looking for. Nothing against that word, but there are probably other words that she’d want to be remembered by.

Recognition leads to reputation

Louise worked hard over the years to build a network. She never did it consciously when she first started her career, and she always felt that life is a bit of an adventure. 

She studied economics law, did the traditional things, started as an M&A lawyer at Allens. But she always loved a sense of adventure and didn’t overly plan things like her career, but it's been through the strength of that network that the doors have opened. 

It’s quite extraordinary how that's happened, but as people have said to her, “You worked incredibly hard in whatever role you've done. And also, you've achieved things in those roles, and they've been in different sectors that you've built this network of interesting people.” 

Louise never applied for a role in her career or did anything through a search, they've more been sort of taps on the shoulder. Or, she created the opportunity herself, so she doesn’t necessarily believe that there has to be a job there for you to secure an opening. 

Establishing values

Values are probably something that Louise admits she should have written down early on, but she was in so much of a hurry with the career that they just sort of naturally evolved.

Louise’s mother was a nurse, she ended up being a matron, and she was heavily involved in a lot of charitable, nonprofit things.

Her father grew up on a dairy farm on the south coast of New South Wales and had a very limited education. He was a phenomenal fundraiser - probono. He was extraordinarily good, and he just fundamentally believed in giving back and doing whatever he could. 

He passed away about five years ago, so it's a shame he's not alive today to see that his daughter made a professional career of it and having her own capital raising business. 

Actively managing your relevance in engaging your passion

Louise was originally going to call her bespoke third party capital raising business Cap Raiser. And then a friend who's an IP lawyer said, “Louise, I think it's a little bit too close to something else.” 

So they got a bit nervous. 

They were in the 11th hour with the designer, throwing around different names and things. And he was the one who said, “But what about Walsh Capital?” 

When Louise resigned from her previous role, she had thought at the time that she would probably go and work for another fund manager, or maybe do something in private equity or venture capital. She was sort of wooed to come and work for a new agricultural investment fund. 

A very good friend who's a fund manager said to her, “What are you doing? What are you doing next?” She said, “Well, look, what's happened is, I'm about to go and work for this hedge fund. I've been made an offer, it sounds really interesting, it's a bit different, I like doing things.” 

He said, “Seriously, next time around you should do something yourself. You've spent a lot of time in your career making other people look good. And actually, in some cases, helping them make quite a lot of money. I seriously think you need to have your own business.” 

Louise always thought about it over the years, but never really had the cracker idea. She loves working for other entrepreneurs and being around them. And often cases, they're philanthropists as well. And he said, “Let's sit down right now and talk about that idea.” They talked about distribution, capital raising type businesses in private equity and funds management. And that's where the idea came from. 

Louise went home and said to her husband, “What do you think?” He said for the first six months he’d look after all the back end admin - “But only six months, because we'll probably end up being divorced after that.” 

They launched in July and had her financial licence from ASIC in August, six weeks record time. And the first four clients were locked in in August, and off they went. 

People have asked Louise if she regrets not having done it earlier in her career, but she says that she probably wouldn't have been ready. When it comes to reputation and networks, it just feels like the culmination of years of effort. 

Building your personal brand 

If Louise had have launched the other brand, Cap Raiser, people might not know that she was the person behind the name. But now, she has the opportunity to bring her own personal brand to life.

Louise isn’t a big social media person, besides LinkedIn a bit. But it was interesting launching this business: when she did the first post, she had about 23,000 likes.

She didn't think to herself, well, that's probably not bad. She thought to herself, “Speaking of personal brands, this is exactly what I'm doing now. You can take your own approach and your own strategy, and develop it accordingly.”

Mentors that impact your journey

There have been three or four people over the years who have been what Louise calls ‘sounding boards’ when she needed to have a chat. 

Rod Miguel would be the one whenever she thought about changing careers. David Gonski has been very influential to her, as well as Helen Lynch.

But there's one person in particular who she wouldn't say has been a mentor, but someone who she finds incredibly inspirational -  is James Wolfensohn.

Advice to the youth

Don’t be impatient and focus on instant gratification. Aim for more stability, especially in the workforce. That will contribute to your reputation.

Louise doesn't see how you can actually build a reputation if you're staying in a role for two years. It's got to be a longer haul. From her experience, it takes a lifetime to build a reputation.

Build your net worth, but build it face to face. 

Focus on the non-profit. If you're going to do something, focus on one or two particular areas as a complement to your existing career.

Learn how to say thank you properly. And it's just making that special, extra effort that makes you memorable. That helps build the reputation and build your brand.

Final Thoughts

I want to thank Louise Walsh very much for taking the time to really share her wisdom and insights. 

Thank you for listening to this episode. Please leave a five-star review and subscribe for more episodes if you enjoyed it. 

If you'd like to learn more about developing your personal brand, please visit garrybrowne.com.au to get in touch or grab a copy of Brand New Brand You. 

Mentoring: Good and Bad Times You Need Mentors

The age-old story goes: when you think you don't need someone to support you, that is actually exactly when you need them.

You need a mentor in the good times and the bad times. 

We can’t predict what the future holds for our personal lives or business, but we can control who we have in our lives and how much of an impact we allow these people to make.

A Mentor During Good Times

Most people think a mentor during good times is quite unnecessary, but this is simply not true.

In good times, your mind is open. It’s clear and receptive to suggestions and discussions, sharing experiences, and at the same time, providing valuable feedback. 

This is when mentoring can support you and give you guidance, direction, confidence and help you focus on the task at hand. 

A Mentor During Bad Times

In tough times, we often think that we've got to deal with the issues that are hitting us head-on. 

But sometimes those issues are not the main problem. We tend to metaphorically get on a treadmill, and we’re so focused on keeping going that we sometimes don't see the wood from the trees. 

Mentors can help you by giving you clarity and giving you another perspective. They will ask you the hard questions as to what the real issues are.

But in bad times, there can be a lot more stress and a more challenging environment surrounding us. This causes us to not necessarily think straight, and we need someone to talk to in confidence who can understand our perspective.

Whether they are silly or otherwise, these erratic ideas or thoughts should be on the table for discussion. A mentor has the capacity to set you straight, and you can trust their judgement. 

Choosing the Right Mentor

Collaboration means alignment of values and respect. Therefore, it’s imperative to know yourself before you can ask others to align with you.

Additionally, just having someone for their name is not the goal. If your morals and values aren’t in alignment, the outcome won’t be in sync. 

Take Control Of Your Own Life

At the end of the day, it's you who has to come up with a solution. 

A mentor can only guide you and shepherd you to a position that allows you to be able to determine where you want to go and what you want to do.

No person is an island. You’ll have different mentors throughout your life. Age is no barrier, and people from different walks of life provide cross-industry knowledge.

As a mentee, you get out what you put in - and this is critical, anywhere in life.

You need to do your own personal internal work to know that you are walking the right path to achieve what you want. But there’s no way you can do it all in isolation.

Key Takeaways

People often think that mentors are seasonal: we need their guidance when things are going wrong to get us back on track to when things are going well.

But mentors are valuable through all stages of life and business.

Sure, during the tough times they ask us the hard questions and help put things into perspective. But during the good times, we are more open to discussions and feedback, and it’s the hard work you do during the good times that can prepare you for the bad times. 

You need to be critical when choosing a mentor who is right for you, who aligns with your values. And to do this, you need to do your own internal work to be able to know what your own values are. 

You get out what you put in, so focus on identifying who you are and the type of mentor you need for a successful partnership.

Why Building a Personal Brand is a Lifetime Job

Actively managing your personal brand is critical if you want to make a significant impact in the areas of your life important to you. However, your personal brand can also change over time, and in many ways, it’s something you’ll spend a lifetime working on.

In the very first episode of The Personal Brand Catalyst, we are joined by Sir Peter Cosgrove, who served as the 26th Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia. He was knighted at his swearing-in in 2014, followed by his retirement in 2019. Sir Peter was further honoured as a commander of the Royal Victorian Order by Her Majesty the Queen. 

He is widely known for his earlier career in the Australian Defence Force, serving in Malaysia and Vietnam before coming to greater public prominence as commander of INTERFET in East Timor. He retired as chief of the Defence Force in 2005 and served on several corporate boards before becoming Governor-General. 

In retirement, he is actively involved with defence, health and other charitable organisations, including serving as chairman of the Business Council of Australia, the community rebuilding initiative following the 2019-20 bushfires. 

In 2020, he launched his third book: You Shouldn't Have Joined, A Memoir. However, these days he loves spending time with his family and is looking forward to welcoming his fourth grandchild. 

We have known each other for quite some years, and Sir Peter is someone that I admire greatly, as I'm sure do millions of other Australians. 

Thinking of yourself as a brand versus just Sir Peter 

Branding is the most important part of our repertoire: it's a proclamation of ourselves. 

 We have to be careful about our vigilant watching public, who will have their feet from under you before you know it if they feel you're getting full of yourself. 

A good impression that people have of you is double-edged: 

1. it’s a great advantage when people are inclined to say, “he's a good bloke,” and

2. don't let yourself down on that impression.

 And that's the brand, to an extent, because there’s always context. Sir Peter recalls, “When I was a kid, I unknowingly imagined what I stood for, how I would project, what was me. And in constructing this image, you have to live the image, you have to populate the image with the things that go with the image.” 

 Years ago, a journalist in casting around, perhaps asking others, said, “What's this fellow?” And the reply they came up with was, “He's a soldiers’ general.” And Sir Peter heard ‘soldiers’ general’ and thought, “I hope I am.”

How others perceive you

When Sir Peter was up in the aftermath of Cyclone Larry, some concern was on the ground when he arrived. Because of his military background, people assumed that he might be some command and control person issuing orders: “Do this and do it now, don't argue.” After all, he's been in the military for 40 years, and that's what they do. They yell at each other. 

 Sir Peter went straight to put them at ease by deliberately saying he’s here as an experienced person of big enterprises and people under pressure, he’s not going to give directives. “Oh, thank heavens,” they thought because Sir Peter wasn't looking to order them to change how they did things radically. If they did change, it would be by discussion and joint decision, and that's a better way of doing things. 

 “Perhaps,” Sir Peter says, “if I'd have been doing that many, many years beforehand, there might have been a bit more “do this, do that,” because you grow. Everybody grows. They grow within their brand, and you become more engaging, and your audience accepts you.”

Jeff Bezos says reputation is what people say about you when you're not in the room.

Especially in the military, a leader has to be robust and understand that there will be those who take issue with you, notwithstanding your broad reputation. Your reputation will be a giant jigsaw, and some pieces of that jigsaw will not be to your credit in the eyes of some. 

 You can fool all the people all the time, you can please some of the people all the time and all the people some of the time, but you won't do the combination. With your brand, behaviour, and reputation, if you are broadly and persuasively perceived as being of worth, that's good. 

 Bezos is right. But equally, this doesn't encourage someone who would sort of health check their brand from standing with ears glued to a closed door. Accept that you are imperfect. If you become aware of stunningly bad critique, spend some time thinking about that. But also, remember the old adage, “Eavesdroppers rarely hear good of themselves.” 

How decision making can test values

You know it will be because of your decision that some people will die when you order them to a position where their lives are at risk. Feeling blithe about that afterwards means you’re the wrong person for the job.

 But we expect it from some members of our community. Other, more mundane decisions have those sorts of ramifications. Politicians are obliged to take the “least worst” options, but there's still a “worst” in the least worst option.

Identifying that your brand and relevance to the brand is important 

When Sir Peter was in his mid-30s to mid-50s, his brand adjusted to an almost steady state because he commanded larger numbers of soldiers of many different ages, from the youngsters to the mature age career-long professionals in their own 40s and 50s. 

 He went from being a hard charger and a driver of people to being a parental person, a military parent - which doesn't take away the imperative of command where you are telling people you must do it. A stern parent but a loving parent. 

Helping the younger generation develop their personal brand and career

You need to encourage and impart, help them gain experience. And ironically, to get experience, you're going to have to fail. It would be wonderful if every experience was a success but,  confounded by the human condition, it's not going to happen. So as a mature aged person who’s experienced life and failed as well, you're there to say: “It’s not the end of the world. Accept that as experience, but it should not discourage you. You've still got boundless energy. You've got genius.” 

 Sir Peter spent a lot of time in the military and in the wider community, saying to groups of young people, “You're it. What you're hearing now is a well-experienced voice in an ageing body. So don't think you're being lectured. We're telling you you're going to be in charge, and we're here if you want to have a chat.” 

Final Thoughts

We've covered a lot of ground and I am incredibly honoured and privileged to have had the opportunity to talk to Sir Peter about brand and values and his career - because it is a career that one admires. He is a true leader and icon in this country. 

 Thank you for listening to this episode. Please leave a five-star review and subscribe for more episodes if you enjoyed it. 

 If you'd like to learn more about developing your personal brand, please visit garrybrowne.com.au to get in touch or grab a copy of Brand New Brand You.

Your Reputation Follows You, Your Brand Protects You

You are responsible for protecting your brand. It’s up to you to ensure that your values are steadfast and firm, as they will be tested.

 Your brand is created over many years and inevitably follows you throughout your life. 

Therefore, it’s critically important that you protect your reputation over time. Check-in with those around you to understand what your reputation is: the perceptible reputation and view of others. 

We Create Our Own Brand

Our brand, that is, what and how we wish to be seen and positioned, must be a creation of our own doing. 

A brand is built up over our entire lifetime and can take only a moment to be lost. 

Because our reputation is everything, it needs to be guarded. Your reputation is the only thing that people cannot take away from you. 

It’s imperative that you think about what your brand and reputation mean to you and how easily and quickly you can lose them.

Protect Your Reputation

It can take one strike for you to lose your reputation and damage your brand. A reputation takes a lifetime to build and a moment to destroy. 

If you’re on social media, be careful how you use it. Don't be foolish enough to put something on social media that can come back and bite you some years into the future. 

I don't need to give you all the examples of those iconic individuals who have had a great reputation but due to poor judgement have found their brand damaged and their reputation tarnished. Trying to secure that and grab it back is incredibly difficult. 

Some of the icons in this world today, such as Roger Federer, are good examples of building a great reputation and brand. He's been very careful to protect what he's done and how he's done it - apart from the fact that he's a great tennis player. 

Always be vigilant and be aware of the types of activities and judgments you make that could damage your brand and cause you grief. These will in turn affect your reputation. 

Brand Relevance

Relevance is an imperative aspect of your brand. From when you are born until you die, it’s a journey throughout your life and across different aspects of your life. 

The importance of maintaining your relevance is critical as you need to ensure that many people in different quarters will have a different perception of you. 

You will only have a short period of time in which to maintain your relevance and enhance your reputation.

If you can’t achieve and maintain relevance, you’ll become stranded. 

Managing your reputation will maintain your relevance. You can do this by knowing your values and living them – this means making decisions on what you do, how you do it and who you work with every day.

It’s easy to spot someone who is not clear about their values as there is a significant difference between what they say and do, and you don’t want to be aligned with people like this.

Key Takeaways

It’s important to take the time to think about what your brand and reputation mean to you. Also, consider how quick and easy it can be to lose them.

Your brand is what you put out into the world, but your reputation is how people perceive you and your brand.

With things like social media, it’s very easy to make one wrong move that hurts your reputation and does a large amount of damage to your brand. 

If you look after your reputation, you will be able to maintain your relevance. Live out your values authentically every day, in all that you do.

Maintaining Brand Trust in Uncertain Times

In uncertain times, people start questioning everything that they know to be true. As a result, we have to work twice as hard to hold on to their trust. 

From politicians to huge household brands, everyone is restructuring in response to Covid: the way they handle themselves will make or break their brand trust. 

How you are perceived is heavily influenced by whether or not you practise what you preach. When people begin to lose their trust in your brand, it becomes incredibly hard to earn it back. 

It's specifically what people say about you when you're not in the room - it's all entwined within your reputation. 

What Makes Up Your Brand

In essence, your brand boils down to your values, morals and ethics. 

We all have values in life that we espouse, and all the decisions we make are based on these values. They should be absolutely, not negotiable so that you maintain that brand trust. Living out your values brings the authenticity of your brand into alignment.

When it comes down to protecting your brand, it's all about what you say and what you do, because your personal brand trust is critical. 

People experience your brand through your behaviours, and your behaviours are essentially informed by your values. If your behaviours don’t remain true to your values, they can send out mixed signals and end up damaging your brand.

This is why it’s so important to know what your values are.

Why Reputation is Important

Some of us try to manipulate or move in a certain way to try and deviate from our chosen position. And that's fine, but it comes down to the way in which people perceive you. 

It's incredibly important that you stick to what you say and what you do. People make judgements according to what they see and hear on the surface level, so make sure that the story you’re portraying is the one that you want people to make their judgements off of.

There's the old adage that people talk about you, and what they say about you when you're not in the room actually plays to that important element of brand trust and reputation. 

You want to be in complete control of that narrative. Even if things are tumultuous behind the scenes, your reputation will be based on what people can see.

Once a brand’s reputation has been tarnished, it can take months or even years to regain people’s trust.

Always Stay True to Your Brand

In difficult times, we are all tested. People look to brands they trust to find comfort in their normalcy.

This is why you have to stand your ground and be in a position to put your hand up and be clear with your values, ideals and morals. People need to know where they stand with you. 

Because they know what your brand is, your brand is going to end up damaged if you're not able to articulate the position and the views you have during the uncertain times. 

Playing to the strengths of your values within your brand can give you the opportunity to maintain your reputation, brand trust, and make a significant impact on the world. 

Key Takeaways

All the decisions we make in life are based on our values, and these values should be non-negotiable. 

Sticking to our values is what influences people to maintain their trust in the brand.

Your behaviours should be based on your values to maintain authenticity. If they don’t, you can end up damaging your reputation and brand.

People can only make judgements according to what they see and hear, so ensure that what you’re putting out there is following the story you want to be telling.

Damaging people’s trust in your brand can be dismal for your reputation.

It's Not What You Do It's Who You Are

In life we sometimes define ourselves by the position we hold rather than the person we are. It's much more about your own purpose and personal identity.

It is far more important to develop your own brand, as your position in life can change, and as a result, your brand can develop and grow. Therefore, if you attach your brand to your job, what will your brand be in the instance that you no longer have a job?

Things that will influence your personal brand include:

• your confidence,

• your values and

• your behaviour.

We will discuss these notions and delve into how having a mentor can help.

Your Job Isn’t Necessarily Your Personal Brand

If you don't have a job, it does not mean you can't have a personal brand. 

When you have the confidence, ability, insight and understanding of who you are and what you want to achieve, the position you hold is less important. 

For example, the brand that you have developed is the values you share with your family and friends. These are going to stand you with strength and in good stead for the future ahead. 

Your Confidence Will Impact Your Personal Brand

Everyone has a brand. You need to be confident within yourself so that your brand can be prominent and stand out from the crowd. 

You need to understand the position you hold to know the impact you can create. 

Your Values Will Impact Your Personal Brand

Your values are the core principles within your life that come naturally. 

You need to establish your values by consciously exploiting your attitudes, beliefs, and non-negotiables in life. What are the lines you’re willing to cross and those you’re not?

Playing to the strengths of your values can give you the opportunity to make a significant impact on the world. This is the essence of who you are as a person rather than the position you hold. 

Your Behaviours Will Impact Your Personal Brand

Your brand is exhibited through your behaviours, and your behaviours are informed by your values. 

If your behaviours aren’t consistent with your values, they can send out mixed signals and damage your brand.

This is why it’s so important to know what your values are.

Why Having a Mentor Can Be Beneficial

You’re never too young or old or too experienced or inexperienced to have a mentor.

Choose a mentor who aligns with your values.

They will be able to provide insight into your reputation and what people perceive of you. Are your values being perceived as how you have intended?

A mentor provides a platform for discussions and suggestions, and they can offer valuable feedback, guidance and direction.

They can ensure that you remain aligned with your values so that you stay on brand.

Key Takeaways

Of the people around you and the world in which you live, you will be able to strike more purpose by focusing on the person you are as opposed to the position you hold. 

While people do inevitably care about status, they are more drawn to who someone is as a person and their sincerity and integrity.

Having a great paying job with a high position in the company means nothing for your brand if your morals and values are unattractive.

Know your true values, and be confident in portraying them to the world. 

A mentor who’s on the same page as you can hold you accountable and ensure you are staying true to your values in all spheres of life.