It all started with a dream, a possibility. Then it became a maybe and finally it’s I can do this. That is how my journey to personal branding started. I am a firm believer in the universe speaking to me through one channel or another and since I have learned to lean into this energy, I have found more success than I ever thought possible. I know this sounds like woo-woo and it is a little, but there is some scientific evidence to suggest this to be true. Many great thought leaders have commented on this but I believe Earl Nightingale said it the most succinctly. “You become what you think about.” I thought about becoming a brand and everywhere I looked after that thought pointed me in the right direction.
It all started around a kitchen table with my girl tribe I lovingly call the Go-Go Girls as we are always on the go and can rarely find time to all sit down together. I was on a mission to set myself apart from the recruiting herd and decided personal branding was the tool to accomplish this goal. We planned and brainstormed that evening with intentions of taking on the world. I went home the very same evening and bought my name domain, caseyhasten.com. And there it sat for a year.
Since I do not have enough to do (yeah right!) I decided I needed to write a book. I still was not doing much with my personal branding. After all, I was working a full-time job managing a sales team while running a full desk alongside them. Not to mention all the networking appearances and trying to find time to write.
Fast-forward to April 2019. I almost did not go. It would have been so easy to blame not having time on work, an event for someone else that had been planned for months, and on and on. HOWEVER, I said YES, and this YES catapulted my personal branding and satisfaction to the next level. I attended the SmartFem Summit 2019, an event designed to inspire authors, speakers, and entrepreneurs. Mission accomplished! Without even trying, it seems every little piece is falling into place to successfully launch my personal brand.
Okay, let’s break this down a little. I do have to try; I do have to work a little harder than someone who works in a traditional role. What I was missing prior to the Summit were the right tools and connections to motivate me to get on with business. The connections I made at the Summit made my journey fun as I now have a tribe to support me along the way.
Do not waste a year as I did before finding the boost you need to get started. I encourage anyone thinking about starting a personal brand or launching a new business to find the right tribe to support, advise, and bring the right tools to the table.
