Personal Branding

“Don’t judge a book by its cover”

In MCOM we talk so much about personal branding. Apparently personal branding is essential for the future success of an individual or a company. I’ve never quite understood what personal branding entails; and while we have certainly discussed it in depth in class, I still feel it is sort of a bottomless topic.  Let me explain.

Personal branding is how others perceive you. Perhaps this is in person, via email, or a company website. There are countless ways you can build your image: repetition of a logo, good customer service, the way you dress, mannerisms, and so much more. Honestly, it’s a lot to think about!

So what is to be done if you fall short in your attempt to create a successful personal brand? One may believe that success is now out of range, that to bounce back would be impossible. But I believe that is a close-minded approach. Sure the business world may consider you a flop for a bit, but it’s the consumers that matter.  Consumers grant you your success; but I feel this knowledge is often lost in the endless attempts to build a specific image.

Personally, I would much rather deal with an unknown company with great customer service than a well-known company that has nothing but its name going for it.

So what am I getting at. . . quite frankly I don’t even really know. So don’t feel bad if you felt lost in my first paragraph. My thoughts usually don’t make much sense on paper. But I do know this: Don’t judge a book by a cover. Ultimately, the greatest risk may result in the greatest return. You can’t be afraid to take the road less traveled. Pride yourself as an individual, or as a company, in how you treat others. Because at the end of the day, that is what really matters. 

Flip-a-whata??

I generally love talking. To myself. To people. To walls. (too far?) I’ve never really been one to get stage fright or tongue twisted when put in the spotlight. I love interacting and I love teaching.

This week in MCOM, the first group of presenters had to give their flipchart convention style presentation. Ya know? Like a giant post-it note that you somehow have to manage to make professional looking?? Yikes is right. Unfortunately, I was in the first group. Now I say unfortunately because I am a very visual learner. I have never given a flipchart presentation and was banking on watching the first group of presentations to get an idea of what I wanted to do. Buuuutttt, it just didn’t work out that way J

Needless to say, my presentation went decent. I got through it at least. But I certainly had a great deal more nerves that a normal presentation. I tried not to dwell on it too much before the presentations, but afterwards I was able to put a lot of thought into it.

What were my findings you ask? Well most importantly I discovered I have an irrational fear of socks. Every time I looked down and saw sock peeking out at the ankles I would start sweating.

So that’s not true in the slightest. I don’t know why that came to mind, but it did.

What I actually realized was that unfamiliar ideas or formats give me a great deal of anxiety. As a presenter, you are technically viewed as the expert on your given topic. But on this presentation, I did not feel like the expert of what I was doing. Flipcharts are foreign to me, and the anxiety they caused me made me want to punch them (the flipcharts that is. Not humans). Similarly, I had never presented to such a small number of people. Although this caused me a great deal of stress, it made me realize the importance of being yourself and being relaxed. A more intimate setting like that calls for a very down-to-earth presentations if you want to connect with the audience.

So from now on, I’m going to do my best to be relaxed and personable in every type of presentation. Because I think that lesson rings true to every and any type of presentation. 

Perception of Purchases

Pillows.

I’d say they are a necessity. If you want a decent amount of sleep anyway. Everyone has to buy one at one point or another. Perhaps you will wind up at Kohl’s, DI (ew, don’t buy a pillow there please), Walmart,  or my personal favorite, Bed Bath and Beyond. Regardless, you are going to have to buy a pillow at some point. Don’t argue with me, we both know it’s true.

So why my rant about stinkin pillows. Well first off, thanks to pillows, my drool is conveniently absorbed during my sleep. Saves me from having to blow dry my hair each morning after soaking in a pool of my own saliva. Total time saver, let me tell ya. I’m kidding, relax.

I found myself at Bed, Bath, and Beyond the other day pillow shopping with my boyfriend. He uses what may as well be a used up sock for a pillow and it was time for it to go. After being quickly side-tracked by the many amazing gadgets in that store that I hope to own one day, we ended up in the pillow section to make this much needed purchase for him. . .

I thought it was going to be quick and easy.

Thought wrong! Wouldn't be the first time. There were so many pillow options there that it was overwhelming! I suddenly found myself liking every pillow I touched and thinking that I needed to purchase all of them. My boyfriend on the other hand, was looking at thread count, quality, firmness, and price. He was quick to rule out the crap and narrowed his decision to a point where any of the pillows he chose would be a great choice.

So I realized that you MUST be willing to limit your options. Less is more. And less is easier! There is no point in overwhelming yourself with countless options when it is obvious who or what the top competitors are.

So this week (I start my paragraphs with “so” waaayyy too often. That needs to change), I am going to be more assertive in making decisions. Because everything is NOT a good option. There is absolutely a good, better, best in most things we come across, especially purchases ;)

Well, until next week. . . . So long. (Worst wrap up ever for a blog. I know)

Big Dreams

Worlds.

Ever since I have started Irish dancing, I have wanted to compete at the world championships more than anything. Not necessarily to place. I just want to attend! I want to have the opportunity to be considered one of the best and compete against the best. I want my hard work to pay off and to have the chance to face the ultimate challenge.

That being said, LOTS of time and effort has to go into reaching this goal. My desire has never waned, but my efforts over the past few years certainly have. I'll tell you what, it is difficult to find enough hours in the day to accomplish everything you would like to do! Kinda blows. I know everyone is in that boat though, so I know I'm not alone in that.

I'm going to attend the regional championships in three weeks. . . (YAY!!!). . . so that is a huge step towards my dream. My problem all along has been that my efforts have not quite matched up to my desire to go. I didn't realize that was the issue, but something needed to change.

So from this week forward I will be going to bed by 11p.m to be able to make it to the studio by 7a.m every morning until regionals. Not because I'm crazy, but because to be the best you have to practice like the best. By doing this, I will be adding in a whole other practice session each day. That is huge! It's time to dream big and practice big.

Things Usually Sound Better in my Head than They Do on Paper

Consistency.

Consistency in your diet saves you from spending the entire night in the bathroom. Consistency in self-affirmations will inevitable boost your self-esteem. Consistency in a homework schedule will result in a fun-filled, stress-free weekend.

I think people underestimate the power of consistency. Consistency is the magic ingredient to life. We all learn important lessons or desirable traits that we wish we could implement into our daily lives. Little do we know that this could be achieved if we all just became consistent people.  

Why my consistency kick you ask? Because I realized this week just how much more effective I am when I have a consistent schedule. Eating schedule, sleeping schedule, and working schedule. Perhaps its because once something becomes part of your everyday schedule, then you no longer have to waste energy on it. You can take the energy that would have been geared towards that activity and apply it to something else you have been wanting to do.

Gosh, writing this sounds a lot stupider than it did when I was explaining it to myself in my head.

Alas, this week I have a new resolve to be consistent. My guess is it will make quite the difference with how I use my time as well as my mood. Guess we will see. . . .

Mind Over Matter

Well today is Sunday. That’s quite unfortunate.

This blog was due last Sunday. So my hope is that I can write this today and then find some way to rewind seven days. I think my best bet will be to become BFF with Hermione Granger. . .

I made a connection today. I realized that ever since the due date for this blog assignment got pushed back to being due at midnight on Sunday rather than Saturday, I’ve done exponentially worse at getting it submitted on time. How does that make sense?! I guess I could say that I use Sunday as a day of rest and never do my homework that day. But I would just be lying to myself (and Brooke. Brooke is my one committed follower of my blog. Hi Brooke. How is your day going?).

So I guess what I’m trying to say is that I realized when I’m given more leniency, I use it up. Unfortunately, not in a good way. Having this assignment due one day later makes it that much easier for me to forget, somehow. (I really don’t know how, that makes no sense.)

I've contemplated many solutions, but most of them included sleeping and making cookies. Which neither one helps me accomplish my blog so I had to scratch them both. It seems the only reasonable solution is to trick my mind into thinking that this blog is still due on Saturday night. Mind over matter perhaps?? So what I am going to do from here on out is write my blog by Saturday night so that I don’t have to deal with any of my late nonsense anymore.

As Frodo once told me, “This task was appointed to you, if you do not find a way, no one will”. He said someone really smart told him that once upon a time, so I figure it is sound advice. 

If You Think Your Life is Boring, Go Take a Tour of the Jail

Spanish Fork Jail.

It's located about thirty seconds from the studio where I used to work. Quite literally. The sad part is, I never realized it was there. I guess I wouldn't say sad. That's not the right word to use. Pathetic. Yup, that's more like it. I mean honestly, what does that say about me? I had no clue what was located within a mile of my work. Oblivious. I'm gonna work on that. . . .

Let's get back on track here. Tonight I was able to go tour the Spanish Fork jail. A good friend of mine works there and mentioned he could give us a tour. Sounded interesting! So a few friends of mine and I went over for a night tour. I arrived expecting to be entertained, but I quickly realized that I had entered with the wrong mentality.

If you are a Smallville fan (which I may or may not be. Tom Welling is just WAY to good looking for this world. . . ) then you will quickly be reminded of an episode including Lex Luthor from the description I am about to give. Dull lighting, white walls and floors, never-ending hallways, thick glass windows, bars, eyes staring through the bars, shadows passing the small living areas, and loads of somber faces. Certainly not an atmosphere that generates creativity, spontaneity, or liveliness.

Recently, I found myself mulling over my supposedly mundane and predictable schedule each day. I took for granted my surroundings, opportunities, and most importantly, the smiling faces I pass each day. Going to the jail, I quickly realized how complacent I had become with my life. I let each day pass by, thinking its just another normal day. How quick I am to forget the joys and opportunities I can have each day. Joys and opportunities that these solemn inmates may not have for years, or ever.

So I received a much needed slap to the face tonight. Tomorrow will be a different day. I won't look at it as waking up to repeat the same walk to school and sit in the same seat. Tomorrow I will be grateful for room I wake up in, so full of color and personal possessions. I will be grateful I am in the midst of so many people eager to learn and grow. And most importantly, I will be grateful that I have made life decisions that landed me in the situation I am in today.

A Simple Solution

Hm. . .

That’s about all I have to say about this week. Probably because I have the memory of a goldfish, so I can hardly even remember what happened this past week. But who is to blame for letting a full week pass by with no recollection of any good or memorable events?

Me. Pick me. I’m raising my hand, you just can’t see it. I’m to blame.

Personally I would peg it on my horrendous organization skills. I could have made fun, memorable activities happen this week, but alas, I made no time for them in my day because I had no clue what time I had available throughout the day. I never realized until this week that I live my life flying by the seat of my pants. I barely get assignments in on time because I never write down the due date. I never remember what time I need to meet up with my friends to go out or grab food. The most embarrassing is that I have to check online each week for what time I work on Wednesday and Friday. . . but I work at the same time every single week. Clearly this boils down to me being unorganized and scatter brained. I never realized how bad it was until now. So I took action to solve the problem.

A planner! What a genius idea. A good, day-to-day, hour-by-hour planner to help keep me in line. I spent good money on it. So I guess what I’m trying to say is it better work. Now that I know I absolutely need a planner to help keep my week in line, I’m going to carry my planner in my purse so it goes everywhere with me. I feel like my odds of using it will increase immensely if I have it on me at all times. Perhaps I should duct tape it to my arm. . . A problem to be solved for another week! For now, I’m going to focus on using that blasted expensive planner and cross my fingers that this week will be a bit less stressful and a lot more productive. 

Source of Kindness

Double upgrade.

My siblings and I have been staying in a hotel up in Park City for my little brother's birthday, and somehow we managed to get a double upgrade on our room. We are talking fireplace, full kitchen, private patio, two bathrooms, and even free cider. Kind of a big deal for us. So how in the world did we get it?? We sure didn't pay for it.

My sister Brooke claims that we got the upgrade because she put lipgloss on right before talking to the man at the front desk to get the key. I wouldn't be surprised. She is known for her large, luscious lips. . .

Maybe we are thinking too simply though. Perhaps it was because five minutes earlier, the man at the front desk received a call from a friend or family member with good news. Or maybe his boss was around the corner and told him to do it. Maybe he was merely wearing his favorite pair of socks that particular day.

Regardless, his kindness and generosity was recognized and thoroughly appreciated by Brooke, Jaron, and me. We recognized that he went above and beyond what was expected of him to make it an amazing experience for us.

Too often we get lost in our busy lives to recognize someone going the extra mile for us; however, if you ever find yourself on the receiving end of an outpouring of kindness, don't question where it came from. Be grateful. Don't waste time and energy wondering where it came from. The source of their kindness does not matter; just be willing to pass it on.

Just Never Do Laundry in the First Place

What if.

I found myself lamenting about a number of different things this week. What if I had just folded my stupid laundry the minute it came out of the dryer? What if I replaced each cookie I had this week with a fruit or vegetable? What if I had just told him the truth about how I am feeling?

Regrets. They haunt you. They're painful because no matter how hard you try, you will never be able to get that moment in time back.

If I had folded my laundry, I wouldn't be walking around in clothes that looked like I'd just gotten pounced on by a raccoon. (Probably the same raccoon that stole my right flip-flop at the pool in Dallas. True story folks.) If each cookie had been a fruit or vegetable, I'd be reaching my weekly nutrition goals. If I had told him how I am feeling, I wouldn't be sitting here wondering if he is feeling the same way. (Sappy and pathetic, I know.)

Point being, I finished off the week with a plethora of what ifs and if only's. I didn't even realize it until I found myself sitting on my bed staring at my basket of unfolded laundry (it's only been there four days. . . . everyone be cool, it's just a normal day), glaring at the cookies conveniently placed on my nightstand, and holding my phone in my hand hoping I'd receive a call. 

I guess the only thing to do from here, since I have complained for a relatively good chunk of time about my regrets now, is wrap up my complaining. I'll fold my laundry, finish off the cookies and follow them up with a carrot or two, and play bejeweled on my phone rather than wait for it to ring.

Yeah. That sounds like a step in the right direction to me. At least it's a start. . . .

Never Make Lemonade

Taylor.
Blog.
Taylor + Blog = Monkey.

Clearly I've never had a blog. I've seen many entertaining and well written blogs in my life though. By many I mean two. They both belong to my older sisters. So I decided to jump on the bandwagon and start my own. . . .

That's a lie. I'm really good at lying actually. It's required that I create and maintain a blog for one of my classes this semester. (Luckily I really like the class, otherwise I would have dropped it in a heartbeat knowing I had to keep a blog).

And that is the birth story of my blog. You are officially caught up. Whoever "you" is. Probably a garden gnome or squirrel. I sure am not a fan of this. . . Ugh. Don't we all get thrown into new, uncomfortable situations on a daily or weekly basis though? Oh. You don't? Well this is awkward. Well if you ever find yourself in one I have some very useful advice for you. It is something one of my best friends told me on a very bad, awful, lame, crap (you get the point) day.

She said, "That's what she said". :) I'm hilarious.

"When life gives you lemons, pick them up and throw them at people."

That is precisely what I intend to do. So watch out world! Taylor has been forced to enter the blogging world, temporarily, and plans to share her lifetime of knowledge (name that movie!) with her followers. I realize that no one may ever, ever benefit from what I have to say, but at least I will learn to organize my thoughts, attempt to effectively share my weekly insights, and increase my creativity. Until next week, may the odds be ever in your favor.