Today I talk with Sherri Thomas who is an international speaker and career coach, she has just written a book called Career Smart : 5 Steps to Powerful Personal Brands. As the interview ran a little longer, I have split it into 2 shows. I will post the second part next week, once the second show goes up then the first person who sends me a link to how they are building a powerful personal brand on line will win a copy of the book! In this first part we talk aboutIs personal branding about skills and knowledge or behaviours?Are personal brands more successful when they are the true you?A discussion around how celebrities manufacture their personal brandsWhy do people say they are different at work than at home?How do you build a personal brand and career whilst still staying likable!What is the first step to building a personal brand?Is personal branding about building on strengths or eliminating areas of development? And don't forget to subscribe to the show - details at the bottom - so you don't miss the second part of the show :)If you have feedback for me on the show or topics that you would like me to cover then e-mail me at anna@theengagingbrand.com or hop over to Facebook group for The Engaging Brand. or the new room set up on FriendfeedMessage from Sponsor“Online Meetings Made Easy with GoToMeeting Try it Free for 30 days use Promo Code Podcast”

Today I talk with Rohit Bhargava who has written Personality Not Included. Rohit is one of the leading marketing bloggers - you can check out his Influential Marketing blog here and also check out the Personality Not Included website for loads of resources. I ask RohitHow do your reconcile a company of individual personalities with one corporate personality?Do corporate personalities mirror humans and have both good and bad aspects to them?Do you have to be attractive to show your personality or does your personality create the brand attraction?Do small businesses have an advantage?What are back stories and how can they help brand building?How you can make customers feel special by providing special insightsIn depth look at 3 different strategies - The UnWhatever Marketing strategy, The Fallibility Marketing concept and the Anti Marketer Marketing idea.Do corporate personalities change over time as with human beings?Was it an anti marketing technique to call the book Personality Not Included?Message from Sponsor“Online Meetings Made Easy with GoToMeeting Try it Free for 30 days use Promo Code Podcast” If you have feedback for me on the show or topics that you would like me to cover then e-mail me at anna@theengagingbrand.com or hop over to Facebook group for The Engaging Brand. or the new room set up on Friendfeed

Don't forget to try GoToMeeting for your 30 day free trial!Today I talk with successful serial entrepreneur Gary Harpst whose earlier book Six Disciplines for Excellence I used as a framework for strategic planning. But today I talk to him about his new book The Execution Revolution. An easy to read book - check out the website Six Disciplines for more information. We coverHow to balance strategy and executionCan you say sales = strategy and profit = execution?Is there a problem with the executing the strategy process?The importance of looking at the outside world in forming your business strategyStrategy for a small businessWhy do people find strategy so difficult?The role of methodology in strategic planning and executionHow to unlock creativity within your leadership teamHow to set deliverable goalsHow to recognise when you need to change your plansIs the technological revolution a help or a hinder to strategy?If you have feedback for me on the show or topics that you would like me to cover then e-mail me at anna@theengagingbrand.com or hop over to Facebook group for The Engaging Brand. or the new room set up on FriendfeedMessage from Sponsor“Online Meetings Made Easy with GoToMeeting Try it Free for 30 days use Promo Code Podcast”

Authenticity is a word that is used a lot in marketing these days, but what do we really mean by "being authentic". Today I talk with Chris Rosica who has interviewed many successful entrepreneurs on this area for his new book called The Authentic Brand. We discussIn an age of celebrity and pop culture do consumers really want authenticity?The importance of speaking to your customers as real peopleHow an authentic brand is not a set of values but a passion for a larger societal passionThe power in the naming of your companyHow authenticity is developed through the values of the leaders rather than as a marketing conceptHow companies can use geo-brandingThe importance of the search for perfection for their brandsHow strategising your life works hand in hand with strategising your businessHow leadership styles are different across entrepreneursHow the authentic entrepreneurs are consumers first and leaders secondDoes an authentic brand match consumers values to the service rather than brand values to the consumers? If you have feedback for me on the show or topics that you would like me to cover then e-mail me at anna@theengagingbrand.com or hop over to Facebook group for The Engaging Brand. or the new room set up on FriendfeedMessage from Sponsor“Online Meetings Made Easy with GoToMeeting Try it Free for 45 days use Promo Code Podcast”

I talk with Ed Lawler who is a Director of the Center for Effective Organisations at the University of California. Ed was named as one of the country's leading management experts by Business Week magazine and we discussHuman capital is not just a talent issueWhat is talent?How easy is it for a traditional company to start putting people at the core of their strategy?How IBM changed their human capital strategyWhy does business put huge emphasis on design externally but not on designing their internal structure?Leadership is an organisational capability not about gifted individualsHow to become a human capital centric organisationWhat is the Star Model for Human Capital organisations?The importance of identifyWhy financial budgets should not be emphasised, that they should be used to give feedback on core competencies rather than running the business?The importance of building the company on degrees of separation from the customerIf you have feedback for me on the show or topics that you would like me to cover then e-mail me at anna@theengagingbrand.com or hop over to Facebook group for The Engaging Brand. or the new room set up on FriendfeedMessage from Sponsor“Online Meetings Made Easy with GoToMeeting Try it Free for 45 days use Promo Code Podcast”