Package Your Genius Personal Branding Podcast

PYG 150: Put Yourself in Position

This past weekend, I decided to honor the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. by doing a write-a-thon with my kids.
We each have a dormant writing project that could use a little intentional time and focus - Connor has a new fiction project, Logan has a fiction/comic book project, and I have another non-fiction project in the works.
So we dedicated our weekend to writing.
All said we wrote for 6 hours 🤯 over 2 days - broken up in two 90 minute writing sprints each day. In between sprints we snacked, read our work aloud, gave each other ideas/feedback, and cheered for each other.
I always tell my clients how important community is when you’re doing something difficult or brand new.
With writing, it can be hard to stay motivated when I’m all alone, but it was surprisingly easy with a crew. When one person got stuck, we were able to feed off of whoever was flowing. 
Over the two days, we wrote a combined 7,000 words. Stay tuned for updates on our writing projects. We should have some newly finished works to share soon!
It was a really fun experiment and I plan to do it again. They both said it was fun and inspiring to write together.
Watching three very different people approach productivity and writing got me to thinking about how we had to all access different parts of ourselves in order to make the writing weekend successful. This weekend taught me about how to put yourself in a position to win.
Three Ways to Position Yourself to Win:
1. Sometimes you may need to piggyback off of someone else's energy when you aren't feeling it. Who can you get around? Who can you tap into? Who is already going in the direction you want to go in? How can you tag along?
2. Sometimes the simple act of showing up can produce unexpected results. How can you put yourself into the environment where you can meet your goals. You'll be more likely to get into action if you're in the space where said action takes place. The body knows. The mind knows. Muscle memory.
3. Make sure you keep your pantry stocked with your favorite ingredients for success. What have you learned about yourself? What makes you tick? What do you need to get into your zone? How can you incorporate that every time you set out to do something big or new? Some of us know what works for us. So if you know what works, why don't you do it every time? Who can support your genius?
 
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Get to know you!
Get to know your unique ingredients for success with the Package Your Genius Personal Branding Companion Workbook -150 Questions to help you find, focus and promote your unique, unmistakable genius.

PYG 149: What's going on underground?

One of the biggest lessons I've learned from nature is this: the leaves and flowers of any growing plant are not visible all the time.
And the same is true for us as ambitious high achievers.
Even though we may want to be perpetually "in bloom", that's not realistic.
This time of year, it's easy to get swept away in the energy of a new year.
Fresh starts. New beginnings.
But what happens when your grand ambitions for the year have yet to surface? When your actual life doesn't match the hashtags of your favorite inspirational Instagram influencer?
You may be looking for that spring energy - evidenced by sprouting green stems and unfurling baby leaves. But in reality, that may not necessarily be where you are.
If you're currently in a growing phase where your progress isn't visible to the outside world, don't worry. 
Trees may lose their leaves, but they don't die in winter. There's still a lot going on underground.
Some very big and very important things may be taking root. But that's the type of growth that you can't necessarily see.
Don't label yourself as "behind" if your vision for the year hasn't come into focus just yet.
Just because your progress isn't obvious and visible doesn't mean your growth is stalled.
Things are still shifting.
Seeds are cracking open.
Dreams are taking root - even if you can't see it yet. 
*** 
January is one of the BEST months of the year to find and land a new job, and if you’re like many high achievers, you may be looking to make a career move, right now.
But how do you make sure you don't end up in another ill-fitting job one year from now?
The answer? GET CLEAR.
Get clear on what you WANT so you can go after work that is aligned with WHO you authentically are. I share over 100 clarifying questions in the Package Your Genius personal branding book and companion personal branding workbook to help you get clear on what you want and what you bring to the table.
Once you’re clear, it’s so much easier to find work that was tailor-made for you.
Get the book >> http://bit.ly/pygbook
Get the workbook >> http://bit.ly/pygworkbook

PYG 148: What would happen if you gave yourself more credit?

For high achievers, it's common for us to become immune to our accomplishments. Before the triumph of a win has settled in, we're on to the next.
After jumping a major hurdle, we've already mentally raised the bar again before our feet even touch the ground.
The danger is that doing this creates a diminished and completely false self-image. We're BOSSES in the world, yet when we diminish our accomplishments we begin to mentally see ourselves as ordinary people who have yet to do big things. But in actuality, we've done a lot more than we give ourselves credit for.
What would happen if you gave yourself more credit?
How would things be different?
How might you see yourself?
What might you have the courage to do?
Who might you have the confidence to approach?
What rooms would you be willing to walk into?
What clients would you have the gall to pitch?
It's taken me years to learn this life-changing lesson: Just because an accomplishment has become your norm, doesn't make it normal.
Just because you've crossed a hurdle multiple times doesn't make it less of a hurdle to cross. It still counts.
So stop to acknowledge what it took for you to get here. You have my permission to brag. And let's leave downplaying our accomplishments in 2019.
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ANNOUNCEMENTS
I'm hosting a free virtual brand planning party on Sunday, December 29 at 7 pm ET. To join me, register now on Crowdcast.
The Brand with Purpose 12-Month Personal Branding Planner is now available as a  print book or a digital download! Use this full-color planner as your thought partner to help you think through your speaking engagements, media outreach, podcast episodes, social media content and revenue generation on a monthly and quarterly basis.  Order your planner
I'm hosting another session of the Brand with Purpose Planning Intensive over a few evenings in January. If you're interested in working with me and a small group of high achievers to make some decisions, i.e. what you'll create, what topics you'll pitch, and what you'll promote to sell and at which price point next year, e-mail us at hello (at) packageyourgeniusacademy (dot) com to learn more and request the invitation. 

PYG 147: Perfectionism is costing you the gift of PRACTICE

I don't know about you, but I've never gotten really good at something without a ton of practice.
And yet, when we get caught up in our perfectionism, we rob ourselves of the valuable practice that would make whatever we're contemplating, well, perfect.
When we don't put ourselves out there, we miss out on the practice of
sharing our ideas clearly
having sales conversations
powerfully articulating our value
improving our timing and presence
understanding what our audience wants
getting comfortable doing uncomfortable things.
Best-selling books don't magically appear. They take weeks, months, and sometimes even years of writing, refining and marketing before they reach that status.
World-class speakers all typically have a speaking horror story or two in their back pocket.
Even when you look at the best podcasters and Youtubers who garner millions of downloads and views, most started with bad lighting, unprofessional audio. But they were up to the task of practicing to become the best version of themselves.
Don't let your perfectionism rob you of the gift of practice.
When you show up, and keep showing up, you give yourself the opportunity to refine what you have. 
And if you're truly a perfectionist, you already know - practice makes perfect.

PYG 146: The case for IMPERFECT ACTION

You don't need a perfect blueprint to lay the first stone.
And yet, as high achievers, many of us would rather wait until we have the most failproof plans before taking the smallest action.
But action, no matter how imperfect, will refine even our best plans.
I learned this (again) recently when I decided to make a pivot. I went from hosting a one-day virtual event to hosting a one-month evening intensive after thinking through the needs of my academy alumni.
But in this mindful pivot, I uncovered how I could feed two birds with one seed and my new book - The Brand with Purpose Planner - was born!
So in this case, taking imperfect action not only led me to a BETTER course of action, but it also created the residual effect of giving me the impetus to produce a book product that has been on my brand vision board list for years!
Talk about a serious ROI on taking imperfect action.
What have you been smothering with the expectations of perfection? 
What ideas have you let simmer and go cold on the back burner for too long because you're waiting for the most perfect conditions?
Here's a thought - doing the thing, even imperfectly, may create a pathway for a result that you're not even conscious of.
Acting always creates momentum. And you can always pivot, edit, or update your first draft.
But you need a first draft.
So start.
 
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ANNOUNCEMENTS
The Brand with Purpose 12-Month Personal Branding Planner is now available on Amazon! Use this full-color planner as your thought partner to help you think through your speaking engagements, media outreach, podcast episodes, social media content and revenue generation on a monthly and quarterly basis.  Order your planner
I'm hosting another session of the Brand with Purpose Planning Intensive over a few evenings in January. If you're interested in working with me and a small group of high achievers to make some decisions, i.e. what you'll create, what topics you'll pitch, and what you'll promote to sell and at which price point next year, e-mail us at info (at) amandamillerlittlejohn (dot) com to learn more and request the invitation. 

PYG 145: Are you being obedient to the call of your path?

If you're anything like me, you've probably had a zillion ideas that somehow 'magically' dropped into your spirit - things you somehow knew you were supposed to be doing, or chances you new you were supposed to be taking, but you couldn't explain how you knew exactly what you knew.
You may call it intuition, your inner knowing, God or the Holy Spirit. Whatever you call it, you know when you've gotten a direct download.
But acting on those downloads is another thing all together. 
I've received clear downloads for years, but I haven't always been obedient about taking them and acting on them.
But last year when I decided to be obedient to one specific download, I realized that all along, my obedience had been the key to unlock a level I didn't even know was there! My obedience produced the missing puzzle piece to a specific goal that had eluded me for years.
To experiment with this concept, ask yourself:
Have you ever acted on a big goal even though you were terrified, and been surprised by the results?
What are you currently procrastinating on doing? 
What is a goal you've wanted to reach for years but just can't seem to unlock?
Could the object of your procrastination potentially unlock the goal you've been able to reach? Could the two possibly be related? 
 
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If you missed Brand with Purpose - my free 5 day challenge to help you plan a brand with intention for the coming year, you can listen to all 5 episodes of the challenge and download the challenge workbook here. The whole series clocks in at right under 60 minutes, and I assure you, it will be the best hour you'll spend all week!  Listen to the challenge episodes >> Brand with Purpose
 

PYG 144: Putting your brand on the calendar

It's The Fifth and Final Day of the Brand with Purpose Challenge!
You can find Day One of the challenge, here and Day Two of the challenge here, and Day Three of the challenge here and Day Four of the challenge here.
Today, we're going to take everything we brainstormed and wrote down in the challenge workbook and use it to map out the month by month calendar for next year.
I've asked you what you will make it a priority to create next year. If you've decided to write your book or launch your conference, now ask yourself when. When is your launch date? When will the event be?
I've asked you what type of visibility you'll go after - from media and podcast interviews to speaking. When will you go after it?
I've asked you what program or service it's time for you to launch. When will you launch that new program or double down on the old?
The key word of today is WHEN.
It's one thing to brainstorm something new to create or launch, but when we don't take the time to decide when exactly it will happen, it's hard to see the things we brainstorm take shape.
But when we start with target dates in mind, we can work backwards from our publication date or event date or launch date, and have a better chance of success.
So when you look at the three main categories we covered during this five-day challenge, what months of the year will you make time for each of those activities?
Put each on the calendar.
 
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Important: If you haven't already, download the challenge workbook and follow the prompts for this day of the challenge.  Download Your Challenge Workbook HERE.
 
If you follow the challenge online, tag me on social media using #BWPChallenge
 
Don’t keep it all to yourself, share this challenge with someone who needs some intentional personal branding - it’s more fun with friends! 

PYG 143: What can you LAUNCH and SELL to generate more revenue next year

It's Day Four of the Brand with Purpose Challenge!
You can find Day One of the challenge, here and Day Two of the challenge here, and Day Three of the challenge here.
Today we're going to think through what we need to launch in the coming year to increase our revenue.
What program or service is it time for you to launch?
What is your existing audience begging you to bring forth?
What have people asked for your help with this year? Does it make sense to create a course or strategy session around it so you can offer it to your wider audience?
If you know you want to make an income leap next year, you can definitely wing it and still earn more, but you probably won't hit your goal revenue or income number if you don't plan.
What $$$ number do you want to reach? What's your plan to reach it?
Whether you're full-time in your business or still report to a 9-5, there are ways to create a revenue stream based on your expertise. You just have to find one that fits your style and schedule. 
But when you think about your goal revenue or income number, does your upcoming program/course/product support that?
For example, if you have a goal to make $10k extra each month next year, and you work full-time, whatever you're selling should probably be in the $2k-$10K range so you can sell and deliver a couple each month while you stay focused on your full-time obligations.
But if you already have an incredible marketing backend set up, or have a product that responds to seasonal promotions and you know you can move hundreds of units each month with little effort, you could offer something cheaper, granted you have the backend marketing system to support it.
It's all about understanding your available time, skills and what your audience needs that you can deliver right now. What makes the most sense for your brand?
When will you launch your next revenue generator?
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Important: If you haven't already, download the challenge workbook and follow the prompts for this day of the challenge.  Download Your Challenge Workbook HERE.
 
If you follow the challenge online, tag me on social media using #BWPChallenge
 
Don’t keep it all to yourself, share this challenge with someone who needs some intentional personal branding - it’s more fun with friends! 

PYG 142: What's your plan to increase your visibility?

It's Day Three of the Brand with Purpose  Challenge!
You can find Day One of the challenge, here and Day Two of the challenge here.
Today we're going to focus on what we need to promote in the coming year to increase our visibility.
What vehicles are you using to promote yourself next year?
What times of the year will you be reaching out to media?
What conferences and events will you apply to speak?
As you've heard me say before, your expertise is likely more relevant at some parts of the year than others. For people in the coaching and transformation space, the New Year is one of the very best times of year to make a splash in the media, or to get people excited about our content.
But for those in the financial space, April around tax time in the U.S. is a strong time to have one's expertise considered for potential speaking engagements and media segments.
It's all about understanding your audience and when they'll be most interested hearing from you. When will they most need the ideas and strategies you have to share? That's when you should plan your visibility outreach.
When will you go after massive visibility?
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Important: If you haven't already, download the challenge workbook and follow the prompts for this day of the challenge.  Download Your Challenge Workbook HERE.
 
If you follow the challenge online, tag me on social media using #BWPChallenge
 
Don’t keep it all to yourself, share this challenge with someone who needs some intentional personal branding - it’s more fun with friends! 

PYG 141: What assets do you need to create to optimize your brand?

It's Day Two of the Brand with Purpose challenge!
If you missed Day One of the challenge, listen to that episode here.
Today we're going to focus on what we need to create in the coming year to optimize our personal brand platforms.
What you are going to add to your platform?
What can you evolve? 
To give you some examples from my own brand platform, in 2016 I launched the first iteration of Package Your Genius Academy group program, and it has become an anchor program in my business.
But in 2014, I launched an information product called The Branding Box that paved the way for Package Your Genius Academy and formed the basis of the curriculum I would eventually teach.
More recently, in 2018 I published the book Package Your Genius: 5 Steps to Build Your Most Powerful Personal Brand. The book has also become a pivotal piece of my brand platform as it has helped me reach new students for the academy, and attracted new paid speaking invitations.
The point is, you don't want to create for creation's sake: you want to create the brand asset that will make the most sense for your brand right now.
What asset will help you compound the revenue of another program/service, or unlock even more opportunities?
 
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Important: Download the challenge workbook so you think through this on paper. Download Your Challenge Workbook HERE.
 
If you follow the challenge online, tag me on social media using #BWPChallenge
 
Don’t keep it all to yourself, share this challenge with someone who needs some intentional personal branding - it’s more fun with friends!