What Defines You Becomes You

To Make a Difference
For my second blog, I spent a lot of time thinking about what I wrote, and accomplished or didn't, in my first blog. Did I do a good enough job of explaining how important it is and how relatively uncomplicated it can be to build your own personal brand? My goal for this blog is to help, inspire, and to assist and educate. Marketing for decades has been viewed as "making things pretty" or "advertising" or "logos". But really, I've come to appreciate that marketing has morphed into an appreciated skill-set and most importantly, often something that is inherently born in you. Maybe it's time to tap into what is inherently you...

In my career, with the exception of the big brand Intel, I have spent most of my time learning and then educating about marketing. I didn't really mean to teach it, but it turns out I always knew, inherently more than I thought I did. I think this is in part, because of my roles as an oldest child, being a leader in sorority in college and benefiting from working some cool jobs in college that exposed me every single day to marketing. But I didn't know that was marketing back then.

Back To Where You Come From
You think I'm kidding? As a child I would market what I wanted. For example, I put a "campaign" together to get my parents to take us to see the autumn leaves in Ohio. Yes, we held march in the livingroom supported by signs that promoted what we wanted our parents to do, and when, "now". Not the brightest of ideas, but it worked. This pattern continued throughout college, and I found myself in various leadership roles that required marketing. As Vice President of Sigma Kappa sorority, Vice President of Panhellenic Council and later President of Sigma Kappa, there was quite a bit of campaign building and marketing to do. Recruiting members, pushing projects forward and selling stakeholders on the plan. I never realized that marketing was something I was, and not something that I became.

After college and having only a general BS degree, I found myself starting out as an executive assistant. From two of these roles I was fortunate enough to learn more about strategy and "rejuvenating" tired brands. From another role, I learned more about membership recruitment and driving change through awareness, education, and branding. As I continued my career, the roles became clearly defined marketing roles. I wiggled my way into the club.

Researching, Practicing and Failing- Figuring Stuff Out
My point is that, I never knew I was doing marketing, but I've done it all my life. It is in my blood and courses through my mind every single day. I have marketing campaigns for myself to accomplish a goal. The big one being this year turning 40 and putting the plan together to be in the best shape I could be in a certain amount of time, and tracking milestones on my calendar. All my life, I learned marketing through experimentation. While I have a BS and MBA, most of my greatest experiences in marketing have come from researching, practicing and failing until I figure something out that is new to me or a challenge to me.

I woke up a few days ago with a vision that I needed to do a video to market my brand and business. In true Jenn-style, I had no idea how to do it, and no one to teach me. Just some time on my hands to learn. So 35 hours later, I produced my first marketing video. I'm ready to shout my brand out loud and proud. And, I did it 100% by myself and was able to incorporate photography of "rejuvenating" travel I've experienced. It was a challenging but rewarding project!

Give Me Something to Believe In
Ironically, losing my job was perfect timing for this transition in my life. Going back to my roots, I'm at that point of my life where it's time for me to transition from the business world and get into the business of making a difference in the world. It's something I've grown up watching in my family every day starting with my mother, and it's something I believe in. I'm hoping that this new video and my brand represent the very best of what I am now, but also demonstrate how much better I will continue to strive to be. What defines me is now truly becoming me.

Change Will Do You Good
In the words of Sheryl Crow, "a change will do you good". Try something new! Take a risk! Step out of your comfort zone! You might be surprised with what you are able to accomplish and how much you enjoy that sense of figuring out whatever it is that challenges you.

I can help you with your personal brand. Feel free to contact me. Happy branding!

~Jenn

Jennifer M. Cook
Rejuvenate Marketing
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Office: 949.218.0958