As an entrepreneur, I have always linked branding with a business or a product but never to me as a person. Until now. Having done many things in my life (from politics and social impact consulting to sex and love coaching) there wasn't a clear message about me as a 'brand'. And in any case, how can one brand oneself...?

 

Then, the penny dropped! The 'branding triangle' from the Entrepreneur Summer School was a big A-HAA for me:

 

Your personal brand is constant but your business and product brands change. The personal brand is the story of YOU and YOUR LIFE that connects everything that you do and are together. As my mentor, Terri Vincent, said:

"Everything aligns with your personal brand, not the other way round. It is the identity who you are, and needs to be solid. When you know your purpose and passion, it doesn't matter what you are promoting or launching - people will come to you because they can relate to your story."

The other A-HAA was about what is branding. I mean, really, what IS branding? Martin Haseman's article, "Your brand determines what people say about you", opened my eyes. It is about what people say about you or your business when you're not in the room.
 

With these two golden nuggets, I went away and wrote My Story. I would LOOOOVE your feedback on it and invite you to comment below. Does it convay who I am? Does it resonate with you? How should I change it?

 

THANKY YOU!

 

ANNE BLAND - A Selfishly Happy Entrepreneur

In my late teens, I felt as though I carried the weight of the world’s pain on my shoulders. I wanted to change the world somehow. Maybe I should go to a mountain top and meditate – and help to create peace on Earth.

 

But there was too much life in me for such a solitary existence, and in my early 20’s I gave birth to my first child… a beautiful baby girl.

 

Over time, I became the proud Mother of three, enjoyed wonderful relationships and built strong businesses. Even though, I never experienced life in a monastery or ashram, my sometimes very difficult life and business experiences challenged me to grow and develop to gain utter sense of fulfillment, happiness, calm, and success. Well, work in progress!

 

Following my life and career path drove me to a Master’s Degree on Philanthropy and Social Investment from London’s Cass Business School, to become a deputy leader of the Finnish Green Party, to start a Rural Greens Movement in Finland, to co-found a Global Greens Women’s Network in Senegal, and to run for the European Parliament. Along the way, I assisted global organisations to become more sustainable and successful by creating and measuring their social impact, and I was chosen to be trained in Climate Reality Leadership by Al Gore in South Africa.

 

I feel passionate about change and transformation and I help both individuals and businesses to improve their wealth and happiness, and social impact through coaching and online programmes that I have developed and co-created. I believe in putting my own money where my values are and have invested in eco-building, organic and local food, and in many social enterprises through my personal lifestyle and business choices. And most of all, I believe we deserve more pleasure and joy in our lives, and that actually, our sexual energy is a key to any success - even to peace on Earth.

 

I know that aligning your passions and pains, experiences and dreams with your True Self help make your desires and goals come true. One of my programmes that is based on ancient Tantric Philosophy and modern neuroscience, “Selfishly Happy in the Bedroom and the Boardroom,” helps individuals to reach their true potential in life and make a difference in the world. The other one, that I have co-developed with fabulous Sue Jackson, helps organisations to Future Proof their businesses by following our “Framework of 6 Social Impact Steps.”

 

I have learned that the world can be changed in so many ways. And it starts from within.

What are you creating? What change do you want to see? For yourself and for the world?