Jennifer McClure`

Helping Leaders Leverage Influence & Create Maximum Impact.

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Written by Jennifer McClure

Optimize Your LinkedIn Profile to Build Your Personal Brand and Grow Your Career

Impact Makers Podcast Episode 076

How valuable is your LinkedIn profile? Hint: The answer is very!

If you don’t believe me, grab your phone, Google your name in quotes (“Jennifer McClure” for example), and hit enter.

Unless you’ve got an extremely common name, you’ll likely notice that the first page of search results for your name returns a number of social media profiles – which may include yours, as well as others that share your same name. And included in those top 10 results is likely a link to your public LinkedIn profile, or at least one created by one of your namesakes.

Whether you’re searching for your next job, open to career growth opportunities, or looking to grow your personal brand, or your business, your best opportunity to get noticed online is to have a robust, fully complete, and active LinkedIn profile.

While LinkedIn is straightforward – create a profile, connect with people, post and share your content, etc. – you may not be getting the most out of it as you would if you were to create an intentional strategy for using LinkedIn.

There are multiple ways that you can optimize your LinkedIn profile to build your personal brand and grow your career. By doing so, you can use LinkedIn to build your credibility as a thought leader and your reputation as a business leader that others want to work with or do business with.

You can also readily access a vast network of people and resources that you can utilize (for free) for your personal and professional development.

In this episode, I’m going to share some of my favorite tips and strategies for creating a LinkedIn profile that stands out, works for you, and increases your opportunities!

Topics Discussed In This Episode:

  • Why a LinkedIn profile is valuable
  • What makes a great LinkedIn profile?
  • 8 profile photo best practices
  • How to maximize your background photo
  • Tips for an effective LinkedIn profile headline
  • Tips in writing your About section
  • 10 profile summary tips

IMPACT MAKERS PODCAST – EPISODE 76

Key Quotes From This Episode:

“People ARE searching for you online – or they should be – and you have a simple and free way available to you to deliver exactly the credibility, image, and authority that you prefer, by being intentional about how you use LinkedIn.” ~ @Jennifer McClure

Connect with Jennifer:

Send her a message [https://jennifermcclure.net/contact/]

On LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifermcclure

On Twitter: https://twitter.com/JenniferMcClure

On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jennifer_mcclure/

On Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/JenniferMcClureSpeaker

Categories: Blog, Personal Branding, Podcast
Posted on January 26, 2023

Written by Jennifer McClure

Balancing a Strong Personal Brand With a High Profile Corporate Career With Amber Naslund

photo of Amber Naslund

If you’re a regular listener of the podcast, you’ve heard me talk with several previous guests that I first connected with back in the somewhat golden days of blogging, and the beginnings of social networks like LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook.

Although I’m not sure how I originally came across my guest on this episode, I know that I was a regular reader of her very popular blog called Brass Tack Thinking during that time frame.

Through great writing and a relatable voice, she shared experiences, practical advice, and marketing expertise, that was extremely helpful to me, and thousands of others, in building a personal brand, and in building a business that connected with those that I wanted to serve.

Then, one day in January 2010, she wrote a blog post that was titled – “The Equestrian’s Guide to Reaching Your Goals” – and as a fellow adult amateur equestrian, I loved how she linked lessons she had learned from horseback riding to setting foundational goals for the next year.

That was it. We were destined to be the best of friends. Or, at least virtual horse buddies. 🙂

To this day, we love sharing, commenting and liking pictures of our horsey adventures online, and I hope we’ll actually get to meet at a horse show or an industry conference or event sometime in the future.

But, since that doesn’t look like it will be able to happen any time soon, I thought that asking her to join me on the podcast would be fun, but also really valuable for both me and you. She’s still doing great work, and continues to share her thoughts and ideas freely in order to help others.

Amber Naslund is a 20-year veteran marketer, and in that time she’s worked with some of the biggest companies, the freshest startups, and everything in between.

In her current role as a senior consultant at LinkedIn, she advises top global clients on their digital content marketing strategies, and their overall approach to using LinkedIn, while on a mission to prove that companies can build compelling, authoritative B2B brands without being dull.

Amber is also the co-author of the best-selling social media handbook The Now Revolution, and when she’s not working on her next book, article, or industry talk, she’s restoring her brain cells on horseback, or spending time with her kid (who’s also an accomplished equestrian already), and her rescue dogs.

In this episode, Amber and I chat about what it was like for her to go from industry darling, to best selling author, to failed entrepreneur, and what she discovered about herself in that journey that helped her to rebuild her confidence, and fuel her success today.

We also talk about what it takes to build a strong and authentic personal brand and platform in today’s noisy world, as well as what to consider when balancing a strong personal brand with a high profile corporate career.

Topics Discussed In This Episode:​​

  • What an entrepreneurial failure taught Amber about herself, and how it set her up for future success.
  • What it’s like being a woman out front in the tech industry sharing your ideas.
  • Advice for someone who asks how they can build a loyal following online.
  • Amber’s thoughts on whether it’s necessary to be on all of the online platforms if you’re trying to build your personal brand.
  • The difference between being authentic and being genuine, and why it’s important for personal brands.
  • Why Amber is comfortable talking online about sensitive topics like mental health, imposter syndrome, and failures in business.
  • Amber’s journey toward understanding imposter syndrome, and how she’s come to view it as a normal, and real, part of the process.
  • How sharing your own vulnerabilities can be helpful with addressing imposter syndrome, and foster trust with your community.
  • 3 tips for those who are interesting becoming thought leaders.

IMPACT MAKERS PODCAST – EPISODE 50

(Email subscribers – click HERE to listen to the podcast.)

Key Quotes From This Episode:

“Being a thought leader isn’t the goal, it’s the result. So, every “thought leader” started as a nobody that no one had ever heard of, that didn’t have an audience. That stuff comes with your willingness to show up first, and put more into the community than you’re asking to take out. So make all of the deposits up front, share the knowledge, be generous, be effusive with how much you’re willing to put in, and the results come. But it has to go in that order.” ~ Amber Naslund

“When we feel seen, and we feel that sense of belonging to something that is bigger than us, but still imperfect, it’s okay for us to be imperfect. That’s an incredibly relieving, reenforcing and validating feeling as humans, and we could all use a little bit more of that right now.” ~ Amber Naslund

“The world doesn’t have your point of view, so there’s really no harm in seeing what you can add that’s unique, even if the conversation itself is not.” ~ Amber Naslund

People & Resources Mentioned In This episode:

Amber Naslund

Amber Naslund LinkedIn

Amber Naslund Twitter

The NOW Revolution: 7 Shifts to Make Your Business Faster, Smarter and More Social by Jay Baer and Amber Naslund

Laurie Ruettiman

Tim Sackett

William Tincup

Brené Brown

Impact Makers Podcast Episode 049 – Discovering the Hidden Forces That Drive You to Do Your Best Work With Todd Henry

Connect with Jennifer:

Send her a message [https://jennifermcclure.net/contact/]

On LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifermcclure

On Twitter: https://twitter.com/JenniferMcClure

On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jennifer_mcclure/

On Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/JenniferMcClureSpeaker

Categories: Blog, Personal Branding, Podcast
Posted on November 12, 2020

Written by Jennifer McClure

Developing a Strong Personal Brand That Enables You to Lead From Where You Are

photo of Jennifer McClure

Sometimes, I have the honor of being a guest on other podcasts or webinars, where I’m typically asked to share about one or more of the topics that I’m passionate about, including leadership, speaking, and personal branding, and I wanted to share one of those recent conversations with you.

Shortly after the world changed for us all as a result of a global pandemic, my friend,  Erich Kurschat – who is the owner of Harmony Insights LLC, as well as the founder of an inclusive mastermind community called HRHotSeat – started scheduling half hour conversations over the lunch hour with people in his network to be intentional about connecting, and also to stay inspired in order to do his best work.

Back in June of 2020, I joined Erich for one of these lunch date conversations, where we chatted about the importance of personal branding for leaders at all levels, why introverts do not get a pass when it comes to personal branding, and how you can grow and develop your personal brand without having to be a speaker, a blogger, or an online Influencer.

I asked Erich if I could share the conversation with you, and he graciously agreed. So I hope that you enjoy it, and get a few takeaways from it that you can apply to your career.

Topics Discussed In This Episode:​​

  • The importance of having a personal brand and being known for something / your expertise / doing great work.
  • The need to embrace your position as a leader – regardless of your position in an organization.
  • Why introverts do not get a pass when it comes to networking and Personal Branding.
  • Why you shouldn’t get hung up on the term “Personal branding”. Yes, it’s marketing, but truly it’s about becoming known, so you can be discovered for opportunities.
  • Growth and impact comes from challenging yourself and doing hard things
  • Does personal branding extend outside of your professional life?
  • Ways to develop and build a strong Personal Brand beyond becoming a speaker or having your own blog.
  • How my journey to become a professional speaker began with teaching what I knew – even if it wasn’t something that I was passionate about.

IMPACT MAKERS PODCAST – EPISODE 42

(Email subscribers – click HERE to listen to the podcast.)

Key Quotes From This Episode:

“You’re in a leadership role in your organization, whether you have a leadership title or not. By being in the people profession, people are looking to you for leadership.  So you have stepped into the light. There will be heat.” ~ Jennifer McClure

“An HR leader’s Personal Brand is so synonymous with the company that they work for – in both the quality of the people that work there, as well as the culture – that HR leaders who are still taking a back seat, and not taking active steps to develop their Personal Brand are not only hurting their careers, they’re also hurting their companies.” ~ Jennifer McClure

People & Resources Mentioned In This episode:

HRHotSeat Mastermind Community

Harmony Insights

Harmony Insights Lunch Dates

Erich Kurschat LinkedIn

Steve Browne

HR On Purpose !! Developing Deliberate People Passion – by Steve Browne 

HR Rising !! From Ownership to Leadership – by Steve Browne 

Kary Oberbrunner

Impact Makers Podcast Episode 9 — Prison to Plan to Payoff: Becoming an Entrepreneur with Kary Oberbrunner

Storybrand – Clarify Your Message

Donald Miller

DisruptHR

—–

Connect with Jennifer:

Send her a message [https://jennifermcclure.net/contact/]

On LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifermcclure

On Twitter: https://twitter.com/JenniferMcClure

On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jennifer_mcclure/

On Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/JenniferMcClureSpeaker

Categories: Blog, Personal Branding, Podcast
Posted on September 25, 2020

Written by Jennifer McClure

11 Podcasts To Fuel Personal Growth and Leadership Development

I’m a voracious consumer of content in the areas that are of interest to me – specifically leadership, entrepreneurship, speaking and personal development.

Interestingly, I’m not a good book reader (fixing that is a goal for 2016). But I do buy lots of books. I just rarely read them.

So a couple of years ago, I decided to try podcasts as a way to continue learning, and to fill time that was normally spent listening to the same songs in my playlists or on the radio over and over again. Now, I listen to podcasts while driving, traveling, exercising, cleaning the house, fixing dinner, etc. Suffice it to say, I’m hooked on learning.

[Read more…]

Categories: Blog, Leadership, Personal Development
Posted on January 16, 2016

Written by Jennifer McClure

Creating a Value-Based Positioning Statement

As a speaker, consultant or business owner, have you struggled with how to position yourself in the marketplace in order to create demand and eliminate the need to compete based upon price?

To solve these common problems, you have to begin by answering some fundamental questions.

Last week, the National Speakers Association (NSA) held its annual convention in San Diego, California, and although I was unable to attend in person, they did provide some of the sessions via live stream, which was a great opportunity to learn from some of the industry’s best speakers, authors and consultants.

One of my favorite sessions was from Hall of Fame Speaker and The Million Dollar Consultant® – Alan Weiss. I’ve long been a Fan of Mr. Weiss’ advice and approach. His Million Dollar Speaking: The Professional’s Guide to Building Your Platform book was one of the first that I read after starting my business in 2010. It’s full of great advice, examples and tips not only related to the business of speaking, but how to become an in-demand expert through effective positioning in the marketplace.

In his 75-minute talk at #NSA14 – “Million Dollar Positioning: How to Position Yourself as the Expert” – Mr. Weiss shared the basics of creating a Positioning Statement/Value Statement to convey expertise, value delivery and ultimately price in a crowded and noisy marketplace.

Figure out what you love – and what you’re best at. Take everything else away.

When you’re working at your best and highest value, you’re creating a great piece of art. And to create the great work of your life, you have to find what you love to do – and what you’re great at – and then carve away everything else.

It’s rumored that when asked how he carved out the amazingly beautiful and intricate David from a big square block of marble, Michelangelo replied, “I just took away everything that wasn’t David.”

Creating an effective and artful Positioning Statement is no different. Cull away things that aren’t really you or that you aren’t enthusiastic about so you can create your masterpiece.

Tell people how they’ll be better off after working with you.

Your Positioning Statement needs to answer these questions for your potential buyer:

How will you improve them?

What is the real value that you bring?

Ideally, you’re approach will be a bit edgy and provocative, and show that you think a bit differently. That way, your audience will want more – and because what you offer is unique, they’ll be willing to pay more to get it.

Position yourself as an Expert – not as a Speaker, Author, Consultant

There are hundreds and thousands of speakers, authors, consultants, etc. in the world, which means there is plenty of choice.

Buyers don’t want to hire just anyone, they want to hire experts. And if you’re not considered “The Expert”, you’re just a commodity – and you’ll always be treated as such in terms of price and opportunity.

Don’t just be a “delivery alternative” in your industry or profession. Be The Expert – which means you’ll need to create new and unique ideas, products and services that separate you from the rest.

Tip: Once you determine your area of expertise, you can then determine how to deliver it, but don’t mix in methodology in your Positioning Statement.

For example, don’t say: “Through coaching and consulting I create change that impacts strategic objectives.”

That kind of statement isn’t unique or compelling, and it doesn’t answer the most important question: “After I walk away from you, how will I be better off because I met you?”

Effective Position Statements: Examples

“I help small business owners accelerate their business and lead a fabulous life.”

“I help you to reduce stress so you can make rational and powerful decisions about your life.”

—–

Always opinionated and full of great one-liners, Mr. Weiss (@BentleyGTCSpeed on Twitter) also reeled off some great quotes during his presentation – and all of which just happened to be less than 140 characters. (Check them out below, and if you like one or more, just click the link to tweet it out!)

“Wealth isn’t money. Wealth is discretionary time. You can always make another dollar, but you cannot make another minute.” @BentleyGTCSpeed

“The greatest damage to excellence is from the pursuit of perfection.” @BentleyGTCSpeed

“Self-esteem is an action that creates self-confidence. You have to work on it everyday. Tell yourself what you do well.” @BentleyGTCSpeed

“Confidence is the belief you can help other people. Arrogance is the belief that you have nothing to learn yourself.” @BentleyGTCSpeed

I really enjoyed the session and took plenty of notes to take action and implement in my own expertise branding journey. And I appreciate the National Speakers Association for making this session available. I’d love to attend the event in-person next year!

Question: What’s your Value Statement? Share it with me in the Comments section. I’d love to learn from you and help others find your expertise!

Categories: Blog, Career Development, Personal Branding, Personal Development
Posted on July 7, 2014

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  • Is It Still Possible to Build Your Personal Brand Using Social Media in 2023?
  • My Mother’s Legacy: What It Means to Be an Impact Maker
  • 10 Activities Leaders Must Embrace to Lead With Impact in the Future of Work
  • 5 Things I Plan to Start, Stop, and Continue Doing in 2023

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