Summer Solstice Newsletter
Greetings and wishing you a beautiful if not lively Summer Solstice. Here in Paris it's celebrated with the "Fete de la Musique" where the streets, clubs, concert halls and local neighborhoods explode with musicians of every level.
In this newsletter, I'm introducing a new FEATURED CLIENT section showcasing Pierre Blanc, Micro Finance and Fair Trade Advocate. Read about his success in finding his dream job after we developed his online professional portfolio website that messages his TRUE passions, interests and values i.e. his PERSONAL BRAND. As a case study of the success of Personal Branding and having the right brand "tool kit" we featured in the book Réussir sa Carrière Grâce au Personal Branding (Succes in Your Career through Personal Branding) available on Amazon. In this issue the featured PODCAST
is an inspiring and moving inteview I had with Roger Burks on Storytelling to inspire social change. The BOOK REVIEW on Neuro Web Design, what makes them click is a must read if you are involved with the design of your site or blog. Wow!!! This newsletter is packed. Until the next issue....happy reading and listening.
Best,
Bernadette
www.visibiltybranding.com
P.S. Interested in a "makeover" of your LinkedIn profile and how to build and give value to your network? Contact me for a virtual screen sharing session.
back to top Podcast: Storytelling to Inspire Personal Social Responsibility with guest Roger Burks
I was really moved and inspired by this interview with ROGER BURKS - Co-Founder, Pictographers, on how positive social change can be created through the powerful combination of humanitarian stories and photography. As you listen, what emerges are two incredible stories. One is that of Pictographers
, an agency that seeks to connect the world’s most vulnerable populations to those who can help by using the combined power of words and photographs. The other story is about Roger's "personal brand" and the path he has taken triggerred by a "life changing" experience when he served in the Peace Corps
in Togo. Now claiming to have the “best job in the world”, he has found the true convergence and intersection of his humanitarian values and passions with his skill as a journalist and experience in international development. Traveling to the most isolated and challenging places in the world, he interviews and writes stories to invite action for social change. Many of these fascinating stories from places such as Niger, Serbia, Uganda, China and the United States can be read here.
As opposed to using sensational “poverty porn” messaging Roger advocates humanitarian storytelling to inspire action both at the individual level (I call it your Personal Social Responsibility-PSR) and corporate level (Corporate Social Responsibility -CSR). Roger also talks about ways individuals can make a difference through micro-mentoring and micro-financing with organizations such as Mercy Corps
where Roger is Senior Writer, Micromentor
and Kiva. Listen to the Podcast here.
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I first heard Susan Weinschenk on a podcast talking about the latest neuroscience research around the amazing effectiveness and power of storytelling. As this completely dovetails with my upcoming book I Need a Branded Bio, Now What? Messaging Your Story Online and Offline,
I immediately bought the book, read it in a couple hours and then called asking if she would like to be featured in MY book addressing this specific topic. She said YES. I was
ecstatic. However, HER book NEURO Web Design, what makes them CLICK.
goes way beyond the neurological effects of storytelling. You will find scientific studies around our "hard-wired" behavior when sitting in front of a screen surfing the web and the latest neuroscience research addressing the design of web sites and how to talk to our unconscious minds. An excellent read if you design your own site or blog and want to learn more about “persuasion design” techniques.
In my conversations with Susan.....I found out more about her “story” or bio. She first became fascinated by computers in the mid-1970’s as a graduate student in psychology. She remembers running her first computer program and the printer spit out a piece of paper that said ‘JOB ABORTED’. Rather than being discouraged she was fascinated and intrigued wondering what would happen when ‘normal people’, not computer scientists, interact with these things called computers? She thus started a 30 year career in applying psychology to the design of technology. Find out more in her book.
back to top Featured Client: Pierre Blanc - Micro Finance and Fair Trade Advocate
SITUATION: Pierre wanted to transition from a career in hi-tech into Micro Finance and Fair Trade, an area that corresponded with his true values, interest and passions yet he had limited "paid" experience in this field.
CHALLENGE: His resume didn't message this interest nor did it showcase his volunteer activities, initiatives and thought leadership around Fair Trade and Micro Finance
ACTIONS: Collaboratively, we created an online professional portfolio web site with components that clearly showcase his "personal brand". Read his narrative bio that tells his "story" about how his interest developed and read about his volunteer activities and thought leadership. A blog is also linked to his site. During the job search, Pierre effectively made his site visible by placing the link on his email signature, business cards and profiles.
RESULTS: Pierre found his "dream job" and is now working in Ghana as Director for a micro finance institution
TESTIMONIAL: The recruiter who found Pierre confirmed that his online professional portfolio really differentiated him from the other candidates and showcased his personal and professional background.
PRESS: As a case study of the success of Personal Branding and having the right brand "tool kit" Pierre is featured in the book Réussir sa Carrière Grâce au Personal Branding (Succes in Your Career through Personal Branding) available on Amazon
See Pierre's site here www.pierreblanc.org
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