Personal Branding doesn't have to feel slimy

Hey! I was thinking about my mechanic earlier today and I will tell you why... His name is Bill. When someone says "Where should I take my car for an oil change or repairs?" I say "Oh go down to Bill at Plaza Auto." Generally I follow this up with some kind of statement like "He's not the cheapest mechanic but he's super duper honest, uses quality parts, and won't waste your time or money, plus they've been in business for 60 years this year!" If it's a car-nerd I am talking to, I will also...

Hi Friend, I remember the first invoice I created as a business owner... It was for some marketing materials I designed for a shop down the street from my shop and it was called “Jeannie’s Gift Box + Hair Braiding.” Jeannie was a blast to be neighbors with. Her joy lit up her entire shop full of bedazzled handbags, colorful scarves, and lotions. It always smelled of incense and coconut-vanilla candles that had been burning for hours. She was so happy to finally have business cards and fliers...

Hey! One quick tip today and then I am off to my next call. I just shared this with a client and I thought you might like it. This tip is useful whether you are a career professional posting on Linkedin, a blogger, a local business, or a CEO... TIP OF THE DAY: Do the Coffee Shop Test: Many professionals and experts spend significant time trying to create the perfect social media post, or reel, or caption, or piece of content. (Womp Womp, and it gets 3 views) The challenge lately in the...

Hi! You liked my Grateful Dead business history lesson a month ago, so I have another music-related business history story for you that has stuck with me from my Record-Store-Owning Days. 2 weekends ago, my friends and I went to the 10-year anniversary show of Chance The Rapper's Coloring Book in Chicago at Ravinia (cool outdoor venue!) and I was thinking about his story. Chance the Rapper is a Chicago native, philanthropist, and, in my opinion, has created some of the best hip-hop of my...

Hey, A few weeks ago, I was standing in the corner of a Chamber of Commerce event, and I felt myself starting to do that thing where I pull my phone out and pretend something is really important because I was afraid to start a conversation. I am nearly 20 years into owning a business, I have helped 1000+ clients at this point, I speak on stages, I am active on social media ---> and I still freaking feel this anxiety of networking. Why?! I guess I just want to normalize that I am not some...

Hi! This email is going to talk FAQ's for my upcoming (affordable) business cohort filled with awe-inspiring highly-motivated entrepreneurs. The application is about to close. If you're not interested in this group but want to remain on my email list, click here... you'll still receive my emails but not about the mastermind, for a long time. If you are ready to work on your business with us for the next few months, read below. FAQ: What is the Memorable Personal Brand Mastermind? It's a group...

Happy Monday! I felt inspired this weekend by several things, and I wanted to share a few with you in an easy-to-scan format. Take what you want! Leave what you don't. But please do let me know what was helpful to you! Enjoy! Lauren V. Davis Personal Branding Strategist Grab some free resources here Calling Small Businesses, Creators & Entrepreneurs: Stop sleeping on YouTube I started playing around with sharing "shorts" over the weekend on YouTube and to my surprise I gained a lot of...

Hey there! Once in a while, something smacks me in the face. Suddenly, I notice my feed, my emails, and my text message inbox are full of a similar sentiment or feeling, and it makes me want to do anything to help. Right now it's... "Will I be relevant once my current contracts are done?" or "The same things aren't working anymore." or "My industry is changing, and I'm not sure if I need a rebrand to reach people." or "Should I be starting over?" I am empathetic to this feeling, especially in...

Hi! Quick one today. As I sat journaling this morning, I was feeling a lot of gratitude for my business. In 16 years, I have watched colleagues fade, go back to work, shut things down (no shame in that, I believe you do what's right for you), but it reminded me how much my business is tied to the quality of my life. It's hard to believe my business has been fully self-sustainable for over a decade. Not only that -- I took a couple of weeks off earlier this year to recover from a health event...