Hello Friends,
My life/current stressor/most recent breakthrough:
Before Christmas I was stressing to my life coach about self-branding. Like stressed-stressing. “What the heck do I do? How do I re-re-re-re shape my online presence? That doesn’t even make sense!?” stressing.
Background: I’m doing a pivot from mechanical engineering to life coaching. I’ve done other re-directs in the past, engineering to sailing athlete, sailing athlete to sailing engineering, sailing to running, and now engineering to life coaching. I’ve kept most doors open and never shut anything off.
In the past few months I’ve realized a couple of things, 1) I’ve never rebranded myself online, I’ve just switched platforms [my website (engineering)] or made sub accounts [“Robyn Sailing” (Facebook) or “@trails4smiles” (Instagram)], 2) I’ve kept these areas of what I do away from myself. (@robynlesh on Instagram was available!!)
I’ve isolated my personal self from what I do. This is my “safe”. People who like me in one area, don’t have to like what I’m now doing, to still like me.
Or said another way, If someone might disapprove of my decision to pivot, they won’t know about it because the new stuff is on a different platform or in a different account.
Or, said a third way, perhaps the most scary: I have believed for a long time that I can always tell a story that makes sense, that connects my skills together to provide a unique skill set for whatever job or opportunity presents itself. BUT if people can see my full life path online, I have no chance to package anything in any specific way?? What will people think of me or my choices??
Should I re-make my website for life coaching? Then what about engineering? Should I make a new coaching website? But I can’t carry parallel paths forever! Should I remake LinkedIn & leave my website? How about socials? Do I keep my personal Facebook separate or combine it with coaching? What about sailing or running, what about Instagram? How many parallel stories do I keep up??
This morning I read something. Something that authenticated what I feel I do on this blog — I’m me.
Better than “personal branding” — being real. (thank you Tim Denning) So here goes world, hello!
-From Me
Robyn's Life Blog! 