branding Archives - Debra Kasowski

EPISODE 408 – Start Dressing for Your Success

January 24, 2023 by Debra Kasowski Leave a Comment

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In this video/podcast, I have the pleasure of speaking with Melanie Lippman who is a NY-based Image Consultant and Personal Branding expert who helps ambitious, high-powered women in male-dominated fields learn to use style to communicate confidence, build connections, and achieve next-level career growth. With a degree from the Fashion Institute of Technology and having been a featured speaker for companies including Toyota, Charles Schwab, and Pillsbury Law, Melanie is passionate about narrowing the gender wealth gap by helping women worldwide define their personal brand, making them more confident, memorable, and respected as the leader they are.

Free offer: And, if you’re up for it, Melanie would love to share her Free Closet Clarity Experience for Women in Leadership. Are listeners ready to stop staring at their closet jam-packed with clothes each morning, and learn a system to dress with ease, so they can finally feel confident and powerful in their clothes? This experience gives listeners control over their closet in 5 steps to eliminate wardrobe overwhelm delivered to their mailbox (without needing to lose weight or waste time…using the wardrobe they already have). The link for that free closet control challenge will be https://pages.melanielippman.com/Podcast-Evergreen-SignUp

Website: https://www.melanielippman.com/

Social links:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/showupandbeseennow

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/melanielippman/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-UB93Mi3JYvu4vSjLyILkw

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/personalstylistmelanielippman/

Enjoy the video!

Grab a listen to my podcast when you are on moving or relaxing wherever you are! Don’t forget to subscribe to get notified of every video/podcast that is released! Debra Kasowski is the charismatic podcast host of The Millionaire Woman Show, 3X Best Selling Author, Speaker, and Certified Executive Coach. She interviews incredible speakers, authors, CEO, Business and Organizational Leaders and drops solo episodes with tips, strategies, and techniques for your success. ***GET YOUR GIFT*** Go to www.debrakasowski.com for your FREE 10 pg PDF of Reset Your Mindset download when you sign up for our Success Secrets Newsletter. Book your Complimentary Discovery Session with Debra today! 1. Connect with Debra Kasowski on Social Media https://www.youtube.com/user/debrakasowski https://www.instagram.com/debrakasowski https://www.facebook.com/debrakasowskiinternational https://www.twitter.com/debrakasowski 2. SUBSCRIBE to The Millionaire Woman Show podcast on iTunes 3. PURCHASE Debra’s books – Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and your favourite bookstore GPS Your Best Life – Debra Kasowski & Charmaine Hammond The Entrepreneurial Mom’s Guide to Growing a Business, Raising a Family, and Creating a Life You Love Let’s Be Curious: Ask the Right Questions Get Better Answers, and Create What You Want

Episode 71 – Leveraging Your Social Media Presence

February 16, 2017 by Debra Kasowski Leave a Comment

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What was once believed that social media was only a trend that the “kids” were using is now considered a valuable business tool. People are making more of their buying decisions based on what they learn and see through digital media. Social media is not going away so instead of resisting and why not learn more about leveraging it for your business, organization, or brand. We are human and we have the need to be social.

In today’s podcast, I want to talk about some of the fears that people get caught up with when it comes to social media. I understand why people are fearful yet I also understand there is a way to leverage social media for your business to position yourself in the marketplace effectively.

Let’s talk about some of the fears people have:

I am NOT _________enough! Social media is changing on a daily basis and I think sometimes people get overwhelmed with trying to keep up with all of the changes. For the most part, the practice of using social media stays the same. It is too easy to say you do not know enough to use social media and use that as an excuse not to engage. If you feel you don’t know enough about how social media works, consider doing some of your own research and take a look at what other people are posting and how you may be able to leverage this opportunity. You may decide to go to a networking event where you know that there’ll be some social media marketers. They can share information to alleviate your fears. Take some time to experiment and start small. You have all the resources you need now all you have to do is tap into them – get social!

I am going to FAIL! Fear of failure is one of the biggest things holding people back from achieving success. You may be afraid to share your ideas for fear of being criticized or ridiculed if something goes wrong. Failure and mistakes are nothing more than learning experiences giving you feedback and letting you know what worked and what didn’t work. That’s it! Learn the lesson and move on. You need to have confidence in your ideas and what you stand for. When you don’t your own and believe in your ideas, how do you expect others to believe in you?

Create a strategy for yourself. Many businesses are reluctant to get into the social media game as they are not sure what to post and what times of day to post. Why not test to see if something works for a short period of time and if it doesn’t work you can change it. You can always check out what times are best by Googling it or checking out iconographic on Pinterest. When creating your strategy you want to be very clear about your intention, your why-what is the outcome that you’re hoping to achieve? What is the message that you want to share? Who is your audience? What do they do? What platforms are they spending their time on? You need to be positioned where they are. Social media is a great way to build brand loyalty and it is a cost-effective marketing tool to promote your business.

You can share some personal posts here and there so that your persona shines through but you do not have to post pictures of your dog regularly unless the dog is part of your brand or is the mascot or ambassador for your company. Think about what you post and post with intention. Random pictures should be saved for a personal profile. Give Facebook Live or Instagram Stories a try by giving life to your brand and sharing a little glimpse into your day and what you do. Video, by far, is one of the most captivating and engaging marketing tools you could be using.

I am going to be ________! Criticized, judged, or ridiculed – you fill in the blank- if I post the wrong thing or say something silly. Worse yet, I may look foolish on video. People are always going to be entitled to their opinions whether we like them or not. They see the world through their eyes. What they believe is truly none of your business; it is their opinion. You are not going to please everyone. Those people who are critical or judgmental often lack information. They may make assumptions because they may not be willing to do it themselves or see if the strategy actually works. Their thoughts and actions come out of their own fears and beliefs. If you are holding yourself back based on what others believe, you may not take the leap necessary to achieve your goals. What others believe is more about them than it is about you. If you get one negative response from someone, do not let it steal your joy from all the great things people say about you and your business.

What if you shifted your thinking to, “I am going to be positioned as an expert in my field.” “I am going to share valuable content that will boost my credibility.” See the difference! When you are using social media with the intention to captivate and add value to your customers, how can you go wrong?

Each blog post or social media post that you post leaves a digital footprint. Think about the message or the legacy you want to leave. Keep your posts positive and intentional. By leveraging social media, you are opening up the opportunity to expand your exposure activities at a low cost and reaching more people in a different way. Quit leaving money on the table – people need to know what you are doing.

We would love to have you subscribed to the Success Secrets newsletter on my website at www.debrakasowski.com where you’re going to get us free MP3 download 10 Surefire Strategies to Power Up Your Productivity and Performance. I would love to hear about this podcast has impacted your life. E-mail me at Debra@DebraKasowski.com. Thank you for listening to The Millionaire Woman Show where we talk about leadership, business, and human potential to help you live rich from the inside out. Subscribe to The Millionaire Woman Show. Share it with Your Friends. Give us a 5-star rating!

DEBRA KASOWSKI, BScN CEC is an award-winning best-selling author, transformational speaker, blogger, and Certified Executive Coach. She has a heart of a teacher and is certified in Appreciative Inquiry and Emotional Intelligence. Her writing has been published in a variety of print and online magazines. Debra Kasowski International helps executives, entrepreneurs, and organizations boost their productivity, performance, and profits. It all starts with people and passion. Sign up the Success Secrets Newsletter and get your free mp3 download today! www.debrakasowski.com

Time: 09:41 min

Keywords: brand, branding, leveraging social media, fear of failure, fear of social media, cost-effective marketing, comparison trap, target your audience, lack of confidence, confidence, strategy

Episode 65 – The Rollercoaster Ride of an Entrepreneur

January 26, 2017 by Debra Kasowski Leave a Comment

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“There’s lots of bad reasons to start a company. But there’s only one good, legitimate reason, and I think you know what it is: it’s to change the world.” – Phil Libin, CEO of Evernote

When you became an entrepreneur, you never bargained that your choice would be compared to that of the roller coaster ride. I not a big fan of roller coasters; however, when my kids wanted to go on them, I would pull out my watch and I would look at how long it would take for the roller coaster complete its course. I would take a look at the loops in size them up figure out the risk and what I could tolerate and what I could not. At Knott’s Berry Farm, there was the Sidewinder roller coaster – 45 seconds. I told myself I can do anything for 45 seconds. The choice of becoming an entrepreneur is a big decision and it’s definitely more than 45 seconds in length. It’s not about instant gratification but it’s more like planting a seed and nurturing and watching it grow.

11986494 - rollercoaster ride (against blue sky) Many people believe that 90% of businesses will fail in their first five years. According to US statistics, the survival rate of the business increases as many years as it can continue which averages about 50 to 60% survival rate in five years. You may be asking yourself why is that so challenging to be an entrepreneur. Wouldn’t it be easier just to secure the 9-to-5 job?

No, not really. There may be many reasons that you decided to take the leap or start a business off the side of your desk for hopes of complete transition in the future. Many entrepreneurs choose the lifestyle and the business because they saw something different about the way things could be done, or they wanted the freedom to call their own shots. Maybe you wanted the life balance. For those of you who don’t know entrepreneurs, they work long hard hours more than the 9-to-5 person but they do have that flexibility to call the shots.

Where businesses fail is when they try to scale up their business too quickly, they don’t know their numbers, they try to do everything themselves, they fail to execute because everything needs to be perfect or they sabotage their success in getting their own way. You don’t just build it and they will come. You need to put in the work.

When I became an entrepreneur there was lots to learn and the majority of what I learned was not what I learned in school. My experiences have come from real life mistakes and successes and many trials and errors. To the outside world, it may look perfect but on the inside was someone working really hard to pay attention to every detail so that if there was a mistake or issue that could be resolved quickly or no one would notice.

The biggest thing with any business- is knowing your vision, mission, and core values. What’s that? Your compass. What is it that you do and how do you do it? Most importantly, it’s about knowing your why. Why do you choose to do which you do? When you use this as your center of guidance you will make in decisions that will help guide you.

As you get started in your business it is just like going up the first slope, it gets very exciting you may make a few sales see some money coming and get excited and suddenly challenges:

Why isn’t everything going smoothly?

Where is the money going to come for that? What you mean this cost so much? We need a return on investment?

What is the profit and loss statement?

Is it marketing or branding?

Should I hire or fire?

You start learning what you don’t know. The negative self-talk comes in and you can hear yourself saying: I’m not smart enough I’m not lucky I did not have the resources I don’t I don’t I don’t the list could go on. Your focus on all the reasons you can’t succeed “the lack” of this can be completely draining. Whatever you believe in your mindset, you will be looking for evidence to support it. Trust me you will find it. Let’s not go were negative self-talk takes you it’s only in a downward spiral.

Things you need to do to help propel you can keep you buckled into enjoy the ride of your roller coaster.

Quit beating yourself up!

Remember everyone started somewhere.

Silence your mind of chatter.

Determine what you want to accomplish.

Make a plan for deliberate action.

Each day take 3 to 5 steps toward your vision.

Create a structure that supports your actions.

Develop habits that support you. How many hours of sleep does your body needs to function at optimal level? How often do you need to exercise to stay mentally focused and strong? What are you doing to ensure that your help eating healthy and drinking enough water to stay hydrated?

Celebrate the wins along the way.

Ensure that you are measuring what you’re doing. What gets measured gets done.

Find a mentor or hire a coach to help hold you accountable or teach you some of the things you need to know.

Commit to continuous learning.

Establish routines and structure that will help support you in reaching your goals.

Embrace any uncertainty that you have as there will be many uncertainties on the roller coaster of the entrepreneur. Entrepreneurs know that long-range success isn’t about instant gratification it’s about starting small and continuously growing. When you stop taking action, that’s when you break the momentum.

All I know is if you don’t hang on to what’s important to you and why you’re doing it, you will not enjoy the journey and you may reach the destination but it won’t have any fulfillment. You need to have that stick with it attitude to get through the tough times and know that you’re not the only one who’s going through these issues. Tap into your network get the support that you need and be the change you want to see in the world.

Time: 10:00

Keywords: entrepreneur, business, mindset, motivation, biztips, challenge, entrepreneur rollercoaster, marketing, branding, sales, entrepreneurial lifestyle, entrepreneurship, work-life balance

5 Great Reasons to Rebrand

October 15, 2014 by Debra Kasowski Leave a Comment

“Authentic brands don’t emerge from marketing cubicles or advertising agencies. They emanate from everything the company does…”
― Howard Schultz, Pour Your Heart Into It: How Starbucks Built a Company One Cup at a Time

Your brand is everything from your business card to how you do business. There comes a time when new marketing strategies come into practice. The re-branding process can make you feel like a bundle of nerves and very excited at the same time. For me, it is going to be transformational. A fresh new look – new life.

Years ago, I started “The Millionaire Woman” as an opportunity to help people “live rich from the inside out”. I still continue to believe in the philosophy but something has changed. I have changed. I want to make a bigger difference on a grandeur scale.

I recently completed my Graduate Certificate in Executive Coaching from Royal Roads University in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. Six months of webinars, alumni coaching, pro-bono coaching, and assignments. Our Capstone involved coaching someone in the community in front of an instructor and a handful of peers. It can be a bit nerve racking but for me – coaching makes me feel alive; it is like breathing. Don’t get me wrong – I did get nervous. I did have that negative self-talk – a chirping, but I learned to tune it out. I excelled and completed the program with incredible people from across Canada and parts of the U.S. Something changed – I developed a new vision for where I wanted to go. I continue to love working with the business owners but I knew I needed to branch out, up level, and show up as the person I wish to be at this new level!

There are many reasons to rebrand and share who you are and what you are bringing to the world. Most importantly, it is to stay true to who you are – be authentic.

1. Be Proactive – Keep it Fresh. Either you outgrow your brand or it out grows you. When you look at your logo or your marketing materials, you might feel that they are outdated and you and your business or no longer the same. This growth comes with age and maturity of the business – but no one said you or your business become “old”.

2. Expand Your horizons. It is time to stretch! I challenge people to dream bigger. We tend to limit our own dreams based on our current reality. Sometimes, I even need to be remind myself to dream bigger. When you first started your business, you may have decided to narrow in on your target audience and now you wish to broaden your horizons.

By expanding your horizons and being open to new opportunities, it allows you to prepare for predicted growth.

Often I think of a phrase someone shared with me once, “If Oprah called today, would you be ready.?” Would you be ready for an interview that could potentially change the entire landscape of your business? Do you have the infrastructure to support your growth?

I have expanded my audience to include business owners, professionals, and organizations to reach a global scale.

3. Stand Out from the Crowd. In today’s marketplace, business can get to be a big noisy place.

How do you differentiate your business from your competitor?

What makes people chose your business over someone else?

What keeps people talking about your brand and what you do?

A new logo or branding can help you step out from the crowd.

4. New products, services, or offerings. You may have developed a new program or recently obtained some new education that supports what you currently do. For me, I added a certification in executive coaching even though I had coached many people before without a title. I love hearing how coaching has improve their lives and shifted their daily practices impacting their business growth.

5. Identify your new brand or promise. Your mission and vision may change but chances are your core values with remain the same.

What will your company be doing for others?

Five power words that are a foundation to our promise and the work we deliver:

I am excited for the road ahead.

I know it will be transformational for you and I.

People. Passion. Productivity. Performance. Profits.

Never Be the “Same” Again

September 6, 2012 by Debra Kasowski 7 Comments

As you surf the Internet or go to brick and mortar stores, do you notice that there is a tendency to be a “copycat” or be the”same” as someone else? Do you really want to get out there are get noticed as a credible source or attract more clients? You need to do things differently. You need to do them your way!

Be Unique. Imagine eating macaroni and cheese for breakfast, lunch, and dinner everyday. It may get boring after a while. Liven things up. Find ways in which you can express yourself uniquely in your business. You may have unique marketing methods, customer service, You Tube Videos, or follow up techniques. You need to set yourself a part. People will do business with you because you do things differently.

Provide Value to the People You Serve –“What’s In It For Them? ” Philosophy How can you help others? Write an article providing tips to help others succeed. Is there a great article that you read that could be of value to someone in your network? Let people know you have been thinking of them. It does not have to be only business related. Get to know the person as a person before you get to know there business.

Be an Influencer or Connector. Provide testimonials. Give shout outs on social media to people you have done business with that you have enjoyed working with, who get results, and you would highly recommend. Are there people in your network you could introduce them to or refer them to?

Grow you business by being different!

Do things the ___________(your name goes in the blank) way! You will attract clients and followers just because you are NOT the “same”!

There are many different “flavours” in business – be your own!

Let us know how you set yourself apart and celebrate your uniqueness.