Do You Shine A Light On Your Business?

In the wee early morning of March 20th, I was conversing with a hospice nurse when she said to me, “What’s your full name?” I said, “Tracy Chamberlain Higginbotham.” She said, “I know you! I attended your annual Retreat a number of years ago. It really inspired me.” For five days the hospice nurses thought I was Tracy Chamberlain, since my stepmother’s name was JB Chamberlain. There I was with limited makeup on, rustled hair from sleeping in a chair and donning athletic clothes but my “words of wisdom” rang a bell with her after speaking to me for a couple days and seeing the way I treated my siblings.

“Well that’s amazing,” I said to her in disbelief. She continued, “I loved that event. I really loved that you bring women together from all over the state to be inspired.” I said, “I can’t believe you know me and have been to one of my programs, how serendipitous!” I was shocked this woman knew what I did professionally since she only knew me as the oldest of 8 children visiting our mother during her last days on earth. I wasn’t dressing professional or sharing what I did for a living; but she “saw” me through my words and actions.

Major companies crave brand recognition. They spend thousands of dollars to create the best tagline, institute online advertisements and buy billboards hoping someone will remember their name and services or benefits they provide. Paid marketing can be an essential part of promotion of an enterprise, but I learned last week, so can your personality and presence. For millions of solo entrepreneurs and small business owners, the CEO is the brand, carrying her company into the public everywhere she goes.

Today’s Wednesday Wisdom is a simple and short one for your contemplation, “Would someone meeting you in unfamiliar circumstances remember what you do for a living and know what your company stands for?” Do you elude the same persona in public as you do in corporate settings? How important is it to you that your corporate brand is recognizable by your personal actions? We don’t have to spend major money to brand our company if as its leader we represent it in our daily lives.