Why do I tell my story about rebranding post-employment ? This is a reality for all . One day you are rolling in the highest office be it private or public but in the next chapter you are on your own . You can easily be fired or may retire involuntarily . Bask in the glory of the season but keep in mind that you will need to have a personal brand that needs to test the tides and storms of growth .
PERSONAL BRANDING
Rebranding Post Employment
By Pauline Warui
You are fired ! These words can be daunting but no one prepares you for the journey ahead . 8 years ago , I was shown the door after a sterling career of over 20 years . It was not only unexpected but in the words of the sages , undeserved . This would send me on a roller coaster of finding answers in a world where rebranding takes center stage in big brands but not at an individual level .
As I left the gates of the main brand that I had identified with for over seven years , I suddenly became a small brand without identity . I remember travelling to another country shortly thereafter and wondering what to fill in the slot of the role I do . It suddenly hit me that in two decades my identity had been defined by others .
In my words , I was scaringly jobless and had to rethink my identity . How do you recreate your standing in society after being in employment for 2 decades ? Why do they only teach about rebranding corporates brands without creating a manual for real early retirement ? This was an early sign that one must review their brand constantly and as you grow the brand you work for , a day into retirement would certainly rob you the office identity . Suddenly , you are the retired chief or army commander . The ignorant will laugh and say that one should not identify with their place of work but this is a great footing for propelling your individual branding .
According to Wikipedia , Re-branding can be defined as ‘ A marketing strategy aimed at taking a change in the name , term , symbol , design , concept or combination thereof , created for an established brand , with the intention of developing a new differentiated identity in the minds of consumers , investors , competitors and other stakeholders ’.
It involves creating a new look and feel , but what happens if it ’ s an individual who has been fast tracked , to get a new identity ?
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Why do I tell my story about rebranding post-employment ? This is a reality for all . One day you are rolling in the highest office be it private or public but in the next chapter you are on your own . You can easily be fired or may retire involuntarily . Bask in the glory of the season but keep in mind that you will need to have a personal brand that needs to test the tides and storms of growth .
The first step is to accept the fact that you are now a new brand . You are no longer associated with nor can you draw your energies from the organization you worked for . You can only draw experience and skills by way of reference . This is a phase that is guided by deep self-awareness and introspection .
Create a clear picture of what you want to do . Are you an expert in a certain field or are you a generalist ? Do you have clarity in what you want to do e . g . go back to employment or do you want to start your little enterprise to stand on your own ? You need to do a lot of research in this stage and understand the brand you want to create and what product is going to power it .
Step out of your experiences after the initial motions and create a personal vision , mission and values for your future . You could be a retiree , new in business or expecting any form of change . If you are currently employed plan for early change despite your performance . The Covid-19 pandemic taught us that you are never ready despite being skilled and doing well . This world has unexpected challenges that one must be ready to face . Be flexible to adapt . The only constant is you .
With your new found freedom , create your own audience leveraging on the networks you made while you were in employment . Establish a company and create a website not losing the fact that most people know you for what you have done in the past . For me , I decided to deep dive into consultancy and training in Customer Experience a skill that I had excelled in .
Create your brand identity by creating the tools of trade . Do you have a website ? Do
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