How do you "show up"​ before you enter a room?

I am thankful, every day, for the opportunity I have to earn a Ph.D. from William & Mary. In the pursuit of this degree, I have had the opportunity to take courses that have truly inspired me to look outward (and inward) and become a better practitioner and person. Currently, I am taking a course called Branding in Higher Education, and it is brimming with insights that have helped me not only in my career but also in my role as a career coach. Here are two thoughts that may not be revolutionary, but have influenced me to be better, lately:

Whether you like it or not, you have a brand. While many in the academy have (historically) considered business and higher education separate entities, I firmly believe that they are inextricably linked and that the business side of higher education affords the academic and research sides the ability to carry out their crucial work. Though many confuse branding with marketing, which is the art of pointing out why people should engage with you, it is a lot more intimate of a concept. Ashley Friedlien describes a brand as the “sum total of how someone perceives a particular organization.” This can also be applied to interpersonal relationships because if someone knows of you, you have a brand to them. No matter how large or small the attention paid to you is, you have a presence that can be modified or altered to improve or diminish perceptions about you.

A brand is like an orchid. I believe that others have also struggled to keep an orchid alive. This fickle plant requires a delicate mixture of sunlight and moisture to thrive. I have had many other potted plants that I have forgotten to water (or overwatered), and they still seem to have the resilience to bounce back. Orchids are more like brands. Organizations and people that do not pay careful attention to how they care for their brand may be fine for a short time, but in the long run, the brand will diminish and suffer from the lack of nurturing. Brands can be wilted by acting “out of character,” or by failing to understand that to communicate effectively, the most important person in a conversation is the other person. Just as campaigns that force inauthentic brand actions are quickly laughed out of existence, a person who fails to “walk the talk” will quickly be deemed inauthentic and unworthy of attention.

Of course, there is a level of humanity at play, and we do afford people the grace to have off-days, but this does not excuse acting “out of character” as a norm in your behavior. Perhaps the most important action we can take is thought… thought about how this action will be perceived by others. Life is a game of chess – reckless moves can result in lucky captures, however, a thoughtful strategy will always be more effective in the end.

A big shout out to Dr. Jeff Papa, who teaches the course I'm referring to... and encourages students to connect with professionals and nurture their brand every day!