#14 Aug 30, 23

Frances Reimers on Igniting Your Personal Brand Authentically - Chief Influencer - Episode # 014

Frances Reimers is the Founder and CEO of Firestarter Communications LLC and is a personal branding expert. Frances has helped some of the country’s leading high school, collegiate, and professional athletes, coaches, and sports executives develop, manage, enhance, and protect their brands. Among those that Frances has helped are the Denver Nuggets, Las Vegas Raiders, Washington Commanders, San Francisco 49ers. Frances joins Host Anthony Shop to discuss how to build a personal brand that is authentically you, why experimenting with different platforms and formats is important, and how to build stronger relationships through digital channels.

Takeaways:

When developing your personal brand, it’s more important to be authentic than it is to be perfect. Imperfect yet genuine content resonates more with audiences. Don’t let perfection become a roadblock to getting started.
Similarly, building an authentic personal brand doesn’t require grand actions or carefully organized campaigns. The important part is to geter started by taking small actions to build your personal brand and experiment with new content or platforms to expand your reach.
Implement a weekly practice of reconnecting with three people you haven't spoken to in six months or more to maintain and strengthen relationships. For example, every Monday morning, Frances sends three LinkedIn messages to stay in touch with people she hasn’t heard from in a while.
No matter what industry you work in or what level you are at, you should leverage LinkedInas a platform to showcase your personall brand and engage with industry-related content to foster connections with your peers.
Different cohorts of people respond differently to certain content formats. As you build your brand, try to experiment with different types of content and platforms to engage your audience and stay relevant.
If you're a leader, empower and mentor young talents by sharing your knowledge and insights to help them build their personal brands and navigate their careers effectively.
Recognize the power of YouTube as a platform to share valuable insights, stories, and expertise, and consider incorporating video content into your strategy.

Quote of the Show:

"Personal branding has evolved over the past decade. Once upon a time, the leader was behind the corporate brand, and now I truly think the leader can step out in front …and lead the corporate brand." - Frances Reimers

Links:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/francesreimers/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/yourfirestarter
Firestarter Communications LLC website: https://www.yourfirestarter.com/

Episode Video

Creators and Guests

Host

Anthony Shop

Anthony Shop believes in the power of people-centered branding and marketing to create a bright future. He chairs the National Digital Roundtable, the premier convener of digital innovators, leaders and policy shapers. Anthony also is the Co-Founder and Chief Strategy Officer of Social Driver, a digital services firm that helps companies and non-profits establish winning strategies with social media, websites, creative, and advertising. An enthusiastic presenter and teacher, he has led executive-level training for Amazon, PepsiCo, NASA, The British Embassy and the Bipartisan Policy Center. He has been recognized as an “OUTstanding LGBT Role Model” by The Financial Times, “40 Under 40” by The Washington Business Journal, and Business Leader of the Year by the DC Chamber of Commerce. A former newspaper reporter, Anthony was the first new media professional elected to the National Press Club’s Board of Governors. He currently serves on the boards of Leadership Greater Washington and LearnServe International. He earned his MBA from The George Washington University School of Business, where he teaches as an adjunct lecturer.

Guest

Frances Reimers

Producer

Robert Krueger

Robert is an Executive Director for The Communications Board, an organization with the mission of providing high-quality professional development for every communicator in every location. He is also the Global Lead for Partnership Communications at Gensler, the world’s largest architecture and design firm. Prior to his current role, he performed executive and CEO communications for Gensler, and was the senior director of public relations and social media at the Urban Land Institute. He obtained an MA in Communications and an MA in History from George Mason University. He did his undergraduate studies at the University of Missouri-Columbia. In addition, Robert has taught communications at universities including George Mason University, West Virginia University, and the University of Florida. Robert currently serves as Immediate-Past President for the Public Relations Society of America’s National Capital Chapter (PRSA-NCC) -- the nonprofit’s largest chapter.