The White House Project on Personal Branding

After work on Monday, latte in hand, I climbed the four flights of stairs to The Levo League office near Union Square. The moment I walked in, I felt energized. The space looks more like a posh loft than an office. It's mostly white, filled with ghost chairs, lacquer tables, inspiring posters, and a friendly pup. Monday's event, called Personal Branding Through Strategic Storytelling, was my first Levo League New York City experience. Put simply, it was an inspiring Monday night.

Prior to the event, I was unfamiliar with its sponsor, The White House Project. I soon found out..."The mission of The White House Project is to ignite the leadership of women in business and politics. We connect, coach, and educate an ever-expanding alumnae network of 14,000 nationwide. With a focus on women age 21-35, we activate the ambition, creativity, and skills necessary for innovative and effective leadership."

The workshop was led by Tiffany Dufu and Erica Dhawan. These are ladies that you should know. Tiffany, President of TWHP, has been honored for promoting women's leadership and non-profit fundraising by organizations such as the Huffington Post, Mattel, and the National Council for Research on Women. Erica left a six-figure salary to pursue her passion--researching and inspiring Generation Y leaders. These successful women are filled with stories that exemplify their brands, and they shared tips on how the women in the room could define ours. Here are my top five takeaways:

1. A brand is a conversation people have about you. - Erica helped us understand this point with a quote from Abraham Lincoln: "Character is like a tree and reputation like a shadow. The shadow is what we think of it; the tree is the real thing." You can say who you are and act as you please, but your brand is who others perceive you to be. Be intentional and authentic in what you say and do.
2. Your brand should be consistent in all facets of your life. - I've watched others build a strong brand that either shines through in their career or their personal life, not both. It's important to be consistent. While Erica explained potential barriers to sharing your brand, she taught us to reframe them. For example, if a barrier to sharing your story is a fear of judgement, remind yourself that an honest story is perceived as relatable.
3. A defining story should have a Challenge, Choice, and Outcome. - Brands are shared through storytelling because stories show rather than tell. They build connections. Remember the diagram in high school English class that broke down a plot? When it comes to your brand, a defining story needs a Challenge, Choice, and Outcome. What was the problem? What did you do about it? What was the result? The answers reveal a lot about who you are.
4. Life isn't a competition, it's yours to define. - Some people have difficulty sharing their brand because they think of life as a competition. Honestly, I'm guilty of doing this. I'm a perfectionist that sometimes watches others and thinks I am falling behind. I'm teaching myself to think in terms of what is best for me, rather than what is considered the norm. There is no normal, and if there were, it would be boring.
5. Use the type of language that you hope others will identify with you. - This is my favorite point. To illustrate it, Tiffany told a story about Morgan Stanley's Carla Harris. As a woman on Wall Street, Carla wanted to be perceived as tough, so she started using the word in relation to herself. Tough clients, tough challenges, tough management. One day, while riding the elevator with men that didn't know who she was, Carla overhead them talking about her. They called her tough. Speak about yourself using words that you want associated with your brand.

The entire workshop was two hours long. I seriously could have attended a day-long workshop on the topic. As a followup, I'm planning to dive into Erica's suggested reading: Discover Your CEO Brand and Me 2.0.

P.S. I took an Instagram picture of one of my favorite quotes in my notebook, and TWHP pinned it!