When was the last time you Googled yourself, your business or even your specific service?
If it’s been awhile, or you’ve never done it before, there’s no time like the present to start cleaning up what’s out there about you.
Why does it matter? Your brand as a service-based professional is you. And yes, you might have a brand for your company, or if you work for one, they have a brand, but at the end of the day, there’s one golden rule: People don’t hire companies. People hire people.
So, if they don’t know that they can trust you, believe you and give you the space and energy you need so that you can give them the time, talent and energy that you have, you’re not going to have the career, business or reputation that you want.
If you Google me by typing “Sheila Wilkinson New Orleans,” I have the first two to five pages of Google. If you Google “Sheila Wilkinson New Orleans Brussels” … the results are less and I have all the pages.
That’s not a coincidence. I’ve done that on purpose.
There is nothing on the internet that I don’t want on the internet attached to my name and the same should go for you and your name.
You have to care about your reputation and your brand.
No, that doesn’t mean you have to be perfect, but it DOES mean you do need to be consistent, honest and as transparent as possible about who you are, what you want and what you stand for.
I want people beating down doors for you, excited because they know exactly what they’re going to get from you:
- The expectations you hold yourself and other people to…
- Your values, mission and vision…
- What you’ll do and what you won’t do…
- Where your line in the sand is…
- That you are going to enforce your own rules, contract and agreement with them…
If you’ve been putting this on the backburner and just focusing solely on your work, thinking that you’ll let your work speak for you, think about how you can also expand that. Think about who you are as a person and who you are with other people. And then let’s make sure that matches what’s said about you in the Google search.
Who you are on the internet should be consistent with who you are as a person and a professional in real life.
Extra Credit
As you go about your day, think about these questions:
- Caring for your wellness and health and showing up for yourself is a direct result of what people experience from you. So when you feel that sense of frustration, aggravation or annoyance, stop, pause and ask yourself:
- Is this an expectation?
- Am I trying to control something that I don’t have control over?
- Am I stressing out about something that doesn’t matter?
- Am I thinking about things that don’t matter?
- Am I trying to prove myself to someone?
Next Steps
Take the plunge. 💦 Sign up for my email list to get notifications on new podcast episodes, free resources, behind the scenes activities, VIP Pre-Public Access, discounts, and more!