Who are you to everyone else?

A girlfriend of mine is launching a new part of her business.  So, I have been on her website a lot in the past few days.  Today when I visited her site something really struck me.  This isn't new information.  This is the business I have been in for nearly the last decade.  But, there was an ah ha moment this morning.

The homepage of Harris-Barnes Consulting (my girlfriends business) talks about personal branding.  Now, that may sound all corporatey but, is it really?  Think about this....when you see a billboard with this logo, you don't even have to think.  Coca Cola has spent decades building their brand.  They have consistently used the same color red and the same font for their letters.  Even if someone uses the color and font as a spoof, you get that it is a take-off from Coke.

Well, people are the same way.  We do things over and over and become known for them.  I used to go into Starbuck's every single morning and order the same thing.  As soon as Brad (favorite barista) saw me enter the drive-through he started my coffee.  I never changed my order and if I drove a different car, it through him off.  Every morning he would comment on what I was wearing or my hair-do (which was often different).  Not very often, but, once in awhile I would show up in sweats with no make-up.  Almost every time Brad would ask me if I was okay.  I had built a brand without even knowing it.

That's where the ah ha comes in.  We all have a brand.  Whether we consciously built it or not we communicate a message every single day about who we are.  We also create a persona for people in our heads all day, every day based on how they present themselves. 

This is something that Mark and I are working hard to teach the boys.  As Murphy is going to football camps this summer, working to impress coaches with his skills; we are teaching him that other judgements will be made as well.  He appearance, his bag (not letting crap fall out every time he opens it) and his skills will all play a part in what they think of him.  

You may not like that these things make a difference.  You may choose to buck the system and not care about things like appearance.  I've gone through some changes in how I present myself over the past year.  All of the changes in my lifestyle have made me a lot more casual and less thoughtful about how I look.  I am grateful for the reminder today.  

 Sonya Barnes, CEO of Harris & Barnes, Inc, is a  member of the Association of Image Consultants International. She has received industry training by the world’s leading Image Masters in style development and image branding. With strong leadership skills she is known as the “go-to” consultant for many of her peers, and often sought out to speak to many private and public organizations providing world class workshops and seminars on visual appearance, verbal and non-verbal communications worldwide.

Her client list includes Fortune 100 Companies such as General Electric, Bank of America, Hyatt Hotels, and Wells Fargo and expanded globally extending her client base to Asia, to Singapore, Vietnam and Hong Kong teaching the business of image and brand strategy. 

She is a founding member of the Atlanta Chapter of AICI (Association of Image Consultants International) where she held executive board positions including President of Atlanta Chapter. 

In 2008 she was appointed to the AICI International Board as VP of Education, overseeing the education aspects of her trade association. In addition, she received her CIP, Certified Image Professional for which less than 200 consultants are designated worldwide.

She presides as Master Trainer at the world-renowned London Image Institute based in Atlanta, GA and has partnered with the Academy of Image Mastery, Singapore, Singapore teaching advanced communications in image and brand strategy.

Sonya is a recent member of Women Executives, Charlotte and the Greater Charlotte Chamber of Commerce where she was awarded one of Six Generations of Innovators in 2008. She has served as a board member for the Advisory Council of the Art Institute and is a former member of the National Association of Women Business Owners. Sonya is also an alumna of Leadership Charlotte currently serving on the Executive Board. 

 She is a graduate of University of Colorado and currently resides in Charlotte, NC where she remains active in community leadership roles with American Heart Association, JDRF and the arts community. 

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