Rita Balian Allen is the founder and president of Rita B. Allen Associates, an international career management firm specializing in executive coaching, leadership development, management training and career development. She is an authentic approachable leader, a relationship builder who delivers high quality results for her clients. Her mission is to help empower individuals to take charge of their careers and organizations to maximize their talent potential.
Please tell us about yourself, and your company, Rita B. Allen Associates.
I’m Rita Balian Allen, founder and president of Rita B. Allen Associates, a career management firm specializing in executive coaching, leadership development, management training, and career development. I’m passionate about empowering leaders to take charge of their careers and maximize their talent potential. In addition to coaching and consulting, I’m a lecturer, speaker, and author of two books on personal branding and marketing yourself.
You’ve recently written a new book, what is that about?
I’ve recently published Personal Branding and Marketing Yourself: The Companion Workbook. It’s a comprehensive supplement to my first book, but it can also be used as a standalone resource. It offers a wide variety of exercises, worksheets, and activities to assist professionals of all disciplines, levels, and career stages in planning and executing their career management journeys. This book explains my “Three Ps” framework—Preparation, Packaging, and Presentation—to help individuals define, build, and communicate their personal brand effectively. This book is designed to empower professionals to take control of their careers and achieve their goals.
Can you explain the concept of personal branding?
Personal branding is an essential part of owning and managing own’s career. It is about finding, being and staying true to our best authentic self. Identifying our differentiator(s) enables us to make a difference and have impact. Personal branding is all about doing what we do best, being of service to others and genuine in how we show up and are perceived by others.
Who should have a personal brand?
EVERYONE! Regardless of profession, industry, level or stage of career, we all must know our differentiator(s) and be good storytellers, since storytelling is fundamental to building and articulating our personal brand. A personal brand is foundational to managing a successful career for everyone. For leaders, our personal brand and leadership brand are two sides of the same coin.
Why is it important to market yourself?
Who is the best person to advocate for YOU? I would suggest YOU are the best advocate for yourself. We are in a highly demanding, competitive, ever-changing, complex, and multilayered global workplace. Today, more than ever, it is critical that we all know our personal brand and see ourselves as a commodity to be marketed throughout all phases of our careers. We cannot assume doing a job well is enough to advance our careers—we need to market our accomplishments strategically, regularly and organically.
How can small business owners and entrepreneurs benefit from a personal brand?
As a business owner and entrepreneur, most often, you ARE your business! You are marketing yourself just as much as your business. Having a strong sense of self and your differentiator(s) will make you stand out amongst your competition, and that is key to being successful. Building your business plan and strategy must include identifying, building, and enhancing both your personal brand and company brand—independently and collectively.
How do professionals in any industry help develop their careers through a personal brand?
I have learned throughout my many years in this space that there are three commonalities of successful professionals:
- They know what they have to offer, this is their value-add;
- They know what they want, they are goal-oriented; and
- They know how to ask for it, and advocate for themselves effectively.
Knowing our personal brand is foundational to be able to master these three commonalities to lead and manage a successful, rewarding, fulfilling career.
Your book talks about the “Three Ps” framework. Can you give a quick overview of that?
People need tools and resources because they find this whole concept difficult and overwhelming, and don’t know where to start. That is why I wrote my first book on this topic in 2014 and then wrote and published the sequel this month as a ‘Companion Workbook.’ My “Three Ps” marketing technique is a framework I offer to help. It is a cumulative, yet fluid process as follows:
- Preparation – Identify and Define your Personal Brand
- Packaging – Create and Build your Personal Brand
- Presentation – Articulate and Enhance your Personal Brand
My books break these “Three Ps” down in further detail as well as provide activities, exercises, informal assessments and other tools to be a one-stop resource for managing one’s career using my “Three Ps” marketing technique as a guide to career empowerment.
To learn more about my new book, please visit:
https://www.amazon.com/Personal-Branding-Marketing-Yourself-Balian/dp/0991505123/
To learn more about my coaching and consulting services, please visit: https://www.ritaballenassociates.com/services.html
