Does your daughter have a personal brand? I don’t mean her favorite store to shop at, I mean a trademark identity and personality that she leaves like a business card for the world to see. You know, global brand visibility…for your ten year old. Let me back up a step….

Jess Weiner's Actionist® Network brainstorms a new future.

This past weekend I hopped on a plane to Los Angeles to attend a brainstorming session hosted by the luminous Jess Weiner. I was incredibly excited to be part of what Jess called an “organic experiment” to determine if those leading the industry in empowerment and health for women and girls could form a collaborative community. Take a few dozen like minded men and women, inspired stories, amazing accomplishments, and a soaring energy level….you get a very emotional and creative day. Oh yeah, and Amy Poehler. Really.

While we want to keep the details of the discussion within the space it was held, I did want to share something I took away from the event. It brought me back to my days as a high schooler in Student Council. During junior high and high school I had opportunities to partake in leadership training camps and conferences that have served me well many years later. While I sat at my table listening to Jess, I remembered an experience I had as an 8th grader listening to a motivational speaker. (I think the presence of Super Teen Schmiddlebopper helped me recall those days with ease.) This speaker told a story about his high school reunion and the table he sat at among his old friends. Actually, he described two types of tables. Table A talked about all the amazing and crazy things they had done together. Table B’s conversation was a recollection of watching Table A do it all. The speaker then asked which table we would want to be sitting at 20 years from now.

In that moment, my brand was born.

I had been told by my parents all my life that I could do anything. My dad had me playing sports early and learning the stock market before I could write cursive. Hell, my mom was a Gifted and Talented Coordinator, which is like having Successories motivational poster as a parent. I grew up in affluent communities, one of which was home to the uber-brand conscious Kohler Company, an experience that could only be compared to living in a corporate Lake Wobegon, “where all the women are strong, all the men are good looking, and all the children are above average”. (Garrison Keillor)

I made the most of my high school years, my college years, and my 20′s. I didn’t have a lot of the insecurities a lot of girls have growing up because frankly, it didn’t occur to me to be obsessed about my thighs or my nose or the boy three lockers down. I was too busy doing my own thing, building my brand.

Of course, since the time I was fourteen and originally heard the high school reunion table metaphor, there have been a few re-branding initiatives. I am now in my early 30′s, a mother, business owner, and activist with a supportive husband and a passion to turn things around for a our girls and encourage them to take the world as their own. That is my trademark identity, and those who talk with me in real life or over social media know that my personality comes out in about 3 seconds flat.

During the weekend with Jess, one of the things we talked about was “personal brand”. This isn’t a stereotype or category to fit into. It means that success and achievement come from self-definition and self-packaging.

It means authenticity. Transparency. Knowing your target market. Adding value to your community. Creating a footprint. And, most important, Corporate Ethics.

How does this apply to your daughter? Or you, for that matter? Well, it means the same thing that Pigtail Pals’ mission of Redefine Girly means: Define for yourself who you will be in this world. One definition of ‘brand’ reads:

The recognition and perception of a brand is highly influenced by its visual presentation. A brand’s visual identity is the overall look of its communications.

What kind of visual presentation does your daughter give? I don’t mean her style of dress or if she has braces. I mean does she hold her head up and look people in the eye? Does she speak clearly and articulately? Does she know how to give a proper handshake and stand on her own to feet with confidence? These are the kind of things that will influence teachers, scholarship boards, college admissions, mentors, and job interviews.

What about the overall look of her communications? Does she have a supportive and dedicated group of friends? Is she a leader or does she let someone else carve a path for her to follow after? Does she repeat the Fat Talk she hears? Does she respect her body and treat herself in a healthy and caring way? Does she add value to her community? Is she creating her own footprint? How you communicate to your daughter, how she communicates with herself, and how she interacts with her world at young ages will determine how confidently she enters adolescence and adulthood.

What about her credo and corporate ethics? What kind of mission statement would she craft for herself? What is her passion and how does she honor that? Does she conduct herself in a way that shows respect both for herself and your family values and rules? Does she admit when she is wrong and take ownership of her mistakes? Often times life isn’t about being the smartest person in the room, it is about being the most authentic. Authenticity is like a muscle that needs constant strengthening and conditioning — your daughter needs to be taught to be faithful to herself. Always.

Kids are capable of a lot. A lot. Probably more than we give them credit for. If your daughter is very young, engage her with the tools and experiences necessary to create a strong sense of self and a powerful personal brand. If your daughter is a bit older, talk to her about some of the things listed above. A solid handshake, grounded self-esteem, and a core sense of ethics might just be the greatest gifts you can bestow upon your girl.

Jess Weiner and Dr. Robyn Silverman

And Mamas, gut check. Do you need a revamp your personal brand? If so, consider the questions above. Join Jess Weiner’s Actionist® Network for more great inspiration. Click here for info.

{Great post here by Dr. Robyn Silverman and weekend attendee about creating a Confidence Community™ for you and your kids}

Actionists® gather with Jess Weiner

Beautiful Actionists® come together to share and inspire.

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