Robert Woodford’s Post

Substance over show. Reflecting on my past experiences, I've realized that I often did things just to brag and look important in public. I would meet people and network—not for genuine connections—but to post about it on social media so friends, family, and others could see how "big" I'd become. But that was fake; it didn't help. There was no substance behind it. I didn't actually build meaningful connections; I focused more on PR than anything else. This behavior extended beyond networking to my projects as well—numerous instances of bragging without real progress to back it up. I'm not saying we shouldn't promote ourselves or build our personal brands, but it shouldn't be our first priority. We shouldn't put emotions over practicality. As I mentioned in a post a few days ago, you don't want to prioritize your emotional life over your material life. This is an example of putting emotions ahead of the actual substance that makes things happen. So, that's what I've learned: focus more on practicality. I'm not going to stop promoting myself, but I now understand that substance is the most important thing. It's more long-term—you don't get immediate dopamine hits from it—but it's something you need to do.

If you must blow, you must be loud💣🎇📢 I used to be someone who believed that the spotlight wasn't my thing. But then, I discovered that when you are behind the curtains, you search for opportunities and in the spotlight, opportunities find you, (if you know me well, you'd know I love "soft life" so I decided to get loud😏). Some people think they can just quietly “do their thing” and somehow, magically, everyone will know how awesome they are. Sadly, life doesn't "happen" that way. Here's the deal however, you don’t have to scream at the top of your lungs to build a personal brand, but you do need to speak up. People should know who you are and what you stand for, both online and offline. Be loud enough offline that when people see what you hear online, they agree with you 💯. This right here about trust. Build your personal brand around truth. Great names like Jasmin Alić, Katie A., didn’t get noticed by hiding in a corner—they shared their knowledge consistently, engaged with others, and built trust. It wasn’t about being too loud, it was about being present. At the end of the day, people trust those they know and can relate to. So, if you’re trying to blow, be just loud enough for the right people to hear. That's exactly what I'm doing here 😏. 😄 Whether you’re an introvert or extrovert, personal branding is essential—just find your balance. ______________________________________________ Welcome to a new week fellow LinkedIn staff 🤝😂, this is a wake up call to some of you who haven't shared anything in a while, we're waiting. LET'S GET LOUD in the comments together. Enjoy this week my friend. #Personalbranding #Bevisible #Trustandvalue

Unpopular opinion: People do care about what you say and do. Especially prospects. I hear people say “In reality nobody actually cares what you do and say” Wrong. This is all apart of your personal brand, if you have that attitude, don’t expect clients to land at your feet. As someone who’s been in the game of growing a brand for a while, I know first hand that every interaction matters. What I say, how I position myself, to the coffee chats, how you act on socials, matters. Start closely paying attention to your actions, people watch.

'I would have still known that this email came from you even without seeing the sender’s name.' 'It just sounds like you, like how you would speak if we were having a conversation.' said my colleague. Honestly, I was flattered, and I think I couldn’t stop myself from blushing as this was said to me (I just hope I didn’t overdo it). Then came the afternoon, and boy, I was tired and beat from the day’s activities. ‘Hello Stephaniiieeee!’ ‘Hey,’ I responded, the tiredness in my voice being so evident. ‘How come you are sounding so low? This is so unlike you. I even have more energy than you do, which is unusual.’ He commented. ‘I’m just tired. It’s been a long day,’ I responded. These are two unique experiences that I coincidentally encountered within a day, and they brought out an important lesson for me. 📌 Do people recognize you in a certain way that makes you stand out? Leverage this, it could be what sets you apart. 📌 How do you align your personal and professional brand? I believe when you are authentic, there will be very little to hide. Say, if you are naturally a reserved person with your friends and neighbors, I genuinely don’t expect you to be the loudest in the room at work. 📌 How do people identify you, and is this how you wish to be identified? Now, over to you. Think about it and act on this. #personalbranding #professionalbranding #apersonalperspective #branding

Think Before You Post! Often, we vent our frustrations about relationships, workplaces, other races, or genders on social media. In the moment, it might feel brave or right. But before hitting "post," consider the impact it may have on others and yourself. I've seen people’s past and current posts, made in youthful indiscretion, come back to haunt them. Here's my advice: if your content is offensive, or could damage your reputation, your company’s, your church’s, or your family’s—don’t post it. Control your emotions. Take a break before you post. Revisit your text or video later. Ask yourself, "Will this have a negative or positive impact on me or others now or in the future?" Remember, we are all brand ambassadors—representing ourselves, our organizations, our churches, schools, and families. Freedom of speech is important, but how we exercise it matters. Words can be a powerful weapons; they can destroy or uplift. Think twice before you post. Don’t let your opinions come back to bite you.

“Just show your face more. That’s how you get people to trust you and build a personal brand” – Random Personal Brand Guru and other dabblers. Erm… no. While I’ll concede that showing your face online is good if you want your followers to put a visage to the skills, overdoing it, AKA: sharing a selfie or a photo with your every post, is overkill. Especially if your point is to bank on the biological impulse of people that equate trust and familiarity. You know who thinks like that? Politicians. Come campaign time, they show their face on TV and social media a lot more than usual, in a bid to be “relatable”. Tell me, does your trust factor increase each time you see them? Or, like a sane person, you trust someone based on their words and follow-up actions? If you trust them based on the frequency of seeing their face… marketing and writing you’re not gonna get from me, #CharlieWednesday. And I really hope we’re not voting in the same country come election time. Look, I’m not dissing biology. But it’s also biology that effed us big time. Here’s how: - You see a bodacious babe or a strapping lad walking down the street. Do you immediately jump their bones? You don’t… at least I hope you don’t. - You’re giving a speech, and you get the old flight or fight response. It’s like you’re facing a sabretooth, but really, it’s just your ten years class reunion. See… sometimes we overstep biology. And it’s a really cool thing we’ve evolved past it. Used to be that a familiar face was a refuge and a part of your tribe. Not anymore, especially when that familiar and friendly face is trying to sell something to you. For God’s sake, it’s time you developed critical thinking. If anything, I grow quite suspicious when I see someone loading the selfie machine gun on their LinkedIn profile. And if you absolutely must do it, at least stop calling it Personal Branding. It’s just a serious case of biology impulse milking. And I’d rather not be milked on social media. I think I deserve more. The people I work with also believe that. 

What do Sherlock Holmes and introverts have in common? More than you think!🌺 Guess what? Introverts have a superpower when it comes to personal branding. Here's why: 🌺Natural Listeners: You’ve got the Sherlock Holmes of listening skills. You catch details others miss! 🌺Self-Aware: You know yourself better than anyone else. And that's a branding goldmine. 🌺Thoughtful: You don’t just speak; you think first. Your words have weight and wisdom. Personal branding made easy with these superpowers! Now, here's a hack: The Introvert's Personal Branding Hack: 💓Share Your Personal Journey: Start with a story. Maybe about the time you talked to a plant at a party because it was less awkward. (We've all been there!) 💓Be a Storyteller: Talk about your first big win, like that time you finally found the courage to ask for extra guac without sweating. 💓Use Your Writing as Your Voice: Writing is your secret weapon. Your pen or keyboard is mightier than the loudest voice in the room. So, use your introvert strengths and let your unique personality show in your personal brand! And remember... Introverts, unite separately in your own homes! P.S.Do introverts have a branding playbook we don't know about? 🤔 #personalbranding #linkedinfam #waytosuccess #personalbrandinggrowth #introvertssecret

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗮𝗰𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗲𝗻𝘁 I was messaging my good friend Piers Clough about personal brand this morning (he didn't ask, I just don't have anything else to talk about). Now, he's a very smart and talented man. He's a gifted musician and a confident performer (we lived together for two years at University, so I've been subjected to more than my fair share of 'Clough originals'). Yet, despite this, he, like so many other smart people - and, in his case, a pretty self-assured one - he was uncomfortable thinking about his personal brand. This is a very, very common problem with smart, capable people. I have some version of this conversation daily with some of the most brilliant professionals I've ever met. Highly accomplished, capable and decent humans who either fail to recognise the nature of their achievements or feel awkward telling people about them. I call it '𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘲𝘶𝘢𝘤𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘵'. In the modern professional services marketplace, people must find ways past this. If you don't acknowledge and promote your skills and impact, it's much harder for others to appreciate them. Building your personal brand leads to a strong market presence and contributes enormously to professional success. It seems so obvious, so why do so many smart people struggle? It's your brand, if you don't own it then who does? (A second-hand, well-worn Metallica t-shirt for the first person to say 'imposter syndrome'!) #marketing #digitalmarketing #personalbranding  

"She's a bit like Mary Poppins but without the sugar" ☂ I think that's a compliment? 🤔 Isn't it??? 😯 This lovely little comment is one of about 8 bazillion soundbites that have emerged from having 3 client case studies created by the lovely Lucy Jackman at Comma Sense. I'm taking it to mean that I'm incredibly wise & resourceful, always supportive and encouraging, but a bit of a bossy boots when needed! 😂 Lucy interviewed 3 of my long-standing clients and then turned their conversations into some fabulous testimonials for me. And it's fair to say that my clients have said much better things about me than I'd ever have the nerve to say myself. Because, let's be honest, bigging yourself up is cringeworthy and seriously hard to get right isn't it? 'Must sound fabulous without sounding like an arse!' 🤦♀️ As well as giving me lots of lovely snippets for my marketing, it's been a great exercise to really get under the skin of how it feels to work with me. And that's super helpful. Have you ever asked clients for this kind of feedback? What kind of things have the said, or do you think they'd say if you asked? #businesscoach #testimonials #clientresults #taylorytips

Feeling like self-promotion is bragging? You’re not alone, and it’s time to change that mindset! → Many professionals hesitate to promote themselves, worrying they’ll come across as boastful. → The truth? Self-promotion, when done right, is about showcasing the VALUE you bring to others. → Want to learn how to build a personal brand that feels authentic? Swipe through for tips! ✓Afraid of Promoting Yourself? You’re Not Alone! ✓The Fear is Real ✓Change How You Think ✓Focus on Helping, Not Just Talking About Yourself ✓Be Yourself ✓Start Conversations ✓It’s Time to Be Seen! If you're ready to build a personal brand that feels real and confident, let’s chat! 💼 → P.S. Remember, sharing your value can inspire others—don’t let fear hold you back!