12 Ways to Get on a Board of Directors for Women

12 Ways to Get on a Board of Directors for Women

Jun 20, 2022 | Book Writing

It was not long ago that women on the board of directors was quite rare. Today, over 20% of all directors are women and that number is growing. However, the challenges associated with how to become a board member for women are still quite strong. But there are several methods that can be used in how to get on the board as a woman.

What follows are 12 proven ways to get on a board of directors for women. Of course, not all women are going to succeed, but then again, most men fail as well. By following these methods, you can maximize your chances of becoming a director.

Address the Needs of the Board

If you have found the board that you want to serve as director, then you will need to do the research and find out what areas they need to address. This is normally culled from the directors themselves as they may have plans which cannot be initiated because they lack the knowledge or experience that you might bring. Find out what the board needs and work on becoming an expert in those areas.

“The needs of the people around you should your utmost priority.”
Sunday Adelaja

Become an Authority

Sometimes known as a thought leader, this means specializing in a market segment that board of directors are seeking. And while this is self-promotion, it is most effective in showing your experience and knowledge of important subjects.

Educate Yourself

It’s not about getting the most education, but rather the right education that will be attractive to the board of directors. Getting on the board means that you bring something more than simple experience within the company. Obtaining certification from respected centers such as the Harvard Business School or the National Association of Corporate Directors can only help you reach your goal. 

However, this type of certification can be expensive. So, do not proceed unless it is something that will improve your chances of landing on the board.

Pro Tip

Take advantage of the growing number of female directors and find your niche.

Get to Know the Right People

Whoever said it is not what you know, but who you know was on to something. And while being properly educated and having experience are still essential elements to getting on the board of directors, it greatly helps to know the fundraisers and financial experts that will help make your ascendency to the board possible. This means gaining access to trustee or voluntary positions inside charities that you support. 

Charities are an excellent way to help earn a position on the board of directors. This is because such positions offer excellent experience that help fill the gaps in many boards. You will learn how to assess finances and manage larger projects which is what board members are seeking.

"With the right people, culture, and values, you can accomplish great things."
Tricia Griffith

Go for the Right Board

The goal is not just to sit on any board of directors, it is to join a board that reflects your interests and abilities. This is because boards are looking for those who can directly contribute. 

If you have no general interest or specific knowledge that is useful to a board of directors, then they are most likely not going to hire you. Stick to applying to boards where you can contribute your knowledge and expertise.

Action Item

Identify 10 boards of interest to you.

Leadership Experience

A board of directors leads a company. Therefore, getting more leadership experience is crucial to getting on the board. The most obvious method is to lead projects from within the company, but you can do considerable good by working with non-profits, charities, and other organizations in leadership positions.

Learn from Your Mistakes

Everyone makes mistakes. Those who succeed learn from negative experiences and apply it to their next project. 

After all, everyone on the board of directors has made mistakes from time to time. By learning from your mistakes, you can show both professional and personal growth.

“You don't learn to walk by following rules. You learn by doing, and by falling over.”
Richard Branson

Let People Know

If you do not tell people your goal is to be on the board of directors, then you may not get there. It may seem like bragging or being overly ambitious to tell people what your goals are within the company. 

But the truth is that for many it will not be obvious unless you let people know your ambitions. This doesn’t mean openly campaigning for the position, but by keeping quiet you may get overlooked.

Network

The more people you know, the more likely you can make inroads into the board. Creating a professional network means building up your circle of influence. 

This means expanding your presence not only within the company, but also in the industry. Proper networking can help establish links that will pay benefits as the board considers your qualifications.

Revisit Your Board Bio

A board bio is a highlight reel of your career. What is listed in the bio is what makes you get closer to your goal of getting on the board. This includes your qualifications, experiences, and what makes you different or unique compared to others. 

Your board bio is what makes the first impression, so it needs to be a good one. Plus, you need to write and re-write it frequently to hone its message when sending it to various boards. This will be most helpful in highlighting what they may most appreciate about your attributes.

Search Firms

Understanding how to get on a board as a woman will most likely require contacting executive search firms. There are several highly rated search firms designed to help women reach the board of directors. In addition, you should work through the HR division at your own company and let them know that you are interested in a board position.

Take Advantage of Opportunities

Whatever you can do to gain notice and improve your standing should be part of the plan to get on a board of directors. This may mean volunteering, taking leadership positions, and initiating projects that benefit the company. Keep in mind that its not the work itself that earns you the place on the board, it’s that the board recognizes that you are an asset.

Understanding how to become a board member takes time, effort, patience, and focus. The more you hone your knowledge and experience, the more likely you are to get on a board.

“If a window of opportunity appears, don't pull down the shade.”
Tom Peters

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How to Grow Your Personal Brand on YouTube

How to Grow Your Personal Brand on YouTube

Jun 17, 2022 | Personal Brand

There are many benefits to building your brand on YouTube. A few of them include being able to build truly authentic relationships with your audience and create new followers on a regular basis. If you are seeking to create a brand on YouTube but are not sure how to get started, you want to look here.

Have Clear Vision for Your Content

When you have a channel, you need to make sure that you have a noticeably sharp vision for the kinds of content that you are putting out. You need to think about what your vision is and know what you are going to create. You need to also create content that is interesting and will be valuable to your audience.

“I have a very clear vision as to what I want at the end of my prep, and then I throw it out and let the creative process take over.”
David Boreanaz

Have a Brand Account

You will need to set up a brand account if you want to use the account professionally. That means that you are going to be able to see the way that your audience is interacting with you.

Pro Tip

How To Protect Your Personal Brand: Do This Or Disappear Click this YouTube link

Have a Very Clear Visual Identity

A part of the success as well of your account is going to be making sure that it is very professional and polished. You need to have a logo that is very appealing to your audience and that will ensure that people know what they are seeing the second that they arrive on your page.

Have a Clear Channel Description

The way that potential subscribers are going to be able to find you to begin with is the way that you write your channel description. That means that you need to take the time that is necessary to fill in you are About section. 

You want to have a very brief and clickable description for your account. That means that you want to make sure that you also have done the homework to ensure that you have the right keywords to be successful.

Ensure Your Contact Information is Present

YouTube is all about creating real connections. A part of that means that you need to ensure that your contact information is easy to find and that you do not need to make anyone search for it. 

Take the time as well to connect all your other social channels to the banner so that you are going to be able to share all your information. Some YouTubers go as far as to also share a PO address for fans to send fan mail.

Verify Your Account

You need to take the time to verify your account. This means that you have taken time to show that you are who you say you are. 

One of the keys that is important about that is that you can post videos that are longer than 15 minutes when you have verified your account. You can find out more about how to verify your account by heading to youtube.com/verify.

Pro Tip

Ensure that both your contact information and social media are easy to find and that you do not need to make anyone search for it.

Know Your Competition

A big part of your success as a content creator is also making sure that you know who your competition is. That means that you want to find other creators that are in the same niche as you and look at their channels. 

You then will be able to read all the descriptions as well as watch the content that is being shared. You should think about these questions as well as you are able to share these ideas:

  • What are the kinds of videos that they are posting that are getting the most attention?
  • What keywords are they using that are getting people to use their content?
  • How are they dealing with negative comments?
  • What kinds of editing software are they using?
  • What are they doing to get the attention of people to subscribe?

Have a Consistent Schedule

You need to always think of your channel as a television channel. You want for your subscribers to think about looking for your content. 

The only way that they can do this is to make sure that they know when to look for you. So here is what you should think about.

“The key is not to prioritize what's on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities.”
Stephen Covey
  • A. Always be Consistent: This means that you need to publish on daily or weekly intervals.
  • B. Post Often: If you want to get attention from your audience, you need to make sure that you are posting regularly. A big part of that means that you should be posting multiple times a week. To get prioritized by YouTube, you should be posting at least three or more times a week.
  • C. Always Be Realistic: If you have a schedule that is way too ambitious, you are not going to be able to handle it on a regular basis. You need to ensure that you are always breathing quality content and that you are being honest about how often you can do it.
  • D. Be Flexible: You need to think about the fact that when there is news, people are going to be looking to you. You may have to be ready to hop on and cover topics when it is time.
  • E. Space Out the Content: You never want to publish everything at the same time. YouTube now has a function that will allow you to also schedule things in advance.
  • F. Always Consider Time Zones: When it comes to being successful, you want to post at the time when most of your fans are awake and up. That means that you should always consider when you are posting latest videos and even schedule them to debut when most of your subscribers are online.
  • G. Share Your Posting Schedule: You should let your friends and family know when you are going to post. You should also have a channel trailer. That will allow you to ensure that you have promoted your channel as well as promoted your content.

Have a Content Calendar

You need to take time to create a content calendar. It can be amazingly simple, but you need to think about it as the main plan for all the content you are creating. 

You should think about mapping it out as well for all the channels that you want to create content for. You need to look as well at your calendar on a regular basis.

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What Does Your Car Say About Your Personality?

What Does Your Car Say About Your Personality?

Jun 17, 2022 | Personal Brand

Cars are made to ensure that you stop and stare if you think about a sports car or think about driving something bright. What you are driving is about the kind of attention you are getting and seeking from others.

What Does a Mini Van Say About You?

If you drive a minivan, you will see it is the ultimate mom mobile. The reason for this is it is a way to define yourself by taking care of others. By showing you are dependable and important to others, your car adds value to your story.

“Probably looking at a piece of paper and all the features of a minivan, the minivan is probably the best car in the world.”
Henrik Fisker

Do You Have Ultra Bright Headlights?

If you have headlights that are super bright, one thing is clear, you are putting yourself first. Many of the lights out there have a very bright glow than regular headlights. 

What this means is that there are many people that can see better but they are creating a safety hazard by blinding many of the other drivers. It is important to consider the safety of others as well when you are thinking about getting very bright headlights.

Do You Have a Stick Figure Family on Your Car?

If you have a stick figure family on the back of your car, you may have something there that is dangerous to your family. Although you are proud of your family, you may not be thinking about the fact that these can give criminals an effortless way to target your family. In addition to this, it also comes off as irresponsible to show the dominance of your family over all others to other people.

Pro Tip

Car make and model choice often reflects taste and interests.

Showing a Sports Team Logo on Your Car?

If you have a sports logo on your car, you may be the life of the party. That means that you are wearing a jersey as well. 

It is a wonderful way to ensure that you always feel like you are a part of the crowd. That means that you need to think about your team as the winner on a regular basis, when they are winning, you are winning.

About That Specialized Pick-Up Truck

A pickup truck is always something that is useful. However, if you have an exceptionally large and flashy pickup, you may be looking like you are seeking attention. 

Customized pickup trucks are expensive as well as flashy. Keep this in mind when picking your car.

SUVs And Your Safety

If you have an SUV, you are thinking about the safety of everyone who is in your car. These are used to drag kids everywhere and these are always for someone who is overly concerned about having a very safe option when on the road.

“Precaution is better than cure.”
Edward Coke

What About Political Bumper Stickers?

If you have a political bumper sticker, it should be clear that you are not political. The reason for this is that you are outside of mainstream culture and there are others you are working with to see that you can support the majority. You may also need to invest in anti-car theft devices if you have a politically outspoken bumper sticker.

Action Item

Make sure your car has no political bumper stickers. Be politically neutral.

Exotic Air Fresheners

If you have an exotic air freshener, one thing that should be clear to you is that you care about your personality and position being known. You may wish that you were on the beach, or you may think about being lakeside somewhere. Having a special air freshener means that you may be able to really experience a moment of paradise.

Do You Have a Trunk Full of Trash?

If you have a trunk that is full of junk, other kids of debris and more you are a multitasker. One thing that is clear is that you may be showing others that you are clueless or that you do not care about the way that you are presenting yourself to the world.

What Your Car Says to Others

Choosing a vehicle is particularly important for you to be able to show the world who you are as well as who you are to clients and colleagues. Have you ever gotten in a car to head to a business lunch with a colleague and had them have a disgusting car? There is nothing worse than having to move trash when you have a passenger in the car with you. 

You need to think about the way that it looks to others. It looks like your guests in the car are not a priority and that you cannot manage your business as a professional. When you are choosing a car, you need to think about the way that others will feel in your vehicle and prioritize letting others be comfortable with you. 

If you have kids, you also need to think about their safety and the way that you want to get them to their destinations. When buying a car, it is important to take the factors of what you are portraying to the world into account. You should also realize that your priorities are noticeably clear to others whether you are trying to share that with them or not.

Your car has a place of pride in your life as well as in the life of your family or spouse. Take the time to keep things clean, organized and in tip top condition so that you will be successful in setting the impression with others you seek to. Another thing to consider when it comes to red cars is that they are more likely to be stolen and also to get more tickets. 

The way that you are insuring and presenting yourself to the world. Presenting yourself to the world in a manner that is clean and professional speaks to others about your brand personally and professionally. 

A messy car or one that is not well taken care of says to the world that you also do not care to take care of the investments that others make in you in terms of business. While you may think that is completely not true, these two items line up completely.

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How Can You Ensure That Your Personal Brand Remains Credible?

How Can You Ensure That Your Personal Brand Remains Credible?

Jun 16, 2022 | Personal Brand

What message are you communicating now with your brand? When people think of you, are they thinking about trust and about honesty? Or do your customers not know what to think when they hear your name? 

When you have a noticeably clear and accurate brand, you will see the difference that is made when you are collaborating with your peers and with others, it will make you an expert. When others see you as an expert, you will very quickly be seen as the go-to choice over time. When you are building a wonderful long-term reputation, it will help you to ensure that you are always going to bring in new customers.

You need to have a noticeably clear plan to maintain your credibility. Here is what you need to do:

Always Do What You Say You Will

You must ensure that you are always doing what you say you will if you want to be seen as honest always. You will not be able to show yourself as a credible leader all the time if you are not walking the walk and talking the talk. 

You need to ensure that you are going to run your business and your personal life in the way that you say you will. That means that you are going to need to ensure that you are always able to be very genuine and honest to ensure that there are no issues with your brand.

“Consistently doing what you say you will do is the foundation of integrity.”
Skip Prichard

Use Your social media

Using social media by marketers has become a way to ensure that you are able to create all kinds of brand awareness as well as to share your brand online. Social media is a wonderful way to allow you to share your image with many leaders who are in your industry. 

Being on social media is not enough though in and of itself. You need to think about the way that you interact with social media to be successful in the long term, with social media. Here are a few tips.

  • Always post consistently to ensure that you have kept your audience engaged.
  • Have a blog post that is professionally researched and that is highly informative.
  • Use guest posters to ensure that you can spice up your content.
  • Work with your followers to always engage and answer their questions.
  • Share your learning experiences with your audience.

Always Speak as Much as Possible

Regardless of your industry, you need to ensure that you can speak in front of people. There are many experts out there that have lost the art of being able to speak to others and they have stopped sharing their knowledge with the world. Regardless of whether you are speaking on a regular basis, or you have just penned your first book, you need to get used to speaking and be ready to go so whenever necessary. 

That means that when you are giving speeches and presentations, you need to ensure that you can practice on a regular basis. You need to start small and talk about things you like. When you do this, you are going to have many low-risk chances to improve the way that you speak and the way that you engage. 

People are going to be looking to you for your opinion on many distinct kinds of topics, you need to be ready to speak at the drop of a hat. Make sure you are honing your skills and getting comfortable with a podcast appearance or two as well.

Pro Tip

People will always buy from the most trusted brands.

Always Work on Your Content Strategy

When it comes to providing excellent content, you should be sharing how to videos, infographics, news content, eBooks, and more. When you are sharing informative content with your audience, you are going to share your voice as one of expertise and ensure that you have people that are coming back to you on a regular basis. You are going to create a strategy for selling your brand. 

You want to think about ways you can create content and think about how to solve small life issues for your audience. When someone shares an issue that they are having, you can take this and turn it into a small piece of content, that also means that you may be able to convince your client to turn this into a video testimonial for you. 

There are many things that you need to think about when you are creating your marketing plan, one of the most important ones though is that you need to be creating content you are enthusiastic about and that is solving problems for your audience.

Action Item

Make sure your brand is interesting and simple.

Leveraging Partnerships

When it comes to one of the best ways to build a brand you want to do so through partnerships. You will go much farther with a partner than you will by yourself, this is simply the truth. Working with other influencers, other affiliates, and others who are going to be able to help you really take your message to the next level is critical for the success of your business as well as for the success of your brand. 

When you work with others that are industry leaders, you will find that you can promote their products and they can promote yours. In addition to that, there are many ways to ensure that you can create something of value through your partnering.

Talk About What You Know

One of the most important things that you can do in your career is to make sure that you are talking about what you know. Leaders are always the best teachers and the best masters. 

Every head was also always once a student and that is especially important for the long-term success of every venture. Take the time that is required to make sure that you can feel comfortable with your success and that of your partnership.

“Knowledge is power. Information is liberating. Education is the premise of progress, in every society, in every family.”
Kofi Annan

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What Is McDonald’s Brand Personality?

What Is McDonald’s Brand Personality?

Jun 16, 2022 | Personal Brand

McDonald’s is one of the most known brands in the world. McDonald’s was founded in California in 1940. The concept started off as a hamburger stand and grew from there, the stand became a franchise in 1955 and quickly became one of the most successful restaurants out there. 

McDonald’s is known for hamburgers, cheeseburgers, and more. The company has many other healthy options as well that have been added. 

McDonald’s is the second largest employer in the world as well behind Walmart. McDonald’s is also considered to be one of the largest valuations in the business.

What Resonates with McDonald’s Customers?

McDonald’s is known as a conventional restaurant. The main reason for that is that they have very predictable products as well as there is a very traditional and expected environment. 

McDonald’s has come to represent a brand that resonates with customers and brings back childhood memories. As a restaurant and a concept, it is one that has always been present for the lives of most customers.

“All I know is that when I needed McDonald’s, McDonald’s was there for me.”
James Franco

What Resonates in Terms of Precision in the Brand?

McDonald’s always has been very precise in terms of providing the best service for many years. The restaurant has a noticeably clear process for its franchise structure and operations. 

The main reason for this is that there is one location where they can buy supplies as well as place that they send all the franchisees to learn the McDonald’s way. By having very exacting standards, McDonalds has worked to ensure that they protect their brand and that they provide precise taste and care every time.

What About the Seriousness of the Brand?

McDonald’s has always been known for their simplicity and consistency. There are many takes on the restaurant concept with McDonald’s. The company offers many different local menus to work and to appeal to their regional areas. 

The company has locations in every country in the world. McDonald’s has many different items and are always introducing new ones. Every person knows the brown bag and the logo.

Pro Tip

McDonald’s can be characterized as pleasing. It communicates likeability and invites use in a fun way.

The logo is one of the most well known in the world. The menu itself has been streamlined to ensure that there are no more than two hundred items that are on it. 

McDonald’s has worked to ensure that there are many ways to make the food much healthier. That includes getting rid of many of the artificial preservatives and finding ways to make things tasty.

What About All of the Different Kinds of Menus?

McDonalds has many distinct categories in different areas. In Asia for example, there are many locations that serve soup. The menu also works extremely hard to make sure that they are abiding by the local standards. 

Some of the most popular options include the McRice in Indonesia and the sale of the Prawn Burder in Japan. In Germany and in western Europe, there are many locations that sell meat pies and beer. There are many local favorites that have been on the menu since the 1990’s.

What International Dominance Does the Brand Have?

There are over 36,000 locations in the world. In addition to that, in the USA there are over 14,000. Japan has the second largest amount of McDonald’s locations. 

There are also many distinct kinds of restaurants out there. There are some that are standalone, and some that offer drive through. There are also many others out there are a combination of these various kinds.

Action Item

Always get your inspiration from the popular brands.

There are McDrive restaurants all over the USA which have no seats and have no counters in them. These are restaurants that are normally in rural areas. 

There are some locations in exceptionally large cities that do not have any drive-in service at all. There are some that have a walk thru set up which has been created in place of the Drive Thru.

What is a McCafé?

McCafé is a new kind of restaurant that is a café style. This was added first in Australia in 1993 and there are many locations that have them inside of the original restaurant now. When McCafé’s have been added into the mix of the more traditional restaurant it is into uncommon for there to be an increase in sales of about 60%.

What is a “Create Your Taste” Restaurant?

This is a new concept that has only been around since about 2015-2016 and in that time, it has focused on creating a new gourmet experience for the customer. This kind of restaurant has been extremely popular in Asia and allows for there to be kiosks that have been installed so that it is possible for the customer to really make their experience their own. There are also Signature recipes that are only made by McDonalds in these locations.

McDonalds has other locations which have been added as well to smaller locations that are not large enough to support traditional full-scale restaurants. A few of these include gas stations as well as truck stops and others. There are locations in the UK that have drive thrus as well that are in gas stations that are called McExpress and these offer opportunities for customers to pull thru and get the food they love.

“I like first class, but I don't like first class people - I prefer the people in coach. I like fine restaurants, but prefer the taste of McDonalds. I like to be perfect, but I don't like perfection - I think it's dangerous. There is nothing after perfection. I know, I am a walking contradiction.”
Alber Elbaz

The Brand Redesigned

In 2006, the brand decided that they were going to change their look and that they were going to update it for more recent times. The buildings were shifted from their more traditional look to a sunnier look. That meant that there were new hues that were used as well as there was less plastic that was a part of the establishment. 

Customers were meant to feel more at home and to ensure that they were able to really be a part of things. That meant that there were flat roofs as well as further details that were added to all their restaurants all over the world. McDonalds as a brand has been one of the most successful in the entire world in terms of constant evolving and being able to keep up with the times.

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