In the short time that I have worked for the Jabs School of Business I quickly learned that we are not a typical management school. We are a school that is focused on bridging and defining student and community opportunities that demonstrate not only what it means to pursue God’s calling in our lives but also to do so within the marketplace. One of the best ways that we do this is through our Faith and Enterprise lecture series where we invite external business leaders to our campus to share about both their career stories and faith journeys with our students. As you may have already realized the marketplace is changing and the way we brand and market ourselves is adapting because “marketing is no longer about the stuff that you make, but about the stories that you tell.”[1] Therefore, we strongly believe in the power of storytelling that comes from our Faith and Enterprise series.
This semester our keynote speaker for Faith and Enterprise was 3x Olympic Gold Medalist for the Women’s USA softball team, Leah O’Brien-Amico, who now formally introduces herself as first-most a child of the Lord, a loving wife, and a proud mother of three.
After retiring from the field, Leah combined her passion for softball and love for storytelling and is now a motivational speaker, a softball analyst for ESPN, and a softball camp instructor for clinics around the world. What do all of these positions have in common? Personal branding. This was the theme of Leah’s presentation as she encouraged students to stay true to who they are as believers because “no matter what we’re doing, no matter what business we’re entering, no matter what company you run someday, God wants to be at the heart of it.”
Personal branding is not about the company or the product that is being represented, “it’s about putting your stamp on the value you deliver to others.”[2] Leah encouraged students to find their mark, or with this context their stamp, even if they struggle along the way. She emphasized that the value that we deliver, no matter what our current role is, cannot increase if we don’t keep trying after failing. As she shared her experiences of failing it became clear to the audience that those moments didn’t define her because she continued to build her personal brand from those moments, all with Christ in the center. 
If you are looking to improve your personal brand, FORBES offers a few tangible steps…
“Here are five ways you can be on the front foot of strengthening your personal brand within your organization and beyond.”[3]
- Say yes to relevant opportunities
- Speak at a conference
- Ask one question at every conference you attend
- Network internally beyond your immediate team
- Share your voice with influencers
As Leah shared this with our students I would also like to end by encouraging you with her words:
“At the end of the day, you can inspire people all you want, but without Jesus Christ it ends up being meaningless. When He’s at the heart of it, it changes lives forever.”
At the Jabs School we hope to help be a part of changing lives forever through our commitment to both faith and enterprise.
P.S. if you are interested in purchasing Leah’s 1st published daily devotional, please click here
Passionate World Changer,
Megan Turner
Client Relations & Internship Specialist
Jabs School of Business
References:
[1] https://www.customfitonline.com/news/2017/2/7/brand-storytelling/
[2] https://www.cakeresume.com/resources/best-personal-branding-quotes?locale=en
[3] https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.forbes.com/sites/josephliu/2018/04/30/personal-brand-work/amp/
Banner Photo From: https://jive.com/resources/blog/personal-brand-company-brand/