PHIL:

I wanna have a pro personal brand.

PHIL:

Have a pro personal brand.

PHIL:

Phil Pallen come on the show to show us how to have a pro personal personal brand.

IAN:

Welcome to episode 197 of the Comfort Live Marketing Show.

PHIL:

Nowadays, we juggle two versions of ourselves.

PHIL:

That in-person experience and what's becoming everyday more important,

PHIL:

the online version of ourselves.

PHIL:

So branding is really achieving consistency between those two experiences.

IAN:

In today's episode, we're talking about how you can create

IAN:

a professional personal brand.

IAN:

I've got my good friend, Phil Pallen on the show to talk about this.

IAN:

Let's get on with it just after this.

IAN:

Well, hello, hello, hello.

IAN:

Welcome to the show, episode 197.

IAN:

This is the show that helps you level up your impact, authority, and profits

IAN:

through Confident Live video broadcasting on Facebook, YouTube, and LinkedIn.

IAN:

And of course, this is a podcast that comes out every single Friday.

IAN:

If you haven't come across the podcast, then please do go to iag.me/podcast.

IAN:

Well, just before I bring in my special guest today, just a

IAN:

few little housekeeping things.

IAN:

We are coming up to episode 200.

IAN:

I've been doing a lot of thinking about what we're going to do for episode 200,

IAN:

and basically I'm going to be relaunching this show and this podcast, going

IAN:

to be doing some really cool things.

IAN:

I'm actually going to be doing a bit of rebranding as well, so I might be picking

IAN:

Phil's ears, or Phil's thoughts on this.

IAN:

Phil's ears?

IAN:

I don't know why I said that.

IAN:

Phil's thoughts.

IAN:

That's what you do.

IAN:

You pick people's brains.

IAN:

Oh, it's one of those days.

IAN:

My brain's not working.

IAN:

So, I'm thinking I might have a little bit of a gap of maybe two or three

IAN:

weeks while we, get ready for that.

IAN:

So it's just to let you know, let me know what your thoughts are and

IAN:

what we should do for episode 200.

IAN:

That would be awesome.

IAN:

Well, let's see who we got in the house at the moment.

IAN:

We have got Paul watching from Vancouver, Canada, THE GRAMMAR DETECTIVE.

IAN:

Great to see you, Paul.

IAN:

And we've got the fabulous Carl.

IAN:

Carl's bearded banter saying "hellooooo."

IAN:

Great to see you.

IAN:

And yeah, you were here at episode 100.

IAN:

You won second prize, I think.

IAN:

Wasn't it, Carl?

IAN:

In the big giveaway.

IAN:

Yeah.

IAN:

Thank you, Carl.

IAN:

"Bend his ears.

IAN:

Pick his brain."

IAN:

I always mix my metaphors.

IAN:

That's the problem.

IAN:

Well, let's get on, as we get on with bringing in Phil.

IAN:

Phil Pallen is a personal branding expert and keynote speaker, his

IAN:

non-conventional approach to digital marketing and talent for social

IAN:

media has built in a global audience.

IAN:

As a brand strategist, Phil has advised hundreds of brands from over

IAN:

30 countries, including a shark on Shark Tank, a Nobel Peace Prize winner,

IAN:

politicians, and some of the most important names in entertainment.

IAN:

A digital nomad and globe trotter, Phil has delivered speeches on five different

IAN:

continents and frequently appears as an expert contributor in media outlets

IAN:

around the world, including CNN, Access Hollywood and the Daily Mail.

IAN:

Welcome to the show, Phil.

PHIL:

Oh, the applause, the metaphors.

PHIL:

I for one, like when you mix them up, because it makes it unique

PHIL:

and it makes them your own.

PHIL:

Ian, I'm so happy to be here.

PHIL:

Thank you.

IAN:

Well, thank you.

IAN:

You're very, very kind there.

IAN:

I'm always mixing my metaphors, but I want to note, you've been speaking

IAN:

of five different continents.

IAN:

When's your first gig in Antarctica?

IAN:

To the Penguins?

IAN:

It's going to happen?

PHIL:

I know.

PHIL:

Can you imagine that would be a very small audience?

PHIL:

I've had small audiences before sometime.

PHIL:

You never know.

PHIL:

But you know this, Ian.

PHIL:

I'm a little finicky with weather, so Antarctica is not

PHIL:

really one of my dream locations.

PHIL:

I can see why other people might want to go there, but I prefer sunshine,

PHIL:

as I say, in January in a t-shirt from Florida, which is where I'm based.

IAN:

Well, there you go.

IAN:

So you're in Florida, but you are not from the USA.

IAN:

Are you?

IAN:

So tell us a little bit about your background and also like how we met

IAN:

as well, because we were talking about this just before the break.

IAN:

We met back in...

IAN:

well, I'm not going to tell you.

IAN:

You already know that.

IAN:

Let's talk about it.

IAN:

Okay, sure.

IAN:

So, I grew up in Canada.

IAN:

I'm Canadian still.

IAN:

I have my green card.

IAN:

That's how I'm able to live here and work here.

IAN:

But I've spent a lot of time, I'd say, I guess I've been

IAN:

at this for about 11 years.

IAN:

You met me when I was speaking at New Media Europe.

IAN:

Our friends, Mike and Isabella Russell, used to run this amazing

IAN:

conference and that's where we met.

IAN:

I spoke, that was one of my first international speaking engagements.

IAN:

and I've been a brand strategist for 11 years.

IAN:

Helping people position, build and promote their brands.

IAN:

And I say people more than companies.

IAN:

I think that's what makes me unique, not necessarily in the landscape now.

IAN:

There's lots of people who specialize in personal branding.

IAN:

There are photographers that specialize in personal branding.

IAN:

That's now a thing.

IAN:

In 2011, it wasn't as much of a thing.

IAN:

So, it's pretty unique that I have done this in terms of focusing on

IAN:

branding people for over a decade.

IAN:

That's awesome.

IAN:

So, we started our businesses roughly at the same time.

IAN:

I was about 2011 as well.

IAN:

And yeah, New Media Europe, those were the days.

IAN:

2015 and that was in Manchester.

IAN:

Were you in Manchester or was it London?

PHIL:

I was in both.

IAN:

Yeah, I thought you were in both.

IAN:

So, that's cool.

IAN:

Just to look at the comments, Carl is saying, "Nooo Ian we are

IAN:

not a 100 shows older already."

IAN:

We are.

IAN:

We've got somebody watching on Facebook.

IAN:

I don't know who you are unfortunately.

IAN:

Because Facebook.

IAN:

Saying, "Good afternoon from Toronto!"

PHIL:

Canadian..

IAN:

I know we've got all the Canadians in the house today.

IAN:

And Paul has got lots of questions.

IAN:

I think we need to get started with this, with personal branding.

IAN:

Because it's really interesting what you said about focusing on the people

IAN:

because I know that I'm not alone here.

IAN:

I have this feeling that I want to show myself as this company.

IAN:

Because if I'm just a person, then other businesses might not take me so

IAN:

seriously, or that used to be my thought.

IAN:

I don't think that anymore.

IAN:

But is that a common thought?

IAN:

And how do you as a brand strategist, talk to your clients about that?

PHIL:

So I don't think anyone is surprised or even this idea of personal

PHIL:

branding, I don't know how new that concept is for people now that it's

PHIL:

been around for quite a while, but I still, Ian, encounter friction or people

PHIL:

who say, "Oh, well that's not for me.

PHIL:

My job is selling insurance.

PHIL:

Why would I need a personal brand?"

PHIL:

And I would challenge you, or anyone that believes that.

PHIL:

Not you.

PHIL:

You have a business built around yourself like I do.

PHIL:

I would challenge anyone that that pushes back on that.

PHIL:

I don't think in 2023, got that one right, I don't think you have the

PHIL:

choice anymore to have a personal brand.

PHIL:

You have one if people are typing your name into Google, they're

PHIL:

looking for information on you.

PHIL:

People are trying to get the dirt, they're trying to get info,

PHIL:

they're trying to get context.

PHIL:

They're trying to get motivation to hire you, to contact you.

PHIL:

You have a personal brand, even if your job is selling insurance, we juggle two

PHIL:

versions of ourselves, the in-person experience, which is you and I had the

PHIL:

privilege of being together in real life.

PHIL:

Now we don't take that for granted after the last few years.

PHIL:

In November.

PHIL:

But you and I also can exist digitally.

PHIL:

This is very close to real life.

PHIL:

It's not quiet.

PHIL:

We have a camera that I'm looking into.

PHIL:

We have the internet that connects us and you got a camera on your end,

PHIL:

but technology really exists to help us recreate the in-person experience.

PHIL:

Nowadays, we juggle two versions of ourselves.

PHIL:

That in-person experience and what's becoming everyday more important,

PHIL:

the online version of ourselves.

PHIL:

So branding is really achieving consistency between those two experiences.

IAN:

That's really helpful.

IAN:

So, Paul is saying here.

IAN:

He's been really looking forward to the show, which is awesome.

IAN:

He's been struggling to grow his brand as a business for years,

IAN:

trying to figure out the niche, the brand, the value, et cetera.

IAN:

And he's also saying, "I have often considered hiring a coach, but not

IAN:

sure what type of coach can help me."

IAN:

And that's really interesting because I'm in the process of looking

IAN:

to work with the coach as well.

IAN:

I think often we are too close to our own business and our brand.

IAN:

What are your thoughts on that?

IAN:

Do you think that is the case that we sometimes need outside help

IAN:

to look in at what we're doing?

IAN:

And when it comes to our personal brand, what should we do when it comes to that?

PHIL:

Yeah, good question.

PHIL:

Call it what you want.

PHIL:

Sometimes people refer to it as a coach, a strategist.

PHIL:

I will sometimes call it an accountability partner.

PHIL:

In a situation where you've built a brand around yourself, I like to remember this.

PHIL:

You hear your own voice differently than other people hear your voice.

PHIL:

Because you are in your body.

PHIL:

You are living the experience.

PHIL:

I often describe the work that we do, we aren't necessarily coaches, we're

PHIL:

strategists, but it's the same thing in terms of holding up a mirror in front

PHIL:

of you saying, "Hey, here's what I hear.

PHIL:

Here's what I see."

PHIL:

Now, my focus is on personal branding, positioning your brand, building somebody

PHIL:

to show for them and promoting it.

PHIL:

Social media strategy is a big part of what I do because I work with people.

PHIL:

So, that's my job to hold up that mirror and say, "Hey, here's what I see.

PHIL:

Here's maybe the order that based on my experience in working with

PHIL:

people in all different industries, here's what I would tackle first.

PHIL:

Here's your number one priority based on your business goal."

PHIL:

I often say, even before hiring a coach or a strategist or someone to

PHIL:

help you, make sure you're crystal clear as far as you can go on your own.

PHIL:

Make sure you're clear on your business.

PHIL:

And if you're not clear, then that coach will probably prioritize that

PHIL:

as item number one on the list.

PHIL:

What's your goal?

PHIL:

What's your goal in all of this?

PHIL:

You want to create a new website?

PHIL:

Great.

PHIL:

What's the goal?

PHIL:

Why, ? Any coach in any aspect of your life.

PHIL:

Right now, I started this week a fitness and a nutrition plan that has nothing

PHIL:

to do with branding, but I have a coach.

PHIL:

And the very first question he asked, "Tell me, Phil,

PHIL:

specifically, what is your goal?"

PHIL:

Specifically numbers.

PHIL:

And I approach my work in the same way.

PHIL:

You got to get specific.

PHIL:

What is your goal?

PHIL:

And that's going to make working with a coach a whole

PHIL:

lot easier and more effective.

IAN:

Yeah, so important to think about those big goals.

IAN:

What's the point of this?

IAN:

Sometimes it can be enjoyment, but if you've got a business, you're wanting

IAN:

to generate money, but what's that for?

IAN:

What is the goal?

IAN:

The ultimate goal in your business?

IAN:

And sometimes you might need a coach to help tease that out.

IAN:

It's really interesting what you said about personality.

IAN:

And so many people, they get into their forties and fifties and they

IAN:

still really don't know who they are.

IAN:

People struggle with that.

IAN:

When it comes to your business, and because we're multifaceted,

IAN:

what aspects of you do you want to amplify with your personal brand?

IAN:

Carl's got a great question and maybe you can come into those questions

IAN:

that I mentioned about which part of you do we put forwards in our brand.

IAN:

His question's a really simple one.

IAN:

What does branding a person actually mean?

PHIL:

What does it mean?

PHIL:

I think I touched on this in my own definition, but

PHIL:

I'll take it a step further.

PHIL:

What does branding a person mean?

PHIL:

It sets you up.

PHIL:

The exercise of it sets you up for success, I think, to achieve

PHIL:

whatever those business goals are.

PHIL:

It's entirely possible nowadays to build a brand, build a business as a person.

PHIL:

On Instagram this morning, I posted a reel giving my formula.

PHIL:

When I break this down into a science, for Carl and for everyone

PHIL:

listening, content is what you say.

PHIL:

Ian, you brought up a second ago, personality.

PHIL:

Personality is the unique way that you and only you deliver that

PHIL:

content and personality is what keeps people coming back for more

PHIL:

Content.

PHIL:

What you say, personality, the unique way that you and

PHIL:

only you deliver that content.

PHIL:

Those are the two variables with every single person as a brand.

PHIL:

So, why would we do personal branding?

PHIL:

Think about your goals.

PHIL:

Think about how you enjoy spending your time.

PHIL:

It is my goal.

PHIL:

It is my mission on planet Earth to help as many people as possible,

PHIL:

identify what they love to do, and pair that thing with something others

PHIL:

need and ideally are willing to spend money on, so we can turn this into a

PHIL:

business, create a livelihood out of it, doing something that brings you joy.

PHIL:

And I know you feel the same way about your job as I do.

PHIL:

I absolutely love my job.

PHIL:

And let me tell you why I love it, because I do what I want.

PHIL:

I don't sit here and write 10,000 word blog posts thankfully, nowadays, or

PHIL:

certainly the direction things are going.

PHIL:

We have technology.

PHIL:

We have AI to help us with that.

PHIL:

I like to talk.

PHIL:

I don't like to write, but as part of my job, I'd be sitting here, I'm sitting

PHIL:

at my home office in sweatpants, can't see them, but you got to trust me,

PHIL:

literally on my own schedule, talking to you through a camera, sharing ideas.

PHIL:

This is my job.

PHIL:

Obviously there are other parts to my job, but I have created a career

PHIL:

that has so many elements, layers of it, doing things that fulfill me, and

PHIL:

that's the joy of personal branding.

PHIL:

It's taking inventory of what do you love?

PHIL:

That on its own as a hobby, how do we pair what you love with something others need?

PHIL:

I'll finish this with this.The best online branding recreates

PHIL:

the in-person experience.

PHIL:

What makes you great?

PHIL:

What makes you memorable?

PHIL:

What is your goal?

PHIL:

How can we use the web, the digital real estate that we

PHIL:

have to achieve consistency?

IAN:

Really good stuff there.

IAN:

And this excites me.

IAN:

I think it excites a lot of people watching of listening as well.

IAN:

So Paul says, "Thank you.

IAN:

I love the idea of 'holding up the mirror.'" And he also says, "On

IAN:

our own, it's hard to know what, if anything, we have to offer."

IAN:

And I don't know about you, Phil, but I went through this moment in my twenties,

IAN:

I think it was, when I just didn't know.

IAN:

I was like, what are my strengths?

IAN:

What am I good at?

IAN:

And sometimes we're too close to ourselves.

IAN:

We need that help from other people.

IAN:

Martin, I think, I assume this is Martin Buckland who says, "Hallelujah.

IAN:

I know who I am."

IAN:

Well done.

IAN:

That's great.

IAN:

Now you've answered my next question, well, partially answered

IAN:

it, which was, what does having a standout personal brand do?

IAN:

You've worked with loads and loads of people.

PHIL:

Almost 350 clients in 11 years.

IAN:

Wow, that's a lot.

IAN:

So I just wonder whether you could give some examples and you don't necessarily

IAN:

need to name many names but I'm interested in the before and the after.

IAN:

So somebody who didn't have a particularly solid personal brand before

IAN:

and what their brand did for them.

IAN:

What was the point of it?

IAN:

What were the benefits of having a strong, professional, personal brand?

PHIL:

Oh yeah, I love this question.

PHIL:

Also, I try to answer it differently every time someone asks me for a

PHIL:

before and after, or an example of someone I've worked with.

PHIL:

There are so many, I have almost 70 projects on my website.

PHIL:

I don't necessarily show the before because that's someone else's work.

PHIL:

And that's not very nice of me to go, "Hey, look how much

PHIL:

better mine is than theirs."

PHIL:

Or if a client did it themselves, which is often the case.

PHIL:

But I have lots of afters, almost 70 projects on my website.

PHIL:

So philpallen.co/projects.

PHIL:

But on my website, first page is projects.

PHIL:

And there I have almost 70 examples of the types of clients that I've worked with.

PHIL:

So public speakers, coaches and consultants.

PHIL:

We're talking about coaches.

PHIL:

I've worked with a lot of coaches.

PHIL:

Food brands hospitality nutritionists, jewelry designers, media personalities.

PHIL:

I've worked, in over a decade, with a lot of different industries, which makes it

PHIL:

interesting for me to jump industry to industry, but a lot of the things that I

PHIL:

observe and the advice I give is the same.

PHIL:

An example of someone that comes to mind who really benefited from the

PHIL:

exercise, there are lots, but there's one on my website that I'll describe.

PHIL:

Her name is Kate Payne.

PHIL:

She's under coaches and consultants, that category.

PHIL:

And Kate came to hesitant about the idea of personal branding.

PHIL:

That's why I'm bringing her up in this conversation.

PHIL:

She.

PHIL:

was like, "Well, I obviously I have to brand as a company

PHIL:

so people take me seriously."

PHIL:

Doesn't that sound familiar, Ian?

PHIL:

And we said to her, "No, Kate.

PHIL:

People hire you for you.

PHIL:

They come to you because of your perspective, your experience,

PHIL:

your way of doing things.

PHIL:

And so we really need to capitalize on the human element of your brand.

PHIL:

That's you.

PHIL:

It's you.

PHIL:

You are the reason."

PHIL:

And she's like, "Okay.

PHIL:

I trust you."

PHIL:

So, we got photos done.

PHIL:

We built her website.

PHIL:

The website for me is the part that I'm the most involved

PHIL:

with in a branding project.

PHIL:

I've got an amazing team.

PHIL:

Most of my team members have worked with me for over five, six years.

PHIL:

So they're lifers, which is super cool.

PHIL:

Very small team.

PHIL:

We all have our roles.

PHIL:

I pretend I'm Picasso, so by the time that I make a website and

PHIL:

code and design and layout, my colleague Lauren writes the copy.

PHIL:

We work with a photographer wherever the client is.

PHIL:

My designer Sche* has done a really beautiful brand identity and I get

PHIL:

to just bring in all these elements together and create something awesome.

PHIL:

Kate, after we launched her website within six months,

PHIL:

said, "My business has tripled.

PHIL:

And there's no other explanation for it than my brand, my website, this new me."

PHIL:

So if we unpack that, it's more than just, "oh, look at how beautiful my website is."

PHIL:

It's also reflected in Kate's confidence as a brand.

PHIL:

Her ability to go, you know what?

PHIL:

Yes, I am a business, I am a brand.

PHIL:

It's clarity in her services and what I would often describe as access points.

PHIL:

How can people access you?

PHIL:

Is it one-on-one?

PHIL:

Is it group coaching?

PHIL:

Is it digital downloads, speaking on stage, virtual?

PHIL:

What are those access points and how do we clearly outline to someone, this is

PHIL:

how I can servee you and this is what it costs and these are the details?

PHIL:

So the website for us, I'm really excited by the output of the website, the

PHIL:

physical, the tangibleness of a website that anyone in the world can go to.

PHIL:

But I got to say it's the exercise of making one that's actually

PHIL:

more important than the output.

PHIL:

Because it forces you to think through how do I want to be perceived by someone?

PHIL:

We get to craft that, and that's why I, with so much

PHIL:

enthusiasm talk about my work.

PHIL:

Every single day, I get to be involved, with helping someone craft their

PHIL:

first impression, and that's so cool.

IAN:

It must be so exciting to see that growth.

IAN:

And I loved what you said about confidence, because

IAN:

I totally agree with you.

IAN:

When I rebranded, when I created, when I commissioned the branding that I've

IAN:

got for this show and the videos, it's weird, but it did give me more confidence.

IAN:

And you think, well, why would that be?

IAN:

I think it also makes you more memorable.

IAN:

So with so many people creating content these days, how do you stand out with so

IAN:

many coaches and consultants out there?

IAN:

How do you stand out?

IAN:

And if your brand is memorable, then that helps you stand out.

IAN:

And I think also the clarity.

IAN:

What was the word that you used?

IAN:

Touch points or these access points.

PHIL:

Access points.

PHIL:

Yeah.

IAN:

points Yeah.

IAN:

I'm going to be totally transparent and honest about this.

IAN:

This is something that I've really struggled with in my business is I

IAN:

don't think I do a particularly good job at it expressing, explaining what

IAN:

it is that I do and I might offer.

IAN:

I don't think I do a good job at my access points.

IAN:

And I think that is one of the things I'm really focusing on this year, being much

IAN:

better at explaining that on the website.

IAN:

And I found that fascinating because my next question to you, Phil, was going to

IAN:

be, what does personal branding cover?

IAN:

And I've got here, well, it surely it includes fonts, colors, photos, logos.

IAN:

I haven't actually put websites, but yeah, websites.

IAN:

But you are expanding a lot more on what that is.

IAN:

So, how would you fully answer that question?

IAN:

What does a personal brand cover?

IAN:

And then I'm going to come back to Carl.

IAN:

And Paul have got some great questions that I want to come back to.

PHIL:

Great.

PHIL:

We'll come back to those.

PHIL:

You actually just described in completion.

PHIL:

I would say the second vertical of my business, or let's call it access points.

PHIL:

You like that, Ian?

PHIL:

So, we're going to use those.

PHIL:

But I work with clients in three phases.

PHIL:

Positioning their brand, so that's doing the work that we've touched

PHIL:

on today, positioning, how are you different from your competitors,

PHIL:

who are your brand heroes, what does your visual brand look like.

PHIL:

If people don't know, and are like, "I don't have a favorite color."

PHIL:

Great.

PHIL:

Walk over to your closet and pull out the 10 outfits that make you feel the best.

PHIL:

Lay them out on your bed and take a photo of it, and then tell me what

PHIL:

you see in that photo when you pull it up, certain colors that are repeated

PHIL:

or certain designs or textures, let that inspire your visual brand online.

PHIL:

So you described the area.

PHIL:

I have to say we probably shine the most, which is that second one.

PHIL:

Build.

PHIL:

Positioning is absolutely.

PHIL:

Essential.

PHIL:

It's like building a house.

PHIL:

Before we can stage the house or we can build it, we need to

PHIL:

figure out where it's going to go.

PHIL:

So, that's the most important first step.

PHIL:

The second step is building something to show for your brand after

PHIL:

you've identified your positioning.

PHIL:

So it starts, for me, with photography, which people go, "Really?

PHIL:

You would start taking photos?"

PHIL:

Yeah.

PHIL:

Because we have to find a photographer that we trust that can deliver what

PHIL:

we need, the vision that we have.

PHIL:

But good photography can inspire the rest of the branding process.

PHIL:

So for example, an outdated profile photo on social media, that's

PHIL:

like showing up to a wedding in pajamas, in my opinion nowadays.

PHIL:

Like, let's be serious.

PHIL:

It means that you don't take your brand online seriously.

PHIL:

You don't take yourself seriously.

PHIL:

Good Photography is a really important investment.

PHIL:

I'd say it's more important than a logo.

PHIL:

For now if you're launching a business, you're not going to hire someone like me.

PHIL:

Put your name until you show, until you prove to yourself what we will

PHIL:

call proof of concept, that there is demand for your business, that it

PHIL:

can grow, that people need it, that it's something that fulfills you.

PHIL:

Put your brand name in a font for now before you design an intricate logo.

PHIL:

But brand photography is the most important part of the build.

PHIL:

So that's where I start, because so many aspects of it

PHIL:

inspire the rest of the build.

PHIL:

So photography, brand identity, and that's more than just a logo.

PHIL:

Within that, we're talking about multiple logos.

PHIL:

Your logo is going to show up in different ways.

PHIL:

And one of your graphics, Ian, for this show, when it shows us side by

PHIL:

side, you've got your logo up top and it's written horizontally and

PHIL:

it fills up the space really nicely.

PHIL:

For me, I don't have room for my name written out back here.

PHIL:

So I use my mark on the wall.

PHIL:

I have about six or seven different versions of my logo, depending on

PHIL:

different uses and where it's going to go.

PHIL:

And then we would call those logo lockups.

PHIL:

So you need logos, you need color, you need typography.

PHIL:

How many colors?

PHIL:

I don't know how detailed do you want me to go, but I'm

PHIL:

just going to give an overview

IAN:

Go, go, go.

PHIL:

Generally, between three and five colors.

PHIL:

You want a white, a light, a bold, a dark and a black.

PHIL:

And I say a white and a black, not necessarily pure white and black.

PHIL:

On a screen, it can be a bit dark.

PHIL:

So typically, when I do black in a color palette, it's normally a super

PHIL:

dark gray, not quite a full black.

PHIL:

But yeah, colors, I'd say between three and five.

PHIL:

What else?

PHIL:

Typography.

PHIL:

You need a header font, and a body font generally.

PHIL:

So I normally will have two to three fonts just depending on what a client

PHIL:

needs and how we want them to show up.

PHIL:

And then you have to think about how's your brand going to look in real life

PHIL:

on a business card or physical signage.

PHIL:

That's physical, isn't it?

PHIL:

Now you know I'm a branding enthusiast when you see that tattooed.

IAN:

You might have to explain.

IAN:

Explain to the podcast listeners what's happening here?

PHIL:

I'm showing up my wrist, to the camera because I have

PHIL:

my logo tattooed on my wrist.

IAN:

That is commitment.

PHIL:

That is commitment.

PHIL:

My colleague Lauren was like, "Oh, thank God.

PHIL:

Now he won't keep rebranding.

PHIL:

Put that energy into clients instead of our rebrands."

PHIL:

It's true.

PHIL:

I haven't rebranded since then.

PHIL:

You want to think about how your brand's going to show up online

PHIL:

in the email signature, website header, social media, all different

PHIL:

places that it can show up online.

PHIL:

And then in print physical, which I just gave a few examples, that's the build.

PHIL:

And then that final stage, I'll do super quickly.

PHIL:

That's like social media.

PHIL:

It's really anything to sticker for sale, sign out front of that brand that

PHIL:

you've worked hard to build that house.

PHIL:

How do we sell it?

IAN:

I love the idea of starting with photographs.

IAN:

I don't think that is what most people would think as you said.

IAN:

And it's interesting because looking back, I didn't do this deliberately,

IAN:

but I had this really good friend, who took photographs and they're

IAN:

still what I use today, which reminds me this year I need to get some new

IAN:

ones because they were back in 2016.

IAN:

They're too old.

PHIL:

It's time.

IAN:

It's definitely time.

PHIL:

But also Ian, you talked a second ago about your confidence as a

PHIL:

brand through that exercise and your brand feels very confident to me.

PHIL:

You also understand brand, you understand the merits of brand.

PHIL:

You show up with your exact color of red.

PHIL:

Even your glasses are super unique and identifiable as you.

PHIL:

And if I saw those glasses sitting on a table, I would

PHIL:

go, those are Ian's glasses.

PHIL:

We have a mutual friend, Kim Garst.

PHIL:

I met her last year for the first time and she's just one of the loveliest

PHIL:

people I've ever met on the planet.

PHIL:

By the way, she had really wonderful things to say about you.

PHIL:

Kim is similar.

PHIL:

She's got a brand, she's got her glasses, she's got her color.

PHIL:

And that's taking yourself seriously as a brand.

PHIL:

And it's cool when you arrive at this point where you have the

PHIL:

confidence to go, you know what?

PHIL:

I am something.

PHIL:

I am this.

PHIL:

And to be able to put that into words is even more exciting.

IAN:

Definitely.

IAN:

Well, thank you Paul.

IAN:

Thank you Carl, for being so patient.

IAN:

But I did want to ask Phil those things, and we're going to get onto

IAN:

a question about tools in a minute, because I love tools and technology.

PHIL:

Me too.

IAN:

I know you do.

IAN:

So Paul is asking, there are so many variables, websites, SEO,

IAN:

YouTube, social media, coaching courses, et cetera, in a business.

IAN:

And I can almost feel the overwhelm in voice there because there's so much.

IAN:

Does a brand strategist help pull all of these pieces together?

IAN:

I think that's a really interesting question because basically are you

IAN:

the savior to all of us who have so many things all over the place?

PHIL:

Yes.

PHIL:

I'll be honest with you, I have no idea what other brand strategists do.

PHIL:

I think I saw that title in 2013 on LinkedIn and thought,

PHIL:

oh, that's a good title.

PHIL:

I don't pay a lot of attention to my competitors or what other people are

PHIL:

doing in my industry, because I've got my plate full with people that need my help.

PHIL:

And I focus on providing a service that gives them clarity.

PHIL:

That's the long answer.

PHIL:

The short answer would be yes.

PHIL:

This brand strategist certainly focuses on removing overwhelm.

PHIL:

So, branding is my arena.

PHIL:

I'm have fitness on the mind because it's January at the time that we're

PHIL:

doing this live and recording.

PHIL:

And when I walk into a gym without some structure or

PHIL:

guidance, I feel so much stress.

PHIL:

That is not the place I want to be.

PHIL:

But even this morning I did my workout all on my own, so proud of myself.

PHIL:

And my trainer who's virtual gave me a very specific list of what to do.

PHIL:

I even had to film myself to be able to give feedback.

PHIL:

That's what we do.

PHIL:

When you hire someone, you're hiring an expert that's super confident, has

PHIL:

authority in the area that you need help.

PHIL:

And that's the merit of it.

PHIL:

The downside is you have to pay for it because that's how we make a living.

PHIL:

The upside is you can probably have a really beautiful final

PHIL:

result if you do what you're told.

PHIL:

Not all of my clients necessarily do what they're told, but a lot of them do.

PHIL:

And I've noticed, Ian, in a decade of working, the two qualities that

PHIL:

my clients have that are almost guaranteed for success is, trust in

PHIL:

me, trust in my team, the advice that we give you, the framework to follow.

PHIL:

And the second would just be positivity, a good attitude, being excited, and finding

PHIL:

the joy as not all of it is joyful.

PHIL:

Trust me.

PHIL:

People hate getting their picture taken, but if we can find joy in the

PHIL:

process, those are the two qualities I've seen have led to the most

PHIL:

success, most successful final product.

IAN:

Yeah.

IAN:

I can definitely imagine.

IAN:

Paul is saying, "I'm constantly overwhelmed and often discouraged."

IAN:

I hear you.

IAN:

you are not alone, Paul.

IAN:

I think we've all gone through periods of that in our time.

IAN:

But there is help and we really hope that this episode today is helping you.

IAN:

And of course, we do know somebody who can help.

IAN:

Carl is saying, " So I have 'Carl's bearded banter', posting to YouTube

IAN:

and Facebook, my own content...

IAN:

beard products & advice with a bit of fun and a few competitions.

IAN:

But personally, I do not sell any products.

IAN:

Can I be branded?"

IAN:

You already have a brand, Carl.

IAN:

So I think we know the answer to that.

PHIL:

But it's a great question.

PHIL:

People often think, oh, well I don't have a physical product, is this a

PHIL:

brand or is it just a hobby of mine?

PHIL:

You know what?

PHIL:

I do something pretty unique.

PHIL:

I post twice a week on YouTube, although I did once a week this

PHIL:

month because it's January and we're easing back into the year.

PHIL:

And then February I get back to posting two videos a week on YouTube for

PHIL:

free that help people with resources.

PHIL:

Having done that now for a few years, I get a lot from the exercise

PHIL:

of creating videos, researching, becoming an expert, almost like a

PHIL:

pilot doing their hours to train.

PHIL:

For me, I have this thing in my schedule that keeps me accountable,

PHIL:

that keeps me learning, that keeps me sharing and growing.

PHIL:

My email list has grown to over 30,000 in three years, and I don't

PHIL:

sell a lot, Carl, to my email list.

PHIL:

But guess what?

PHIL:

Brands will come to me and say, "Hey.

PHIL:

Would you be willing to put our brand in front of your audience?"

PHIL:

And that, my friend, is not free, and I have a lot of brands that do it.

PHIL:

It's a win-win.

PHIL:

I get paid.

PHIL:

My audience gets free resources.

PHIL:

So just because your brand is rooted in providing value for free

PHIL:

doesn't mean you can't monetize it.

IAN:

Yeah, definitely.

IAN:

Well, we are almost out of time and I want to get onto the bit that

IAN:

we're both excited about, which is what are your tools of the trade?

IAN:

So what are the tools that you use and what would you recommend?

IAN:

We don't have five hours unfortunately, but can you tell us your favorite

IAN:

ones when it comes to personal branding, but maybe beyond as well?

PHIL:

Let me give you my favorite tools.

PHIL:

This is one of my favorite questions because actually on YouTube I

PHIL:

get to satisfy my inner geek.

PHIL:

and I work with a lot of super cool brands, to try out their products and

PHIL:

to create content that promotes it.

PHIL:

So in terms of branding, my number one tool for self-starters, people that

PHIL:

want to actually take action on some of the things that Ian and I have talked

PHIL:

about today, the number one tool I can recommend for you is Adobe Express.

PHIL:

For those of you watching, I have a little pillow over here.

PHIL:

Ian and I are both very proud Adobe Express Ambassadors, but

PHIL:

there's never been a tool like this that is so sophisticated.

PHIL:

It comes from Adobe, which is obviously the leading software in

PHIL:

the creative worlds, design worlds.

PHIL:

There's never been a tool that has democratized brand building in this way.

PHIL:

I get super, super excited about it.

PHIL:

Let me tell you where to go.

PHIL:

If you don't have a logo.

PHIL:

You go to Adobe Express logo maker.

PHIL:

It will ask you three questions.

PHIL:

What's your business name and the slogan, if you have one?

PHIL:

Choose a style.

PHIL:

So bold, decorative, colorful, modern.

PHIL:

It'll give you a few styles, choose one.

PHIL:

And then using AI, it already starts to create designs for you using Adobe

PHIL:

fonts, using Adobe Express, which brings in a lot of the amazing, features and

PHIL:

integrations from other Adobe apps.

PHIL:

Popular ones like Photoshop, illustrator, InDesign, et cetera.

PHIL:

Acrobat.

PHIL:

So, that's the best tool to get started right away.

PHIL:

I recommend going to my Instagram, instagram.com/philpallen.

PHIL:

I have a lot of posts that teach you how to do this on my Instagram

PHIL:

and obviously on YouTube, but that would be my number one tool.

PHIL:

I love all kinds of tools.

PHIL:

I love ConvertKit for email marketing.

PHIL:

The reason I love it is that it strips down all the design.

PHIL:

An email that looks super designed feels like junk mail that we throw out.

PHIL:

We rip it in half and throw it in the garbage and don't even look at it.

PHIL:

Your email should feel like a normal email, in my opinion, as an

PHIL:

individual, personal brand creator.

PHIL:

It should feel like an email plain textile emails.

PHIL:

Doesn't mean you can't have visuals, but I love ConvertKit for that reason.

PHIL:

What are some other tools that I like?

PHIL:

Oh, I have so many, Ian.

PHIL:

I post them all the time, almost every day on platforms like Instagram and YouTube.

PHIL:

So when in doubt you need a tool for something specific, type my name and

PHIL:

then that need, and there's probably something that'll come up for you.

IAN:

I've put you on the spot with all of these things.

PHIL:

No, no, I love it.

PHIL:

I could list a hundred, but you said we're at the end of the show.

IAN:

I know.

IAN:

You're too kind.

IAN:

Adobe Express is awesome and I have to say, I've not played around with

IAN:

the logo maker, so I'm excited about playing around with that after the show.

IAN:

And I know there are loads of other tools that we could talk about,

IAN:

eComm live, all those things.

IAN:

Welove that.

IAN:

But we are out time.

IAN:

So, people can find you.

IAN:

You've mentioned lots of different things.

IAN:

There's philpallen.co/projects for the projects, and also we've

IAN:

got philpallen.co/ freebies.

IAN:

So what's at the freebies?

IAN:

Tell us about the freebies.

PHIL:

Yeah.

PHIL:

So here I have lots of digital downloads that I've created and

PHIL:

just made available for free.

PHIL:

Some of these, my most popular one is 100 Evergreen content Ideas.

PHIL:

It has been downloaded over 24,000 times.

PHIL:

I have lots of individual worksheets, eBooks, resources there that

PHIL:

will help you on your journey to identifying your personal brand.

PHIL:

I have a brand positioning, worksheet.

PHIL:

I have brand archetypes, all kinds of things there.

PHIL:

Some of them are more technical, some of them are really simple.

PHIL:

One is as simple as six questions that will help you position

PHIL:

your brand more effectively.

PHIL:

Lots of resources over there, and they're all free.

IAN:

Awesome.

IAN:

Well, you can't get better than that.

IAN:

They're free.

IAN:

Check out Phil's website, philpallen.co.

IAN:

And also you can stalk him in a nice way on all the socials, Instagram.

IAN:

Is Instagram your favorite?

IAN:

Where do you prefer to hang out these days, Phil?

PHIL:

Yeah.

PHIL:

Instagram is the app I open the most.

PHIL:

I'm not as crazy about TikTok.

PHIL:

I don't go to Facebook these days unless I have to message you on Messenger.

PHIL:

For me, yeah, Instagram, YouTube, and Pinterest.

PHIL:

Those are my three favorites.

PHIL:

Awesome.

PHIL:

Well, they are very visual tools.

PHIL:

Thank you so much, Phil.

PHIL:

It's been great to have you on the show.

PHIL:

It's been really awesome.

PHIL:

So, do check out Phil at his website.

PHIL:

But we are out of time.

PHIL:

I'm trying to do a much better job at, just making our shows a little

PHIL:

bit shorter, pack more into them.

PHIL:

That's the idea.

PHIL:

Let me know what you think about that.

PHIL:

Do check out the podcast, ieg.me/podcast.

PHIL:

But until next time, I encourage you to level up your impact,

PHIL:

authority, and profits through the power of Confident Live video.

PHIL:

See you soon.

PHIL:

Bye.

PHIL:

I wanna have a pro personal brand.

PHIL:

Have a pro personal brand.

PHIL:

Phil Pallen come on the show to show us how to have a pro personal personal brand.