Latest news with #personalBranding
Forbes
5 days ago
- Business
- Forbes
Stanford Brings In Bozoma Saint John To Speak On Reputation Management
Bozoma Saint John speaking to business students at Stanford. Allison Kluger's Stanford Graduate School of Business class "Reputation Management: Strategies for Successful Communicators' hosted iconic marketing executive, author, and entrepreneur Bozoma Saint John for a conversation on "Reputation of a Risk-Taker, Survivor and Badass." In this class, students explore how they can effectively communicate to create, adapt and maintain their personal reputation as they navigate career decisions and interact with different professionals along their journey. The course is designed along three interlocking elements: reputation management literature, relevant case studies, and curated guest speakers. Students learn the fundamentals of strategic corporate communication and the risk of not managing reputation effectively. Kluger shared why Saint John was the perfect leader to inspire her students, 'After eleven years teaching Reputation Management, I thought I'd seen every possible guest and perspective, until Bozoma Saint John joined our class this week, filled with 70+ graduate students. You could hear a pin drop as Bozoma shared impactful, hysterical, brilliant, and memorable gems with my students. Bozoma taught us the power of curiosity, going with your gut instinct, and living life urgently so we can scoop everything up and be the greatest version of ourselves.' Bozoma Saint John speaking on reputation management and personal branding at Stanford Business ... More School. Saint John began speaking on her personal brand during her marketing career, "My reputation as a cultural influence, as someone who sits right in the middle fluidly between any number of industries, is what has earned me the seat not just at the table but to control the table.' She also transitioned to emphasizing standing out rather than fitting in. "What is the point of being 'in,' if you can't make a difference? I take some lessons from physics. Yes, I'm a marketer but I also understand science. Matter is made up of molecules. You change one molecule and the matter changes. When I entered Apple, that matter changed. Why would I not be confident in my own presence? For me, anytime I've entered a new environment, I understand the power of my molecule and the fact that that environment will never be the same when I leave it," she explained. Saint John is a dynamic and influential business leader who has consistently broken barriers and shattered glass ceilings throughout her career in various industries; including roles as the Global CMO of Netflix, CMO of Endeavor, CBO of Uber, Head of Marketing of Apple Music & iTunes and Head of Music and Entertainment Marketing at PepsiCo. Last year, she made her television debut on season 14 of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills and this fall, she'll take on a mentorship role as the Chief Marketing Officer on the new NBC reality series 'On Brand With Jimmy Fallon.' She has been recognized with numerous prestigious awards, includinginduction into the Marketing Hall of Fame (2022), induction into the American Advertising Federation Hall of Achievement (2014), induction into Billboard's Women in Music Hall of Fame (2018); and has been included in Fast Company's Most Creative People (2013), The Hollywood Reporter's Women in Entertainment Power 100 list (2018) and crowned as The World's Most Influential CMO by Forbes (2021). Saint John is also the founder of the beauty brand, Eve By Boz and creator of the online series, 'The Badass Workshop'. Throughout her career and entrepreneurial evolution, Saint John has continued to show up as her authentic self. 'The choice —and it is a choice—to show up fully as yourself is not an easy one in any circumstance. It is not easy in this classroom, and it is not easy in the biggest conference rooms and corporations in the world. I don't walk into any environment and think I'm going to change anyone's mind about what they think about me. That's just too much work. It's too exhausting and it's too disappointing. Because it's painful and people are going to assume what they want of you. If you spend all of your time trying to convince them otherwise, you're going to waste your time. So I'd rather work on myself, making sure that I quell the fears of showing up as myself. "Never try to assimilate, just be yourself. I'd rather spend time working on myself than spend effort making others like me." Bozoma Saint John and Stanford Business School students. Saint John left a lasting impression on Stanford students, energizing them to elevate their personal brands with purpose and confidence. One student, Tess Hartigan, shared the impact Saint John's lecture left on her: 'Having Bozoma Saint John in class was sensational. I was brought to laughter and tears. Her gumption and shine were evident in every word. It was a master class discussion of eloquence, grit, and grace.'
CNA
27-05-2025
- Business
- CNA
Commentary: It wasn't Piyush Gupta. But it was very LinkedIn
SINGAPORE: Every day, millions of LinkedIn users post stories and photos, hoping to impress future bosses, recruiters and clients with their personal brand. After all, it is no longer enough to put up your resume on the world's largest professional network. Users are expected to regularly showcase their work achievements, societal impact and important people they know. But when does it go too far? On May 19, a LinkedIn post appeared under user Janney Hujic's name showing a photo of herself with a man tagged as former DBS CEO Piyush Gupta. The post claimed Ms Hujic had bumped into Mr Gupta at a cafe in Bali and they spoke for a few minutes. The post also claimed that Mr Gupta had praised the all-women expedition to Mongolia Ms Hujic was organising to raise funds for the Goh Chok Tong Enable Fund. Then, the real Mr Gupta commented in the LinkedIn post, 'Sorry to disillusion you. That isn't me!' It turned out the man is a 58-year-old teacher who lives in Bali. To make matters worse, SG Enable said that her company was not an authorised fundraiser for the Goh Chok Tong Enable Fund. LinkedIn users had a field day. Some criticised Ms Hujic and others posted photos of themselves with the real Mr Gupta. One user wrote: 'This is peak LinkedIn', alluding to the hubris and humblebragging that plague the platform. The post in question was left up for days before Ms Hujic's account was deleted on May 24. Ms Hujic has since alleged that the post , who demanded money to remove it. LINKEDIN TACTICS THAT MAKE ME WINCE But even before the facts came to light, I found the post cringe-inducing with dramatic sentences such as: 'What struck me wasn't just the legendary career - transforming DBS into a global digital banking leader - but the humility and presence with which he carried himself. No entourage. No airs. Just quiet conviction.' The post promoted the expedition by borrowing Mr Gupta's fame: 'He smiled and said, 'What an incredible opportunity - for women of any age - to step outside the office and into something truly meaningful.'' Do people speak like that? I get it. It is hard to stand out on a platform with over a billion users, including heavyweights like Bill Gates who has 38 million LinkedIn fans. But in the wanton pursuit of LinkedIn fame, many users resort to content tactics that beggar belief. For example, there are LinkedIn influencers who like to boast about making a lot of money. The pitch often goes like this: 'Here is how I went from US$100 to US$1 million in one year in my new online business'. Or 'You can become rich like me too, if you take up my course on how to become a LinkedIn content creator.' Initially, such posts can inspire awe and envy, especially for those new to LinkedIn. After a while, the same spiel appears too frequently and you realise these people often have little else to offer. Then, there are those who keep posting irrelevant selfies. LinkedIn's algorithm appears to boost our visibility when we put up photos of ourselves, but some users go overboard – all their posts contain well-photoshopped selfies, regardless of the content. We already encounter too many pointless selfies on Instagram and TikTok. Please don't do this to LinkedIn. Finally, there are the insensitive posts from people who survived a retrenchment exercise. Layoffs have become more common, and people are less shy to share how they have been retrenched. But it feels inappropriate when their unscathed colleague writes on LinkedIn about how sad they feel about the layoffs, what a loss of talent has occurred, and they promise to be a pillar of support for those who need it. In my opinion, if you are really sincere about helping your retrenched colleagues, you should reach out to them directly. NO SHORTCUTS IN PERSONAL BRANDING Despite all the cringey things that people do on LinkedIn, I am still a big advocate for the platform's benefits in providing job and business opportunities. It has helped me to land several jobs, and it is a constant source of learning. Personal branding is about creating authenticity and appeal, and you can do it without causing any facepalms. First, always write posts that offer value to your network. It is perfectly fine to post the accolades that you have garnered at work (as long as they are true!), but we don't get awards every week and you don't want every post to across as a brag. To have enough interesting content to keep engaging your network, strive to share valuable information and learnings - lifehacks, insights into solving particular problems, or the latest news that is relevant to your industry. Second, don't compare. It is too easy to feel pressured by what others do on LinkedIn. Whether it is taking wefies with famous people or showing photos from their latest stage appearances, this can turn into a game of one-upmanship. Rather than feel FOMO (the fear of missing out), focus on improving yourself and sharing what you have learned in the process. Or talk about the wins of your colleagues and friends – it is always better to praise others rather than yourself. Finally, spend more time networking instead of writing posts. While it is exciting to receive likes and positive comments on your LinkedIn posts, it is even better to connect with users directly and ask them out for coffee. LinkedIn started out in 2003 as a platform to connect businesspeople, but in recent years, it has evolved into a social media platform. Many users, including myself, probably spend too much time reading and writing posts when we should be building real-world relationships. So, if you see me in a cafe, let's have a real chat - no need to post a picture of us on LinkedIn. Ian Yong Hoe Tan is a strategic communication lecturer at the Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information, Nanyang Technological University. He has more than two decades of experience working in the media and technology industries. He is a LinkedIn Top Voice and has spent 15 years on the platform.
