Beware The Open Microphone; Lessons from Justin Trudeau, Donald Trump and Naheed Nenshi

Written by Robyn T. Braley

I speak at conferences and do media interviews about social media. I can always depend on athletes, politicians or business leaders to provide fresh examples of what not to do or say in the media. They have been caught on camera saying or doing something silly or offensive. 

Instantly the clip is uploaded to the internet and goes viral. Then it gets worse! TV NEWS Networks pick up the story and broadcast the segment through news cycles around the world. 

Think of it in layman's terms. That wild and crazy guy dancing on the table at the company party to thunderous applause may not play well with upper management or customers watching it in their social media feeds. 

We've all seen posts of racial, sexist, political, or other nasty comments on leaders' social media platforms. As a communication specialist and coach, I teach this simple mantra! 

How to Build Resilient Relationships in a World of Toxic Negativity

Forming relationships should be based on character, personality and common
interests. Not on skin colour, country, age, gender, wealth or level of education. 

Written by Robyn T. Braley

Did your relationships languish during COVID-19? Me too! Maintaining friendships by Zoom or Facetime only went so far.

We learned that forming relationships is one thing. Maintaining and developing them is another.

It takes thoughtful action guided by genuine caring to form life-long friendships. One of the greatest challenges to maintaining strong relationships during the pandemic was the mental state you were in. 

Being confined to your house and not allowed to go out took a toll. Addictions soared and the dark cloud of depression settled on many. Some gave up.  

Meeting together in Zoomland didn't cut it. It was better than nothing but not by much. We heard the term Zoom fatigue as video conferences became boring and predictable. 

Radically Improve Your Video Call Performances

Top 10 Brandit Posts of the Past Year - Branding, Sales, Inspiration

Every summer I publish the Top 10 Brandit posts for the previous year. Whether you own an established business, are bootstrapping a startup or just looking for a good read, there is something listed below for you. I Am Honored 

More that 70,000 people have read one or more articles since we launched Brandit. Most live in Canada but many are in different parts of the world. 

My goal is to help you grow your business or personal brand. Thank you for your loyalty and placing your trust in my content. Please reTweet or Facebook any you find helpful! Also comment with any ideas the posts give you . 

Time for a Checkup? 10 Tips to Kick-start Company Growth in Uncertain Times

Spring time is the perfect time for a brand check-up! How is yours performing? 

Written by Robyn T. Braley  

What shape will your business be in by this time next year? Is there risk? Is there reward? 

What steps can you take to make this year the best it can be in spite of economic or political circumstances?

With unpredictable global economies and uncertain political decisions, many leaders lack the confidence needed to make forward-planning decisions. In many situations, they can only operate their companies based on what they know today! Reviewing past performance histories doesn't help because we are in uncharted territories. 

While we all hope for a better tomorrow, we can only control what you can control today.

Don’t get me wrong, we have clients whose businesses are excelling and setting all-time sales records in the midst of difficult times. But we also have clients who are struggling and have even gone out of business. 

I've written about survival strategies before. Whatever your circumstance, it's never a bad idea to review your brand and marketing performance. Is there a different way to look at your situation? 

1. Begin from Where You Are

A mentor of mine shared this simple but profound truth. ‘Begin from where you are!’ It sounds simplistic, but when you think about it, it makes sense. 

Today you KNOW you have a PROBLEM or OPPORTUNITY. You know that you do or don't have the tools needed to address it. It's that simple. 

Can you MOVE forward based on what you know today about your realities as they are right now? 

1. What is the problem or opportunity!
2. What are your strengths?
3. What are your weakness?
4. What do you know for certain?
5. What DON'T you KNOW that you SHOULD?
6. How will you address that?
7. What is your plan?