Elf on the shelf wearing face mask. Christmas decoration in coronavirus pandemic. Seasonal home design in covid-19 outbreak. Xmas tree and fireplace wreath.

What is the Elf on the Shelf? Unless you live under a rock, you’ve probably seen this toy taking the holidays by storm for years now. But what makes it a total sensation that people love (or love to hate)? And what can it teach you about how you communicate your own professional story?

Today I have a holiday themed episode for you and we're going to be talking about powerful branding lessons from the Elf on the Shelf children’s Christmas experience. The little guy uses some basic marketing fundamentals very, very well – and is a great illustration of how this can work for your personal brand too! I’ve got eight core tips for you – four in this episode, and four coming up next week.

In this episode of The Career Rx we’ll discuss:
The importance of being memorable
How it helps to build on something already familiar (especially if your work is novel)
How to use curiosity to do much of the work for you
What makes you the ‘can’t miss’ product, service, or expert

These first four examples from Elf on the Shelf will help you stay top of mind for your skill and expertise, whether marketing yourself to your boss or marketing your services to new clients. These are simple concepts to help wrap up your ideas and present them in a fun and easy to understand way. Be sure to subscribe to the podcast so you don’t miss the second part coming next week.

“Go ahead and be confident and be bold.” – Marjorie Stiegler

In this Episode:
[1:55] Basic marketing ideas and how they apply to anything, even Elf on the Shelf
[2:35] Forget clever. It’s better to be catchy, easy to remember, and recognizable!
[4:40] Build upon something familiar to your intended audience
[5:55] Using well known concepts to introduce something new to the market (shout out to Steve Jobs, too)
[7:00] What makes Elf on the Shelf something you ‘have to have’? Hint – it is NOT the physical toy.
[9:00] The right dose of curiosity turns you into an opportunity magnet
[10:45] No hedging. But absolutely deliver on your promise!
[12:30] Write this list down and check it twice – and don’t forget to tune in for Part 2

Are you putting your best self forward virtually? Without face-to-face personal connection, are you concerned that your leadership presence isn’t coming through?

Although leadership and executive presence is a big topic, optimizing how you come across virtually is easy! Here’s a checklist-style discussion of tips you can implement right away, so grab a pen and paper – because this episode is for you.

In this episode of The Career Rx we’ll discuss:
How to dial up your leadership presence in virtual settings
Verbal and nonverbal ways to maximize effectiveness of your messaging
Simple tweaks that have a major impact on how others see (and hear) you virtually

Today we’re going to be talking about putting your best self forward virtually. Inspired by a note that I received from one of my students who is currently taking my course, The Speaking Rx. They asked, “I'm just so much better in person, it's hard to connect and make a good impression virtually. How do I do that in an all-Zoom environment? Do you have any tips?”

This episode highlights my pro-tips for how you can actually gain ground and continue to grow and develop your executive presence, your executive reputation, and your leader reputation virtually. I give a variety of actions and resources to further your understanding of communicating in a more digital world. By the end of this episode, you will have a checklist of things to do immediately that will improve your online authority.