Brand You Personal Branding

Personality tests are powerful tools for personal growth. Some people think personality tests "box them in" but personally, I feel they open up our understanding of ourselves. If you can think of tests like the Briggs Myers, DISC, or Enneagram as a more concrete way to observe yourself, then you're well on your way to growth. Recommended (free) Enneagram test: exploreyourtype.com Recommended Ennegram results: enneagraminstitute.com All of these are tools to empower your capacity for self-observation. Here are three ways I use these tests for growth: Learn how you rest Learn how you relate Learn how you work Knowing these three things allows you to make better decisions in life. If you'd like to connect elsewhere online, the easiest place to reach me is via Instagram: instagram.com/mikekimtv Drop me a DM because I read and respond to every single one! Instagram is a convenient place to connect since you're probably listening to the show off your phone anyway. :-) FREE GIFT: Marketing Mastery Insider #1 As a thank you for tuning into the show, I'm offering you a free copy of the first issue of my paid newsletter Marketing Mastery Insider (retail $97 a month). To get your free copy: mikekim.com/list EPISODE CREDITS: If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Danny Ozment. Here's an article he wrote about the benefits of podcasting: A Few More Podcasting Benefits Check it out and then schedule a FREE strategy call with him at the bottom of that page.

Decisions, decisions, decisions! Have you ever had to make a decision and kept delaying it? There's actually a 5-step psychological process behind why you get excited to make a change in your life -- and then fail to follow through: Satisfaction Dissatisfaction Emotional Brink Moment of Insight The Opening That's what we're going to talk about on this episode. Once we understand how we make decisions, then we can make better ones and break the cycle. In this episode I share: The root meaning of the word "decide" Why, when helping others, you must only do everything you SHOULD, and not everything you CAN The power behind the phrase, "There must be more to my life than ____..." If you'd like to connect elsewhere online, the easiest place to reach me is via Instagram: instagram.com/mikekimtv Drop me a DM because I read and respond to every single one! Instagram is a convenient place to connect since you're probably listening to the show off your phone anyway. :-) FREE GIFT: Marketing Mastery Insider #1 As a thank you for tuning into the show, I'm offering you a free copy of the first issue of my paid newsletter Marketing Mastery Insider (retail $97 a month). To get your free copy: mikekim.com/list EPISODE CREDITS: If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Danny Ozment. Here's an article he wrote about the benefits of podcasting: A Few More Podcasting Benefits Check it out and then schedule a FREE strategy call with him at the bottom of that page.

What makes you leave a box in search of a new nirvana? That's what we're going to talk about on this episode. As we kick off the first few episodes, we're going to look at the most important relationship you have: the relationship you have with yourself. Ultimately you're the only person that can take responsibility for your own life, but if you've ever asked, "What am I going to do with my life?" you are not alone! Life is not linear. Unfortunately, most of us are underprepared for that simple fact because most of our developmental years are straightforward... But real life is anything but straightforward. In this episode I share: 3 bizarre (but effective!) questions to help you find your life purpose What pisses me off about corporate America and formalized education Why seeing people who live like zombies and spend their days at jobs they don't enjoy breaks my heart The "only" two career paths I was allowed to consider when growing up (typical Asian kid) Why real life is all about "off-roading" rather than highway driving A deeper look at what the word "fulfillment" really means If you'd like to connect elsewhere online, the easiest place to reach me is via Instagram: instagram.com/mikekimtv Drop me a DM because I read and respond to every single one! Instagram is a convenient place to connect since you're probably listening to the show off your phone anyway. :-) FREE GIFT: Marketing Mastery Insider #1 As a thank you for tuning into the show, I'm offering you a free copy of the first issue of my paid newsletter Marketing Mastery Insider (retail $97 a month). To get your free copy: mikekim.com/list EPISODE CREDITS: If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Danny Ozment. Here's an article he wrote about the benefits of podcasting: A Few More Podcasting Benefits Check it out and then schedule a FREE strategy call with him at the bottom of that page.

In this episode of the Brand You Podcast, I share 5 things I've learned from doing 150 episodes of this show in hopes that these insights will inspire you to keep taking action to build your personal brand business. You'll discover: Why doing this podcast has been one of the most rewarding things I've ever done in my career Why it's never too early to share your stage How I created my 7P framework while doing this show The personal reason why I took such a long time off from the podcast The year-by-year things I did since 2013 to grow my personal brand business Connect with Me on Instagram Instagram has quickly become my favorite social network, and because so few people use it to contact me, it's the easiest way to get in touch. If you'd like to connect on Instagram, connect with me at @mikekimtv. I read and respond to every DM. It's been a pleasure to be on this journey with you! Sincerely, Mike Kim

You work hard every day to craft your ideas, frameworks, and strategies. But what can you do to legally protect them? Today I interview Steve Sponseller, a patent attorney based in Spokane, Washington about best-practices when it comes to protecting our intellectual property. In this episode you will learn: The difference between copyrights, trademarks, patents, and trade secrets What legally constitutes a trademark, and when you should file for one Who really "owns" the creation when a contractor (like a designer or copywriter) creates intellectual property for a client When to use U.S. based contractors vs. when it's ok to use contractors who are overseas and so much more While this topic isn't the "sexiest" topic out there, it's extremely important. Several years ago I witness Michael Hyatt go through a trademark tiff with the National Speakers Association which I blogged about here. Thankfully things worked out for both groups, but it was a looming reminder that IP conflicts can come unexpectedly, and that we should all be prepared for them. Grab Your Copy of Steve Sponseller's Intellectual Property Checklist Intellectual property is not optional. Every business, from solo entrepreneurs to large corporations, has valuable intellectual property that must be protected. Grab Steve's free checklist here: Get the IP Checklist here

Stu McLaren is a master marketer and the genius behind building some of today's largest membership sites. In this interview, we recount his unique journey from being the behind-the-scenes strategist to stepping "out front" to become his own brand. It's a journey that I've walked to a small degree, and one I know that many listeners are on right now. A sneak preview: The difference between unconscious competence vs. conscious competence The two types of entrepreneurs and why businesses don't grow without both The fastest way to gain momentum in your personal brand Resources Mentioned in This Episode: • Join Marketing Mastery Insider: mikekim.com/insider • Stu's blog • Tribe - Stu's online course on membership sites • Rocket Fuel (book)

Having a product for sale is the pathway to profit in a personal brand business. Yes, you can sell your own time by doing coaching, consulting, or speaking -- but why stop there? In this episode, I talk about 4 products you can create in under 4 hours each: Affliate products Documents / Swipe Files Mini-Trainings Coaching This episode focuses on the first two types of products because they are easy to create and can end up being strong generators of passive income for you. Once they're created, they sell indefinitely as long as you drive leads to them. Resources Mentioned in This Episode: • Join Marketing Mastery Insider: mikekim.com/insider • Info on Marketing Mastery Workshop: mikekim.com/workshop • Paypal • Gumroad • Wave Apps • Stripe • Essential Business Forms (my client proposal templates)

Positioning is one of the most important, yet least understood, aspects of marketing. It's clear when you see top-tier brands like Louis Vuitton (luxury) vs. everyday brands like Wal-Mart, but things get foggy when branding a person. But that's exactly what a personal brand is: a brand built around you. In this episode I take you behind-the-scenes of one of my private workshops where I help personal brand builders get clear on their positioning in a way that allows them to reach any market. We often start with these 3 questions: What pisses you off? What breaks your heart? What is the big problem you're trying to solve? The answers to these questions provide the basis on which you will build your positioning. • Join Marketing Mastery Insider: mikekim.com/insider • Info on Marketing Mastery Workshop: mikekim.com/workshop

This is a "back to the basics" episode as I lay out the 3 things you need to build a minimum viable platform for your personal brand business. I'm amazed at how many coaches, consultants, and speakers I meet who don't have all three of these in place in a way that allows them to leverage their exposure and referrals. Homepage Services Page About Page There should be 3x as many calls to action for the Services page compared to the About page. Also, you should consider how people are getting to certain pages on your website. For example, most of my clients go directly to my homepage, while most of my blog readers (who don't hire me for contract work) rarely to go my homepage. Over the past two years, I geared my homepage to private clients while still growing a blog readership since my readers usually went directly to posts that I wrote and found them via social media or through my email list. Resources Mentioned In This Episode: studiopress.com (which is where my blog theme is from) wufoo.com (which I use for client intake forms) [Podcast] What to Say On Your Website: 5 Things Your Customers Need to Hear You Say My About Page (use as a reference for yourself) Click Below To Subscribe to Marketing Mastery Insider: mikekim.com/insider

In recent weeks I've made some big changes in my business. The biggest change has to do with my paid mastermind group ... and the decision to shut it down. In this episode, I talk about the reasons behind the decison, as well as the things I've been working on since (including two new launches that have generated more than the mastermind group that I decided to close down). I mentioned a number of people in today's episode, and you can find out more about them here: Neal Samudre and his email funnels Matt Dobschuetz and Porn Free Radio Michael Hudson To get request access to the Facebook group, click here. Click Below To Subscribe to Marketing Mastery Insider: mikekim.com/insider